Bullet

Chapter 33

NADIA

NAPAHAWAK ako sa suot-suot na kuwintas. Then I caressed my bump. Awtomatiko akong napangiti. Kakaiba pala talaga sa pakiramdam. Na malaki na ang tiyan mo. At alam mong may buhay sa loob nito, na alam mong may anak ka na. It feels surreal. But what feels surreal more, is that I have a family now.

Noon ay mag-isa lang ako pero ngayon ay may asawa na ako at magkakaroon na kami ng anak.

"Hello, ate Aurora! How's your babies po?"

I chuckled upon Ayannie's greetings. Lumapit ito sa akin at hinaplos ko naman ang buhok niya. I used my baby voice.

"Hello, ate Yannie. Babies are fine. How about you, ate? Tapos mo na ba ang trainings mo? Ang assignments mo? Ang treatment mo?"

"I finished them all na, ate!" She gave me a thumbs-up. "Then I played with Deon and Liam. Then with Via as well. Tapos may nalaman po ako. Crush pala ni Via si Deon tapos si Liam po, wala po palang crush. I though crush niya si Via pero hindi raw po. Liar daw po ako."

I laughed at that. Interesado ako palagi sa mga tsismis ni Ayannie. Kadalasan, ang mga kuwento niya ay tungkol sa namumuong love story raw nina Via at Liam. But looking now, it seems that she was wrong. And it was actually between Via and Deon. Not Via and Liam.

I softly nudged her arm. "How about you? May crush ka?"

Bigla itong umirap. "No po! Hindi ko po crush si Liam. Bakit ko po iyon magiging crush?"

Bahagya akong napanganga at agad na humalakhak. "Yannie, wala akong sinabing pangalan. Ate Aurora is simply asking if you have a crush na. Why are you so defensive? Ikaw ah."

Her cute eyes widened and she even gasped audibly. "Hala! Hindi po, ate! I...I thought I heard Liam po! You said Liam kaya! Hindi ko po talaga crush si Liam! Never ko po siya magiging crush. He always away me kaya he's bad. I don't like bad men. I like kind ones."

"But Liam isn't bad, Yannie." Kantyaw ko. "Baka inaasar ka lang niya kasi gusto niyang nasa kaniya ang atensyon mo."

"But still, ate," She rolled her eyes. "If that's his way of telling me he likes me, then he's a coward! Bakit hindi niya na lang po sabihin na crush niya ako? Instead of bullying me? I wouldn't like him ever! I would hate him, instead!"

I chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Smart. Ganiyan nga, Yannie. Hindi na uso ang mga ganiyan, diba?"

"Opo!" She strongly agreed.

Tumawa ako roon. Ito kasing asawa ko, hindi naman ako inaasar para magpapansin. Sa halip ay hindi ako pinansin ng ilang taon. Lumayo at iniwasan pa ako. He used distance instead of always catching my attention. Hayst. Men.

"Na-visit niyo na po pala, ate, iyong baby ni ate Liana? He's really cutie po! I saw the baby na!" She giggled.

Nanlaki naman ang mga mata ko. "Really? Nakita mo na baby ni ate Liana? And he's a boy? Wow. Sure na super guwapo iyon kasi beautiful si ate Liana, diba? Nasaan pala sila? Nasa room?"

Kaninang madaling araw ay nanganak na si Liana. And she gave birth to a handsome baby boy. Wala naman nang nagtanong pero hindi lingid sa kaalaman ko na marami ring naguguluhan kung sino ang ama ng anak ni Liana. She never told us, she never answered. That's why we respected it.

"Kayo po? Kailan lalabas ang babies mo, ate?" Ayannie pointed to my baby bump.

"Soon," I smiled sweetly. "Malapit-lapit na rin pero hindi pa sobrang lapit."

"Oh, wow," Her mouth formed into an 'O'. "Si ate Liana po, nailabas niya na. Kayo, soon. Hmm. I want your babies to be both girls naman po! Para playmates sila ng baby ni ate Liana! And para may additional girls pa po sa amin! Dagdag kakampi!"