He Was My Cousin

Chapter 32

Sobrang late update. I have been sick and busy the past weeks. Perooo I tried to update today b'cos...

Happy first anniversary (since epilogue) for HMC! ♡ Last year, I finished HMC and now a year later, malapit-lapit na rin ang HWMC ♡

Again, sorry for the late up!

--
Chapter 32
Somewhere In Your Heart

Nang buksan ko ang pinto ng opisina ko Lunes ng umaga ay biglang tumakbo si James sa akin upang yakapin ako. I knew Ian was bringing him in my school today but what caught me off guard was how hard the kid was clinging on me.

I squatted down a bit to hug James back. Hinanap ng mata ko si Ian habang yakap-yakap ko si James na nakasiksik lang ang mukha sa aking leeg. He was not usually this close to me. Kung magmamaktol ito ay paniguradong kay Ella ito tatakbo, but then again I remembered his Dad and Ella broke up already.

"What happened?" I mouthed to Ian, concern starting to stem inside me.

"I told him about Sandrine," he mumbled. Lalong humigpit ang yakap sa akin ng bata.

Kumunot ang noo ko. Hinimas-himas ko ang likod ni James. "James knows about his mom, of course!" paalala ko sa kanya. Pinalaki naman niya ang bata na kilala ang ina nito sa litrato. Hindi man sila nagkita nang may isip na si James, Ian told him about her long ago!

Umiwas siya ng tingin. "I told him about his father, too."

Napahinto ako. Biglang nag-blangko ang utak ko. "You're his father..." wala sa wisyo kong tugon na para bang naka-program na ang sistema kong iyon ang i-kontra sa kanya.

"His real father, Aya."

Para akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig.

"Why did you do that?!" bigla kong bulalas.

I felt James froze in my arms in an instant. Kumalas siya sa pagkakayakap sa akin. "You knew, Tita Aya?" he asked, tiny beads of tears on the side of his eyes.

Ang mga mata niya ay parang nagtatanong kung bakit ko siya trinaydor, kung bakit pati ako. The look in his eyes broke my heart, and even before I could open my mouth to speak, he has already managed to run away from my office.

Agad akong sumunod sa kanya ngunit binigo ako ng takong ng sapatos ko.

I was starting to get worried where he ran off to until I saw Paolo in the parking lot. Pinaningkitan niya si James at lumapit dito. They started talking then. Ginapangan tuloy ako ng kaba. Knowing Paolo and his antics, he might say something that will worsen everything thinking he was just being funny!

I was meters away from them when I saw Paolo laughing. Napahinto tuloy ako upang pagmasdan sila. James was pouting as he was intently looking at that man he barely knew. Nakita ko pang ginulo-gulo ni Paolo ang buhok ni James.

I suddenly remembered a fragment embedded on my mind from few years ago. Sa San Vicente iyon.

There was this six year-old child living in the apartment unit the floor above us. Oscar was his name. Lagi nga 'yon nasa unit namin lalo na 'pag Sabado dahil naglalaro sila ni Paolo. The sight of them playing together has made the then almost twenty year-old Aya's heart flutter because it gives her the glimpse of the future he wanted with her Paolo Salvatorre... knowing in her heart where they were headed despite and in spite of everything.

And back then, it was enough.

"Where's James?" natatarantang tanong ni Ian, dahilan upang mabalik ako sa ulirat ko. It didn't take him long enough to see where I was looking. Sa anak niya at kay Paolo na papaupo sa may bench malapit sa parking lot.