The Man in Strings

XI. Superman

Nagsasalita na nga pala sya, pero mga iilang salita lang. Kanina, tinuturo nya 'yung pinto ni Maine. Tapos, 'Mi' sya ng 'Mi'. 'Yun yata tawag nya kay Maine.

Ngayon naman 'a-tse' sya ng 'a-tse'. "A-tse..." sabi nya habang yakap yakap 'yung binti ko.

"Atse ka na naman," I talked to him like he would reply. Binuhat ko sya at nilagay ko sa mga binti ko. Nahiga ako sa sahig at hinawakan ko 'yung maliliit nyang kamay, at inangat sya paunti-unti. "Suuuuperrrrmaaaannnnn!!"

Tuwang-tuwa naman ang loko.

Inulot ko tuloy. "Suppperrrmaaaaannnn!"

Tawa pa rin sya nang tawa sa ginagawa ko. At least sa tatlong sinabi sa akin ni Maine, may na-accomplish akong isa, 'yung keep him smiling. Laughing pa nga eh. Dapat talaga meron akong makuha mula rito, ha. I'm doing my very best. "Ikaw si Superman kasi bawal na si Ironman, okay?"

Inilapag ko na sya sa sahig at aakyat sana ako para ikuha man lang sya ng panyo o kahit kumot para kumpleto ang Superman get-up nya, pero hindi pa ako nakakalayo eh umiyak na agad si Matti. Paglingon ko, nakadapa na sya.

Dali-dali akong lumapit sa kanya para itayo sya. I lifted him up carefully, and patted his back softly. "Sinong nang-away sa'yo? Sinong nang-away sa'yo?" I cooed, and I have never imagined myself to use this tone even with kids, but there's really something with them na gugustuhin mo lang forever silang nakangiti. Kahit ikaw pa 'yung magmukhang engot at tanga. Nage-gets ko na why Maine makes an ugly face to every kid we pass by just to make them laugh, when we were in college. Pero usually, ako lang 'yung natatawa.

"Bad 'yung floor!" I started stomping, just to show Matti that I was hitting the culprit - the floor. "Bad talaga 'yung floor. Bad! Niaaway mo si Matti."

Great. Now I'm baby-talking.

I continued talking to distract Matti. Napapansin ko kasi na sa tuwing nagsasalita ako, tinitigil nya kung ano mang ginagawa nya tapos tinititigan nya ako.

"Alam mo para kang 'yung Tita mo," I said while he was resting on my chest. Dahan-dahan ko ring minamasahe 'yung likod nya para kumalma sya. "You were like her during our first few encounters."

I continued talking, even though he wouldn't understand. Pero mukha kasing nakikinig sya talaga, kaya nagpatuloy ako. "She'd stay quiet, and she'd ask me questions. I didn't like answering them at first. I was all distant."

"But she'd patiently listen, like she understands all of me. That's her charm, eh. She has always been a kid to me, and a kid does not see bad things. You have to tell them that things are bad in order for them to know. But Maine's just like that, you know. She thinks I'm all good. Or she sees the bad things in me, but she understands. I'd never know."

"Mana ka siguro sa kanya because I always feel the need to make her smile like I can't bear to see her tears." I kissed Matti's head. I noticed that he was holding my forefinger, and that I was too concerned with him waking up than removing my finger from his grasp. "You're like her in this aspect, too," sabi ko, kahit wala nang nakikinig, dahil nakatulog na si Matti sa dibdib ko. "She holds me with her eyes closed. She places all her trust on me... that I won't let go of her hand even if she wasn't looking..."

"But then she was right. I won't. I will never. Tsaka alam mo 'yun, Matti... kanina, mukha na talaga akong tanga kakalaro sa'yo..." I smiled to myself. "And my officemates would probably laugh their asses out if they see me like this but I just love seeing you laugh, and it doesn't matter even if I looked stupid."

"Ang emote, ha," Maine suddenly wrapped her arms around my neck from behind, and I even have to keep her quiet.

"Ssssh," I told her. "Natutulog na si Matti, oh."

"Feel na feel mo naman?"

"Kanina ka pa dyan?" Na-witness na naman ba nya 'yung litanya ko?

"Hindi naman..." Maine then sat next to me. "Ang naabutan ko lang naman ay 'yung mga salitang 'Alam mo para kang 'yung Tita mo'..." She giggled. "So nope, kadadating ko lang."

"Huwag mo nga akong asarin," pagalit kong sabi. "Pinag-alaga na nga kita ng bata, eh."

"Alam mo kung ano 'yan?" Ngumiti sya sa'kin at 'di ko nahalata na may hawak pala syang basang towel. Nagsimula na syang punasan 'yung mukha kong puro sulat at ako naman si tanga, tuwang-tuwa. Lintek. Such small actions from her but... ugh.

"Ano?"

She smirked. "Training."

Remember the brain malfunction I told her in college? Padalas na nang padalas 'yung mga ganu'n ko, these past few days. This woman. Ugh.

"Alam mo ikaw," sabi ko sa kanya. "Nagbabago ka na."

"Anong nagbabago?"

"Hindi ka na bata. Dalaga ka na."

"Matagal na 'kong dalaga!"

"Hindi eh," I teased her. "Lately ka lang nagdalaga. Nito-nito lang."

"Matagal na 'kong dalaga," umismid pa sya. Ang cute talaga. "Hindi mo lang talaga ako tinitingnan ng maayos kaya hindi mo nakikita na dalaga na talaga 'ko."

"Nope," I refused to acknowledge her. "Nagdalaga ka lang nu'ng wala ako."

Natawa sya du'n. "Ikaw din. Nagbinata ka lang nu'ng hindi na tayo nag-uusap."

"Matagal na 'kong binata, Maine."

"Sus."

Okay lang 'yung ako 'yung nang-aasar pero kapag ako 'yung inaasar, hindi pala maganda sa pakiramdam. "Matured na 'ko when we met, Maine. You're the one that's childish."

"Hindi ako childish, innocent and fresh lang 'yung views ko."

"Gumaling ka lang na writer, gumaling ka na rin sa panggaganyan?'

"Huwag mo ngang iniiba ang usapan. Bata ka pa rin kaya nu'n."

"Maine."

"Ngayon ka lang nagbinata, aminin mo na."

"Maine."

"Tuli ka na ba? Baka hindi pa -"

"Makakabuntis na 'ko."

"..."

"Uunahin kita kapag hindi ka pa tumigil dyan."

Akala ko magagalit sya sa sinabi ko dahil ngayon lang ako nagbanta ng ganu'n sa kanya pero tumayo pa sya at nilakihan ako ng mata. Ayan na naman sya, eh. Akala nya nakakatakot syang tingnan pero cute pa rin sya sa paningin ko. "Uunahin?!" She exclaimed, that even I have to cover Matti's ears. "Bakit, may balak ka bang pangalawahin?! Pangatluhin?! Baka gusto mo pang paabutin sa pang-apat?!"

She was so adorable that I burst into laughter. "I'm kidding, Maine. I don't have any plans on getting somebody else pregnant," I said. "But you."

"Alam ko rin tawag dyan, eh."

"Ano?"

"Foreshadowing," she laughed. "Leche ka."