Shorts

XIII. The Guardian (2)

Alden took a leave for another week.  He continued to beg his father to stay with them for good. "Dad, sige na naman. Hindi ko kayang bantayan yang mga yan!"

"Anak, kailangan mong matuto. Halika nga, buhatin mo si Emma," his father said.

Alden frowned. "Sinong Emma?"

His father rolled his eyes, "Sino pa ba? Itong apo ko! Ano ka ba naman?"

"Hindi ko lang alam na 'Emma' na pala ang ipinangalan sa kanya."

"Susmaryosep." The elder man said, and held out the sleeping child to Alden, who made a face but reached out.

"Paano ba?"

His father assisted him until Emma was in his arms. "O, kapapalit ko lang ng diaper niyan. Mga dalawang oras pa siguro matutulog. Si Ethan, diyan sa crib ha? Mga ganun din ang tulog. Tatakbo lang ako sa bahay ko para sa iba kong gamit. Babalik din ako agad."

"Dad, wag mo akong iiwan dito!"

"Kaya mo yan. Saglit lang ako."

But, half an hour later, his arm was getting exhausted but he was terrified to put his niece down because he was afraid he might break her neck. Then, she started crying and his two-year old nephew, Ethan, also woke from his sleep.

"'kel? Up?" the boy said and raised his arms. "Milk?"

"Umm, wait Ethan."

Emma continued to cry, and soon enough Ethan started crying, too. Alden reached for his phone to call his father, but the phone was out of coverage area. So, he called the next best thing. "MENG!"

"Ano?! Maryosep, Alden, kung makasigaw ka naman."

"I need you!"

"Ha?"

He explained the situation he was in. "Can you come over, please?"

"Alden, I'm in a conference call."

"Work from home ka naman eh! Take it here! Please?" The children wailed at the same time.

"Fine. Give me ten minutes to wrap this up and then pupunta na ako. Dude, you owe me big time."

***

Twenty minutes later, she was strolling in the second floor of Alden's house. Ethan was hiccuping, tired from crying, but Emma was still wailing. "What do I do?" Alden asked Maine.

"Aba, malay ko."

"Bakit hindi mo alam?!"

"Bakit ko alam dapat?!"

Alden looked at her from head to foot, "Because you're a girl?"

"Eh kung iwan kaya kita dito?"

"No, Maine, sorry. Sorry. Hindi ko alam gagawin ko dito! At ngalay na ngalay na ako magbuhat!"

Maine assessed their situation. "Check mo yung diaper ni Emma. Ako na bahala kay Ethan."

"Ibababa ko siya?! Baka masaktan!"

"Alalayan mo lang yung neck at ulo - dahan dahan sa pagbaba. Kaya mo yan," she said, and headed to the crib to pick up the little boy. "Hi, I'm Tita Maine. Can you go with me?"

She changed Ethan and gave him a bottle, Alden's father thankfully leaving instructions for the proportions, and then settled Ethan back in the crib. Alden was still fussing over Emma and her diaper.

"Bakit ang tagal mo?" he asked, annoyed. "Tama ba 'to? Nalinis ko ba yung poops?"

Maine checked. "Parang oo naman. Pero pupunasan ko na din ulit para sure."

"Tapos lalagyan mo ng cream. Sabi ni dad, may cream cream pa yan bago lagyan ng diaper."

She found what he was pertaining to and replaced the diaper. As soon as that was done, Maine carried the little girl, who quickly fell back to sleep. "She's so small."

"Oo nga eh. Salamat sa tulong ha?"

"Alden, lahat ng kailangan mo, sinulat na ng dad mo. You really just have to READ, you know?"

"Dude naman, alam mo naman kasing wala akong hilig sa bata."

"Well, dude, you have two now. Deal with it."

His shoulders slumped. "Bakit ba kasi ako pa? Pwede naman si Dad." Before Maine could scold him for his thoughts, he got up and said, "I have to check in lang sa office ha? Pwede ka bang magbantay saglit? Sabihan ko din si Dad na bumalik na agad."

"Alden! I can't stay -"

"Sige na please?"

"Alden!"

"Thank you, Dude! You're the best bro ever talaga."

"Alden!"

***

Alden continued this for the rest of the week and Maine has had it.

He sent another message to her, late that Friday night, to tell her that he was going out. She knew him well enough and that meant - picking up some girl and getting laid.

"Oh, no you don't, Alden Richards," she said to no one in particular. He wasn't dumping her with this again.

After hounding their friends, she found out which club he was in and came up with a plan. Maine informed Alden's father that she would head out to pick him up and shouldn't be gone for a long time.

It didn't take long for her to spot him with a lady hooked under his arm.

She headed to the bar in het body-hugging dress, with a small pillow tucked inside the shorts she wore underneath.

"Hi Alden!" she greeted, cheerily. She noticed that he was already tipsy.

"Menggay! Huy. Bakit nandito ka?"

"Susunduin ka. Hinahanap ka na kasi ng MGA BATA," she said, eyeing the girl as she said this.

"Huh? Ah... ano... pwedeng mamaya na? May lakad pa kasi kami ni - ni - ni - ano ngang pangalan mo Miss?"

The girl seemed annoyed but did not let go of Alden.

"Uh, miss, pwedeng iwan mo na kami ng Sweetiepie ko? Pasensya ka na diyan ha? Malandi kasi talaga yan! Sa sobrang harot, ito, nakadalawa na kami... ay pangatlo na pala dahil dito!" Maine looked down, rubbed her belly and then looked back up at the girl, who followed to gaze at Maine's "baby bump".

"Oh, god, I'm so sorry. I thought - anyway, sorry." The girl said and shrugged Alden's arm off, then quickly walked away.

"Meng, no, Miss. Nagloloko lang yan. Miss! Malas naman o! Dude naman, bakit mo ginawa yun?!"

Maine smiled, triumphantly. "Dapat lang yan sa'yo. Anyway... Halika na, Darling? Uwi na tayo?"