A/N: Happy birthday, Ovi!
KABANATA 38
It's already past ten in the evening when I finally got to my apartment complex Friday of that hellish week. Halos araw-araw pinapa-overtime kami ni Engineer Ycot dahil ayaw niyang nabe-behind kami sa schedule lalo pa't nitong Miyerkules ay nagkaproblema ang mga servers namin.
The apartment where I was staying was a four-storey building. On its ground floor were commercial spaces: a 24/7 convenient store, a pharmacy, a laundry shop and a water-refilling station. To get to the other floors, you had to take the stairs on the far end of its east side.
Dumaan muna ako sa convenient store para bumili ng iilang toiletries. Nakapila na ako sa cashier nang tumunog ang aking cellphone. Medyo nahirapan pa akong kunin iyon sa loob ng aking shoulder bag. When I did, I saw my baby's picture flashing on the screen. Thinking that something might have happened to Air, I quickly swiped to answer.
"Hello? Baby, what's wrong?" Nag-aalala kong tanong.
Lalo akong kinabahan nang ilang sandali ang lumipas at wala pa rin akong nakuhang sagot.
"Baby? Air, are you there?"
"Nanay..."
The weakness in his voice tugged at my heart.
"Miss, nakapila ka?" Biglang tanong ng nakasunod sa akin kaya napalingon ako sa harapan at nakitang nakausog na pala ang linya. I mouthed my apologies before moving forward.
"Y-yes, Baby?" I asked after adjusting the toiletries on my other hand.
"Am I not a Kurozawa, 'Nay?" He asked, "The other kids said you are not a real Kurozawa which means I am not also. They even asked if you really are my Nanay because I don't look like you..." He paused, "...that I look like a monster instead," pagpapatuloy niya sa isang mahinang boses.
Sumibol ang inis sa puso ko nang marinig ang isinumbong ng anak.
And who dares tell my son that he looks like a monster? I thought of the many possibilities that I could tell to the parents of these insensitive children once I get back.
"Miss," muli akong napalingon sa likuran. May sasabihin pa sana ito pero agad itinikom ang bibig nang kung anong nakita sa mukha.
Nilingon ko ang harapan at tahimik na umusog.
"Is Tatay a monster, Nanay?"
Napakurap ako nang ilang beses sa tanong nito.
"Listen, Air, don't believe what the other kids say. They're not true, okay? You're not a monster. And I definitely am your Nanay," I told him the gentlest way I could, concealing the burning anger I felt for those who dared hurt my baby, "Who told you these? Whose children are they? Tell Nanay so when I get home, I will tell them myself--"
"No, Nanay! Daijoubu!" Mabilis niyang tugon, "I-I can handle them. It doesn't matter anymore. Don't worry."
Magsasalita pa sana ako nang unahan niya.
"Oh! I just remembered Jii-jii told me to go his room tonight. He said he's going to read me a story!" He sounded so thrilled, "I-I have to go now, Nanay. I love you! Oyasumi!"
"I love--" Hindi ko pa natapos ang sasabihin ay naputol na ang linya.
Kumunot ang noo akong napatingin sa cellphone ko. Hindi niya naman iyon ginagawa sa akin noon. Kaya imbes na mapanatag, lalo pa akong nag-alala para sa kalagayan niya roon.
Tama lang bang iniwan ko siya kay Lolo? Maybe I should have brought him with me... Isip-isip ko nang mapansing ako na ang susunod na magbabayad.
BINABASA MO ANG
Paper Moon
General Fiction"I do," he said and then the man declared their union in front of God and of every person that mattered in their lives. And she, like every girl, thought that the next lines in their story book would be 'and they live happily ever after'. But they w...
