Chasing Wildness (Chase #1)

Prologue

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Warning: This is story is unedited. Sorry for the grammatical errors.

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How many years has it been? 5 ?   6 ?  7 years?

"Shooootttt!" I heard the little kid beside me.

I looked at him, stared with his smiling face with his hands up clapping, while looking at the court just slightly below us.

Yeah, it has been 7 years indeed. He is already 6, then that would make it 7 years that passed. Well, I guess, I can never play hide and seek with my past.

"Nay, thanks for bringing me here. This is the best gift ever," the kid said while still looking below.

I guess I cannot continuously act dumb as if nothing happened, especially; he is here, the fruit of my foolishness, my craziness, and impulsiveness. But I can never treat him as a mistake, because despite of all the tears and agony that I had experience the moment that man left, he became my anchor, my source of strength. And that's what made him a blessing, my new beginning.

I felt a small hand tapping my legs.

"Nay. Who is that man," he said while pointing someone at the court.

I traced the direction where his small finger is pointing, and gasped when I realized whom he had noticed.

"W-hy baby? Why are you curious to him?"

I was cursing my inner self when I noticed that I had stuttered.

'Seriously self? I thought that he doesn't give you effect anymore?? Isn't it the reason why you let yourself see him play the sport that he loves the most? Isn't this the main reason why you had the guts to bring your son who is beginning to show the same interests with that man, inside this court where you first met?'

Yes. It was here. It was here where it all started. It was here where my attention caught him after that funny incident. It was here, the story behind my hide and seek with him, opened.

And now I think, it is here again where the book that I once closed will reopen.

I stopped wondering when I felt my phone vibrating.

"Bakit ka napatawag?" Bungad ko nang masagot.

("May ghad sis. Sumasakit ang ulo ko sa kakulitan nitong babae mo. Anong oras ba kayo uuwi nang matigil na 'tong kalbaryo ko.")

I chuckled with her answer.

("Manang mana sa ama. 'Yung totoo, dalawa ba talaga kayong gumawa nito o nagsarili lang siya tapos biglang tinurok sa tiyan mo?")

That made stop from my sudden joy. That's not funny anymore.

("Dan? Sorry. I thought okay lang na banggitin ko na siya.")

I snapped back myself from thinking too much, then tried to smile kahit alam kong hindi rin naman makikita ni Rhei.

"Nah. Okay lang. I told you, naka-move on na ako sa kanya."

("Nakamove-on na nga ba? Sus. Lokohin mo ako, pero huwag ang sarili mo.")

Natahimik ako, then glanced at my baby boy who is now curiously looking at me as well.

("Anyway. Sobrang tantrums na talaga itong babae mo. Sana raw hindi na siya pumayag na lumakad kayo niyang lalaki mo. Sana raw sumama na lang siya---")

("Nanayyyy!!!")

Bigla kong inilayo ang cellphone sa tenga ko.

Mayghad. Kelan pa naging megaphone ang boses ng isa ko pang baby?

Suddenly, I felt that I am not holding the phone anymore because my boy is now holding it.

"Yah. Mika. Bakit kelangan sigaw mo Nanay?" I saw how his forehead creased.

"Don't reason out. Ikaw ang payag na punta kami dito. I won against you so stop being a brat."

I smiled on the way he talks to his twin.

Madalas, matured talagang magsalita 'tong si Miko. He always try to discipline his sister, a total opposite of his twin. He has long patience, again an opposite of his twin's short temperedness.

"Stop it Mika. Why can't you just wait and play your dolls. Huwag mo sakit ulo ni Tita Rhei. Behave."

Kuyang kuya talaga kahit hindi matatas magsalita ng Tagalog.

I move my gaze on the court then stared at him who is now holding the ball.

Kahit galit ako sa'yo, I can't help thanking you as well. Nawala man ang ningning ng liwanag ko dahil sa kagaguhan mo, but at least you have left me two new sources of light.

Muntik na akong mahulog sa pagkakaupo ko nang mapansin kong napatingin siya sa gawi namin.

I quickly looked down to hide my face. Sana 'di niya ako nakita.

When I returned my eyes on the court, he's nowhere to be found.

I tried to ignore panicking, but still my instinct tried to tell me that she has a bad feeling about this.

Without thinking of the consequences, binuhat ko ang anak ko na kanina pa tapos makipag-usap at busy pa sa panonood.

"Bakit nanay? Are we going home?"

"Oo anak. Nagtext ang aunty Rhei mo. Kailangan na raw nating umuwi or else lalayas ang kapatid mo," palusot ko habang binabagtas ang daan palabas ng arena.

"As if naman layas Mika. She is just being a brat again. Fine, uwi na tayo kasi gutom bulati ko tiyan nanay."

I sighed in relief dahil 'di na nagprotesta ang baby ko, but it was changed to nervousness and fear when I heard someone talk.

"No one is leaving unless you talk to me Danicka."

Mikael, my twins' dad.