Fleeting Moments

Chapter 07: Massage

When we got home, sinalubong kami ng walang humpay na pagtatanong ni Raianne kung lalaki o babae raw ba ang magiging pamangkin niya. She bombarded Ryo with her questions, then she turned to me dahil panay ang pande-dedma sa kaniya ng kapatid niya. I wanted to tell her but it seemed like Ryo's planning something so I didn't. O baka sadyang gusto lang niyang pag-trip-an si Rai.

"Ano'ng mauuna? Graduation ko or delivery ni Ate?" tanong niya kay Ryo. He just snorted before reaching for her nose, pinching it hard. Bahagya akong napangiwi sa lakas ng itinili ni Rai dahil doon.

"Si Ate Frankie mo, kahit ano'ng mangyari, manganganak 'yan. E, ikaw? Ga-graduate ka ba?" tanong niya at malakas na napatawa.

Raianne smacked his arm before going back to my side, linking arms with me. Ilang taon na nga ulit ang mga ito? Raianne's just a few months younger than me and Ryo's a year older but they act like kids.

Nang si Tita na ang nagtanong e hindi ko alam ang gagawin. Kahit yata ayaw kong sabihin ay mapapasabi ako dahil sa takot sa kaniya. Ryo kept on entertaining his mother, helping her with the Christmas decors, kaya na-distract si Tita sa pagtatanong. Baka nga wala siyang balak sabihin kahit kanina. Surprise na lang, ganoon.

"Umakyat ka na, wala ka namang gagawin dito e," Ryo said before handing me a bowl of grapes.

Napadadalas yata ang ubas dito sa bahay. I was starting to think that the reason was Nate, and Ryo's competitive ass just wouldn't let it pass. "O kung gusto mo, do'n ka sa salas. 'Wag ka ngang pakalat-kalat."

Hinayaan ko siyang mag-attitude. It's better than him being silent everyday. I wanted to ask him about his upcoming game, pero baka ayaw niyang pag-usapan. Maybe he's having a hard time adjusting to his professional basketball career. Okay na rin itong kahit paano ay distracted siya roon. I shouldn't bring it up.

I went to my room and changed into a house dress. I stacked my pillows on one side of the bed, then I grabbed my laptop before stretching my legs on the mattress. I thought that morning sickness was the worst part of being pregnant, but I was wrong. I hated the cramps the most.

Nag-text muna ako kay Louie, iyong anak ng kapitbahay namin. He's only 17, but he's been Tatay's helper since two years ago. Usually, none of my parents would be on their phones, and they would always refuse to know how social media works no matter how much I tried to teach them. Madalas ay kay Louie ako nagtatanong kung ano ang ginagawa nina Nanay bago ako tumawag.

When Louie replied that Tatay already took a break from working on his customized dining table set project and rushed inside our house, I booted up my laptop. I checked my reflection on the screen before setting it up for the video call. Halata namang nanaba talaga ako, lalo na sigurong mapapansin iyon nina Nanay dahil hindi nila ako nakikita lagi. My fingers got cold, even colder when they touched the keyboard. Masyado ba nilang mahahalata? Will Nanay's maternal instinct work?

My worries were washed away when I saw Tatay's face up close. The camera shook a bit before they settled it on something stable, probably the dining table. Abala si Nanay sa paghihiwalay ng dahon ng malunggay sa tangkay. Tatay's sitting beside her.

"Parang ang ganda mo ngayon, a!" Natawa na lang ako sa sinabi ni Tatay. Walang kupas ang linya niyang iyon at lagi niyang sinasabi kada magsisimula kami ng tawag.

I asked him about the current dining set he's working on. Si Nanay ay nanatiling abala at sumusulyap-sulyap lang sa screen paminsan-minsan. Tatay was ranting about the delay of the supplier of paint and varnish when Nanay cut him off.

"Parang nananaba ka, Ceskang," aniya. I froze. Naisip ko na ring paano kaya kung magpanggap na lang akong nag-hang at patayin ang tawag.

"Masarap kumain, 'Nay," sabi ko na lang habang patuloy na nag-iisip kung aamin na ba ako o hindi. They need to know, right? But I'm scared. Iniisip ko na lang din na kapag nandiyan na ang apo nila, hindi na sila magagalit—at least for Nanay. Si Tatay, mababawasan kahit paano ang inis niya kay Ryo kasi may distraction.