CHAPTER THREE
Naglalakad ako pagkalabas ng hospital galing duty nang tumunog ang aking cellphone. Numero iyon ni Nay Sol kaya agad kong sinagot dahil baka may kailangan na naman sa akin ang nanay ko. "Sir, Pinapatawag ho kayo ni ma'am dito sa mansion."
Here she goes again, napahilot ako sa noo bago isinara ang pinto ng kotse. "Bakit daw?"
"Hindi ko ho alam, sir, basta ho ang sabi ay tawagan ko ka'yo. Dito narin daw kayo maghapunan."
"Sige Nay Sol, salamat, pakisabi po na papunta na ako diyan." Pagkatapos kong ibaba ang tawag ay napasandal ako sa headrest ng upuan ng kotse ko. Telling myself that she won't gonna ask about a girl for me to marry. Ngunit hindi ko naman inaasahan na talagang kukulitin niya ako.
"Son! Hey, look at the dress I brought from the auction earlier, it's a dress from my favorite designer! Isn't it pretty?" Mula sa panonood ko ng UFC ay napabaling ang tingin ko sa iminuwestra ng nanay kong damit.
I frustratedly massage the bridge of my nose. I just cannot look at that dress longer, it irritates me just to think that she brought that as a hundred thousand plus.
"Mom, how much was that?" I asked in a calmer voice.
She raised her one hand then grimaced. "Just a little bit of tiny... It cost eight-hundred-thousand pesos."
"Mom! Eight-hundred-thousand, really?! That's too much for an only dress!"
She pouted before sitting beside me. "Son, you know mom loves clothes so much, right? This dress is special made by my favorite designer. Yes, this dress is only one but it was worth it."
"But the price!" I stood from my sit then massaged the bridge of my nose. "Mom?"
She just laughed at me when she saw my reaction. "I know son, I'm sorry but I am just your mom, I really love this dress." She said then hugged it like if she really treasures it.
"Why don't we hand back that dress to the designer then we changed it to something more elegant but cheapest one..."
She cut me off. "Don't you dare! Or else I am going to pair you with my single favorite designer!" Akmang magsasalita ako nang nauna siya. "Try your mom, Adrian."
Umayos ako ng tayo saka napakamot sa noo, I crinkled my nose before sitting beside her, tumayo naman siya para ilagay sa isang sofa ang dress na nabili niya. Bumagsak ang balikat ko nang tumingin ako ulit doon. Kung sino man nagdesign niyon, ang galing niya.
"Alam mo, anak..." Napatingin ako sa telebisyon nang umupo sa tabi ko si mom saka humarap sa akin. "Ako iyong mas mataas ang binayaran sa lahat kaninang auction. Napakasaya ko."
Napangiwi ako saka maliit na ngumiti. "I know, mom."
She clapped her hands. "Good. Now, we're back to our main topic. You haven't seen that girl that you've been looking for a long time?"
I sighed, one of my biggest problem is that I cannot see her, I didn't saw her yet. "She still hasn't as what my private investigator said but sooner or later, I hope she would show up to me."
"Until when are you gonna hope for that girl?"
"I'm willing to wait for her."
She sighed heavily before sipping on her coffee. She gestured me to drink one but I shook my head, we're going to eat dinner for later so I won't drink and that I need to rest later. "You're hopeless son."
"Hmm?"
Pinanliitan niya ako ng mata. "Very hopeless romantic!" Aniya saka ako pinitik sa noo!
"Mom!" I breathed out when she just grinned. How could a mother tease and call her son, hopeless romantic.
~~~
"Where's Drake?" I asked my two buddies once I seated on the chair.
"He's still didn't arrived yet, maybe later."
Sabi ni Chard at tumingin ulit sa screen ng phone ni Vin.
I got curious when they're staring intently at Vin's cellphone while they're on their earphone. Napaangat sila ng tingin sa akin at nakakalokong ngumisi.
I raised my hands on the air. "Woah, I hope you're not going to make fun of me? Are you?"
"Chill, man." It was Chard. "It was about you, that's why we invited you here at the club incase you didn't saw the trending video."
Sa usapang trending sa social media ay lagi akong huli, of course, isama niyo na na isa akong doctor at sobrang busy, minsan lang ang rest day.
Inabot ni Vin sa akin ang cellphone niya pagkatapos niyang tanggalin ang earphone na nakakonekta doon.
"Go on. Play it." Vin said so I nodded before playing the video.
"I won't tell it to you in this crowd why I bought the dress, I want to tell it to you personally, would you not mind, miss?"
My eyes widened upon seeing mom on the screen with a microphone on her hand. Sakanya nakatutok ang camera habang nagsasalita.
"What the... Mom?"
"I won't mind, madame."
My forehead creased when the camera didn't moved, I wanted to know who just talked and who is my mom talking with.
"Single or married?" It was my mom's voice. Napahilot ako sa noo, she must be asking her favorite designer as what my mom said.
The crowed cheered and asked for the designer.
"Single po." Said by the designer.
"Okay. Incase you're looking for a guy, I have my son. He is single and is ready to mingle. Pasok ka sa taste ko and we'll hope na pasok ka sa taste ng anak ko but he's a good guy and a good son."
My mouth parted in shock, mom! What the hell did you just say?! That's why she was so suspicious earlier, asking me if I've had seen some posts in the social medias, before my friends called me to run here in the club.
"So? Are you in, miss?"
Pepe akong dumasal na sana ay hindi siya sasagot ng oo at napahinga nang maluwag nang marinig ang sinabi ng designer.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you madame, but no. I am single: yes but I am not ready to mingle. And that I have a daughter."
I prayed that was the last mom could ever say but my mom, being my mom, she spoke again.
"Even so, if you're available, my son is always there." She said with a michevious smile on her face.
I sighed then lifted my eyes at my two buddies infront of me. They're staring at me intently like they're waiting to see for my reaction.
"Who's that girl she's been talking to?"
Vin stared at me intently before opening his mouth. "She was born in here, migrated in Paris at the age of 21 until she built her own store and that grew up more until she and her designs became famous..."
He stopped talking midway when a ring from his phone interrupt us. It was Drake.
"Answer it. Do not forget the loud speaker." Sabi ko na kaagad namang ginawa ni Vin.
"Yes bro...?"
"Emergency! Nasa hospital ninyo kami, Vergara."
Naalerto kami sa sinabi niya at kaagad kaming tumayo at tumakbo papalabas ng club.
Sa kakatakbo ay muntik pang matalisod si Chard dahil madulas ang daan nang dahil sa ulan kanina. Natatawa pa ang loko sa sarili niyang katangahan!
Sumakay kami sa aking kotse, sa likuran si Chard at sa harapan si Vin na tahimik lamang, siguro iniisip niya kung bakit nasa Hospital si Drake samantalang usap-usapan naming apat na magkikita-kita sa VCAD club.
Nasa daan kami nang pinaalala sa amin ni Vin na sasaglit muna raw kami sa grocery para bumili ng pagkain o prutas. Salamat nalang at hindi gaano kahaba ang pila at may ten minutes kami sa loob ng grocery mall, tinakbo namin ni Chard ang parking lot at minaneho ang kotse sa labas ng ospital na pagmamay-ari ng aking pamilya.
Sa receptionist kaagad ako dumiretso at tinanong kung saan si Drake.
"Ay doc, kayo po pala, uhm, nasa C-section po ang nobya ni sir Drake."
Nagkatinginan kaming tatlo bago tumakbo papunta sa Cesarean section or it can be the operating room. Nang sa 'di kalayuan ay nakita ko si Drake na paparoo't-parito habang nasa baba ang kamay. He look so frustrated.
"Drake, bud." Kinuha ko ang atensyon niya at kaagad siyang napabaling sa akin. I smiled a little bit at Blythe as to recognize her presence, she's one of the bestfriend of Drake's girl and my cousin, Riane, they said they had another girl friend but she didn't yet show up, I wonder why?
Drake sighed in relief when he saw us three. "Thank God, you guys are here. She has been inside the cesarean operating room for thirty minutes!" He said strenuously.
I tapped his shoulder. "Everything will be alright in her delivery with the boys and do not panic dude. I know that's you're a first time father but calm yourself, lalabas ang mag-ina mo ng maayos kasama ang mga bata, have trust in him."
Napunta sa tabi ni Drake ang dalawang loko saka gulat na tumingin sa akin, I almost roll my eyes at their reaction. Seeing them surprised even Drake who was also surprised.
I raised my brows at them. "What?" I asked curiously.
Drake shook his head before smiling a little. Tinapik niya ako sa balikat. "Thanks, bud. I'll try." Aniya bago napasandal malapit sa hamba ng pinto ng C-section.
"Finally buddy!" Nagulat ako nang tinapik ako sa magkabilang balikat ni Vin at Chard na may ngiti sa labi.
"What?" I asked irritatedly, bakit hindi nalang nila samahan akong sabihan ang kaibigan naming magiging maayos din ang lahat, mga loko talaga.
"Good guy ka na, pwede ka nang mag-asawa." Nanunukso silang ngumiti sa akin, since mom had tried so many times to paired me with girls ay hindi nila ako pinipigilang tuksuhin tungkol sa pag-aasawa.
I just shook my head then lean on the wall to close my eyes for awhile after looking at my watch, two hours would pass before I'll go back to work, kailangan ako ng mga pasyente ko mayamaya.
"Blythe, Drake... How's she?"
Kaya kahit kunting pikit nalang sana ngunit nagising nang marinig ang boses ng isang parang anghel, kaagad akong napadilat at sa 'di inaasahan ay nakatagpo ko ang tingin niya.
My eyes widened as well as hers, even her mouth parted widely.
It's her! The woman who I've been dreaming a lot, who I've been looking for a couple of times, the one who nearly make me feel crazy thinking about her twenty- four-seven. The one I've made love with long time ago!