Sorry for not updating soon. Aside from recovering, I needed to catch up with work too. I've been hospitalized for more than 1 month, lost my mother and my aunt who took care of me when I was younger. Then I came back to work and had a catch-up for the many days I have been absent.
Last chapter is next tapos Finale! :)
Ayie
"Anak, malamig na ha, come inside."
I smiled. Ilang buwan na rin akong buntis pero hindi pa masyado halata kasi maliit daw ako magbuntis sabi ni Mama. May ganoon daw talaga kasi kwento nya nga noong buntis sya kay Pandeia hindi rin daw nahalata ni Papa kahit apat na buwan nang buntis noon si Mama.
At kahit ano pa man ang nangyari, masayang masaya ako dahil konti na lang, may mayayakap at mahahalikan na akong baby. Kahit may parte sa puso kong puno ng guilt sa pagtatago ko sa kanya higit pa ding lamang pa rin ang saya ko.
"Ate! Ate!"
"Keion."
"I bought dolls for the baby!"
"Thank you Uncle Keion. You will be the baby's best uncle ever."
Keion hugged me tight. Keion around really makes me so happy. Mula nung umuwi ako dito, Keion never fails to make me smile, sobrang mahal na mahal ako ng kapatid ko at sumasapat yun sa lahat ng kakulangan sa buhay ko.
"Papa said you need to come inside. It's cold here."
"Yes Uncle."
So I held my brother's little hand and walk inside. Madalas kasing andito lang ako sa garden ni Mama, tinitingnan ang mga bulaklak.
"Ayie, check up mo bukas diba?"
"Yes Ma."
"Anong oras Yie?"
"Babe, I'll go with Ayie."
"Ay gusto ko din kasama ako! Apo ko yan no!"
"Babe."
"What? Sasama ako ha!"
I smiled again. Yung parents ko sa totoo lang mas excited pa talaga sa akin.
"Ma, Pa, 10 am po bukas."
"Sasamahan ko ang anak ko Babe."
"Ako din syempre! Scan yun, maririnig ko yung heartbeat ng apo ko!"
Kinabukasan, maaga kaming umalis para magpacheck.
"How's my little baby girl Doc?"
"Oh, it's not just a girl, there is also a baby boy."
"Again?"
"There are 2 sacs. Doc Luke you'll be having 2 grandchildren. Your daughter is pregnant with twins."
"Twins?"
"Yes, twins."
Napaluha ako sa saya! It's double the happiness. Paeng would have been happy if just he was my old Paeng.
"Are you okay Ayie?"
"Yes Pa, I'm just so happy knowing there are 2 babies growing inside me."
"We are happy too anak, so please always be careful and healthy."
Mama and Papa dropped me back at our house then went to the office na masayang masaya tagisa pa sila ng print out ng scan.
And again, while waiting for Keion to come home, I stayed in the garden.
"Maam Ayie, may bisita po."
"Ha? Sa akin?"
"Opo."
"Okay, let the visitor come in."
I took a deep breath, kelan kaya lalaki ang tyan ko? Excited na excited kasi akong maramdaman itong dalawa ko.
"Yie."
"What are you doing here?"
Paeng suddenly hugged me tightly.
"Paeng,.."
Pilit kong inihiwalay si Paeng sa akin. Natatakot akong maramdaman nya ang mga anak namin. Natatakot ako dahil ayaw ko ng false hope.
"Hindi mo naman kailangang pumunta dito ng personal para sa divorce papers. Pirma mo lang ang kailangan."
"Love, I'm sorry."
"Anong sabi mo?"
"Love, I am so sorry, I am sorry."
Hindi ko alam kung kasya pa sa utak ko ang lahat ng dapat kong isipin. Hindi ko alam kung anong mararamdaman ko. Nakakaalala na ba sya?
"Sorry? I am sorry? Ngayon?"
"Love."
I smiled. Pinipilit kong ianalyze kung ano ang nararamdaman ko, but there is just too much going in my head.
I sighed.
Sorry? Mabubura ba ng sorry ang lahat ng sakit? Mababawi ko ba lahat ng iniluha ko na? I am pretty much okay now and Raphael coming here makes my mind go crazy and heart twitch with pain.
Tinalikuran ko na si Paeng.
"Love, Ayie, alam ko, alam na alam ko ang sakit---"
Hinarap ko syang muli kahit pa napupuno na ng luha ang mga mata ko.
"Paano mo nalaman Paeng? Kasama ba kita? Sinaktan ba kita? Nawala ba ako ng ilang taon tapos pagbalik ko may iba na ako? Nabuntis ba ako ng iba? Paano mo malalaman? Paano mo mararamdaman? Kasi Paeng, hindi ko yun gagawin kailanman."
"Yie."
"Itigil na natin ito, tutal hindi rin naman tama ang naging simula. Kasalanan mo man, o kasalanan nila, ako, akin na lang lahat. Ako na lang ang may gawa, ako na lang ang may kasalanan. I am alone to blame for everything and I am taking it all, all of it. So please leave, leave me and everything about me. From this day forward, it will only be me without you."
I turned my back and left him alone in the garden.
"Maam Ayie,..."
"Manang?"
"Iniwan po ni Sir Paeng."
I sighed and bring the box with me in my room. Pero hindi ko na nabuksan pa ang kahon, I needed so much courage to do this.
"Ate?"
I smiled at my brother.
"Can you help me with my homework?"
"Sure Uncle Keion."
So I helped my brother. Evening came and my parents went home in an unusual mood.
"Ma? Pa?"
"Yie, anak."
"Ma?"
Mama took a deep breath.
"Paeng came here?"
"Yes Ma, but I swear I did not entertain him. I just said a few words and let him leave. Ma,.-"
Mama cut me.
"I know, unfortunately, Ayie, Paeng was hit by a car and he was in the hospital."
I fell from where I am seating.
"Anak,.."
"Do you want to go and visit him?"
"How is he?"
"He needs you now Anak."
Parang nahulog ang puso ko mula sa dibdib ko sa sobrang takot. Now that my father allows me to visit, mukhang malala ang nangyari kay Paeng.
Mama and Papa accompanied me to the hospital. Hindi ko na alam ang dapat ko maramdaman when I discovered that he was inside the ICU.
"Anak, please keep calm okay? There are lives inside you. There are little angels depending their lives on you. Please be strong."
So with some borrowed courage, I entered the ICU.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
"Love..."
My tears fall generously.
"Love, please..."
I held his hands. Nakakaawa ang itsura ni Paeng, he had chords and strings over him
"Love, ako naman ang magsosorry please."
"Love, please open your eyes, please Paeng..."
***toooooot***
The doctors and nurses barged in, may isang nurse na humawak sa akin at dinala ako sa labas.
"No! No! Paeng! Paeng! No please, no please!"
And everything went black.