SLATER POV
"Pasok ka." Wika ko kay Lex nang makarating kami sa aking condo.
Lex and I are friend way back in high school ang college. We belong to a same section in high school and our friendship remain until college even though we took a different course. Matanda lang ako ng dalawang taon kay Lex but I never allow him to call me kuya. We shared almost the same views, beliefs and opinions in eveything kaya magkasundo kami. Maliban sa isang bagay. Mali, sa isang tao pala and that is his youngest brother.
"Iyah!" Malakas na sigaw ko pakapasok ko sa loob. My daughter immediately step out her room and run to my arms. "How's my baby?" Malambing na tanong ko sa aking anak.
She smiled at me and show her thumb. It means that she is okay.
Malungkot akong napangiti. Iyah is turning 4 tomorrow but I never heard her uttered a single word. Tango, iling at mga hand gesture lang ang way ng pakikipag usap nya sa akin. I already consulted a bunch of doctor regarding her situation, pero iisa lang ang sagot nila. Iyah's condition is cause by a trauma. Truma na naaalala ng mismong katawan nya pero hindi ng utak. Trauma that was inflected by her own family.
I adopted Iyah when she was 1 year old and 6 months. Nakita ko lang sya sa basurahan, nakalagay sa karton. Madaming pasa at sugat. Nilalagnat at bali ang braso. Akala ko ay hindi na sya makakasurvive. Ilang beses sya kinumbulsyon dahil sa taas ng lagnat. But she is born fighter. After 2 weeks, gumaling sya. She stayed in the hospital for a month bago ko naiuwi. I immediately process all the papers needed for adoption. Nakapag imbestiga na din ako sa kung sino ang magulang nya. Her mother is from a known family while her father is bigtime druglord. Hiwalay na sila dahil hindi sila magkasundo, pero kinasal sila at si Iyah ang bunga. I consulted our family lawyer and he helped me fixed everything. Now Iyah is registered under my name as my daughter. Wala akong balak ilihim sa kanya kung sino sya. She has the right to know who she us, but with her situation, I keep it a secret for a while.
She is also the reason why I fly back in this country. Yung gago nyang tatay, hinahanap sya. My mom once brought her to a mall para mag shopping at nakita sya ng ama nya. Hindi ko alam kung bakit gusto nyang patayin ang sarili nyang anak. And for my daughter's safety, nagdesisyon ako bumalik sa bansang sinilangang ko.
"Hi baby girl." Bati ni Lex sa anak ko. Iyah immediately smile and stretch her arms to Lex asking him to carry her.
"Yow! You are not that care free when it comes to stranger Iyah." I pinched her cheeks. Iyah is aloof. Kung hindi ka nya kilala, hindi sya sasama sayo.
Malakas kaming tumawa ni Lex when Iyah put her thumb and pointing finger under her chin then point Lex. It means na gwapo si Lex para sa kanya.
"Magaling kumilatis ang anak mo Slater." Natatawang sambit ni Lex sabay halik sa pisngi ni Iyah.
"Mana sa akin syempre." Proud na sagot ko.
"I doubt that."
Umupo kami sa sofa. Iyah went down from Lex arm and run back to her room. Maya-maypa bumalik na ito, dala ang unicorn stuff toy nya at nagpakarga ulit kay Lex. Nakapagpalit na ito ng pantulog. Kasunod nya ang kanyang yaya.
"Thank for now Mercy. I take it from here." Wika ko sa yaya nya.
"Okay po. Balik nalang po ako bukas." Tumango lang ako bilang sagot. Tapos binalingan ko si Lex.
"Still on guard with your brother Lex?" Nakangisi ko na tanong.
"You don't deserve him."
"O talagang ayaw mo lang ako para sa kanya."
Seryoso syang tumingin sa akin. Napailing nalang ako.
I like Ivo and Lex is aware of it. I cameback also because of him. Kaso mukhang mahihirapan ako na maging akin si Ivo dahil kay Lex. He is over protective when it comes to Ivo.
"He is still a kid." Ani Lex.
"He will always be like that. Mana sya sa mommy mo."
"And you don't deserve someone like him."
"Why? Because I am a genius o dahil distant relative ako ni Silveron or because I will be soon a leader of another mafia clan?"
"All of the above." Diretsong sagot nya.
"Then, why you are so friendly to me?"
"Two reasons. Yung una hindi ko alam, pangalawa, it's to make sure that you will never be a threat to us."
Malakas aking tumawa. Lex and his honesty.
"I like your brother Lex. And whatever your reason is, wala akong paki. Ivo is mine Alexandro Jose."
Nagpakawala ito ng malalim na buntong hininga. Inayos nya ng pagkaka upo sa lap nya si Iyah na kasalukuyang nag papaantok na. She is sucking her thumb at hawak nya ang tenga ni Lex.
"Hindi ako aprubado na maging kayo. But you are both old enough to decide. After all it will not me who will be with you. Just bear in mind Slater, saktan mo si Ivo, ipapa cremate kita ng buhay."
"Sure."
"Pero kung sakaling nasa bingit ng kapahamakan itong anak mo at si Ivo, choose Iyah, I will save my brother."
"I will save them both Lex."
Napailing nalang ito. "Nakakamatay ang pagiging bayani Slater."
"Wag ka mag-alala. Mamatay ako sa ibabaw ng kapatid mo at hindi sa bala."
"Fuck you!" Mahinang singhal sa akin ni Lex.
"Sorry Lex. Si Ivo lang ang kakantotin ko."
Binato nya ako ng unan na naabot nya. Tawa lang ako ng tawa.
Nag kwentuhan pa kami ng kung ano-ano. We catch up with each others life. Medyo nalungkot ako sa kanya. He really accepted to be a Sinclair shield. It is the most dangerous job in their end. Dangerous and saddest job.
"This is not a large country Slater. Masyadong maliit ang mundo. Iyah's father is a notorious drug lord." Ani Lex matapos nya ilapag si Iyah sa higaan nito.
"Hindi rin naman putso-putso ang pamilya ko Lex. No one can touch Morgan's princess."
"Sabagay."
"Sa tingin mo, magugustuhan nya si Ivo?" Pag iiba ko ng usapan.
"Problemahin mo muna kung magugustuhan ka ng kapatid ko." Inis na sagot nya.
"Hindi ko kailangan problemahin yan. I know that Ivo like me when we were high school and he still like me until now." Confident ko na sagot.
"How did you know?"
"Lutang sya ng ininterview ako kanina. He even asked me if I'm half-half."
"Shit!" Napahilot ng ulo si Lex
"Ivo is very transparent of his feelings Lex. Siguro naman aware ka nyan."
"Kaya nga ayaw ko napapalapit ka sa kanya."
Ngumiti ako. "Hindi mo mapipigilan ang pusong nagmamahal Lex."
"Sana kayanin mo si Ivo. It's not I'm giving you my blessings. You know him Slater. Kung hindi mo sya makakaya, better back off."
"Hawak ko ang susi ng kinabukasan nya Lex. Kung sino magkakandado nun ako unang bubugbog."
"Don' remind me of that fucking susi ng kinabukasan na yan Slater."
Malakas akong tumawa. That day is the day Ivo caught my attention. The day that he start walking in to my heart.