Two months after that one night.
AUTUMN's
"Girl, ilang araw na kitang napapansin ha!" Regina, my bestfriend said as she eyed me.
"Natural lang?? Kasi araw araw tayo magkasama so malamang mapapansin mo talaga ako??" I sarcastically rebutted.
Hinila naman ni Regina ng bahagya ang buhok ko. "Aray ko naman!"
"Ayan! Napakapilosopa mo. Ang ibig kong sabihin, ayan oh!" Pagtukoy niya sa buong katawan ko kaya nagtaka naman ako. "Palagi kang hilo, grabe mood swings mo tas apaka arte mo sa pagkain to the point na minsan nakakabwisit na yung pagiinarte mo girl!" She honestly confessed.
Hindi naman agad ako nakasagot.
"Buntis ka ba?!?" She hysterically asked. "Hoy umayos ka talaga babae! Alam ko na may pagkamaharot ka pero alam ko din naman na hanggang momol ka lang, wala pang kawal ang sumusugod sa bataan mo!" I felt a lump on my throat dahil sa sermon ni Regina and suddenly I remembered Spring.
"Shit!" Was my only response.
I quickly stood up and fastly made my way out. I even heard Regina calling me. "Hoy Autumn! Saan ka pupunta?!?" But I didn't bother to even look back.
The only thing on my mind right now is to go to the nearest boutique I could find and buy that thing. Just to make sure that my hunch is...is correct or not.
-
The pregnant woman assigned in the payment section eyed me when she saw what I am paying for. Hindi naman nakaligtas sa akin ang tingin niya, I arched my brow at her.
She punched the items and I immediately pay for it.
Hindi naman pwedeng dito ako sa public comfort room, might probably bumalik na lang ako sa office kung saan ko iniwan si Regina.
-
"Oh saan ka galing? Akala ko umuwi ka na eh." Regina welcomed me with her remarks.
"Samahan mo ko." Agad ko siyang hinila papunta sa loob ng comfort room nitong office.
"Ay girl ha! Sinasabi ko sayo, hindi tayo talo—"
Iniwan ko naman siya at pumasok na sa isa sa mga cubicle, dala ang binili kong pregnancy test kits kanina.
"Natatakot ka ba girl? Kaya need mo pa ng kasama magcr? Very highschool ha!" Regina jested habang ako kabadong naghihintay sa resultang ilalabas nitong PT.
Few minutes and I got the guts to look at the result from the three pregnancy test kits that I bought.
"Shit!"
"Girl! Okay ka lang??" Regina knocked on the cubicle's door. Hindi ko naman alam kung iiyak ba ako o ano, hindi ko maexplain yung nararamdaman ko. Magkakaibang brand yung binili ko but it all showed the same results—two bright red lines, positive.
I opened the door as tears started to pool on my eyes. I can't figure out yet if it's tears of joy or just tears.
"Huy hala bakit ka umiiya—" Hindi na natapos ni Regina ang sinasabi niya ng makita niya kung ano yung hawak ko. "Buntis ka?!?"
Tumango ako habang umiiyak. Kinalma naman ako ni Regina. "Shhh, huwag ka ng umiyak. Halika doon na tayo sa office." Regina ushered me out of the comfort room.
-
"Oh uminom ka muna ng tubig." She handed me a glass of water.
"Tum, anong plano mo?" She threw me the question which I don't know what the answer is. "Sasabihin mo ba kila Tito?"
"No!" May diin kong sagot sa tanong niya. Hindi sa ipinagkakait ko sa kanila pero bakit pa? bakit pa nila kailangang malaman? Eh wala na din naman ako sa kanila, Sarili ko na to—desisyon ko na to.
Narinig ko naman ang malalim na buntong hininga ni Regina.
"Eh sa tatay niya—teka nga! Ikaw ba kilala mo kung sino ang tatay niyan?? O baka mamaya naging gaga ka nung ginagawa niyo yan kaya wala kang matandaan ha!" Dirediretsong sermon ni Regina sa akin.
I threw her a glare. "Kilala ko. At wala din akong planong sabihin sa mokong na yon. Kaya ko namang buhayin mag-isa tong anak ko." I firmly uttered. This maybe unplanned and unexpected but this baby is a blessing to me. God just gave me a new reason to continue life—life with this kid.
"Girl, dalawa kayo nung ginawa niyo yan! Tas and ending solo mo kakarguhin?? Bakit? Chaka ba ang padu ni bagets?" Napatampal na lang ako bahagya sa noo ko.
"At talagang naisip mo pa kung chaka o pogi ha?!" Inirapan lang ako ni Regina.
"Syempre diba para alam natin kung anong product outcome...Eh eto na lang, baka may picture ka—ah pangalan! Anong pangalan ng padu ni bagets??"
Wala naman sigurong masama kung sasabihin ko, hindi rin naman siguro kilala ni Regina.
"Spring, Spring Evon Lacsina."
"What?!?" Gulat na aniya ni Regina na kanina ay busy sa pagtipa ng cellphone niya. "Bigtime naman pala ang padu niyan!" Ako naman ngayon ang naguluhan. Si Spring? Bigtime?? eh hindi ko nga kilala yon eh!
"Kilala mo si Spring?"
"Girl, si Spring Evon Lacsina ang may ari ng Good Print Photography!" Para naman akong nabuhusan ng malamig na tubig sa sinabi ni Regina.
Our works are somehow associated especially when it comes to birthdays, weddings, and many other occasions. A&R designs—that's Regina and I's business, we are not yet that big but we are starting to create name in the biz while Spring's GP Photography—they are at the peak, no one compares to their service.
"Kaloka ka! Liit liit ng mundo ng designs and photography dito sa atin tapos hindi mo pala kilala may ari ng GP!"
I rebutted. "For the record, kilala ko ang GP, hanga nga ako sa service nila eh but hindi ko naman inakala na—"
"Sabagay name lang naman talaga ang kilala kay Mr. Lacsina, hindi pa yon nagfaface reveal! Swerte mo bakla, wala pang face reveal sa public pero ikaw! Naanakan na!" Binato ko naman sa kanya yung isang PT na nasa harapan ko.
Iwas na iwas naman si Regina. "Kadiri ka! Yung ihi mo andiyan tapos ibabato mo sakin?!!"
"Kadiri enyenyenye!" I mocked her.
"Nako, sige! Dito ka nga muna, ako na lang ang pupunta sa meeting natin with client, magpahinga ka na muna diyan pero—pero kung may tatawag man na client or inquiries, pakisagot na lang ha. Thanks labsyu!" Napailing na lang ako, minsan hindi ko na maintindihan tong bestfriend ko but despite all her kagagahan, love na love ko yan. She's been beside me since day one.
-
"Kamusta pala yung meeting kanina?" I asked Regina and by the way we're on our way home already. She insisted to drop me off on my condo.
Her focus was still on the road but she still manage to answer me tho. "Well, beach wedding ang setting. Wala naman masyadong request yung anak ng groom—"
"Anak? Anak ng groom ang ka-meeting mo? Hindi mismong groom and bride?" I asked, to fed my curiosity and Regina nodded
"Yes, sis. Anak, junakis, supling, daughter...Parang surprise wedding kasi ang mangyayari girl! Ang bongga nga eh—ay speaking of bongga teh!" She hit the break first dahil andito na kami sa tapat ng condo ko.
"GP Photography ang nakuha ng groom for their wedding." Regina casually drop the bomb as if it's just nothing.
"W-wait! W-what?! So, you mean may chance na makita ko—"
She cut me off.
"Hep hep! Baba na girl, nabusina na yung kasunod kong sasakyan oh, drop off kaya to hindi parking." Wala naman akong nagawa kundi bumaba na.
Magmula pagbaba ng kotse ni Regina hanggang makarating ako sa unit ko, wala na akong ibang inisip kung hindi ang sinabi ni Regina kanina.
There's a huge possibility na magkita kami ulit ni Spring.
"Bakit mo ba iniisip yon Autumn?!" I scolded myself as I close my door. "Hindi pa naman halata yung tiyan mo, hindi rin naman siguro iisipin non na in one night—buntis ka agad." Para na akong baliw dito habang kinakausap ang sarili.
Kumain naman na ako kanina bago kami umuwi kaya nag freshen up na lang ako before I finally lay myself on bed.
Staring at the blank ceiling, trying to sink everything that had happened. Parang kanina pumasok ako sa opisina na nagsosolo and now here, dalawa na pala kami ng anak ko.
"Hi baby, sorry ha ngayon lang nalaman ni Mommy pero anak ngayon pa lang...mahal na mahal ka na ni mommy. Hindi mo man alam pero anak, you are the reason, you gave mommy another shot in life...I love you, baby." I talked to him or to her as if she or he could hear me. I caressed my tummy and smiled.
My phone rang and that interrupted me from talking to my little hooman.
A misscalled from Regina and two new unread messages.
From: Regina
Girl, saturday naman bukas, samahan kita magpa check-up. Bawal angal, okay? Sige na, goodnight sainyo ni bagets.
Napailing na lang ako. Si Regina na lang kaya maging tatay ng anak ko, mas excited pa mag pacheck-up kaysa sa akin eh.
From: Unknown
I told you, magkikita pa ulit tayo.
Kinabahan ako nung nabasa ko yung message ng unknown number. I can't recall anyone.
"Hindi ko naman to kilala, sino ba to??" I sighed and decided to shut my phone off.
Cutting unwanted and toxic people in your life is not bad, sometimes it's a blessing in disguise, cutting them off means opening new spaces and rooms for the new people that would come and that's what happened to me—Nawala man sa akin yung kinasanayan kong pamilya but look, the most important hooman came into my life now—my new life, my baby.