A/N: 3rd UD for tonight. Chaps 70 and 71 were updated earlier.
#IHK72
"R-really?" Parang napako na naman si Lenard sa kinatatayuan. Lahat ng gusto niyang sabihin all becomes muddled soup in his head. "Are you sure?"
"Alam ko may sasabihin ka. Kaya ka nandito." Ani Sonny habang hinihila si Lenard palabas. "Pero naunahan ako ni tita Mindy mo eh. Kaya uunahan na rin muna kita. Since, I can't deny it now." Natatawang sabi ni Sonny as he pushed his son towards the divan near the pool outside.
"Are you really sure?!" Ulit na tanong ni Lenard.
"Of course we are." Natatawang sagot ni Sonny at binabaan pa muli ang boses as if embarrassed. "Ako pa nga yata ang nakapansin noong una. Akala ko ayaw lang sabihin ng tita Mindy mo sa'kin. 'Yun pala, she really has no clue! Kung hindi ko pa kinonfront, hindi pa bibili ng pregnancy kit. Eh alam mo naman bago na lang ulit sa'kin 'yung mga ganito. Sobrang tagal na when you were conceived."
"Dad! How did this happen?" Hindi na pinansin ni Lenard ang mga ibang sinabi ni Sonny. "Paano?
"Anong paano? We're living together, of course this is bound to happen. Ikaw millennial dito, I thought you could've been more open-minded."
"No dad. Hindi naman 'yun ang ibig kong sabihin. What I really meant was..." Bumuntonghininga si Lenard. "Alam mo naman me and her daughter's past right?"
"Can you keep your voice down?" Kinakabahang sagot ng ama ni Lenard. "I know that. That's why I'm convincing Mia to come clean now."
"What?! Alam na ba 'to ni Miala? Kelan pa?"
"I told her a couple of days ago. When I was convincing her that we should tell Mindy about everything..."
Lenard couldn't even think properly. Ang alam niya lang, parang gusto niyang lunukin lahat ng gusto niyang sabihin. Bago siya matapos kumain kanina, he was sure. He was already sure he's gonna tell his dad everything about Miala.
But the situation with Miala's mom changes everything! And it will change anything that's bound to happen in the future.
Matagal siyang nag-isip. He weighed everything that is bound to happen. Pero masyadong malabo ang utak niya. Alam niyang mali siya magdesisyon. And in fact, he has made all the wrong decisions in his life that lead up to this point. Maging passive man siya, or even if he tries to make and stand by a decision, palaging mali. Wala man lang yatang naging tama. So what's in front if him now is like a damn if you do, damn if you don't kind of moment.
"Anak? Lenard?"
"P-po?"
"Ano nga palang sasabihin mo?"
He looked into his father's eyes. Hoping that Sonny can sense at least the bit of his struggles. Pero siya rin ang hindi nakatagal. He found himself running outside the house. Ni hindi man lang niya nagawang sumakay sa kotse niya.
He ran, and ran, until he reached back to Tom and Jane's house.
Pero nang makita niya kung gaano na kapagod si Jane, he knows he is being too selfish kung maggugulo na naman siya. Ni hindi pa nga niya alam kung anong mukhang ihaharap niya after what happened last night.
All the emotions refluxed i his stomach like acid.
Galit na galit siya sa sarili niya. Sa mundo. Sa lahat. Naglakad na lang ulit siya palayo. Like a lost sould. And before he knew it, he is already punching the electric post like a mad man.
"Putangina! Putangina talaga! Why is this all happening to us?!" Everything is swirling on his head. Mga nangyari kay Mia. The fact that they almost produced a life on this world? Na nawala 'yun. Na may mas mabigat pa palang pinagdadaanan si Miala. And even the issue that his dad has already told Mia about her mom's pregnancy. It's no wonder she was also being out of herself lately. Even he can't wrap his head around the fact that they will share a sibling soon?
Kung alam niya lang na mangyayari ito, sana, hindi na lang talaga siya bumalik. O kung bumalik lang siya, he should've just straight up apologized for everything, and allowed Mia to be happy. He though, he could've died a thousand times, and it wouldn't be enough to ease Mia's pain. San siya na mismo ang humanap ng magpapasaya dito.
Pero there's no way he could have know that.
"Kung alam ko lang, kung alam ko lang..."
"Kuya Lenard!"
He didn't know when Jewel arrived. But Jane's sister run towards him and prevented him from hurting himself more. She didn't ask what's happening. And probably she thinks it's still about the night when the truth was all revealed.
Naglabas lang ng panyo si Jewel, and said a few things na halos hindi na naintindihan ni Lenard. But when he was asked kung papasok ba siya sa loob ng bahay nila Jane na nasa may 'di kalayuan lang, doon lang umiling si Lenard at humingi ng pasensya for the scene that Jewel has seen.
Pumara na lang siya ng taxi and enjoyed the slowest ride of his life.
Everything just hurts.
"Just drive..."
Hindi niya na lang naipigilang mapaiyak habang nakasakay. He could feel the taxi driver glancing at him through the rear-view mirror pero wala na siyang pakialam.
Pero makalipas ang ilang oras, nagpasya na ring magsalita ang driver.
"Ah, sir. Pasensya na po, pero saan niyo po kaya balak magpababa?"
Lenard looked at the meter at umabot na ito ng mahigit na isang libo. Ganoon na pala siya katagal paikot-ikot.
Kaya nagbayad na lang siya sa tabi and apologized to the driver sa abala.
Pumasok siya sa isang coffee shop at uminom ng mainit na tsaa, hoping for comfort to envelope him. But it didn't. It still felt stuffy. Kaya lumabas na lang siya sa pinaka terrace ng coffee shop and allowed himself to breathe.
Right now, Lenard isn't sure if he wanted to disconnect to the world, or connect with someone. Kinuha niya na lang ang telepono niya and browsed SNS profiles. Although in reality, wala naman talaga siyang ma-absorb.
Later, he didn't realize, sinapian na rin siya ng kapaguran at nakatulog mismo doon.
It was even shallow breathing which waked him up.
Hindi niya alam kung parte ba 'yun ng bangungot, but he was very familiar of those breaths!
As soon as his vision clears, he found Angeli, sitting just right in front of him.
Pumikit siya ng ilang beses. Kahit na sigurado na siya na si Angeli 'yon because damn, he lived with her for so long. It sure sounds ridiculous but he knows how she breathes. It annoys the hell out of him and he didn't realize that he's still familiar with it.
"Hi! Lenny!"
Lenard unconsciously starts gritting his teeth.
"W-what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to see you."
"Why!?" Pinipigilan niya ang sarili na gumawa ng kahit anong masama kahit na gustong-gusto niya itong saktan. "How did you find me?!"
He can vividly remember her virtuous face as he drank that drink that caused all of this drama. This girl is a real evil! Hindi niya alam kung paano nito nagawa ang lahat. To drug him. To pretend like she's pregnant. To actually convince him that staying with her that time is the most attractive life choice than staying loyal with the one he truly loves.
"Well..." Kinuha ni Angeli ang cellphone niya at ipinakita ang account na nakalog-in sa email nito. "You're last log in was around this place, so—-"
"Tangina naman! Ano bang kailangan mo?!"
Lenard didn't realize his email was still logged-in to her phone. Ni hindi niya nga alam na nabuksan ito ng babae ever eh.
"I just want to see you. Bilang ayaw naman ako papasukin sa lamay ni Tom, ikaw na lang pinuntahan ko!"
"Damn Gracy." Naisip ni Lenard that it was Gracy who took Angeli to the wake.
"What are you talking about baby daddy? I actually liked that girl better. Nagkataon lang na sabay kami pumasok."
"A-anong sinasabi mo? Puwede ba! Umalis ka na!"
"Alam mo, Lenny. If you only just stayed with me, or that girl, mas okay sana buhay mo eh. I was watching those videos the whole time, and I knew it. You are coming back to that Miala bitch."
Lenard grabs his ceramic tea-cup at halos ibato ito sa harap ng babaeng 'yon.
"Baliw ka! Umalis ka sa harap ko kung ayaw mong masaktan. So Please!" Nanginginig ang mga kamay ni Lenard. "Walang kasalanan sa'yo si Miala. And if there's a bitch in here, alam natin 'kung sino 'yun."
Angeli smiled.
"Ano bang kasalanan sa'yo ni Mia ha? Weren't you friends?!"
"Because she stole you from me." Nakangiti pa rin ito. "I knew you first... I loved you first! Pero ano?"
"Alam mong hindi totoo 'yan!" Because even though they didn't know each others' names that time they met at the bus, sila ni Mia ang unang nagkita. Even before the Dare party.
"Liar!"
"At kahit man tayo ang unang nagkita, I was never stolen from you. Dahil hindi ako bagay. At hindi rin ako sa'yo to begin with."
"But eventually you became mine."
"Oh, did I?"
Tandang-tanda niya when he finally learns about the truth. Dahil nang umalis silang dalawa, iniwan niya ang tatay niya, at ang lahat ng parte ng buhay niya para pumunta sa south where Angeli's family really lives.
Doon niya nakita how much a stalker Angeli is. May mga picture sila together na cropped out lang mula sa picture siguro nila dating tatlo ni Miala.
Pero wala na lang talaga siyang magawa noon kundi panindigan ang ginawa niyang pagkakamali. Akala niya talaga magiging okay ang lahat. Akala niya titigil din si Angeli at kaya lang ito ganito because maybe she had some rivalry with Mia, or maybe some issues. Or just—hormones.
Dahil sa pagbubuntis nito.
But when a string of guys approached him, telling him that Angeli is having an affair with them. Not just one, but a few guys! Ang malala, he got a tipoff from a few of them, that Angeli is trying to conceive a child.
And Angeli is really crazy at that time. Because when he confronted her, she was frantic, saying he shouldn't have listened to all these people. She started putting all the blame at Miala. Na siguro nagbabalik daw ito. Na baka inaagaw daw ulit ni Miala si Lenard sa kanya.
It took him a great deal of effort to know exactly if Angeli's pregnant or not. Kahit parang sigurado na niya na hindi nga lumalaki ang tiyan nito.
Lenard thought, she's like the girl from Gone Girl. And bhe had an idea. Because of this film, he used the same trick for this girl as crazy as Amazing Amy. Dahil siya, mayroong Amazing Angeli. He closed off the water pipe para hindi makapagflush ng ihi nito si Angeli. And later, he tested 3 of his pharmacy-brought pregnancy tests which all turned out negative.
ALL NEGATIVE! HE WAS ABOUT TO GET CRAZY AT THAT TIME!
Wala siyang anak dito.
This sealed his decision to leave. At kahit pa anong takot nito na magpapakamatay, he just left.
Doon na siya tumira kay lola Roxy right after. His life was a mess. Simula ng paggapang niya ito. He doesn't have so much gigs, dahil pati ang lumang camera niya noon ay binasag ni Angeli before he left.
Nabalitaan na lang din niya that Angeli was hospitalized pero hindi man siya naantig o natakot. He is never going back to this crazy girl again. Pilit niyang sinasampahan ng kaso ang babae, pero wala siyang ebidensya eh.
Gusto sana niyang mabulok ang babae sa kahit saang pwedeng kalagyan na nababagay dito.
"Yes, baby daddy. You were once mine. At sinasabi ko na sa'yo. We belong together. We are both sad, dumb, and crazy. Parehas tayong masamang tao. Nobody deserves the both of us than each other, my baby daddy."
"Tigil-tigilan mo na mga kahibangan mo ah!" Rinding-rindi na si Lenard sa kakatawag nitong baby daddy.
"Because of your stupid crazy stories, I lost my real child!" Sigaw ni Lenard.
"W-what?!"
"We lost our baby!" Humahagulgol si Lenard as he dropped the teacup to the ground. Ultimately, hindi niya rin nagawang saktan ang babae, gaano man ito kabaliw.
He mustered all his strength to stand and run away. Pero sa pagtayo niya, he must have gave all his strength that the table was pushed towards Angeli, making her fall backwards.
Pero hindi na ito nagawang makita ni Lenard. He was already running away, trying to manage his anger.
"Lenard!!!" Sigaw ni Angeli. "Bumalik ka dito!!"
*later*
>>Next Chapter: Chapter 73 - Concerned Citizen