CHAPTER XXXII
Ara was staring at her belly on the mirror. Malaki na ang tiyan niya. Sobra na itong halata kumpara noong nagdaang araw. Keira told her before na madali ang development ng isang half breed at hindi nito kailangan ng nine months para maipanganak.
She could also feel all her energy being consumed by her baby so she really needs to eat a lot. Halos oras-oras ay dinadalhan siya ng pag-kain ni Zanilla. Every morning, like a normal pregnant woman ay napapabangon siya ng maaga para lamang dumuwa. And after that, she'll sleep again and wakes up again by noon.
For some reason ay si Keira at Sindred ang madalas niyang kasama. She understands that Thorn is trying to find a way to cloak her and her baby before she give birth.
"Keira, do you think my baby is a boy?" she asked her while she's crocheting a baby sock she learned from youtube.
"It's a girl," Keira relied with a beam.
"Oh," she react disappointedly. "I was thinking of naming my baby after my father...Aro," binitawan niya ang ginagantsilyo at kinuha ang lumang telephone directory sa side table ng sofa. "Siguro naman may magandang name rito ng babae,"
Nakita niyang tumayo si Keira at kinuha ang Encyclopedia sa bookshelf. She handed it to her. "Look here," she said.
Binalik niya ang telephone directory sa lalagyan at nagsimulang buklatin ang makapal na libro. May mga articles and facts that mentions a girl's name pero masyado itong common. Annie, Marie, Jane, Jean...they're all common to her ears.
"You may want something less flashy if you want your daughter to be invisible," Keira said and she nodded. Not too flashy and not too common.
Habang binubuklat niya ang mga pahina ng encyclopedia ay niyang naisipang bumalik sa front page.
Compiled by: Sophia Alambra, et al.
Napangiti siya. She knew what to name her baby.
"Sophina," she mumbled. From the her pirepheral view, she saw Keira smiled as if she has chosen a familiar name.
"Chief would love that name," she heard Keira commented and she turned to her, smiling.
"Really?" Ara's eyes were gleaming with joy. "Sa totoo lang ay excited na akong manganak. Gusto kong makita kung sino ang magiging kamukha ni baby Sophina,"
"Well, I'm sure your baby is going to be as beautiful as you,"
Biglang napaseryoso ang mukha ni Ara. May mga katanungan sa isip niya. Maaabutan niya ba ang pag-laki ng kaniyang anak? What if something happens to her and Thorn? Sino mag-aalaga sa anak nila? Kung siya lang sana ang masusunod ay gusto niyang ilayo ang anak sa mga bagay na may kinalaman sa mga celestial entities. At mangyayari lamang iyon kung mabubuhay siya ng matagal para alagaan ang anak.
"Don't think too much of the future, Ara," Keira said, staring at her. "Sometimes, ignorance is a bliss. Enjoy it."
"Masuwerte ka nga, eh. Nakikita mo ang hinaharap. I wish I have that same ability," she said that made Keira snorted.
"Are you sure about that? Don't you know that being a Seer is a curse to me? I could see the future both good and bad. That feeling where know you have the ability to see the future but you are powerless to stop it." Keira said bitterly.
"Were you an Angel just like Thorn?" she asked.
"No... I was a human just like you. I was born with this ability. But the Chief saved me from my impending death. He made me a demon seer..."
Lihim na napangiti si Ara. It seems that Thorn, even as a demon, has been helping anyone. She really believed that he wasn't that consumed to his evilness. May natitira pang kabutihan dito.
***
Madaling araw nang marinig ni Ara ang boses ni Raguel sa study room, connected to her room. Kanina niya pa ito hinihintay at nakatulugan na niya. Sobra-sobra ang nararamdaman niyang pagka-miss dito. Gusto niya itong yakapin ng matagal hanggang sa makatulog muli siya.
Bumangon siya para sana pumasok sa study room ngunit bigla niyang narinig ang pangalan niya. Inihilig niya ang kaniyang tainga sa pinto para mas lalong marinig ang pinag-uusapan ng mga nasa loob.
"I've calculated her date of birth and it seems that it is during the Equinox. So it is impossible for us to go that place because surely that time Ara will be in pain...or what the human's called...labor..." she heard Keira said.
"Then we'll go weeks before the Equinox," said Thorn.
"We can't, Chief. The Sorcerer wants you to travel on the day of the Equinox because it is the only magic hour that any Supernatural being will be undetected from anyone in any levels of power..." Keira explained and she could hear Thorn's groaned in frustrations.
"What should we do?" he asked.
She didn't hear Keira's reply. If Thorn and Keira couldn't find a way to conceal her and her baby, then she has to be prepared from whatever is about to happen.
Kahit inaantok pa ay bumaba ng silid si Ara. Agad siyang dumeretso sa kusina at kumuha ng tubig. She could feel her body stressing. Sumasakit ang likod niya pati ang balakang dala marahil ng mabigat niyang tiyan. She could hear her heartbeat pounding so fast.
"You okay?"
Agad na napalingon si Ara. It was Sindred. Nag-aalalang nakatitig ito sa kaniya.
"Okay lang," tipid niyang sagot 'saka muling lumagok ng tubig.
"You heard their conversation, huh?" sabi nito. Bakit ba alam lahat ng lalaking ito lahat ng mga bagay-bagay.
"Siguro mas madali kung hindi ako nabuntis," she said. "Siguro mas madali kung—"
"...hindi ka nagka-gusto kay Raguel? Kung hindi niya ginulo ang tahimik mong buhay?" dugtong sa kaniya ni Sindred at hindi agad siya nakakibo.
Yes. She wanted to say that. Mas simple sana ang buhay niya kung hindi niya nakilala si Thorn. Life would be easier if she choose the good side.
"What should I do, Sindred? Si Thorn ang naghahanap ng paraan para safe ang panganganak ko. How about me? What could I contribute to his sacrifices?"
"Raguel would want you safe. That could be your contribution to him. Keep yourself away from any harm."
Wala sa sariling napahawak siya sa tiyan niya. Hindi pa man lumalabas ang anak niya ay alam niyang hindi magiging normal ang pamumuhay nito. Hindi niya maibibigay ang masaya at tahimik na pamumuhay. Ni hindi siya sigurado kung kumpleto silang tatlo.
***
Tanghali na nang muling magising si Ara sa pagkakatulog. At kung hindi lang dahil sa paghihilab na nararamdaman niya sa tiyan ay alam niyang hindi pa sana siya magigising.
Kahit nanlalabo pa ang mga mata ay patakbo siyang tumungong banyo. Halos isubsub niya ang mukha sa lababo habang nilalabas ang lahat ng kinain niya ng gabing iyon.
Masakit lahat ng parte ng katawan niya. Hinang-hina siya at maging ang kaniyang mata ay hind nakikisama. Masakit ito at konektado sa mga mata niya.
She was crying so hard when she felt her stomach grew so much compared from last night. Dumuble ang laki nito animo'y kabuwanan na niya.
She felt another weird grumble inside her stomach coming up to her throat. Muli siyang napasubsub sa lababo habang masaganang dumadaloy ang tubig sa gripo.
"A-ayoko na..." she mumbled crying. Sapo-sapu niya ang kaniyang tiyan papunta sa shower at binuhay ito. Nanginig ang kaniyang mga tuhod nang maupo sa sahig. The warm water is not enough to soothe the pain she is feeling.
"Araceli?" she heard Thorn's voice from the bedroom.
"I'm here!" she called.
Nakita niyang pumasok ito sa banyo at halos panlakihan ang mga mata nang makita ang ayos niya.
"What the hell?!" agad itong lumapit sa kaniya at binuhat siya.
"T-Thorn...I'm fine," anas niya pero mabilis na napangiwi nang muling humilab ang kaniyang tiyan.
"Did you slipped? Why did you take a bath with your clothes on?" inihiga siya nito sa kama kahit basang-basa ang kaniyang damit.
"Okay lang ako, don't worry ahhh!" she curl up in bed as the pain inside her womb grew stronger and stronger.
She could hear him talking...asking questions she could no longer answer. She feels like her stomach is being torn apart. Naramdaman niyang muli siyang binuhat ni Thorn. Hindi na niya alam kung saan siya nito dinala. She's too weak to even care.
Hindi niya alam kung ano ang nangyayari sa kaniya. She could bear the pain as long as her baby is safe.
***
She was awoken by a loud thunder. It was already dark outside at malakas din ang ulan. Nakikita niya sa bintana na sobrang malakas ang hampas ng hangin sa mga puno.
Pinilit niyang bumangon pero agad din namang napahiga nang maramdaman niya ang pangingilo ng kaniyang tiyan. Agad niya itong kinapa at halos makahinga siya ng maluwang na makitang umbok pa ito.
"How are you feeling?"
Napatingin siya sa may pintuan. Nakatayo ro'n si Thorn. She reach her arms to him at kusa naman itong lumapit sa kaniya.
"B-bumabagyo ba?" she asked weakly.
"You almost died in pain and your first concern is if there's a storm?" napapailing nitong sabi 'saka tumabi sa pagkakahiga, hugging her tightly.
"Is it part of my pregnancy?" she asked.
"You weren't suppose to feel this. This is all my fault. I'm so sorry, Araceli. I'm really, really sorry." He said looking as vulnerable as ever.
Ara looked up to him and caress his cheeks. Things would've been easier if he's a mortal. Pero nakakaya naman niya, eh. She'll survive as long as he's with her. At alam niyang hindi siya nito pababayaan pati ng magiging anak nila.
"I love you. That's all that matters," she whispers as she hugged him.
"Bear a little longer, my little devil. All these will be worth it. And one day, we'll look back to the past and just laugh at it. And we'll raise our baby into a small cottage with a vegetable garden on the frontyard. She'll play—"
"Sophina..."
"Huh?"
"I'll name our baby...Sophina..."
"Where did you find that name?" nakakunot-noo nitong tanong.
"Kahapon kasi naghahanap ako ng pangalan ng baby. Keira said it's a girl so—"
"When Keira had her premonitions. She mumbled names. I thought it was nothing. She mentions Sophina and the other is...Quartz." Mabilis itong bumangon na parang marami pang naalala.
"Ano'ng ibig sabihin niyon, Thorn?" she asked. She tried to get and only succeeded by sitting.
"I know where the Nephelim is. I don't need the help of that Sorcerer." Mabilis itong lumabas ng silid and she was left with much queries.