Chapter 16

How I Fell In Love with My Husband

Usap-usapan sa social media at celebrity news sa TV ang pag-rent ko kay Valerie para magpanggap na ina ng tatlong batang kinuha ko lang din sa hindi kilalang ampunan. At hindi agad namatay ang balita at issues tungkol sa amin. Kahit sa pagpasok ko sa trabaho ay inaabangan at sinusundan din ako ng mga reporters. Hindi na nga lang sila nakakapasok sa loob ng office building dahil mahigpit din ang security sa company namin.

I remained working for Dad. Hindi naman niya kasi ako papayagan na tumigil sa pagtatrabaho lalo na at ongoing na rin iyong projects na nasimulan ko. Nasa kanila pa rin ang mga bata. And Mommy's still angry at me at what I did. Hindi naman alam nina Kuya Austin at Ate Alia ang sasabihin pa sa akin. And Kuya Austin and Ate Beverly were still in their honeymoon pero kinailangan na agad bumalik dahil sa nangyari at mga issues tungkol sa akin na nadadamay na rin ang pamilya namin.

Si Valerie naman ay hindi ko rin nakakausap. She's with her Manager and halos magtago rin muna siya sa media. Although knowing that she would still face them one day...

"What are you doing here, Augustus? Natutulog na ang mga bata." Si Mommy na nakamahabang roba na rin na madalas ay pinapatong niya sa kaniyang pantulog.

Gabi na at pumunta ako rito sa bahay in the hopes na kahit makita ko man lang ang mga bata. Dahil sa totoo lang I already miss my boys. Hindi ko alam kung bakit halos pagbawalan ako nina Mommy na makita ang mga anak ko.

"If they're asleep, that's all right, Mom. Gusto ko lang naman din silang makita. Hindi ko na po gigisingin." I said.

Mommy remained looking at me. "What's your plan, Augustus?" She asked me with obvious doubt in her eyes.

"Hindi pa po kami nakakapag-usap muli ni Valerie, Mom. Her Manager got a hold of her phone..."

"What? Kahit pa hindi totoo ang lahat ng ito, Augustus, mag-asawa pa rin kayo ni Valerie at legal ang naging kasal ninyo."

Tumango lang ako...

"Bakit gan'yan ang Manager niya? I'll ask Alia. She probably knows Valerie's Manager."

"What will you do, Mom?"

"Aayusin natin ang gulong ginawa mo, Augustus. We'll try to do something for your family..." she said.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Mommy. Ngayon lang din kami nag-usap nang ganito dahil halos hindi niya ako kausapin after what happened... "Nakausap ko ang mga bata. Palagi nila kayong hinahanap ni Valerie." Mommy said.

"Then, Mom, ibalik mo na po sa akin ang mga anak ko. Hindi ko naman sila papabayaan. And I can take care of them." I said, almost begging Mommy just to give me back my three boys.

Nagtagal ang tingin ni Mommy sa akin. "Do you truly care for the children, Augustus?"

Agad akong tumango sa tanong sa akin ni Mommy.

And then she sighed. "Malaki na si Achi. Siya ang panganay at mas may isip na sa mga kapatid niya. And you know, Augustus," Tumingin sa akin si Mommy. "My heart broke when the poor child begged me not to return him and his little brothers to the orphanage where they came from."

Natigilan ako sa sinabi ni Mommy. Maging ako man ay nasaktan kahit hindi ko ito direktang narinig kay Achi. Napalapit na sa akin ang mga bata and I already learned to really care for them and to protect them.

"I want to see my kids, Mom." I said.

Tumango naman na si Mommy pagkatapos naming mag-usap. "They're already sleeping in their room... Mag-usap kayo ni Valerie and tell us, let us know kung ano na ang plano n'yo lalo na para sa mga bata, Gus. Nakakaawa sila..." Mommy said worriedly.

She's been taking care of the kids since the news about me and Valerie broke out. And the three boys were not hard to love. Madali lang din silang pakisamahan kaya hindi na malabong napalapit na rin ang loob nina Mommy lalo sa mga bata.

"I thought you hated me and Valerie, Mom..." nasabi ko pa rin. Habang pinagmamasdan na ngayon ang tatlong bata na natutulog sa iisang malaking kama. Mommy said na gusto raw nilang matulog nang ganito na magkakatabi at ayaw na mahiwalay kahit nandito lang sa loob ng bahay. Kaya ito na lang din kwarto na may queen size bed ang ginawang temporary bedroom ni Mommy para sa kanilang tatlo.

"Of course, I did. Tingnan n'yo ang ginawa ninyo at nandamay pa kayo ng tatlong inosenteng mga bata." Mommy sighed.

"I'm sorry, Mom..." I said.

"Just... Gawin ninyo na lang ni Valerie kung ano ang makabubuti lalo na para sa mga bata." she said.

Pagkatapos ay bumaling ako sa kaniya. "Nagbago po yata ang tingin ninyo sa amin ni Valerie, Mom..."

She sighed more this time. "Araw-araw kong nakakausap ang mga bata rito sa bahay, Augustus. And I noticed that... hindi naman siguro maghahanap sa inyo ni Valerie nang ganito ang mga bata kung hindi n'yo rin naman sila totoong inalagaan at minahal..." And then she sighed again. "I'm worried for these innocent children, Augustus."

Tumango na ako kay Mommy pagkatapos. "We'll do something about this, Mom..."

"Make sure of it, son..." she said as she looked at the sleeping kids as well with worry in her eyes...

"I have talked to Valerie, Gus."

Maaga nang pinuntahan kong muli ang mga bata sa bahay. And I was able to spend time again with my kids. Umiyak pa nga sina Ashi at Shin at nagpipigil lang naman din ng luha niya si Achi when they saw me again at hindi na ako pinagbawalan ng lola nila na makita sila.

The kids were playing and swimming in the pool. While I also look after them. I took a day absent at work pagkatapos ko rin makapagpaalam kay Daddy. Pinayagan naman na ako.

At ngayon nga ay nandito rin si Ate Alia na umuwi at kinakausap ako.

"What did you two talked about?"

Ate Alia sighed before she sat on the chair across mine. Napapagitnaan namin ang isang maliit na mesa rito sa may poolside. "She wants to do an interview. At gusto niya na ako ang mag-interview sa kaniya." she said.

"Does her Manager know?" I asked.

"Tsk. Hindi ko nakausap ang Manager niya. It's just what Valerie wants. Gusto na niyang magsalita tungkol sa inyo, Gus. She said that she's worried for you and the kids..."

Tumango lang ako kay Ate Alia...

And she just sighed.

And then a few days after I was already watching Valerie's interview with Ate Alia. Alam na ni ate na baka ma issue rin siya just because she's my sister and she's interviewing Valerie... Pero pinagbigyan na rin niya si Valerie. Maybe Valerie's thinking that other interviewer wouldn't really help her with our issues...

"Alam ko kung ano marahil ang tingin ng lahat kay Augustus Lozano..." Valerie even started her interview with my name...

"Bago pa lang ako sa showbiz, pero parang ang dami ko na agad issue..." She let out a small unhappy but calm smile... "Pero kasalanan ko rin naman. I brought it to myself. You see, I'm not innocent here. Kung masama man ang tingin ninyo kay Gus, ay pareho lang kami..."

Pagkatapos ay mukhang humugot siya ng hininga, ng lakas pa lalo ng loob... "I don't think people should just put on the blame with Gus. Just to still try and protect my image..."

Tahimik na lang si Ate Alia at parang hinayaan na lang niya na magsalita si Valerie.

"I appreciate the people who wants me to advance on my career... To my Manager... I'm always grateful for everyone who's been helping me, pati na rin ang mga PA at make-up artist... Hindi pa man tayong lahat talagang nagtatagal na magkatrabaho... But I already appreciate all your efforts for me. And I'm very sorry for troubling you as well..." She bowed her head a little.

"Hindi ibig-sabihin na hindi ko mahal ang trabaho ko, natutuhan ko na ring mahalin nang totoo ang pag-aartista. Sa loob pa lamang ng ilang buwan ay parang ang dami ko na rin nagawa sa showbiz dahil po sa inyong lahat, at sa mga fans na nakasuporta na sa akin..."

"But while pursuing this dream, there's actually one person who supported me. Ang akala ko noong una ay siguro itong pag-aartista lang ang magagawa ko... After you all have seen my potential... But this person I'm talking about, he made me realize other things, like aside from this, I can also be a mother... and wife to him..."

"And I was very happy. I'm happy with our life. I'm happy how it turned out. Kahit pa hindi rin naging maganda ang simula namin..."

"Ayaw kong mamili. Dahil nakasuporta rin naman sa akin at sa pag-aartista ko ang pamilya ko. Pero kung papipiliin ako, I would probably have to choose my family."

Umawang ang labi ko habang pinapanood si Valerie. We were able to talk before that I'm willing to pay her management and all other involved kapag titigil siya sa pag-aartista... at may mga contracts pa rin siya... But I didn't really expect that she would say this now...

"I love my job as your actress, but... I also love my family. At kung ganitong makakaapekto sa katahimikan ng pamilya ko ang pag-aartista ay siguro kailangan ko ngang tumigil..." Pagkatapos ay umiling din siya. "I don't want to sound ungrateful. Sobra-sobra po ang pagpapasalamat ko sa inyong lahat na nandito ako. Pero kailangan din po ako ng pamilya ko na natutuhan ko nang mahalin..."

"As you all probably know, sasabihin ninyong hindi naman talaga totoo ang pamilya namin... Yes, Augustus Lozano rented me to act for him when I was still working as rental girlfriend... to overcome my aloofness with men... after I decided to enter showbiz... Someone just told me about it and I tried it... And that's how I met Mr. Augustus Lozano."

"You might think that he's a bad guy, dahil ginawa niya lang iyon para sa perang mamanahin niya sa grandparents niya na hindi niya makukuha kapag wala ako at ang mga bata... You might think that he only used the innocent children..."

"Pero hindi iyon ang buong katotohanan... If you'll ask me why I'm willing to leave showbiz for my family, ito ang rason ko."

"Augustus Lozano may have done things in his life that you might think wrong... But he was just being a grandson who didn't want to disappoint his family further, especially his loving grandparents... He might have lied. But he's an honest person... He has honest feelings for his loved ones. He just messed up, but I can say that he's a responsible person, too... He took responsibility of all his doings. And believe me or not, Augustus Lozano knows how to truly care and love... Dahil totoong inalagaan at minahal niya ang mga anak namin at hindi niya kami pinabayaan habang nasa pangangalaga niya kami... He even changed and started working for real for our little family..." Bahagyang gumuhit ang ngiti sa mga labi niya. "Leaving his old way of life with parties..."

"We may not be our children's biological parents, but we already, truly, learned to love and care for our adoptive sons. That's why Gus and I want to make everything right, dahil para rin ito sa mga bata. We don't want them to suffer more the consequences of our selfish actions in the past..."

"And I realize all these in all the times that I have spent with him. I've seen the real Augustus. It's how I fell in love with my husband..."

Umingay lalo ang mga balibalita tungkol sa amin ni Valerie pagkatapos noon. Pero nakauwi na sa amin si Valerie at naiuwi na rin namin ang mga bata sa bahay namin. And when I asked Valerie she told me that she's really willing to leave showbiz for us... And I just didn't know how to feel exactly about that...

I mean, naisip ko nang nahahati ang oras ni Valerie sa amin ng mga bata dahil din sa trabaho niya. But I also wanted to support her with everything that I can do for her and as long as it can make her happy... Dahil naisip kong nagsisimula pa lang kami sa totoong relasyon namin... At ayaw ko naman na ganito na lang ang magiging buhay niya ang maging ina sa mga bata at asawa sa akin... It's not a bad thing, but Valerie's still young and has so much potential. And I don't want to rob her that...

Gusto ko lang naman na magsimula na kami nang mas maayos ngayon... This is like our second chance already. And I just want to give her, and our family ng kung ano ang nararapat...

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