Kabanata 44

Surprise is an understatement to express how I feel right now seeing Caer, Snyder and Etienne in one place. My arms were crossed while looking at them with bewilderment. Kitang-kita ko kung paanong pilit iniiwas ni Caer ang tingin n'ya, he was wearing a navy blue polo and a beige khaki shorts. Mas presko kumpara sa itim na turtleneck na suot ni Etienne na nanglalaki ang mga mata ngayon.

"Hala," Snyder widened his eyes. He touched his lips while veering his sight towards Etienne. "Bakit ka nandito?"

"What do you mean by that?" Etienne formed creases on his forehead. Halatang iritado dahil sa pagmumukha ni Caer na kanina pa nakayuko at hindi alam kung saan magtatago.

I heaved a sigh and went towards them. Etienne immediately lightened up when he saw me. Para bang ipagtatanggol ko siya kay Snyder at Caer. Natigilan naman ako at bumagal ang mga hakbang pero nakarating pa rin sa harapan nila.

"Leven invited me," Caer explained in utmost honesty. Hindi n'ya tiningnan kung paanong umasim ang mukha ni Etienne dahil sa sinabi n'ya.

Of course, that was possible. Hindi pa naman kami okay ni Etienne no'ng isang linggo kung kailan inanunsyo ang event na ito. Hindi ko rin sinabi na pupunta si Etienne dahil surprise nga dapat. Paano magiging surprise kung alam n'ya? Etienne probably also said he's busy so Leven wouldn't get any hints.

"Really?" Etienne boredly snickered.

"Uuwi na lang ako," Caer laughed awkwardly. Kinuha n'ya ang isang lunch box at inabot sa akin. I obliged to get it immediately and even broadened my eyes because of the content.

It was everything that Leven wanted when it comes to food. Ang cute lang dahil kitang-kita ko na may design ang pagkagawa sa pagkain. The hotdogs were shaped into octopus and the eggs were shaped into hearts, may mga gummies pa na nasa gilid. Nakakatuwa lang na sobrang hands on talaga ni Caer pagdating sa pamilya n'ya.

"Nag-a-aral pa lang ako magluto kaya. . . Baka hindi gano'n kasarap," nahihiyang saad ni Caer habang napapahawak sa kan'yang batok.

I laughed. "I personally like the way you cook! I'm sure Leven would love this. Pasensya na sa abala, Caer."

Umiling-iling naman siya. "No! Never naman naging abala, Lavender. You know that I love Leven as much as I love Leice. ."

My lips parted upon realizing something. "Hala, edi sino pala kasama ni Leice?"

"She's with my parents. Sakto nga na bumisita sila kaya nagkaroon ako ng oras para pumunta rito," sagot ni Caer na napatikhim pa dahil parang natutunaw na siya ng nagbabagang tingin ni Etienne.

"Bakit ka ba nandito?" Snyder tauntingly said. Ngumingisi siya kay Etienne habang ang mga kamay ay nasa bulsa ng kan'yang pantalon. "Uwi na tayo, Etienne. Happy family na sila oh. . ."

"Shut up," Etienne hissed.

Caer subtly looked at Etienne before bringing his attention back towards me. "Alam na pala n'ya? I'm glad he took this lightly, iba talaga siya pagdating sa 'yo."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I don't want to plant anything in your head. Pero akala ko ay gaganti siya dahil sa hindi n'yo pagkakaunawaan noon. This probably just proves that he has a soft spot for you, the Etienne we know wouldn't think it's fair that he's not winning."

"He wouldn't do that."

"You sure? I'm just genuinely worried," Caer said.

"I know Etienne better now, ironically." I replied and looked towards Etienne. Mukha na siyang takoreng naglalabas ng usok sa sobrang inis habang nakatingin sa amin.

I smiled at him and waved my hand. See this, Etienne? We could have been together but we didn't pursue it because I knew in my heart it could have been you, you stupid piece of brick. I groaned inwardly because I can't even insult him inside my head.

"Paano mo ilalabas si Leven? Ngayong alam na pala n'ya?" tanong ni Caer.

"I'm still not sure, kapag natapos na siguro ang gulo ng mga Reverio. Ayoko talagang madamay si Leven, I just know that Dayanara would use every ounce of me just to save their faces. Hindi p'wedeng walang makuhang posisyon si Mareena pero sa sitwasyon nila ngayon, dehado naman talaga sila."

Hindi rin naman lingid sa aking kaalaman na tinutulungan ni Etienne si Adren sa pagbagsak nina Dayanara. What I'm doing for Mareena is only damage control and I could do nothing beyond that.

"Tagal naman mag-usap," atungal ni Etienne habang nakabusangot sa amin. Halatang nilakasan ang boses.

"Paki mo ba? Miss ko na si Caer e," I mimicked his tone. Bakit siya magtatampo? Naguusap lang kami. Bumabalik na naman kami sa pagiging seloso n'ya kay Caer, wala naman kaming label kaya bakit siya magseselos? 

"Miss na pala e," gatong ni Snyder. 

Nagtangis ang bagang ni Etienne bago iniwas ang tingin, mukhang aburido at sumimangot. Caer inwardly sealed his lips and he looked at me with remorse.

"Not your fault, hayaan mo lang siya riyan."

Our talk was interrupted by a booming voice coming from the speakers. Napalingon kami sa isang stage kung saan may nagsasalitang event organizer.

"Good day parents! Please move towards the assembly so we can share the instructions for the following games we'll have during our family day! Thank you and I hope you'll enjoy the day with your kids!"

Caer suddenly sighed. "I wonder. . . How I'll handle this in the future."

I craned my neck. "Hmm?"

"Leice will have these events too. . . At makikita n'ya ang mga kalaro n'ya na buo ang pamilya. And if she asked me where her mother is. . . Ano ang isasagot ko?"

My head tilted to Leven's direction. Kitang-kita ko ang gumuguhit na ngiti sa kan'yang labi. In events like this, I had a hard time explaining about our situation. Lalo na kapag nakikita n'yang kulang talaga kami. I don't make him feel unwanted or incomplete however the people around us can do that in a blink.

I wonder if these events truly want families to feel complete. Sometimes the intentions are good however the actions are not aligned to the greater good of others. It feels insensitive towards those who cannot have a complete family. . .

"Tagal talaga, may commercial pa yata. . ." pasaring ni Etienne na kanina pa nakatitig sa aming dalawa ni Caer.

I badly want to stick out my tongue. Ang dami talagang alam nito bukod sa maging mature! We're in broad daylight, mukha bang may gagawin kami ni Caer sa ganito kadaming tao?

Palibhasa kasi gano'n ang gawain n'ya kaya gano'n siya mag-isip. My cheeks warmed because of my thoughts. Etienne wouldn't. . .  Goodness, I have to think of something else!

"Hi Mrs. Reverio, ask ko lang po kung sino ang father ni Leven?" tanong ng isa sa mga event staff habang nakatingin sa tatlo. A cheeky grin appeared on her face. "Para po kilala ko kung sino 'yong available po."

Umawang naman ang labi ko. "It's Miss Reverio."

Kinuha ko ang form na kailangan i-fill up dahil sa inis. Bakit ba kasi ang gwapo ni Etienne. Bigla akong nahinto sa pagsusulat dahil napagtantuan ko ang pumasok sa isip ko.

Geez!

"Sayang, ang hot pa naman siguro kung single father." Narinig ko na bulong ng isa sa mga staff. I badly wanted to glare at the personnel but it was their opinion. Totoo rin naman na gwapo ang mga kasama ko ngayon.

"You look disappointed," Etienne pointed out as we went into the bleachers. Hinihintay na lang naman ang announcement ng mga laro.

"It's nothing."

"Are you disappointed that you still use Reverio?" Etienne rested his head on my shoulder. "We can make you a Soteiro, Lavy."

His hot breath made me almost leap out of my seat. Kitang-kita ko ang maliit na ngisi sa labi n'ya. My heart throbbed so I decided to shift my weight and pushed him aside.

"Soteiro? You mean Caer's right?" tuya ko.

His lips jutted out. "My Soteiro, Lavy. I told you, I still have our marriage certificate. Naka-laminate pa nga. Saka, are you trying to get me jealous? Just so you know, it works. . . Every damn time."

"Bakit ka naman magseselos? Ano ba kita? Papaalala ko lang sa 'yo na si Leven lang ang obligasyon mo, Etienne. You have nothing to do with me. Gano'n din naman ako sa 'yo."

"I get jealous, Lavy. Pero alam ko naman na mahal mo ako."

"W-what?"

He smiled like a kid. "Step by step, I'm learning that you may not reciprocate the way I love you, you can love me in your own way. And I'm happy with that already."

"Sino nagsabi na mahal kita?" I fumed.

He chuckled and gently got a few strands of my hair and kissed it. "I did. I'll make sure that you'll be a Soteiro, Lavy. . . You will be my Soteiro."

My whole body stiffened and I decided I had enough. Tumayo na ako upang iwan mag-isa roon si Etienne. Landiin n'ya 'yong sarili n'ya! Akala ba n'ya ay nakakalimot na ako? Of course not. If it's not for Leven, I don't even think that we'll talk ever again. I halted from my tracks. My shoulders slumped and I uttered a quick curse.

Bumalik agad ako kay Etienne.

He tilted his head and smirked.

Napapikit naman ako at napabuntonghininga. "Magpalit ka ng t-shirt. Terno tayong tatlo nila Leven."

Hinintay ko na makapagpalit si Etienne. Kitang-kita ko mula sa aking kinatatayuan kung paano binabantayan ni Snyder maglaro si Leven, some women were gawking at him because of his designer clothes. It was probably Euan's idea to dress him up. Si Caer naman ay kanina pa nagpaalam na mauuna na dahil na rin siguro hindi n'ya gustong matunaw sa mga tingin ni Etienne sa kan'ya.

My phone rang and I immediately answered it even if it came from an unknown number. Nanglaki ang mga mata ko nang mapagtantuan kung kaninong boses ito galing.

"L-lavender. . ."

"Philomena," I gasped. It's been years since the last time that she called. Naiintindihan ko naman kung bakit dahil ako mismo ang nagputol ng mga ugnayan namin sa isa't isa.

"I. . . Do you know someone who knows a lot about pregnancies?" nanginginig ang boses n'ya. She's always soft spoken, pero ngayon ko lang ulit napagtantuan na sobrang daling matinigan ang takot sa boses n'ya.

"Are you pregnant?" I blurted out.

Hindi siya agad nakasagot. Hindi ko alam bakit umaalpas ang kaba sa dibdib ko. It's not like her husband is abusive. Oo, medyo maloko pero mabait naman yata ang napangasawa n'ya. Sa pagkakatanda ko rin, ilang taon na silang kasal kaya naman hindi na rin nakakabigla na magkakaanak na sila.

"Is it really a high risk to give birth to twins?"

My lips parted. Hindi ko siya masagot agad. I don't want her to overthink about it, pakiramdam ko rin na buntis nga siya at ngayon lang n'ya nakuha ang ultrasound n'ya. The agitation on her voice confirms my hunch.

"Gusto mo bang samahan kita? Does your husband know?"

"He doesn't know. . . It's twins. . ." she sobbed and my heart broke because I remember someone who was facing almost the same dilemma. "The doctor told me my pregnancy will be at high risk . . .I could. . . L-lavy. . ." she started to weep on the other line.

Kaiaria. Napapikit ako habang ang puso ay tumatalbog na naman sa pangamba.

"Let's meet up, okay? I'm sure it'll be alright. . ."

"What if. . ."

"Philo, calm down. Usap tayo mamaya, okay? Will you tell your husband about your current situation?"

"No." Philomena said with conviction. Hindi ko alam bakit namutla ako at hindi mapakali.

Pumayag si Philomena na magkita kami sa hospital kung saan ako nagr-residency. Although I'm not going to be her doctor, I still want her to have my support. Napagdaanan ko rin ang pumunta sa mga check ups na walang kasama at minsan dinadalaw talaga ako ng lungkot.

Pagkababa ko ng tawag ay may lumapit sa akin na babae. She was obviously a mother and she kept putting a strand of her hair on the back of her ear. Parang nagpapa-cute pa siya sa akin. She was wearing a shirt that says her child is currently in the fifth grade. Hindi na rin naman siya mukhang bata pero may asim pa yata dahil putok na putok ang mapulang labi n'ya.

"Hi! Tanong ko lang kung single ba 'yong kasama mo?" she asked, unashamed.

Agad na kumunot ang noo ko. "Excuse me? May anak na po 'yon."

"Ay, bet! Yaya ka ba? Ang hot naman n'yang single father." she purred, admiring Etienne who was still in the changing room.

My lips twitched and for some reason it made me feel like I wanted to throw a tantrum. Inhale. Exhale. Pumikit ako bago muling dumilat at sinagot 'yong matanda.

"Asawa po ako n'on," I smiled sweetly.

Her lips formed into an 'O' and she clapped her hands. "Oh! That's great! I was just asking. . .Oh! Look at the time, malapit na pala magsimula. Goodluck sa inyong dalawa!"

She ran as fast as she could away from me. I crossed my arms across my chest and rolled my eyes.

"Wala akong marinig," Etienne whispered in my ears.

Namutla naman ako at agad siyang hinarap. "A-ano?! Kailan ka pa nandiyan?!"

"When she told you that I was a hot single father," he smirked shamelessly. "I'm not a single father though."

Umirap naman ako. "Geez, gan'yan naman sila e. Never in my life did someone say that I was a hot single mother. . ."

It dawned on me that if a man decided that he will have to live for his family, it's suddenly commendable. But if it is for a woman, it is only just and fair that she lives to take care of the family. No extra merits. Hindi ko lang ito sinasabi dahil sa nabanggit ng babae kanina. Sa aming dalawa ni Caer, he was showered with praises while I was given a load of insults for raising a child alone.

My heart ached because of it. Hindi ko naman inaasahan na purihin nila ako. Ang sa akin lang ay bakit gano'n sila sa pagtrato ng mga tao? Don't even get me started with wages. Kahit piliin ng isang babae na magtrabaho, some companies pay less for women than men. It's indeed a man's world. That's probably why it's important to have female leaders as well, so our thoughts and our rights will also be included in this world.

Ang litanya ng mga iniisip ko ay pinutol ni Etienne. "You're hot."

Napaigtad ako at nanglaki ang mga mata. "What?

"I said you're hot," he nonchalantly shrugged. 

Hindi ako nakapagsalita. Nakipagtitigan lang sa akin si Etienne bago n'ya ako ngitian na para bang wala siyang sinabing nagpapatalbog ng puso ko ngayon.

"You're hot, Lavender," pagu-ulit n'ya at unti-unting lumapit sa aking upang bumulong. "But you're not a single mother. Not anymore, I'll make sure of that."

❛ ━━━━━━･❪♀❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜

Thank you for reading! ♡ always keep safe! Labchu! I appreciate the comments and everything.
ᥫ᭡ li