"CHALE BAKA mahulog ka!"

"But I want to play here, Mama," he said using his cute little voice that I couldn't resist.

Agad ko siyang nilapitan and patted his head. "You can play somewhere else, but not on top of the coffee table anak. It's dangerous, baka mabalian ka." Chale pouted while gently nodding his head.

I hugged him before bringing him to his playroom instead.

"Love you, Mama!" he yelled before I could leave the room.

I slightly chuckled, "I love you too, sweetheart," I replied before leaving him in his playroom.

Pagbalik ko sa living room ay nakasalubong ko si Manang Yolly.

"Ma'am Lindsey may delivery po ulit kayo," sabi niya bago iniabot sakin iyong malaking box.

"Salamat po Manang Yolly,"

I immediately opened the box at hindi na ako nagulat na puno iyon ng mga bagong damit at laruan para kay Chale. There was a note inside the box, but just like the hundred boxes that I've received in more than a year, there's still no name of the sender.

Dinala ko sa kwarto ni Chale iyong box at doon inayos iyong mga damit at bagong laruan niya. When I first received a box full of baby clothes and toys, Chale turns one year old. Nagulat nalang ako na may dumating na malaking box sa bahay pero walang nakalagay sa note kung sino ang nagbigay. I was feeling skeptical at first kaya hindi ko ginalaw iyong box but then almost every month may dumadating na box sa bahay.

Wala akong maisip na pwedeng magpadala nito dahil wala namang may alam na anak ko si Chale kung hindi ang pamilya ko at si Lara at mga kasambahay namin.

It's been four years since that fateful day.

My graduation day was supposed to be the most joyful day of my life. But he abandoned me with no explanation...

I pursued him after the graduation ceremony. I chased after him so we could talk, but he didn't give me the chance. He just left in a hurry after receiving his diploma, and that was the last time I saw him.

The man who broke my heart...

Ang dami kong tanong. Ang dami kong gustong sabihin sakaniya pero hindi ko siya mahanap. He changed his number. He left his condo, and I even went to his parent's house, but the house was already put up for sale.

Nawala nalang siya ng parang bula... Basta sinabi niya lang na ayaw na niya akong makita at maghiwalay kami. Ni wala man lang siyang paliwanag kung bakit o kung may nagawa ba akong mali.

Basta nalang niya akong iniwan...

Basta nalang niya sinira lahat ng pinangako niya sakin.

Kaya wala akong choice kung hindi itago sakaniya ang anak namin. He left me and his son. He didn't even let me talk to him para nasabi ko man lang sakaniya na may anak kami. Para nalaman man lang sana niya na iyong pinapangarap niyang sariling pamilya niya ay matutupad na...

Every day after that dreading day, I just kept on crying. I searched for him. I can't reach anyone close to him. At some point, binalak kong hanapin si Scarlet dahil sobrang desperada ko na para lang makausap siya.

Para akong mababaliw noon... I was in a constant awful state. My parents were really worried, especially when I told them that I was pregnant.

Nagulat sila noong sinabi ko sakanila na buntis ako. Lalo na si Papa. Pero hindi sila nagalit sakin. At ni minsan wala akong narinig na kahit anong panget na salita na sinabi nila kay Micko. Hindi sila nagtanong sakin kung anong nangyari but instead, inalagaan nila ako at sinuportahan habang buntis ako.

After kong maka-graduate ay agad akong tinawagan ng kaibigan ni Tita Jade. At first, nagdalawang isip ako kung kukunin ko pa ba pero nanghinayang ako na hindi kunin. Kaya kahit galit ako kay Micko ay tinanggap ko pa rin iyong trabaho. Pero hindi rin ako nagtagal dahil noong ika 7 months ko na pagbubuntis ay medyo lumalaki na iyong tiyan ko at halatang buntis ako kaya nagdesisyon ako na tumigil sa pagtatrabaho.

I've decided to hide my pregnancy from everyone. Lalo na sa mga chismosa kong kapitbahay. Hindi ko kinakahiya iyong anak ko pero ayaw kong pagsalitaan nila ng kung ano-ano ang anak ko dahil wala siyang ama. Wala akong problema kung sakin sila may sabihing pangit pero huwag nilang idadamay ang anak ko dahil siguradong papatulan ko sila.

Bukod tanging pamilya ko lang at sila Lara lang ang may alam na anak ko si Chale. Dahil ang alam ng marami ay kapatid namin siya ni Jella, kahit sobrang kamukha ni Chale si Micko. Para kong nakikita si Micko tuwing tinititigan ko si Chale. Lahat namana niya sa tatay niya. Wala man lang syang nakuha sakin.

Mabuti nalang at may naipon akong pera bago ako tumigil sa pagtatrabaho at si Jella naman ay nag part time sa isang fast food para makatulong samin.

After I gave birth to Chale, I gave all my love to him. He's my sweet little angel. He gave me the strength and power to stand up again and get back on my feet. He became my motivation for everything, kahit na simula ng iwan kami ni Micko ay parang nawalan ako ng buhay.

When I decided to return to work, I applied to a variety of companies, hotels, restaurants, and even small resorts. And then one day, bigla nalang may dumating na isang corporate lawyer sa bahay.

And that's how our life changed tremendously...

***

Three Years Ago

"Mr. and Mrs. Samson, these are all the papers that you need to sign, so all of this list of properties will be transferred under your name legally." Atty. Rosenthal said.

Nagkatinginan sila Mama at Papa dahil sa narinig nila.

"Uhm, ano pong properties 'yan Atty? Saan po nanggaling iyan?" tanong ko dahil naguguluhan ako sa mga nangyayari. Bigla nalang kumatok si Atty. Rosenthal dito at sinabing lawyer siya ng Hote ni Papa noon.

"Miss Lindsey, these are all the properties that were taken from Mr. Samson before and I'm transferring them back to him." My eyes widened when I realized what he had just said.

"S-Sino po ang may utos niyan?"

"Sorry, but I can't disclose that information to you, Miss Lindsey. I am just here for your parents' signature so I can start the process of transferring all these properties."

Hindi ako makapag-salita.

Napatingin ako kila Mama at Papa at pareho silang magkayakap at umiiyak. Bakit binabalik nila samin lahat 'to? Plano ba 'to ni Kristoffer samin?

Binasa muna ni Papa ng maayos lahat ng nakasaad sa mga papel bago niya ito pirmahan. Sinigurado muna niyang tama ang mga nakalagay doon dahil baka mamaya ay maloko na naman siya kagaya noon.

Ilang araw kaming hindi makapaniwala ni Papa sa mga nangyari at akala namin panaginip lang iyon pero halos wala pang isang linggo at bumalik ulit si Atty. Rosenthal at dala-dala lahat ng legal papers and titles ng properties, kasama na rin ang hotel ni Papa noon at lahat iyon ay nakapangalan na nga sakaniya ulit.

Mabilis kong nilapitan si Papa at panay ang tulo ng luha sa mga mata niya. Sobrang tagal na panahon kong pinangarap na maibalik kay Papa nag nawala sakaniya. Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyari kay Kristoffer at bakit niya ibinalik lahat kay Papa.

Nagsisisi na ba siya sa lahat ng ginawa niya? After 5 years ba at saka lang sya natauhan sa kung gaano kasama ang ginawa niya?

I don't really know... All I know is that I will never forget the smile on Papa's face that day. He is very, very happy.

***

"Tapos ka na?"

"5 more minutes." I replied to Lara, "Pwede paki check naman si Chale sa playroom nya? Thanks."

"Syempre naman. Na-miss ko ang inaanak ko, e!" she replied before walking her way to Chale's playroom just right beside my room.

We have a staff dinner party tonight because we reached our target sale for this month. I always make sure that I treat my staff well, especially pag malaki ang kinikita ng restaurant ko. After namin mabawi iyong hotel ni Papa ay tumulong ako sakaniya sa pag-manage noon and after 2 years, I've decided to pursue my dream restaurant. Nagpatayo kami ng restaurant ni Lara at business partners kami dito at last year lang nagsimulang mag-operate iyong restaurant namin.

Everything is going extremely well. Papa's Hotel will open a new location. My restaurant has received a lot of positive feedback. I've lived in our old house before, and most importantly, I have Chale in my life. This is exactly what I've been seeking for over the last few years.

The fact that I've achieved all of my goals makes me ecstatic, but... sometimes I wonder if there's more to life than just achieving your goals.

I wore a black bodycon dress and high heels. Napili kasi nila na sa club daw kami mag celebrate para makapag-inom. Pumayag naman kami ni Lara dahil deserve ng staff namin iyon. They always really work hard, and we've never been this happy with our staff.

After kong mag-ayos ay nagpaalam na ako kila Mama. Nakatira pa rin ako kila Mama dahil ayaw nila akong paalisin lalo pa't walang nagbabantay kay Chale tuwing may trabaho ako. Pero balak kong bumili ng bahay na malapit lang sa bahay namin ngayon kapag nag-start ng pumasok sa preschool si Chale.

Aero and Lara got engaged last year. And they're getting married this year, which makes me very happy for her. They had many ups and downs, but they overcame them all together. They are meant to be together.

"Tulala ka na naman diyan? Sinong iniisip mo?" Tanong ni Lara. Nag book kami ng ride dahil parehas kaming iinom. Mamaya pa kasi makakarating si Aero dahil may kailangan pa raw syang tapusin sa trabaho niya.

Tinaasan ko siya ng isang kilay. "Anong sinasabi mo dyan," I chuckled.

"Mahal mo pa rin?"

"Hindi na! Ang kulit mo. Pagkatapos niya akong iwanan ng ganon lang. Huwag na siyang magpapakita sakin kahit kailan!" galit na sabi ko at tinawanan lang niya ako.

"Paano kung malaman niyang may anak kayo tapos bigla siyang magpakita sayo?"

Sandali akong napaisip sa tanong ni Lara. I sighed deeply. Naisip ko na pwedeng malaman niya ang tungkol kay Chale pero hindi ko naman ipagkakait sa anak ko ang tatay niya.

"H-Hindi ko naman ipagkakait kay Chale ang tatay niya. Kung gusto niyang maging ama kay Chale ay hindi ko siya pipigilan pero hanggang doon nalang iyon." Madiin na sabi ko.

Simula ng lumipat kami sa dati naming bahay ay mas tahimik doon dahil wala kaming mga chismosang kapitbahay. Kaya ko lang naman itinago na anak ko si Chale noon ay dahil sa mga chismosang kapitbahay namin na ang daming satsat sa buhay namin. At pinrotektahan ko lang ang anak ko sa mga masasakit na salitang sasabihin nila pero ngayon, hindi ko na tinatagong anak ko si Chale dahil mahal na mahal ko siya.

Pagdating namin sa club ay sinalubong kami ng malakas na tugtog sa loob. Kausap ni Lara si Elena na head chef namin at sinabing nasa loob na sila kaya pumasok na kami para puntahan sila.

Lahat halos ng employee namin ay nakarating pwera lang sa isang chef namin na may edad na at sinabing sa susunod na lang raw siya sasama dahil mas gusto niyang kasama ang apo niya na bibisita sa bahay nila.

"Cheers!" everyone exclaimed in unison.

What I like about my employees is that we treat each other as friends. The respect is still there, but they're very comfortable with Lara and I. Sabi nila kami raw ang pinaka-cool na naging boss nila. Natatawa nalang kami kapag sinasabi nila iyon.

Nag-inuman lang kami lahat at nagtatawanan at kwe-kwentuhan. Everyone is having fun.

"Sayaw tayo Ma'am Lindsey!" Elena said. Hindi sana ako sasama dahil medyo nahihilo na ako pero hinila nila akong dalawa ni Lara sa dancefloor kaya wala akong nagawa. Sumama rin iyong ibang employees sa dance floor.

The DJ was playing good music, kaya I just kept dancing and enjoying the music. When the song changed to slower music, a guy started dancing behind me, and I slowly grinded my hips closer to the stranger, probably due to the alcohol. While we were both slow dancing, his hands were on my waist. I closed my eyes and let myself be carried away by the music.

I leaned back against him, both hands clinging to his neck. While we were swaying, he put his hand on my waist. The music changed to a more upbeat song, and I was surprised when the guy suddenly grabbed my hand and dragged me off the dancefloor.

My head is spinning so rapidly that I simply allow this guy to drag me somewhere.

We went to a more secluded area with fewer people. When I tripped and fell, he caught me quickly and held me in place. His arm was around my waist, and I looked up to see his face when I heard a voice I recognized.

"Lindsey," he called my name.

My heart starts racing so fast inside my chest. My gaze fell on him, and a familiar rush of emotions filled my chest.

WHATYASEY