Chapter 26

"Why didn't you tell us? Bakit ngayon mo lang sinabi?! Hindi ba at karapatan din naming malaman? Ipinagkait mo sa amin si Lina, even from her own family. Tristan naman!" I heard a familiar voice coming from a sobbing woman.

Habang tumatagal ay humihigpit ang malambot na kamay na nakahawak sa aking mga kamay.

I felt so weak and too drained, hindi ko man lang maigalaw ang katawan ko. Kahit ang pilit na pagmulat ng aking mga mata ay nahihirapan ako.

That accident was so terrible, I wonder how I did survive? Ramdam ko ang bugbog ng buo kong katawan.

Where am I? All I did remember was Tristan's abrupt marriage proposal. Nawalan ba ako ng malay?

"How can I tell you Florence? Kahit ako ay hindi niya nakikilala. How will I introduce her with her own family if she can't recognize anyone? Magdadagdag lamang ako ng mga taong masasaktan." Tristan answered.

"Tristan.." another male voice.

"Everyone witnessed how devastated I was w-when..when you announced her death. Alam kong hindi lang ako, alam kong lahat ay apektado dahil sa akin. You cousins have your own life, Troy in your expanding business, Owen and his continuous international exhibit, Aldus and his numbers of upcoming commercials, si Nero pamilyadong tao! Pero halos tumira na kayo sa hospital para samahan ako. I can't bother you this time, not anymore. I'm sorry for not telling you about this."

"That's not the point, Tristan Matteo Ferell! Kahit kailan hindi ka naging abala sa mga pinsan mo. And I am willing to push Nero to you if you needed him." Sagot ng babae.

"You'll never be a bother, Tristan. Si Troy pa, pwedeng maging abala." Natatawang sabi ng isa pang boses.

"Fuck off, Owen."

"Kung hindi pa kayo maaaksidente, hindi namin malalaman? I thought no secrets with our family, Tristan?"

"I have a lot of secrets, Aldus."

"We can understand some of your secrets, hindi na namin aalamin. But this? Come on, cousin. Hindi man kami makatulong para maibalik ang alaala niya, you can always ask my wife. They're bestfriends."

"I don't want to drag you with this problem."

"She is not a bother! You are not a bother Tristan." Matigas na sagot ng babae.

"Didn't you assume that my words might be able to help her memories back? A friend's voice might trigger her sleeping memories, a mother's hug might touch her heart and a father's kiss might blow her blurry mind. You should drag us here! Dahil kahit mahal na mahal nyo ni Lina ang isa't-isa, kakailanganin nyo rin kami."

"Florence..you are innocent, together with my cousins. Hindi biro ang mundong ginagalawan namin ni Lina. And if I have even a smallest opportunity to exclude everyone about this, gagawin ko." Sagot muli ni Tristan.

"Alam namin kung kailan kami didistansya, Tristan. Trust us, cousin. We played dumb about your identity for years. Kaming apat, kahit may nalalaman na kami tungkol sa'yo. We never talked about it, hindi kami nagtanong sa isa't-isa. Dahil alam namin na 'yon ang gusto mo. Just trust us, didistansya kami kung kinakailangan. But not now, ngayong kailangan mo kami. Huwag ka nang makipagtalo sa amin, apat kami. Isa ka lang."

"Nero.." pakinig kong sabi ni Tristan.

"There you go, hari ng mga shokoy!"

"Troy, kung wala ka nang magandang sasabihin. Tumahimik ka na lang." Tumawa lamang ang unang boses.

"Right now, all we have to do is to wait for her. Mabuti na lamang at hindi masyadong malubha ang nangyari sa inyo. Imagine, nahulog pa kayo sa tulay."

"Akala siguro ni Tristan, nasa fast and furious siyang movie."

"Never thought of that, Troy. By the way, did you inform LG about this?" tanong ni Tristan.

"Walang nagsasalita sa amin."

"I'm glad, ayokong mag-alala ang matanda."

"He's busy playing with the triplets." Sabat ng babae.

"I missed them," pakinig ko ang bahagyang paglambot ng boses ni Tristan.

"Kumain ka na ba Tristan? My treat."

"Not yet, Troy. Umuna na kayong kumain, hintayin ko munang magising si Lina."

"Alright, sabay-sabay na lang tayo."

Dahil ramdam ko na parang maraming mga mata ang nakatitig sa akin, mas pinilit kong imulat ang aking mga mata.

"Oh my gosh! Call the doctor!" sigaw ng babae.

Hindi pa man tuluyang nakakalabas ng kwarto ang isang lalaking lalabas ay nagmulat na ang aking mga mata.

Unang sumalubong sa akin ang luhaang babae na hawak ang aking kamay. Nasa likuran nito ay isang lalaki na hawak ang balikat niya.

Nakatitig sa akin si Tristan habang nakangiti sa akin ang dalawang mestizong lalaki sa may likuran.

"How are you feeling, Lina?" she looked familiar. Pero hindi ko na pinilit alalahanin dahil sa pagkirot ng ulo ko.

"Baby.."

"Where am I?" tanong ko.

"Nawalan ka na ng malay, Lina. Dinala kita rito, by the way. They are my family, my cousins.." tumango sa akin ang mga lalaki. "And my cousin's wife, Florence. Your bestfriend."

"F-Florence.." I tried to call her name.

"Yes, Lina. Can you recognize me? What happened to you?"

"Hindi ko alam.."

Sinubukan kong bumangon, lumapit sa akin si Tristan at inalalayan niya akong umupo.

"I'm sorry.." bulong nito sa akin.

Hindi ako sumagot at hinayaan ko lamang siyang alalayan ako.

"Do you want something, Lina?" umiling ako sa tanong ni Florence.

Hindi nagtagal ay dumating na ang doctor. He immediately checked me up, at si Tristan na ang nakipag-usap dito sa labas.

Hawak lamang ni Florence ang kamay ko habang binibigyan niya ako ng kanyang mga ngiti.

She looked so kind, papaano ako nagkaroon ng ganitong klaseng kaibigan?

Kapapasok pa lamang ni Tristan sa kwarto ay agad itong nagsalita na ikinagulat ng lahat.

"By the way cousins, I already have a son."

"WHAT?!" napuno ng malakas na pagkabigla ang buong kwarto.

"Buntis ka Lina? Oh my gosh, how's the baby?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Florence sa akin.

"Tang ina, ang mana Tristan. Gusto mo rin ibigay sa akin? I'm so proud of myself, ninong na naman ako."

"It's not about the inheritance asshole, it's about my son's safety."

Biglang bumalik sa mga alaala ko ang unang beses na nagmulat ang aking mga mata.

Nakakasulong liwanag mula sa puting ilaw ang sumalubong sa aking mga mata. Until I saw a pair of beautiful green eyes.

"Cleo, love.." hinalikan nito ang noo ko.

Hinang-hina ako at hindi ko agad maibuka ang bibig ko. Sa tabi ng lalaking nakahawak sa akin ay isang babaeng doktor, tatlong lalaki sa likuran at isa pang babae.

"Ilang linggo pa bago makarecover ang katawan niya. She's too weak, her mind, body. Isama pa ang panganganak niya."

"Panganganak?" I asked.

"Yes, Miss Cleo. It was one of the few cases in different countries which a comatose woman was able to carry a baby to full its term. You delivered a baby boy vaginally since we can't have a caesarean process because of the risks of anaesthesia and the potential difficulties of recovery after the surgery.

Instead, we used medication to induce labour and to relax your muscles and joints so you could be put in the proper position to deliver the baby."

Lalo akong nanlambot sa mga narinig ko. I was in comatose and I don't have any idea from what happened. And I was pregnant?

"Bakit ako naaksidente? What happened?"

"It was a car accident, Cleo. I'm sorry, everything was all my fault. I wasn't careful enough." Ngayon ko lang napansin na may crutches sa tabi ng lalaking may berdeng mata.

"But how about my baby, is he well? Can I see him?"

"Don't worry, during your pregnancy we your doctors were concerned mainly about making sure that you have enough nutrition so the baby would gain weight and grow."

Pansin ko na lumabas ang babae sa likuran, marami pang pinaliwanag sa akin ang doctor. They insisted that I need rest, but I never stop asking.

"I've been in coma for one year and one month. Dalawang buwan na akong buntis nang maaksidente daw ako. That means, my baby is now seven months old."

I was about to ask another batch of questions when the woman entered the room holding a baby boy.

"Hey, little boy. Look who's awake.." ngiting sabi ng babae.

Lumapit ito sa akin at inihiga niya sa akin ang bata. Ramdam ko ang pagsikip ng dibdib ko nang tuluyan na itong ilapit sa akin.

Tears fell down on my cheeks. He got a beautiful pair of brown eyes.

I don't have my memories, my body is too weak, my mind is unstable but a mother's heartbeat will always be trustworthy.

"He is mine, he's my baby.." lalong bumuhos ang mga luha ko.

Wala ako sa unang pitong buwan niya sa mundong ito. It wasn't my arms who held him, it wasn't my voice who gives him a lullaby and it wasn't me who gave him the first milk.

"I'm sorry sweetie, mommy is late..but I love you..I love you so much.." Kahit nanghihina ang katawan ko ay pilit kong idinikit ang mukha ko sa aking anak.

My heart melted when his little hand touched my face.

"Does he have a name?"

"Hindi pa namin siya binibigyan, but I call him Theon as a nickname." Ngumiti ako sa sinabi ng babae.

Hinalikan ko ang noo ng aking anak.

"Theon is a good name. But it will be better if everyone will call you Asher Theon, which means blessing or fortune."

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VentreCanard