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Chapter 36

Baby

Nagising ako na nasa tabi ko na si Hale. And we were already in the hospital. Agad siguro akong sinugod dito nang mawalan ako ng malay sa bahay. Inisip ko ang mga huling pangyayari bago ako nawalan ng malay... Naalala ko na nandoon sa bahay namin si Ella at sinisigawan niya ako...

"Hale..." I called him. Nasa tabi lang siya ng hospital bed ko nakaupo doon at nakayuko. Pero hindi naman siya mukhang natutulog...

Nag-angat siya ng tingin sa akin. "Liz... How are you feeling? Are you all right now?" I can see his worry for me.

Tumango naman ako. "Ayos lang ako, Hale. Si Ella?" Naalala ko pa rin ang kapatid ko.

Nakita ko ang pag-igting ng panga ni Hale. "I already sent your sister to where they live. Hindi ko nagustuhan ang ginagawa niya sa 'yo kaninang naabutan ko, Liz. I made sure na hindi na siya uli makakalapit pa sa 'yo. She's not good for you especially now..." Bahagyang nanghina ang boses niya.

"She's asking for my help, Hale. And I can't help her the way she wants me to..."

Umiling si Hale at hinawakan ang kamay ko. "It's not your fault. They're just paying for what they did." he said.

Natuon naman sa kaniya ang atensyon ko.

"Truth is that... When we met at your house years back, I was actually on a mission to help my friend, Migo. As you know, he's a detective. Iniimbestigahan niya noon ang mga illegal na gawain ng pamilya mo... It was favor, and I went to Mr. Chavez as a potential business partner... And I'm glad I did helped Migo... Kasi nakilala kita, Liz." Hale gently smiled at me. Gumalaw din ang kamay niyang hawak ang kamay ko.

Habang bumukas naman ang bibig ko pero tahimik lang ako at medyo nalilito at nagugulat pa sa rebelasyon ni Hale ngayon sa akin...

"When I met you, pinaimbestigahan ko na rin na ako mismo ang pamilya mo... I wanted to know more about you, and for you."

"Doon ko nalaman kung paano ka pala nila tratuhin noon. And Mr. Chavez did not even send you to school..." His jaw clenched again. "It made me angry, Liz. I want to respect your father because he's still your parent. Pero sa tuwing naiisip ko ang ginawa nila sa 'yo... Nagagalit ako, Liz."

Bahagyang humigpit ang hawak ni Hale sa kamay ko. "And I promised myself na hindi ka na nila uli masasaktan pa... I'll make sure that I will be your family and I will give you a home. I couldn't believe what they did to you all those years..."

Nagsalita na rin ako sa wakas. Naintindihan ko na ang sinasabi ni Hale ngayon. Hindi ko pa rin inasahan ang ginawa niya, but it touched my heart that he's thoughtful enough to went all the trouble for me. Bahagya akong napangiti. "Kaya ba parang masyado kang maingat sa akin...?" I asked him. I realized that Hale was always gentle with me. And I was spoiled by his affection. He's always so thoughtful when it comes to me.

Bahagya na rin napangiti si Hale. "Because I love you. And I want to take care of you. And I hate your family para sa pagpapahirap nila sa 'yo noon."

Tumango ako kay Hale. "I understand... I want to help my family, Hale. Pero sa ibang paraan. Alam kong sapat ang mga ebidensya ni Detective Migo Peralta na nagpakulong kay Papa. Tutulong ako sa kanila sa ibang paraan. But I also think that Papa needs to pay the consequences of his bad actions..."

Tumango rin si Hale. "I hope you understand, Liz, that I can't let your family harm you again or worse endanger your life..." That's why he doesn't want me involved with the Chavezes. "But if you want to help them I will support you. After all they are still your family...so I understand."

"Thank you, Hale. I want to check on Papa, Ella and Tita Olga, too." I said.

Hale nodded. "We will do that. But for now you must rest first."

Tumango ako at naalala kung bakit nga pala kami nasa hospital. "Dinala mo ako rito sa hospital, Hale?"

At parang may naalala rin si Hale. He sighed. His thumb caressed my hand. "You went unconscious kaya sinugod kita dito."

"I came home early from work because I was really worried about you. You were already not feeling well earlier when I went to work. Sana nga ay hindi na lang ako pumasok sa trabaho ngayon to look after you."

I went to my doctor last time to ask her because I already wanted to get pregnant. Pakiramdam ko ay handa na akong magkaanak kami ni Hale.

"Nakausap mo na ba ang doctor, Hale?"

He slowly nodded his head. "Yes..."

"Ano ang sinabi niya?"

Tiningnan ako ni Hale sa mga mata ko. Nagkatinginan kami.

"Hale,"

"The doctor said that we're having a baby..." He weakly smiled.

Malaki naman ang ngiti ko. I've been thinking of giving the twins a little baby sibling, and give Hale another child. Kaya masaya ako. Pero mukhang may problema si Hale... "Hale...may problema ba?"

He shook his head. "No. No... I'm just...worried, Liz..."

"Worried saan?"

Nagkatinginan kaming muli. He sighed. "What if I'll just hurt our child, Liz..."

"What do you mean, Hale? Is this still about what happened to you and Angelo? But you're both okay now, at matagal na iyon..."

Nagyuko si Hale ng ulo at nagbaba ng tingin niya. "I was still young when I had Angelo and Angela. I wasn't ready. And I feel like I was never ready to be a Dad. What if I'll just always mess up when it comes to our kids?" He's sure anxious about this.

I sighed.

"What if I'll never be a good father, Liz?" he added.

"Hale, look at me."

Nag-angat naman siya ng mga mata niya at tumingin sa akin. I gave my worried husband a reassuring smile. Pinadama ko sa kamay niya ang tiyan ko. Maliit pa man ito pero alam kong nandoon na ang anak namin. "Remember what you told me before, Hale? When I was also worried if I can be a mother to Angel and Gelo? You have told me that I wasn't alone. And now I want to remind you that you are not alone in this. We will do it together, remember? Tayong dalawa, Hale, ang magpapalaki sa mga anak natin. We may not be the best parents in the world, or perfect. But we will love and support our children. Tayong dalawa, Hale." Ngumiti pa ako sa kaniya.

Hanggang sa unti-unti ay napangiti na rin siya. Umalis siya sa inuupuan niya at nilapit pa ang sarili niya sa akin. At hawak ang kamay ko na nasa bandang tiyan ko ay yumuko si Hale para mahagkan ako sa noo ko. "Thank you, Liz, for everything... I love you so much. And I promise to love our child, too." Hinalikan niya ako sa labi pagkatapos.

Ngumiti ako pagkatapos ng marahan niyang halik sa labi ko. "Salamat din para sa lahat lahat, Hale. And I love you, too. And surely our child would love you as his or her Dad." I smiled to him reassuringly.

"And we should forgive our younger selves, Hale..." Sinasabi ko ito ngayon sa kaniya because I think it still bothers him. And I just want him to be at ease especially now that we're already having a child of our own. "Oo may mga nagawa kang hindi maganda noon... Pero ang mahalaga naman, Hale, ay pinagsisihan mo na iyon and you changed for the better. You aren't perfect. So as I, and everyone else... Pero ang mahalaga ngayon ay gagawin na natin ang best natin pareho para sa pamilya natin."

"We did stupid things in the past. At dahil bata pa tayo noon... And life is just really a learning process... And we we never stop learning, Hale. Ang mahalaga ay may natututunan tayo. And we will learn this life with our children, Hale. Together, always."

Nilagay ni Hale ang noo niya sa akin. Hinayaan kong ipagdikit niya ang mga noo namin sa isa't isa as he closed his eyes. And I closed mine, too.

Tahimik lang kami hanggang sa dumating at pumasok sa private hospital room ko ang mga bata kasunod ang mga Yaya nila. Agad din akong napangiti nang makita ko sina Angel at Gelo. At agad din namin binalita ni Hale sa kanila na magkakaroon na sila ng kapatid. And the twins were happy at the good news.

I learned a lot of things with Hale. I didn't grew up with a complete and happy family. But I wanted one. And Hale and the twins gave it to me first. Our married life taught me a lot of things about this life. It taught me love, patience, acceptance and forgiveness. It has taught me the meaning of family and how it feels like to have one. And I am forever grateful for this life. Because I have Hale and the twins, and now our little angel baby.

This life is a gift, a blessing that I will forever treasure.