Chapter Thirty-three

Apology

After that Adam and I talked about Mikos. Gusto na rin papalitan ni Adam ang apelido ni Mikos ng Rozovsky. Which I thought was only right since he's his son. Kaya pumayag na rin ako sa gusto niyang mangyari.

And then Adam decided at pumayag din ako na dalhin muna namin si Mikos sa Masbate. Dahil naikwento na rin niya sa bata kung saan siya nananatili ngayon and Mikos was curious and wanted to go there. At kakatapos lang ng nangyaring kinuha siya ni Kuya Aldrich. Although it wasn't really much for my son dahil kilala naman niya si Kuya Aldrich bilang tito niya at wala naman talaga itong ginawa sa kaniya. Pero parang gusto ko rin muna ilayo dito ang anak ko.

"Is this your house, Papa?" Mikos asked his father.

Tumango naman si Adam sa anak niya at ngumiti pa. "Yes, son. Do you like it here?"

Mikos nodded to his father. "Yes." And then he went in the house with Adam.

Nakasunod lang naman ako sa mag-ama. Kakarating lang namin at kakalabas lang din ng sasakyan ni Adam pagkatapos niyang mag-parked ng sasakyan sa may garahe ng bahay.

The first moments that we arrived Adam showed Mikos around the house. And my son just excitedly went with his father.

"Adam, nakapag-grocery ka ba? I mean, may maluluto ba ako sa kusina? Kasi oras na rin ng lunch. At mamaya kakain na rin si Mikos..." I said. At gusto ko lang din talaga na ipagluto ko sana silang mag-ama ngayon.

Bumaling sa akin si Adam. "I don't think so... We just arrived, at hindi ako nakapagbilin sa tauhan. Anyway, kung meron man sa kitchen I think kulang na 'yon. At baka may iba pang mga gusto si Mikos." And then he turned to his son.

"Kung ganoon... mag-grocery na lang muna siguro tayo? Maaga pa naman." I said since may malapit lang din naman na grocery sa bayan.

Adam turned to me and nodded but he turned back his attention to our son when Mikos said something.

"Are we going to stay here too, Papa? I mean me and Mama?" Mikos asked.

Pareho kami ni Adam na napatingin sa anak namin. Pagkatapos ay pareho rin kaming nag-angat ng tingin sa isa't isa. Nagkatinginan kami ni Adam bago niya rin binalik ang tingin niya sa anak.

"Yes, Mikos..." He answered our son's question.

Bumaling din sa akin si Mikos that I thought I too needed to at least nod my head at my son to not to disappoint him... Although I don't know what he truly meant by it... Kung dito ba kami tutuloy ngayon sa bahay ni Adam then yes for this little vacation... But if he means kung dito na ba talaga kami titira... I watched Adam as he conversed with our son. Pag-uusapan pa namin iyan.

Kaya naman pagkatapos lang ipakita kay Mikos ang bahay ay sumakay na rin kaming muli sa sasakyan ni Adam para lumabas at mag-grocery.

"Do you have a list of what to buy for your house?" I asked Adam who was driving.

Sinulyapan naman niya ako saglit. "No. Let's just get everything." He said.

Tumango na lang naman ako at tahimik na sa shotgun seat. While the father and son were still talking inside the car.

Pagdating namin sa grocery ay agad na rin akong kumuha ng isang cart. I offered to push it because Adam would look after Mikos inside the grocery. Kinuha ko na rin ang mga tingin kong kailangan lang namin. While Adam was spoiling Mikos with whatever our son wants to get inside the grocery store.

"Does he like that?" puna ni Adam sa kinuha kong chicken nuggets at chicken pops.

Bumaling naman ako sa kaniya at tumango. Bahagya rin akong ngumiti. "Yes, these are his favorites. Pero kumakain din naman siya ng gulay. He likes broccoli." I said.

Tumango naman si Adam. Pagkatapos ay tinalikuran niya ako at binalik kay Mikos and atensyon niya.

After putting everything inside the cart that we borrowed we went to the counter to pay for it. Naglabas din ako ng wallet ko pero naunahan na ako ni Adam maglapag ng card niya sa may cashier. Ngumiti pa ang babaeng cashier sa kaniya. Hinayaan ko na lang siya. It's his house after all.

"Is everything here?" Tinanong pa niya ako.

Tumingin naman ako sa kaniya at tumango lang.

Bumalik na rin kami sa bahay pagkatapos. And then I started cooking for us.

And then we ate together, the three of us. And I thought that it felt nice to have them together...

Pagdating naman sa pagtulog na namin kinagabihan, I even prepared the separate guest room for me and Mikos only for our son to ask us to sleep on the same bed tonight.

Nagkatinginan kami ni Adam. I didn't say anything. At sa huli ay hindi rin naman matanggihan ni Adam ang anak niya. Kaya pumayag siya and the three of us slept in one bed, on Adam's bed and in his bedroom. Sa gitna naming dalawa napagitnaan namin si Mikos sa pagtulog nang gabing iyon.

The next day Adam toured Mikos on his farmlands. And Mikos was equally happy as he was yesterday when we just arrived in the house. He was also excited with the animals in the farm and was curious, too. Ang dami na nga niyang tanong agad kay Adam tungkol sa negosyo ng tatay niya. Mukhang nakuha na rin nito ang interest niya. I think Mikos likes the farm now.

At habang nandoon kami sa farm ay dumating din si doon si Paula. Naabutan niya kami ni Mikos doon. Mukhang may pinag-usapan sila ni Adam tungkol sa business sa loob ng opisina ni Adam. And I was left here looking after Mikos who was busy tending to the other animals here. May tauhan din naman na guide kay Mikos.

Nang makita kong lumabas na si Paula sa office ni Adam ay napatingin din ako doon. Wala pa si Adam at mukhang naiwan pa sa loob ng office niya. Pagkatapos ay nakita ko namang palapit na si Paula sa kung nasaan kami ni Mikos.

"Aeva,"

"Paula..." I said.

Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa. And then her eyes turned towards my son. Nagtagal ang mga mata niya sa kay Mikos. Before she turned her attention back to me.

"Anak ninyo ni Adam?" She asked me.

Unti-unti naman akong tumango sa kaniya. "Oo..."

Pagkatapos ay tumango-tango rin si Paula. She looks calmer now than she was the last time we were faced with each other. At sa pagtango pa lang niya ay nakikita kong parang naiintindihan na niya ang sitwasyon namin ngayon. "I'm sorry, Aeva..." she said next.

"I didn't know..." She stopped and then she sighed. "Ito ba ang importanteng bagay na sasabihin mo kay Adam noon?" she asked me.

And I nodded. "Yes..." I answered. And I didn't know what to tell her next...

Tumango-tango naman siya. "I'm glad that you were able to tell it to Adam now. Alam na rin niya na may anak pala kayo..." Pagkatapos ay muli niyang pinagmasdan si Mikos na abala naman doon sa mga hayop kasama ang isang tauhang lalaki.

After that nagpaalam na rin si Paula na aalis na siya. Tumango lang naman ako sa kaniya at tiningnan lang ang likod niyang umaalis na...

Nang makabalik naman sa amin si Adam, he said that he still answered a phone call in his office kaya naman medyo natagalan siya pagkatapos din ng meeting nila ni Paula. He went back to our son's side and continued showing the farm to Mikos. At nakasunod lang naman ako sa kanilang mag-ama. And I thought that I can watch them the whole day and the whole time together like this...

I thought everything was going fine.

Pero nang kaming dalawa na lang ni Adam at nakapag-usap din napag-isa nang hindi na kami abala kay Mikos, that's when he still confronted me after all.

And I understand because I still didn't tell him about Mikos... I still have to apologize for it. Alam ko naman ang mali ko. At handa akong magpaliwanag kay Adam at humingi ng tawad.

"You had the chance before, Aeva. You could've told me that you were pregnant with Mikos. Hindi mo na sana nilayo pa sa'kin ang anak ko." sabi niya sa akin na may hinanakit.

"I'm sorry, Adam..." My lips parted. "I thought that what I did back then was the right thing..." I said with my head bowed.

"The right thing? How did it became a right thing na nilayo mo sa'kin ang anak ko? We could have talked about it, Aeva. Damn it." He already grew some frustrations. "I didn't know that I already have a child..." He said and I knew that he was in pain... It was obvious in his eyes and his reaction... And I felt even more guilty. "My son didn't deserve that he grew up to this age without a father. When I'm just here but I didn't know!" aniyang mukhang nasasaktan.

At tinanggap ko lang naman ang mga hinanakit ni Adam. I want him to let it out on me. Dahil alam ko rin naman ang kasalanan ko...

"I'm sorry, Adam..." pag-uulit ko.

I know that my apology now wouldn't be enough... Pero handa akong kahit na paulit-ulit na humingi ng tawad kay Adam...