Running Away From Downfall

Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

"Seriously?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko. "Nagpapatawa ka ba?"

"N-no. I just w-want to know."

"Why?" kuryosong tanong ko. "Why would you ask about that?"

"I-I already told you... I j-just want t-to know."

"What do you want to know? Ano bang gusto mong malaman, Adrian?"

"W-what happened after the s-scene in the clinic? What happened to you? Bakit ka nagpakalayo sakin? Bakit bigla nalang si Zavie na ang ama ni Eli?" sunod-sunod na tanong niya.

"Do you really want to know?" paninigurado ko.

Hindi ko itatago sayo ang nangyari, Adrian. Sisiguraduhin kong magsisisi ka. Sisiguraduhin kong mare-realize mo na ikaw ang dahilan kung bakit sa ganito humantong ang lahat.

"Y-yes."

"I went back to my family," panimula ko.

"T-then, why are y-you here?"

"This is the outcome of your decisions almost 9 years ago," madiing wika ko.

"..." Hindi siya nakapagsalita.

"Nilayuan kita. Bakit? Why don't you ask yourself? You really wanted me to abort her. Pinipilit mo akong ipalaglag ko si Eli."

"You wanted to abort her, for your dream. Can't you keep her while reaching your dreams? Or kung hindi man, you can say, you don't want her. You can say, you can't be a father figure to her. Those are also painful, pero kaya ko naman siyang buhayin eh, kahit wala ka pa. But I can't believe you said, abort her."

Namalayan ko nalang na umiiyak na pala ako. Kita ko naman ang gulat at pagsisisi sa mukha niya.

"I-I'm sorry. P-pero si Zavie? W-why did you introduce him as her d-dad?"

"You should be thankful to Zavie, Adrian. Sinalo niya ang responsibilidad mo sa amin ni Eli. He helped ME stand up from the fall YOU caused when you decided to drop US."

"When she was 2 years old, almost 3. I sent you an email and a letter. Your 2nd chance, right? That is what those two mails said. I waited for a week. We waited for a week but, you didn't answer. Kaya nung araw din na yun, nagsimula ang relasyon namin ni Zavie."

"You should be thankful. Hindi naranasan ni Eli ang kakulangan sa mga magulang dahil kay Zavie. Hindi niya naranasan ang mangulila sa pagmamahal ng ama dahil kay Zavie. He gave us all the love he could possibly give to us, even much more than what we needed. Minahal niya kami na parang kami ang pamilya niya, na parang anak niya si Eli. He held us both, cared for us, loved us, protected us. Mga bagay na ikaw dapat ang gumawa, pero wala ka. Kasi ang pinarating mo noon, mas kailangan mo ang pangarap mo."

"So, don't you ever dare question my decision to let Zavie be Eli's dad. Honestly, para sa akin, Zavie deserved that little angel more than you."

Napatahimik ako sandali dahil sa pagpunas ng luha. Sa tagal ng panahon, ngayon ko lang nailabas ang lahat ng ito. Matagal ko itong kinimkim. I've told Zavie everything, but to say this to the person who did this to me, us, the unhappy feeling of everything bad that happened is starting to turn into a positive.

Sa kalagitnaan ng pananahimik naming dalawa, natanaw ko si Zavie. Buhat-buhat niya si Eli, na ngiti-ngiting nakayakap sa leeg niya, habang naglalakad palapit sa amin.

"Look at it, Adrian. Tignan mo ang ibig kong sabihin," madiin na sabi ko.

Adrian's POV

Nilingon ko ang tinititigan ni Cassandra. Nakita ko si Zavie na naglalakad palapit samin. Buhat buhat niya si Eli, na matamis ang ngiti habang nakayakap ito sa leeg niya.