Mind Set

Chapter 13

Might Probably?

It was Charlene.

Aga's eyes landed on hers, making an eye contact, electronically shivering his whole body with a colloquial feeling. A swift of air then passed by that kissed his eyes and urgently made it close.

The woman was wearing a dress, a fitted one. He scanned her from head to toe and noticed she did gain some weight and her tummy looked bloated, is she pregnant?

"H-hi." Charlene greeted and smiled at him. Aga didn't smile back nor changed his facial and just looked away. Rude it might seem, but no one is obligating him to smile and warmly welcome his ex as if they were fine.

"Let's go Lea." His voice was atrocious and cold. He pushed Lea's wheelchair leaving the latter with a lost-face.

"Charlene! You're here? Sooo! Let's start our check up?" Charlene nodded her head and do what she needs to do. After the check up, the two of them had their friendly chitchats.

"When are you planning to tell him that he's that child's father?" Dra. Morales asked.

"At the right time." Her voice was passive with the question as she followed the doctor's gesture for her to have a sit.

Aga knocked and waited for Lea's permission for him to enter but after a few more set of knockings, no one seems to answer, he held the doorknob and twisted it, putting force on the wooden door to open it.

He had emblemed to his mind that he'd see Lea sleeping or looking out of the window, counting cars that's passing by (which he pities of, Lea could've been living a better life than she has right now, one that's more adventurous instead of being isolated inside the room) but when he entered, the room screamed 'no one's here' which agitated him.

In adrenaline, he immediately ran to ask his grandmother if she'd seen her only when he arrived at the staircase has he noticed that Lea's wheelchair was at the side of it which he didn't see while coming up.

He peeked downstairs but saw not even her shadows. He went to look at each rooms, still not finding her, then downstairs, he spotted the door for the backyard garden, open. He went outside and there he saw Lea, sitting on one of the chairs.

"Lea!" Her head turned. "How come you've reached here?"

"Aga, dito lang naman. Ayaw ko na doon sa kuwarto, wala naman akong maga - " She wasn't still finish when Aga cut her off.

"Bawal ka nga masyadong tumayo, diba? Only when you need to shower or go to the bathroom. Didn't you hear what the doctors said? You need complete bed rest. It has only been 5 weeks, you need one more month." He's trying not to sound irritated and defensive albeit he is already stressed out.

"Alam ko naman, pero dito nga lang, kaunti lang naman nilakad ko." Aga clicked her tongue and massaged his temple.

"Lea. Can you just follow their instructions? What if you bleed out again? What if something bad happens to my child?" My child. The other day, it was theirs, and now it's only his? How come that happened?

She wanted to respond but Lea felt defeated. It was as if she was just lending her body to someone who was anonymous to her when she never said she's allowing them to borrow it.

Don't get her wrong, she's willing to let her child do all things to her body as long as she knows they're safe, but this... this whole "almost-being-prisoned-thing," It's skimming as if she let them control herself. She's the slave: they're the patriot.

"Sorry." was the only word she can mutter instead of arguing back with Aga. Perhaps she's the embodied version of women who lets a man be a misogynist towards them. And she's not portraying to Aga, he has never done that to her. But it was something inside her, she was letting herself -rather her ego, blame and manipulate her own.