Hinahanap - Hanap Ko Siya

Chapter 30

March 2015:

"Gusto ko ng kishsh", sabi ni Bmaboo, "umm, sige na, dali. Kishsh na."

"Anu ba yan, Daddy Boo! Hahaha", tawa ng tawa si Sarah habang pinagmamasdan ang nakangusong imahe ng lalaking pakamamahal niya, mula sa screen ng kaniyang laptop. "Ang kulit mo talaga!"

"Sige na! Ayaw mo?", biglang napasimangot ang mukha ni Bamboo. "Ayaw moko i-kiss?"

"Hahahahahaha", tumawa lang si Sarah lalo.

"Huy! Anu ba? Ayaw mo talaga?", nagtatampong sabi ni Bamboo. "Anu ba, Mommy Serah! Naghihintay ako! Kiss na kase, eh! Wag ka na tumawa dyan. Gayahin moko, o! Dali. Kishsh." At muli syang ngumuso sa screen.

Natatawa parin si Sarah pero pinagbigyan na niya ito. Alam niyang matapuhin si Bamboo. Isa yan sa nadiskubri niya lately. Mula ng binati niya ito at kinantahan nuong birthday niya, ay walang patid na si Bamboo kaka'check sa kaniya, maya-maya. Kung kumain na ba siya, nakatulog ba siya ng mahimbing, anu ang sched niya sa bawat araw, nasaan siya at kung sino kasama niya. Sa totoo lang, kung ganiyan kapossessive ang kahit na sinong maging boyfriend niya ay lalayuan na niya by now. Pero hindi si Bamboo. Kabaliktaran, eh. Lalo siyang mas kinikilig. Mas gusto niyang nararamdaman ang pagbkod sa kaniya nito. Mas ramdam niyang mahalaga siya dito.

Lagi sila magkatext o di kaya'y nagii-skype kahit na anu pa mang busy ng schedule nila.

Hindi parin siya nakikipagkalas kay Matt. Pero aware si Matt na may binigay na palugit sa kanila si Bamboo.

Sa tuwing naiisip niya yung eksenang iyun ay natatawa siya talaga.

Magkausap silang muli nuon sa skype ni Bamboo. Nagmamaktol nanaman ito dahil sa sinabi niyang balak na maghanda sa birthday ni Matt. Darating kase mga magulang nito at handa na siyang ipagmalaki ang career niyang lumalago na. Happy naman sa totoo lang si Sarah na nakatulong siya di lang sa success ng career ni Matt, kundi pati narin sa pagayos ng gulo ng kanilang pamilya.

Nagtatalo sila nuong gabing iyun dahil gusto ni Bamboo na makipagkalas na si Sarah tutal maayos naman na ang lagay ng Matteo na yun.

Pero humiling kase si Matt kay Sarah na sana andun siya hanggang sa birthday celebration nito. Kaya di na nakatanggi si Sarah.

"Ok, pero hanggang dun nalang, ha", pagbanta ni Bamboo, "no extensions, Mommy Serah. After that, you're all mine."

Sa totoo lang ay nanghina si Sarah sa mga sinambit ni Bamboo. Bakas kase ang pruweba na mahal nga siya nito, na lalo lang nagpalalim din ng pagmamahal niya dito.

"Opo, Daddy Boo", malambing niyang sagot, "promise. Last na yun."

"After that, sakin ka na, ha", madiin na inulit ni Bamboo. Pero kita mong may pangamba sa mga mata niya. As if he's daring her to protest. "Wala ng atrasan yan."

Ngumiti si Sarah. "Kahit na anong mangyari, sayo lang ako. Simula't sapol naman, sayo lang ako, eh. At di na magbabago yun", malambing niyang sinuyo si Bamboo hanggang sa ngumiti narin ito na parang biglang nahiya.

Natawa naman si Sarah ng matandaan niya ang reaksyon ni Matt ng sinabi niyang may deadline sila kay Bamboo. Buong seryoso niyang sinabi iyon kaya't parang natakot si Matt at nakiusap kay Sarah na pakiusapan si Bamboo na hanggang birthday lang naman. Hohoho. Tawang tawa talaga si Sarah at di siya nakapagpigil na hindi ikuwento yun kay Ana.

"Huy! Antagal naman! Kiss ko, o!", biglang natandaan niyang naghihintay ng kiss si Bamboo. Ngumiti siya at lumapit sa monitor at ngumuso narin.

"I love you, Daddy Boo!", nilambingan niya ng todo ang pagkakasabi ng mapawi ang pagsusungit ni Bamboo. "Ummmuwaaahh!" Sabay smack sa screen. Sumabay din si Bamboo sa kaniya.

"I love so much, Mommy Serah ko", sagot nito sa kaniya.

Nakaalis na ng bansa si Bamboo patungong Australia th time para sa mga gaganapin niyang shows sa Sydney at Perth.

Nagla-lunch sila ni Pancho sa isang mmon resto sa Sydney ng tinawag ni Pancho ang kaniyang pansin habang nagbabrowse ng Twitter acc niya.

"Bams, look", sabay big ng phone kay Bamboo.

Nakita ni Bamboo ang sangkaterbang retweets ng mga nakuhng photos nuong birthday celebration ng Matteo na yun. At.... Anu yang video? Kinantahan siya ni Sarah? Ahhh, eto yung sinabi sa kaniya ni Sarah.

Akmang papanoorin ni Bamboo sana ang video ng magsalita si Pancho.

"Wag na pre", sabi nito sabay hawak sa kamay ni Bamboo na may hawak ng phone. "Baka masaktan ka lang."

Tinignan niya si Pancho. "Panch, s'alright. Serah and I. We've talked about this. I juz wanna witness if she's keeping her end of the bargain. Though of course, I trust her implicitly."

Soon enough, when he played the video, Sarah sang Thinking Out Loud ang made sweet gestures to Matteo. His parents were in front of the audience. But what made him smile was her message to him. "Ako man o hindi ang makatuluyan mo...." And the rest is history. He sighed in relief. Dahil yun na ang sign na tinuldukan na ni Sarah ang AshMatt love story. The end. And that's where their own story began. The AshBoo love story is not your ordinary story. It has no ending, which means that even forever will never be enough. It will carry on till the next lifetime. And they will still end up together, he's sure and confident of that. He smiled.

It was a beautiful day in Perth. It was already holy week. The show in Sydney was a success. He's got a lot to be thankful for, but he's major reason to be thankful was Sarah. His Mommy Serah. He couldn't thank God enough for giving him a chance to love again for the second time around.

He and Pancho went on a "guy-shopping spree" when he spotted a huge stuffed panda and a little porcelain blue bird. He immediately thought of calling his daughter, Isabel.

"Bams!", bungad ni Cecil sa kaniya. "Hiwalay na sila! Sina Serah and yung Matteo na yun! It's all over the news!"

Natatawa lang si Bamboo. "Yeah, I know, Cil. I know", he chuckled. "It was all part of our plan to be together."

"Kaw talaga Bams", warned Cecil, "you owe me so much kuwento! Haynaku!"

"I promise, I will", he said.

"O, eto na prinsesa mo", sabay nagpaalam na si Cecil.

"Daddy?", Isa could hardly contain her excitement. "Are you with tita Serah?"

"No honey", he said, "but do you wanna hear what happened to Pandada and Biddie after Biddie flew home?" [A/N: Please see Chapter 22].

"Yes, please!!!", he could picture Isa jumping up and down. He could hear Cecil telling her to stay put. He laughed. And then he started his storytelling again.

Pandada lost weight.

He was roaming around without any intent on where he would like to go.

He was very sad.

He no longer wanted to play even as his friends would ask him to join them. He always refused. Eventually, they stopped asking.

He would cry in his sleep at night.

The sunshine bore no light for him anymore.

He was sitting under a bamboo tree when he heard a familiar voice singing.

He looked around momentarily. Then he got up slowly and walked gingerly towards that voice.

Some distance from where he stood, there, he saw a little blue bird singing under the sunshine. She stopped suddenly and whirled around immediately to face him.

"Biddie!", Pandada exclaimed, as he held out his palms and Biddie eagerly flew into them.

He cradled her and said, "Oh, how I've missed you, Biddie!"

"I have missed you more, Pandada", Biddie cried. "I tried to get away from you, believing that I needed to go home. But after sometime, I realized that I was not home, at all. Because you are now my home, Pandada. Wherever you are is home."