The President's Wife

Chapter Forty

Kasabay ng pagtatanggal ni Kate sa kanyang facemask ay ang pagbaba ni Jayden sa kanyang hawak na baril.

"The poison is telling that your pride is stronger than your love," kahit pa nanatili ang nakakunot na kilay ni Jayden ay naibaba niya ang mga kamay ng pabagsak na nagpapahiwatig ng pagkadismaya sa nangyayari. He's broken. His heart is bleeding. The pain is keep on pushing him to end his life with Kate. Nasasaktan siya sa katotoohanang kaya nga siyang patayin ng babaeng mahal niya. At Dahil iyon din naman talaga ang naging desisyon niya kung sakali mang patayin siya ni Kate ay magsasama sila hanggang sa empyerno. But, the smile from that kid's lips and genuine love from his eyes made him strive to abandoned his outrage.

"ZK," his voice sounds sad and low. His eyes are begging when he attempted to step towards her trying to compensate and encourage her to get over the past and forgive. But, he stopped when she didn't allowed him.

"Wag kang lalapit, Jay!" Her eyes is wetting. He can see the confusion of love and hatred in her eyes. The crystal tears gradually flowing in her cheeks is showing deep confusion within her. Her mind's command and the scream of his heart for peace are fighting.

"Bakit? Will you kill me if I touch you?" he want to cry to release the pain inside him but it seems that the fortitude of his spirit didn't allow it to consign the want of his wife. Hanggang sa nanatiling walang reaksyon ang katawan ni Kate kahit pa subrang lapit na niya sa kanya.

He locked her by putting his two hands with the gun on the edge of the lavatory. At dahil medyo nakababa na ang mukha ngayon si Jayden ay magkapantay na silang dalawa.

"Before I entered where we are, subra kitang namimiss na halos mabaliw na ako sa kakahanap sayo. But now, I see you like a gold digger and a criminal trying to show her sincerity but can't!" It's in low, almost whispered but in a hard voice. The impact of it to Kate is like a blade torturing her heart. She's ready for his husband's affront but why is it that it is painful than what she's expecting?

"Hindi ko na dapat 'to gagawin at habang buhay na sana akong mawawala sa buhay mo pero niloko mo ako at pinaniwalang walang alam sa paghihiganti ko...and that made you selfish, Jayden! It breaks my heart everytime I'm thinking it. You deserve to die Jay. I can't express my true feelings towards you because everytime I'm doing it, my hatred is keep on stopping it!" Iniwas niya ang tingin sa halos walang kisap na mga mata ng asawa. Napalunok at saka tinuloy ang sasabihin, "hindi rin naman kita makuhang mahalin ng kagaya ng gusto kong mangyari kaya-----," muli niyang binalik ang mga mata kay Jayden but this time it is glaring and dangerous, "papatayin na lang kita para matapos na ang lahat! Para wala na akong dahilan para magsisi habang buhay Jay!"

With the tears continue wetting her cheeks is the force smile she gave before the loud deafening sound of a gun reigned the silent night.

Forcing to speak, Jayden is in pain. Not only his heart but physically. The pain is in the left side of his abdomen and the sticky liquid wetting his skin is slowly bringing him to unsconsciousness.

"S-si Z-zian----," Kate's smile breaks when she heard her son's name from him---Zian's father---and the regret in her is approaching. Nabitawan niya ang baril na nakadiin sa nasugatan ng laman ni Jayden. Hindi siya makapaniwalang nang dahil sa matinding galit ay nagawa niyang hablutin ang baril na nasa tagiliran niya. And how come, he knew about thier son? From her surprised reaction, Jayden continue his words, "t-tuwang-tuwang naglalaro s-sa k-kama n-natin," he felled after the last smile in his lips. A smile of a father satisfied for having a child in his life.

And now, she's drooped. The regret from what she did is now spreading in his heart. Ang pagsisisi na gumamot sa galit niya. She turn to the bottle of the wine and about to drink it but the shouts from outside made her stopped. Bago pa niya subukang tapusin din ang buhay ay naririnig na niya mula sa labas ang mga tauhan ni Jayden. At dahil dito ay nataranta siyang lisanin ang lugar. Muling nangibabaw ang pride niya nang dahil dito. Gamit ang glass window ay wala sa sarili niyang binangga ito upang makalabas. Tanging mga bubog lamang ng bintanang iyon ang naiwan, tumalsik na mga dugo galing sa kanya na sumama sa mga dugong unti-unting umaagos mula kay Jayden kalakip ang malamig na hangin ng gabing nagmula sa sira ng bintana.

The peaceful night became the property of wickedness. The love was conquered by her pride.

And, it's a secret that will be burried forever.

      ______________________________________

20 years later

"Goodmorning sir!" A young man wearing a white outfit greet and standing infront of an old man sitting on a wheelchair. The few beard of that old man is occupying his whole lower part of the face and the wrinkled skin is showing that the man sufferred a lot.

Pero walang narinig na sagot ang lalaki mula sa isang pasyente. Sa halip ay gulat itong napatitig sa kanya.

"I'm Zian Kayfier," he added. He then get the wheel chair and started to slowly bring the man outside the room and its the patients' terrace.

"I'll be your personal Doctor starting today sir!" Bigo pa ring nagsalita ang kanyang pasyente. Mas lalo siyang nalulungkot para sa kanya.
Hinarap niya sa fence ng terrace ang wheelchair at nanatili siya sa likuran ng pasyente. Magkasama nilang ninanamnam ang sariwang hangin na binibigay ng mga malalaking puno na nakapalibot sa mansion at ang unti-unti nang umiinit na sikat ng araw. Isa lang ang nasa utak nilang dalawa, ang isiping kulang ang buhay nila.

"Can I call you ZK?" The voice from him made Zian go back to his work.

"You like abbreviated names sir?" Napangiti siya dahil kahit papaano at kahit pagkukunwari lamang ay nanatili paring nandoon ang pangalang iyon.

"I used to call someone by that name, pareho kasi kayo pag inabbreviate ang pangalan, ZK ang labas!" his voice is weak but the joy of sharing a story about that name is occupying his unseen smile.

"Who is she sir?

Walang narinig na sagot si Zian mula sa ama. Umasa siyang kapag sinagot siya nito ay matatanggap na niya kung sino siya sa buhay niya. Yes, the pain and hatred of his parents is suffering for him. Sa tuwing pinapaalala sa kanyang ama na anak siya nito ay inaatake ito sa puso. Dahil siya ang susi sa babangot ng nakaraan. Kaya ngayon, nanatili siyang Zian lamang sa mga mata nito.

Maraming mga tanong sa utak niya kung bakit naging ganito ang kapalaran ng kanyang mga magulang. His grandparents gave him the luxurious and comfortable life. He became doctor because of thier support. The love from them, both from his father and mother's side is unconditional. But, no one is telling them how he end up with a broken family.

"Teka lang po, kukunin ko muna ang BP," tela nawalan ng gana ang kanyang boses. Hindi na ito bago sa kanya and he is expecting intentional deglect of his father's memory to his mother. He then immediately get inside the room and get it on the side table of the bed. Napatigil siya sandali nang makita ang picture ng kanyang ina. Slowly, he put the BP and replace it with that picture put in a frame.

He saw the sincerity in his mother's eyes with this, is the innocent smile like how he smiles. But, the mystery of her lost is still beyond reach.

From that beautiful and brave face of her leads him to talk with his mind.

"Maybe I was born to endure this kind of situation. There are thousands of questions running in my mind but none of it was answered and no one want to give an answer for it. I don't even know what kind of person is my mother. Why all of this people sorrounds me are pretending to forget her and hate her that much. It's confusing, the people of this country love her, praising her, appreciating her and idolizing her leadership but why in this family, it's an opposite?" Napaupo siya galing sa maraming tanong sa utak niya at pagdurusa ng kanyang damdamin. Noon pa man, alam na niyang sa milyon-milyong mga tao sa mundo, marami ding nakatagong  mga pangyayaring hindi dapat malaman sa publiko. Pero, nasasaktan siya sa realidad na mayroon din mga taong may karapatang malaman ito pero pilit na pinagdadamot.

Nilagay niya ulit ang frame sa ibabaw ng side table kung saan niya ito kinuha at tahimik na nanatiling nakaupo sa gilid ng kama kung saan unang napasaya niya ang kanyang ama.

"Maybe, I am destined to find my mother and ask all of my whys," humugot siya ng malalim na hininga bago tumayo at ipagpatuloy ang nabuong desisyon sa utak.

"Tama----" pabagsak niyang binitawan ang unang salita mula sa nabuo niyang plano. He then turn his eyes to the direction of his father like he see him from the concrete wall. He smiled with hope and determination. And his father is his motivation for that plan.

"I need to find...the President's wife!"