Wife Series #6: Last Flight Home (PaperInk Imprints Collaboration) | COMPLETED

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

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Time passes like a blur. Kung hindi natin papansin, lalo itong bumibilis. Minsan masasabi na lang natin sa ating sarili ang mga salitang— parang kahapon lang.

Parang kahapon lang nang una ko siyang makilala. Sa high school. Magkaklase. Naging magkaibigan at magkatuwang sa hirap ng pag-aaral, magkasama sa kalokohan, tamang street food lang pagkatapos ng uwian.

Parang kahapon lang noong naging magkasintahan kami. Parang kahapon lang no'ng nanligaw siya sa akin. Buong-buo pa rin sa isipan ko ang mga eksena sa mga nakalipas na panahon na 'yon. Noong mga panahon pinagpapawisan pa siya dahil sa kaba para lumapit sa akin at magtanong kung maaari ba niya akong ligawan.

Parang kahapon lang noong ikinasal kami. Akalain mo ba nama'y wala nang plano-plano. Basta na lamang ikinasal sa huwes sa kagustuhan naming mag-isang dibdib at maging legal na mag-asawa kahit pa ayaw sa amin ng nakararami. Kahit pa na ayaw sa amin ng mundo.

Parang kahapon lang noong nalaman naming may sakit pala siya. Ang simpleng masikip sa dibdib at tila hindi makahinga ay bigla na lang naging tumor at cancer na pala.

Parang kahapon lang noong malakas pa siya, may buhay at sigla pa sa mga mata. Bakas pa ang mga buhok na noo'y akala mo'y coloring pad. Ngayon ay ganito na ang kinahinatnan. Hairless, thin, pale, and weak.

"How are you feeling?" he asked while forcing himself to sit properly on the wheelchair without the help of his ate Lucy just to reach me.

I smiled at them, not showing any signs of pain from my labor. "It's okay. I don't feel anything," I answered which is true.

Earlier this morning, when I came for my check-up, the doctor said that my cervix is already in four centimeter wide, hence, I don't feel anything unlike normal pregnant women who are in the verge of delivery. Parang wala lang. Ni hindi ko feel na manganganak na pala ako.

"True?" paghinging ng kumpirmasyon ni Enzo.

"True. Parang nakahiga nga lang ako, eh."

We chuckled. I sat on the bed, hug him and kiss his forehead. He smiled because of that. Kahit ang kaniyang ate ay napangiti na lamang. I pinch his cheeks lightly.

"Sige na, balik ka na sa room mo. Need mo magpahinga. Kami na bahala ni ate Lucy dito," wika ko sa kaniya. Kitang-kita ko kasi ang pagod sa kaniyang mga mata. Gusto kong umiyak kasi sabi ng doktor, he's getting better, pero iba naman ang nakikita ko sa harap ko.

I can see the hesitation in his face, pero wala rin naman siyang magagawa. Need niya ng pahinga at alam namin 'yon pareho. Kung ipipilit niya lamang ang gusto niya ay pareho lamang kaming mahihirapan.

Ilang saglit pa ang hinintay namin ay wala akong nagawa kundi magpa-emergency cesarean section. My babies aren't cooperating. Ready na ang cervix ko pero ang mga baby ko ay mataas pa kaya kinailangan na akong buksan.

As the anesthesia started to wear off of my body, I slowly open my eyes and found my husband sitting on the single sofa, carrying our newborn babies in both of his arms, almost tearing himself in joy while quietly talking to his children.

I smiled upon the sight. If only my eyes could capture the moment. I felt warm hand held my shoulder and upon looking to the owner of the hand, I saw my sister-in-law, ate Lucy also smiling in the sight, kuya Eros behind her taking video.

"Ate, tingnan mo, kamukha niya si Cindy. Pareho silang may natural na mapulang pisngi. Ang cute. Kasarap kagatin," Enzo said with the hint of weakness in his voice but still made us laugh.

Para namang narinig ni Enzo ang mahinang pagtawa ko na medyo masakit pa sa tahi kaya agad siyang napatingin sa akin. His pale face glow upon the sight of seeing me. Agad na lumapit si ate Lucy na kinuha ang mga bata sa kaniya at inihiga sa tabi ko at ganoon din si kuya Eros na tinulungan si Enzo na humiga sa kabilang bahagi ng higaan, sa tabi ko rin.

"Mommy," he whispered. Medyo nagtaka pa ako no'ng una kasi sino namang tinatawag niya, eh, hindi naman niya akong tinatawag na ganoon. Not until no'ng kinalabit niya ako, patunay na ako nga ang tinatawag. "Mommy, mommy, mommy," he called repeatedly.

I glanced on him. I felt him embraced me tightly from behind as he kiss my shoulder. Nangingilid ang mga luha ko na hindi ko rin alam kung bakit. Pakiramdam ko, gusto kong sumabog at humagulgol sa hindi ko malamang dahilan. I want to cry while feeling him, hearing him. . .

"Mommy, I love you," he said. Sa mga 'yon pa lang, napaiyak na ako ng tuluyan, pilit hindi pinapakita sa kaniya ang bigla kong panghihina.

"I love you more. . ." I whispered trying to keep my voice straight.

"Thank you so much, mommy, for giving me such angels. . ."

I nod, not saying anything, not replying. Just him, talking and me, listening to everg word he's going to say.

"You have no idea how grateful I am to have you in my life. You. . . you made my life worth living. You made everything in my lifetime worthwhile. . ."

I cried in silence. He has no idea that he was the one who saved me in the edge of the cliff. He has no idea how much he pulled me up when everything in my life was nothing but downfall. He was the one who made my lifetime worthwhile. . . worth living for.

"Oh, picture muna kayo. Family picture ninyo," kuya Eros interrupted, his words full of double meanings.

We laughed, kuya Eros took photos, ate Lucy kept on pestering Enzo that his children got nothing from him. My family arrived and we ate as whole, Ate Lucy was even fascinated by my mother's cooking, and even if Enzo's family wasn't completed, he said that he's already fine with this.

One night, few weeks later, Enzo and I went for a walk in the hospital's outside garden. The breeze of the wind is kind of chilly and the night sky was filled with bright shining stars with the cresent moon smiling for us.

"Mommy," he called.

"Hmm?"

He held my hand and kissed the back of my palm, "Thank you for giving me Scelera Villarin and Hayatti Villarin. You are the most amazing woman I've ever met. . ."

Those were the last few words I heard from him. How he thanked me for giving birth to his children; Scelera and Hayatti.

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asereneko.