MISSION OR LOVE

27

6 YEARS LATER

"Mommy! Mommy!" kaagad sigaw ng anak ko ng makarating ako sa bahay galing trabaho.

Nagstop ako sa pagiging agent at nagfocus sa mall na pagmamay-ari ko rito sa Washington.

"Hi Baby. Did you eat na ba?" I ask her.

"No. But Daddy Cook"

"Ow really?"

"Yes. Let's go" she said before pulling me in to the kitchen.

Nadatnan ko si Angelo na naghahain na ng pagkain.

"Your here na. Let's eat" he said and then he lean to kiss my check.

"Ayieee" Athenna giggled

Habang sinusuboan ko ng pagkain ang anak namin, nag-uusap naman kami ni Angelo.

"So how's your work?"

"Okay lang naman. I'm just observing the share of the malls"

"Oh, may nag-invest na naman ba?"

"Yes meron. Meron ding bumili ng place para pagtindahan"

"Mommy can we go to mall tomorrow?"

"So you want to go tomorrow?"

"Yes"

"Okay"

"Yey! Daddy were going to go to mall tomorrow!" excited niyang sabi. Nagclap pa sya. Ang cute.

She's Athenna Bianca C. Roxas. Angelo and my daughter.

We get married 2 years ago. Nagpropose kasi sya sakin at nakita ko naman na handa nya talaga akong pakasalan kaya ginawa ko na. Hindi sya mahirap mahalin kagaya noon.

SUNDAY in the morning and here we are walking around in my mall. Many people greet us there and we greet them too.

"Mommy-Daddy can we buy a new toy?"

"Anak no. Marami ka pang toys doon sa bahay diba?"

Naiiyak niya akong tinignan bago ang papa niya.

"Okay I'll buy you a new toy.  Don't cry na, don't mind Mommy"

Mas mabilis pa kay flash kong sinapak si Angelo. Ang dami na kasing laruan ni Athenna sa bahay tapos magpapabili pa sya at itong lokong to, bibilhan niya talaga.

"Gago ka" mahina kong bulong but he just chuckle.

Tsss

Nang makabili na kami ng laruan, at play house ulit ang pinabali ni Athenna.

"Daddy can we go there?" she ask and she point something there.

"You want to go there? Let's ask mommy okay?"

"Okay. Mommy?" nagmakaawa niyang sabi. Mahina akong natawa dahil sa kacutetan niya.

"Hello Sir-Maam" bati kaagad ng tao ko pagdating namin doon.

"Look Daddy, there's a hourse!" turo ni Athenna sa laruang kabayo at sumakay doon.

"Hi Maam. Do you want anything?" ani ng isang foreigner na lalaki sakin.

"No thank you. How's the mall today?"

"The mall is okay Ma'am. And our manager said that our mall is getting higher level than before"

"Ow. That's nice to hear"

"Absolutely Ma'am. Goodbye now Ma'am, I need to go back to work" nahihiyang sabi niya and I nod.

"Mommy can I dance there?"

"Yes you can anak"

"Yey!" habang nagsasayaw ang anak namin, hindi ko napigilang ngumiti. Sana ganito nalang palagi, yung palaging masaya kami.

I woke up in reality when someone huh me from the back.

"Hmm... Happy?" he ask

"Sobra"

(Someone's POV)

Sa kabilang banda, there's Thanniel and his family.

"Daddy let's play" sabi ng anak niyang babae.

"I'm busy" malamig niyang sabi nito.

Cosma looks angry so she pull Thanniel away from their daughter.

"Ano ba! Anak mo yan Thanniel. Tapunan mo naman ng pansin!"

"She's not my child. Anak yan ng kabet mo"

Yes. Two years ago after their marriage, Cosma cheat on Thanniel with his boybestfriend. At nag bunga doon ang anak nila—no scratch that, anak lang pala ni Cosma dahil hindi iyon tanggap ni Thanniel.

"Pwede bang kalimutan na natin yon?! Matagal na yon, we need to move on. You know that I love you"

Cosma try to kiss Thanniel in lips pero malakas na lumayo si Thanniel dito and nag 'tsk'.

Nung kinasal sila, hindi kailan man niya binalak na halikan si Cosma, ni sa pisngi. Walang nangyari sa kanila even in their honeymoon, umuwi si Thanniel sa bahay pagkatapos ng kasal nila. Hindi kailan man ginalaw niya si Cosma kahit kasal na sila.

"Thanniel ano ba! Kasal tayo kaya payagan mo ako sa gusto kong gawin sayo!" galit na sabi ni Cosma

"Yeah were married but you can't touch me" madiin na sabi naman ni Thanniel.

"Pero asawa mo ako for god sake!"

"Mommy-Daddy nag-away na naman ba kayo?" biglang sulpot ng anak ni Cosma.

"No weren't baby. Were just talking"
Tumango naman ang anak niya.

"Daddy can we play now?"
Excited na sabi ni Lily pero napalitan yon ng lungkot ng magsalita si Thanniel.

"I said I'm busy! Damn" at umalis ito sa harapan niya. Umiyak naman si Lily sa braso ng ina nya.

"Mommy. Daddy always angry. I think he didn't love me"
Malungkot na sabi ng anak.

"No baby, he loves you. Busy lang talaga sya. Don't cry na okay?" patahan ni Cosma kay Lily.

Kahit anong gawin ni Cosma, alam niyang sya lang ang nagmahal sa anak niya. Thanniel didn't love her daughter and she know that.

Hi! Nandito na naman ako ulit hehe. Sorry ulit for my grammatical errors. Yun lang paalam😁