VOLS 1: Stacia Walker

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Stacia decided to visit Kian at the hospital. She reached out to Thamara if she could stop by and check out on her brother. Thamara said Brian wasn't in the hospital until the evening as he had something to do with his partner. Stacia wasn't interested in knowing what her ex-husband had been doing these days. If he wouldn't be in the hospital until the evening, she would be there.

As she saw her son still in a coma, she couldn't help but cry. When Thamara noticed how she was trying not to be seen wiping her tears away from her cheeks, she couldn't ignore it. Her daughter went up to her and hugged her. At that moment, Stacia broke down knowing that seeing Kian on his condition wasn't the only problem she was carrying ever since. 

She had to be so brave to carry it on and move forward. An independent woman she is, but when her world was going down, it was like everything was falling apart for her. She had nothing else to do but watch it unfold.

"It's going to be okay, Mom. . ." Thamara said, rubbing her hand on her back to comfort her. "I know this is hard, but you know Kian is a fighter. He wouldn't just leave us. He'll be fine. He'll wake up soon. He'll be there with us. He'll turn twenty soon and we will celebrate it with him."

Hearing all those words from her daughter somehow uplift her feelings. Iniangat naman niya ang tingin niya sa kanyang anak. She hadn't been with her for a long time since she was living far away, just like her, she was an independent woman who enjoyed a life without anyone telling her what to do. Stacia and Brian didn't limit their children to what they wanted to do. They knew they just had to be a good parent for them, and somehow Stacia felt like she failed them.

"I'm not going to be here forever. . ." she muttered, Thamara quickly parted away from hugging her mother as soon as she heard her utter those words.

"Mom. . . Anong sinasabi mo?"

Napahugot naman nang malalim na hininga si Stacia at isang pilit na ngiti ang lumitaw sa labi nito. "Alam mo naman na tumatanda na kami. Forty one na ako at sa susunod na mga taon, hindi niyo na kami makasasama pa. Twenty-two ako no'n nang ipanganak kita. . . Ang sabi ng iba, masyado pa akong dalaginding para magkaanak. Twenty-three lang ang ama mo no'n. Hindi kami nakinig sa mga pinagsasabi nila. . . Kesyo ikinasal lamang kami dahil nabuntis ako ng tatay mo. . . Hindi ko naman pinagsisisihan iyon. Sa halos dalawang dekada na nagsama kami ni Brian, masaya ako ako. . . Naging masaya ako. . . Kaya gusto ko maging masaya rin kayo sa pagtanda niyo at 'wag na 'wag niyon pipiliing masira ang buhay niyo sa mga maling bagay. Kung maaari lamang na ako na lang ang nasa sitwasyon ni Kian at hindi siya. . ."

"Ma naman. . ." ani Thamara. "Alam ko naman kung anong pinagdadaanan mo, pero 'wag mong idiin sa sarili mo na kasalanan mo kung bakit nangyari 'to kay Kian."

"Hindi ko ba kasalanan?" aniya. "Kung hindi kami naghiwalay ng tatay mo, hindi magrerebelde si Kian. . ."

Napabitaw na lamang nang malalim na buntonghininga si Thamara dahil hindi na niya alam kung paano babaguhin ang isipan ng kanyang ina. Inalok na lamang niya ito ng tubig upang mahimasmasan ang dibdib. Mayamaya lang din naman ay may dumating sa kwarto at nang silipin ni Thamara iyon ay nakita niya si Jordan. Hindi pa nito alam kung paano tatanggapin ang lalaki, pero para sa kanyang ina ay hinayaan niya itong tumuloy.

May dala itong paper bag na may lamang pagkain. May prutas din itong dala-dala. Hindi naman makakain iyon ni Kian at magiging display lamang iyong hanggang sa magising ito. Hindi naman naalis ang tingin ni Thamara sa lalaking bagong dating. Tila ba ay kinikilatis nito kung anong intensyon nito sa kanyang magulang. Hindi niya mahinuha kung anong pakay, pero sa tuwing mapapatingin ito sa kanyang direksyon ay malaking ngiti ang itinutugon nito.

Inabot naman ni Jordan ang bote ng Juice. Tinanggap naman niya ito at nagpasalamat. Tumabi naman ito kay Thamara at kinain ang dalang ensaymada.

"How are you?" panimula ni Jordan.

"I'm okay. . ." tipid nitong sagot.

"I've heard good things about you," dagdag pa nito. Napakunot naman ng noo si Thamara. "Well, your mom was talking about you. She said you were such a lovely kid back then that you didn't want to leave your parents and then you just grew up so independently. She was so proud of you, did you know that?"

Hindi naman sumagot si Thamara dahil hindi niya alam kung paano niya kakausapin si Jordan nang hindi naiisip na baka may nangyari na sa kanilang dalawa ng magulang niya. She tried clearning that off of her head. Pinalitan niya ang pagkunot ng noo ng ngiti.

"I was wondering. . . How did you and mom meet?"

Jordan chuckled, crossing his legs together. If he could remember one thing about it was the moment they went into the bathroom together and had that moment. "Well, we met at our friend's wedding. My friend introduced me to your mom. I talked to her and we quickly got along with each other."

"Oh, I see. . . And when did this happen?"

"Just a few days ago. . ." Jordan said which made Thamara feel a little uncertain about his intention to her mom. "I know it hasn't been a week, but your mother has been nothing, but good to me. She was alone and I just knew I had to be with her. . ."

"Oh, okay. . . But why? I'm sorry if I was asking you these questions. You know our situation and this can't just happen in a snap."

"Yeah, yeah, I understand," he said, nodding his head. "I wasn't trying to do anything against anyone. I was just trying to be there for her. And I've got no one and got nothing to do, I think your mom is such a kind and loving person and so she deserves someone who could reciprocate those feelings back to her."

"I'm sorry, but can I ask how old you are?" she asked, squinting her eyes.

"I'm forty-three years old," he answered. "I don't think this age wasn't old enough."

Thamara smirked. "Yeah, I know. . . Mom was just forty-one and she just said to me before you came in she was getting old."

"Well, we are. . ." he said. "But no person deserved to be alone."

"I just hope you wouldn't hurt her. . . It would be the last thing she needed right now."

Jordan smiled. "I won't. . ."

"Jordan," pagtawag naman ni Stacia sa kanya. Tumingin ang dalawa sa kanya at tumayo ito mula sa kanyang kinauupuan. "I think we need to go now, Brian's will be here soon. . ."

"Oh, Mom, I forgot to tell you!" Thamara said, scooping her phone out of her pocket. "Dad texted me earlier he wouldn't be able to come tonight as he needed to be there with Marlyn. Pero. . . If okay lang din sa inyo na ako muna ang umalis as I would be meeting a friend tonight. What do you think?"

"It's fine by me," pangunguna ni Jordan.

Tumango rin naman si Stacia. "Sige, walang problema sa akin. Mag-iingat ka lang din kung saan ka man pupunta. Sino ba iyong kikitain mo?"

"Just my high school friends. . ." sagot ni Thamara. "Alis na po muna ako. Mag-text na lang ako later if makababalik din ako kaagad. Text ko rin agad kayo if dumating si Dad if ever."

Nag-ayos naman panandalian si Thamara at saka ito tuluyang umalis ng kwarto. Naiwan naman sina Jordan at Stacia sa loob ng kwarto. Tumayo naman si Jordan para kunin ang kamay ni Stacia at inimbitahan itong umupo sa tabi niya sa sofa. Sumunod naman si Stacia at idinantay ang kayang ulo sa balikat ng lalaki habang hawak-hawak ang kamay.

"Did I mention to you that Brian and I never thought Kian would be conceived?"

Jordan shook his head. "No, you haven't mentioned it. Why is it though?"

"After giving birth to Thamara, I had some complications that the doctors said may come into effect if I ever get pregnant again. I was so scared so we thought having an only child would be enough for both of us, but three years later, I got pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby boy. . . I was so emotional that day that I thought would be dead, but no. My baby boy lived and I did as well. Since then, I knew I should give all the love to my youngest child as he deserves it. He was such a blessing to us so I can't see him like this. . ."

Stacia felt Jordan's arms wrapped around her. His comfort made her feel better as she knew the only thing that she would get through these situations was if people believed her and with her. Jordan's with her. And she was thankful she had met him.