She Conceived A Morgan's Child

Chapter XXXI: Destructive Love

Chapter 31

•Rowena•

"I'm really sorry Ate Rowena. Urgent kasi need naming matapos yung thesis namin," said Gwynth.

"It's ok. Here oh para may panggastos ka. Isasama ko nalang si Benj sa office tutal pwede naman. Bumawi ka nlang next time ok?" Bilin ko kay Gwynth. Tatanggi pa sana s'ya pero nilgay kona sa bag n'ya kaya niyakap n'ya ako bago nagpaalam kay Benjamin.

"Are you ready young man?" I asked him. I often bring him to the office now since wala naman s'ya and Pat nd Pete are busy. Pagdating namin sa opisina tunawag si Sir Key at may pinapacheck sa Sta. Maria. I hesitated at first because as much as possible ayaw ko muna silang magkita, hindi ko naman pwedeng iwanan ang anak ko dito. Tumawag muna ako kay Reuben bago nagbook ng masasakyan. Mabuti nalang at umalis sya, hindi naman siguro kami magtatagal doon.

Pero pagdating namin, after talking to some of the software engineers, nagulat nalamang ako nung magkausap na sila I panicked and was overthinking a lot na hindi ako makapag focus sa sinasabi ni Reuben dahil pinapakinggan ko yung dalawa. My anxiety grew larger nung hindi kami kaagad makaalis because of Reuben. I had to call Patricio while on my way to buy them food.

"Rowena, anak n'ya iyon. May karapatan s'ya. Hindi mo pwedeng itago si Benjamin sakanya. Stop being unfair and your sons actually likes him. Lukso ng dugo is true Rowena. So tell him na, I don't want to pressure you, pero you, yourself know na habang pinapatagal mo ay lalo molang pinapalalim at binubuhusan ng alcohol ang isang sugat," Pat warned me. I understand his point pero natatakot pa rin ako.

My heart melted away to the sight of them, laughing next to each other. Once again, I lied to him about his age. Hindi pa talaga ako handang magsabi. Hindi ko pa kaya. Sa bawat oras na lumilipas mas lalo akong hindi makampante, kinakabahan ako sa bawat kilos ni Fabio. Mabilis na naattach si Benjamin sakanya. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts the whole time we were together, and overthinking what could happen that every time I disagree sakanilang dalawa ay talo ako.

Lalong lumakas ang kabog ng dibdib ko dahil sa tugtog nung ihahatid n'ya kami pauwi. Benjamin even cried at ayaw syang paalisin unconsciously. Eventually, Benj fell into a deep sleep and he left.

"Mula kanina n'ya pa hawak hawak yang panyo, hindi ko makuha sakanya," I told Pat habang pinagmamasdan namin si Benj na natutulog na mugto ang mata dahil sa pag-iyak kanina.

"He must've sensed a deep connection with him. Ibang iba ang mga bata Rowena. Hindi ko alam kung kailan ka matatauhan para sabihin sakanila, but you need to as soon as possible. You cannot deny their instant connection with each other dahil magtatay sila," he told me. Alam ko naman iyon.

"I know, hindi ko maamin sa sarili ko but I was relieved that they bonded greatly. Pero sa ngayon maski ako hindi ko alam kung ano ang ikinakatakot ko, kung bakit hindi ko masabi sabi. Kailangan ko munang malaman iyon Pat," I told him. He just tapped my shoulder bago lumabas. Nilapitan ko si Benjamin. Hawak hawak lang nya ang panyo na nay burda ng initials n'ya. Kahit tulog s'ya ay sobrang higpit ng hawak n'ya sa panyo. He wouldn't let anyone touch it kinabukasan. Kung hindi kopa sinabing kailangan kong labahan dahil amoy pawis na hindi n'ya pa ibibigay. Pagkatuyong pagkatuyo ay inilagay n'ya agad sa drawer n'ya.

He was asking me time to time kailan ba n'ya ulit makakasama ang Uncle Fabio n'ya. Halos bukang bibig ni Benjamin si Fabio. He would even brag that they had the same initials. If he learns his full name, it's totally over.

But then over time, my anxiety about him finding out faded away. I was slowly convincing myself to do that the more that we are starting to talk like our old selves that I had almost forgotten what I did. I had almost forgotten I was a cruel person. One day, umuwi si Pete and Patricio, Pete had a bandaid in his nose at putok ang labi ni Patricio. Pete advised me to wait until he calms down bago kami mag-usap because he shut the door at me. I nodded and naisipan ko nalang lumabas muna para magwalis. Benjamin was still asleep that tims. Habang nagwawalis I saw a familiar car parked outside.