Son of A Jerk (A Short Story)

[2]

Five years had passed since we broke up and I already have a stable job. May business trip ako ngayon sa New York, pinadala ako ng kompanya dito to solve some matters. I'm here to work and not to play.

Wala na talaga akong naging girlfriend after her. I feel empty at hindi ko mahanap ang sarili ko with another girl. I know I sound pathetic but that's what I feel right now. Kung hindi din naman sya ang para sa akin talaga sa huli ay tatangapin ko. Maybe ito ang karma ko sa pambabale wala sa mahal ko.

Saturday and I decided to walk galing central park. Nakakatuwa ang mga pamilyang nakikita ko with their kid. Papano kaya kung nagka anak kami bago sya umalis? I think I'll be the most happiest man on earth. But I think I will never know.

Nakaupo ako sa isa sa nga benches with my earphones on nang may nakita akong batang nakaupo magisa sa kabilang bench. Batang lalaki ito at mukang malungkot na malungkot. Asan kaya ang kasama nito? To my concern, nilapitan ko s'ya.

"Hey kiddo." Magiliw na bati ko. Tumingin ito sa akin at nakita ko ang mga tuyong luha sa mga mata at pisngi nito. "Why are you crying?"

Suminghot ang bata at muling nag badya ng iyak. Niyakap n'ya ko kagad at hinaplos ko ang buhok nya. I had the creeps crawling down my spine for an unknown reason.

"I want to see my Mommy." Bulyaw n'ya sa akin.

"Okay, okay, we'll go to your Mommy. Where can we find her?" I asked nicely. Umangat ang muka nya then tumingin sa akin. I was shocked.

Those two pair of innocent eyes. I can recognize them anywhere.

"You'll take me to Mommy?" He pouted.

Those lips, why does it looks so familyar?

"Yes. Just tell me where we can find her so she can take you home." Naramdaman ko ang sobrang bilis na pag tibok ng puso ko.

Why does this kid resembles her?

Tumango lamang ang bata at pinunasan ko ang mga pisngi n'ya na puro luha. Napailing nalang ako. Pati ba naman sa bata ay nakikita ko s'ya? Impossible.

"May I know what your name is?" I asked. When I got the chance to talk to his mom or dad ay pagsasabihan ko ang mga ito. Bakit nila pinapabayan ang anak nila?

"Evan." He simply said.

I put him on the back seat where its much safe and drove off my rented car. Nag rent talaga ako para 'di hassle sa lahat ng transpo problems ko dito.

He lead the way. Hindi ako familyar sa lugar like him so I let him take me where he wants. At nagulat ako kung San kami huminto,

Its a cemetery.

What are we doing on the cemetery? Bakit ako dinala ng batang ito dito? Anong meron?

"I thought were going to see your mom?" I asked, confused.

"She is here." He simply said and get out of the car.

"Hey, wait!" I chase after him inside the cemetery. Mukang alam na alam na n'ya ang pasikot sikot dito dahil dire-diretso lamang s'ya.

Its a huge place. Tombstones everywhere but it didn't give me the creeps. Napaupo kagad s'ya sa harap ng isang puntod and hugged the tombstone. Malalaki kasi at nakatayo ang mga ito hindi katulad sa Pilipinas na nasa lupa lang nakalagay. Halos two feet ang pinaka mababang tombstone ang nandito. Like this one.

Nakatalikod ang tombstone sa akin while this Evan kid is still hugging her mom's stone.

"So she's your mom?" Medyo pinasigla ko ang boses ko. He's like 4 or 5 years old. Malaking bata.

"Yes. My aunt said that she went in heaven right after she gave birth to me. Mommy was not suppose to have a child because her heart is broken or something. I don't fully understand." Nahihirapang paliwanag nya.

"Where's your dad?" Bakit aunt n'ya ang nag papaliwanag instead of his dad 'di ba?

"Auntie said that momma had to leave him because she might die much more earlier if she stayed. Gran gran wants to take her to the hospital here but I was already in her tum-"

"EVAN!" Naputol ang sasabihin n'ya dahil sa isang sigaw. May nag hihikahos na babae ang lumapit kagad kay Evan at niyakap sya. I froze from where I am standing at.

"Len?" My voice sounds terrified.

"Vane." She state. Kita ko ang kaba sa mata n'ya at napatingin ako kay Evan. Tinago ito ni Len sa likod n'ya like protecting him from me. Hindi na ako nag paligoy ligoy pa at tinignan ang pangalan sa stone.

No...

She might be young but she fought hard. A daughter, a mother. May she rest in peace...

Eleanor Gabrielle G. Ymaz
December 28, 19** - September 23, 19**

I do the math inside my head. Hindi ako pwedeng mag kamali. She died 9 months after her debut. After she gave birth to our child. The day when we did the unexpected. We got drunk that time and I felt bad when I taken advantage of the situation. Pero she said that it was the best and greatest gift she had ever received for her birthday. Siguro nga mahal ko na talaga s'ya noon pa. Tanga ko lang talaga.

Mariin kong naipikit ang aking mga mata at napasara ang kamao. Then, hindi ko nalang namalayan, umiiyak na pala ako while I'm hugging her stone like what Evan did earlier.

I cried and I cried as I keep on saying sorry to her. Huli na ang lahat. Napaka tanga ko talaga. Sinuntok suntok ko pa ang sarili ko to feel pain. Sarili ko nalang ang igaganti ko para sa kanya. Isusuntok ko nalang s'ya sa akin para sa kanya. Ako na yata ang pinaka masamang tao sa buong mundo. Patuloy din ang pag tulo ng luha ko. Nakalimutan ko na ang nasa paligid ko.

"Please stop na po daddy." A pair of small dangly hands tried to cover me. I stiffed.

"Evan?" Bakas ang gulat sa boses ni Len. She's Eleanor's cousin. The one I flirted with on her party. She didn't flirt back by the way.

Hinarap ko si Evan and he wiped my tears away. He then cup my cheeks and kiss my forehead. Eleanor used to do that to me. I hugged him and cried on my son's tiny shoulder. I have a son!

"I saw this box on the attic with mom's name on it so I opened it. There I saw many pictures of you and mom. There are even scrapbooks and picture frames. And those scrapbooks told me how much she loves you papa. The reason why I ran away from the car with aunt Len is that I saw you there at central park. I ran as fast as I can but I can't get myself get even more closer to you. So I sat to the other bench and started crying instead." Umiiyak na din sya sa akin. "I thank God you're finally here papa."