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__________
MATT
Umupo ako sa mga bench malapit sa DR. Pilit kong pinoproseso ang mga nangyayari nang dumating si Marco Gonzales. Ano naman ang ginagawa nya dito?
"What happened to my child?" Tanong nya kay Hans.
He can't still be thinking na anak nya yung pinagbubuntis ni Victoria. Nag init na naman ang ulo ko at bigla ko syang sinuntok bago pa ako tuluyang napigilan ni Hans. Napaatras sya but he didn't make a move para gumanti.
He just looked at me with so much contempt.
"Matt, kumalma ka nga. Inuuna na naman ang init ulo."
May dalawang security guard na lumapit sa amin. Tinignan ako ni Hans, "wag kang gagalaw dyan Matt. May orders Jason to throw you out of this hospital magtaas lang ang boses mo."
Tinaas ko ang dalawang kamay ko at bumalik sa kinauupuan ako habang kinakakausap ni Marco si Hans. Pati sya kilala ni Hans? Feeling ko pinagkaisahan lang nila akong lahat. I was the only one who was out of the loop.
"Is he the reason kung bakit nasa ospital na naman ang anak ko?" Tanong nya kay Hans.
Anak? The baby isn't born yet.
And then the realization.
Oh crap! Tatay ni Victoria si Marco? That explains the drama in her office. At yung pagiging overprotective ni Marco sa kanya.
And I just punched her father.
"I think she was already having contractions earlier today," sagot ni Hans sa kanya at iniabot ang envelop kay Marco. "Jason asked me to give you the consent form. "
Kinuha yung consent form ni Marco sa kanya at binasa bago pinirmahan. Pagkatapos nyang pirmahan yun ay hinarap nya ako.
"You've endangered my daughter. Twice. And if anything happens to her, o sa apo ko. I will make sure that you never practice law. Ever. And then, I will make your life so miserable, you'd wish you never laid eyes on Victoria."
Hindi na nya kailangan sabihin sa akin yun. I'm miserable as it is. Hindi ko alam kung ano na ang mangyayari sa mag ina ko. At mas lalong hindi ko alam kung paano ko mapapatawad ang sarili ko pag may nangyari sa kanila.
Maya maya lang ay umupo na din sa tabi ko si Hans. Tinapik nya ang likod ko to shot his support. I know may dahilan si Hans sa mga ginawa nya at kahit anong mangyari ay suportado pa din nya ako.
Hindi pa din naman ito ang tamang panahon to ask questions. In a way iniisip ko na lang na at least andun sya para umalalay kay Victoria.
__________
Ilang minuto pa ay lumabas na si Jason, sabay sabay kaming lumapit sa kanya, pero as expected, si Marco ang kinausap nya.
"She delivered a baby girl." Nakahinga ako ng maluwag. Buhay ang baby namin. Di ko mapigilan ang muling pagtulo ng luha ko ng marinig ko yun. At least Jason didn't have to choose.
"Si Victoria?" I asked.
Sinamaan ako ng tingin ni Jason pero sinagot pa din nya ang tanong ko, "critical. She lost a lot of blood. Right now we are trying to control the uterine bleeding."
"When can we see the baby?" Tanong ni Hans. Excited lang din talaga sa anak ko?
"Nasa NICU sya. Under observation. Nadetect namin na may patent ductus arteriosis sya. It's a common complication among preemies."
Parang gumuho ang mundo ko. Victoria is in critical condition. Pati baby namin critical din ang condition.
Parusa ata ito sa akin. 'Oh God, I can't lose either of them.'
"What are her chances?" Tanong ni Hans kay Jason. Ito yung gusto kong itanong na hindi ko kayang marinig ang sagot.
"Chances are high if she continues to respond well with the meds that we are giving her."
Medyo nakahinga ako ng maluwag doon.
And then...
"I want Matt banned from this hospital," sabi ni Marco kay Jason.
I was stunned. Sa buong buhay ko, I get everything that I want and now, I'm slowly losing control over my life. I feel that the universe is conspiring against me.
Unless of course my parents would buy this hospital. But then Marco can do the same for his daughter.
I realized that there is only one thing left for me to do: beg. And crawl. And then beg again. I think that's the only thing that will save me from this mess.
But even before I could say a word, nauna ng nagsalita si Hans, "with all due respect Sir, I don't see how that could help."
"Matt has been messing with my daughter's life and I want him out." Marahas nyang sagot.
"That may be true Sir, but at this point, Victoria needs all the support she can get. Particularly from Matt."
At dahil galing yun kay Jason, I think nahimasmasan sya ng unti. Na realize na din kaya nya that I am here to stay.
"Sir," bungad ko kay Marco. "Alam kong malaki ang kasalanan ko sa inyo ni Victoria at sa anak namin. Pero please, bigyan mo ako ng pagkakataon to make it up to her and our daughter. At kung pagkatapos ng lahat ng ito ay talagang ayaw na ako ni Victoria sa buhay nya, irerespeto ko ang desisyon nya."
Hindi nya ako sinagot. Instead, he turned to Jason and said, "Tawagan mo ako pag puede na silang dalawin." Then he left.
I took it as a sign that he is willing to give me a chance to make it up to Victoria.
Lumapit ako kay Hans at may ibinulong. Patapos nun ay iniwan ko na silang dalawa ni Jason.
__________
"Matt," hawak ni Hans ang balikat ko, bago niya ako tinabihan sa upuan sa chapel ng ospital. Hindi ko alam kung gaano na ako katagal dito. It doesn't matter. Naramdaman ko ang kapayapaang matagal ko ng hinahanap dito.
Masyado akong maraming kailangan ipagpasalamat at ipagdasal. I made a bargain with God, maligtas lang ang mag ina ko.
"You can visit the baby sa NICU. Jason gave a go signal."
"Si Victoria?"
"Nasa room na sya. Still heavily sedated pero na-stop na nila ang bleeding."
Nakahinga ako ng maluwag. Napatingin sa may altar and said a silence prayer ng pagpapasalamat.
I changed clothes bago pa ako pumunta sa NICU. Pagdating doon ay dinala nila ako sa isang incubator kung naasan ang baby ko.
She is the most beautiful, and fragile, thing that I've ever laid my eyes on. She only weighs 2.12 pounds at sobrang liit pa nya.
She has light brown hair and I would bet that when she opens her eyes, kakulay ito ng mata ko. Sobrang puti nya, halos kita mo na ang mga veins nya.
Yung maliit na ugat kung saan nakaturok ang dextrose at medicines nya.
Hindi ko mapigilan na tumulo ang luha ko. I did this. Ako ang may kasalanan kung bakit napaaga ang panganganak ni Victoria. Ako din ang may kasalanan kung bakit halos agaw buhay ngayon ang anak.
________
7 August 2015
BINABASA MO ANG
Taking Chances
Chick-LitRich Boy. Poor Girl. Two worlds apart. Yan ang drama nina Victoria at Matthew. Si Victoria, poor but extremely intelligent. She is also beautiful in that unconventional way. She could have been perfect if only she didn't have a child at 15...
