The Aftermath of Pleasure (SPG)

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen | Life

"Lascaux!"

I groaned and took the chocolate bar from my son's tiny hands. Puno ng chocolate ang mukha nito at napairap nalang ako sa inis.

"Lascaux, hindi ba I told you not to eat chocolate?" Lumuhod ako sa kanya na nakaupo sa sofa.

"'Mmy!" Tanging sabi nito at napairap ako ulit bago siya kinarga.

"You are being a very bad boy, baby." Sabi ko at dinala siya sa may sink.

"Let's wash your face, okay?" Sabi ko at hinalikan ang ilong niya.

"'Mmy! Eat cholate..." sabi nito at mukhang mag ta tantrum na.

I looked at his face and chuckled. Lahat ata ng inis ko nawala nang nakita ang mukha niya. Napaka-bulingit. God, he is so cute!

"Yes, baby. After you eat your lunch," Sabi ko at pinahiran ng tubig ang chocolate na nasa may bandang bibig niya.

Damn, he looks like his father.

It's been three years simula nung umalis ako ng Pilipinas. I was pregnant for a month then. I convinced myself that I was leaving for the sake of the baby and for myself. But I knew that I had to leave... otherwise I wouldn't be able to completely remove Zachary from my life and my child's life.

Though the memories still felt so fresh, like they had only happened yesterday.

Me cheating on my best friend, sleeping the man she ever loved. But that was before, I was just being so selfish at nabulagan ako sa konseptong magkakaroon ako ng kasiyahan sa pamamagitan ng pagmamahal, but I was so wrong.

I was a soldier, wounded but not dead. Looking back, akala ko katapusan na talaga, but then Lascaux came in my life.

I stayed in California for the first three months with my long-lost Mamita. Then I coped up with the surroundings and found a job. Later, I moved out of Mamita's house. She was so supportive during the process of my pregnancy and Lascaux's birth.

After nine months, I gave birth. Hindi ko akalaing ganoon ang sakit na mararanasan ko. Ate Kacey, my step sister from my Mom's marriage to Uncle Dan, gave me threats about how painful it is to give birth but I always found them empty.

But when I was in labor, the fear slowly crept. Buti nalang nandun si Stephan and his wife, Mamita, Uncle Dan at Ate Kacey 'nung mga panahong 'yun.

Well, as for Stephan, he's married. Yes, you heard it right! There was this girl that caught his eye and made him realize who he truly was. Is 'caught his eye' even the correct term? I'm pretty sure she's been around since the beginning. I do not know their love full story, a lot has happened to them, and even years later, I'm still hesitant to ask. He has two kids with his wife, twins, a boy and a girl— Antonius and Andromeda. Halos one year lang din ang agwat nila kay L.

He's always visiting me kapag may oras siya, and I don't see why his wife minds. Lara and I also go way back. They usually spend their summers in their home in Italy, but after that, they make sure to visit me and Lascaux. Nothing really happened to our friendship when he told me he was going to get married, or when I told him that was going to leave the Philippines to raise my son here. If anything, our friendship became stronger.

Lara and Stephan were with me when I gave birth. They were my family when I was alone.

I groaned again as he started his tantrums.

"Me... eat!" sigaw nito at napailing ako. I've never been good with kids, I hate how annoying they are. But of course, Lascaux's my exception.

"Baby, let's eat lunch first... okay?" Sabi ko at humanahon naman agad ito.

I can't believe he's going to pre-school next year! Hindi ko pa sana gusto, but Mamita convinced me that I should start his education early.

I cooked him his favorite food, which was eggs benedict, well, I don't have a say on that.

"Mmy!" Ayan na naman.

"After you eat your eggs, sweetie," Sagot ko, which earned a big frown from him.

Pagkatapos niyang kainin ang lunch niya ay binigyan ko na siya ng chocolates.

Napatalon ako nang biglang nag ring ang phone ko.

"Hello..." tawag ko at rinig ko ang hagikhik ni Gaea sa kabilang linya. Naghaharutan na naman siguro sila ng boyfriend niya. I rolled my eyes.

Gaea is a friend I met on my job here. She's also a Pinay, which probably explains why we instantly became friends. We both work as assistants for the head accountant of a firm here in Los Angeles. Of course, my Accountancy degree didn't mean much here, kaya I was starting from scratch. I'm not complaining naman. The pay isn't that bad, and sometimes Mamita and Uncle Dan help me out with the bills. They're pretty comfortable here.

"Bitch, how are you?" tanong niya gamit ang nangungutyang boses.

"The heck, Gae?" Humalakhak ako, "I'll call you later. Papatulugin ko muna si Lascaux."

She must be pissed. She called to remind me about our plan to go out for drinks later again. I countered that we just went out for drinks on my twenty-eighth birthday! And that was just last week!

Tinawanan ko nalang siya at binalik ang atensyon sa anak na ngayo'y peaceful na nakaupo sa sofa habang nanonood ng Spongebob.

He looks so surreal, but every time I look at him, tanging si Zachary lang ang naaalala ko. Yes, it wasn't just puppy love. Kasi kung ganoon lang 'yun, I never would have lost my sanity. I knew my place back then. I knew when to stoop down and when to ignore. I master the pause and play button. I thought my morals were in tact.

Zachary Corpuz, the man I loved, was something I cannot have. And that's proof that there are things you can't grasp in this damned universe. Isa rin sa mga natutunan ko sa nangyari sa amin is that there are different kinds of love. Sadly, ours was selfish, if he ever did love me; and that was very unhealthy.

"Hey, baby. Sleep na tayo?" Sabi ko kay Lascaux at hinalikan ang mataba at namumula niyang pisngi. Dahil naka leave si Maria ngayon, ako ang nagbabantay kay Lascaux. Kinarga ko ang anak ko at dinala sa kwarto niya.

Hindi nagtagal ay nakatulog rin siya. If Lascaux was the aftermath of that sin, then God, I'd do it all over again.

Naputol ang pag-iisip ko nang nag ring ang cellphone ko at agad ko itong kinuha.

"Hello, Gae—" naputol ang sasabihin ko nang narinig ang nanginginig na boses ng asawa ni Stephan.

"Lara, are you okay?" tanong ko at narinig ang kanyang paghikbi.

"Thalia, si Stephan!"