Hello There, David

XL- Cheers to Forevermore

*5 Years Later

Maggie POV

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.-Psalm 104:33

"Wow. Mom, you are sooo beautiful. I thought you won't make it in my graduation. Dad and I are so worried."

Blueberry threw her hands in the air and wrapped them around my waist. I got back from Dubai just in time for my daughter's elementary graduation. Ate Naina invited me to speak to our Kababayans there about women empowerment. Isa na kasi siya ngayon sa aktibong tumutulong sa ating mga kababayan sa Middle East at sa karatig pang mga bansa. Her whole family are in Dubai too, happily settled in there.

"Right dad?"

"Yesterday, today and the days to come."

Hinalikan ako ni David sa noo sabay gulo ng buhok ko. Ito na naman tong si David eh. Kahit talaga sa public places ang hilig manggulo ng buhok at hindi mapigilan ang ka-cornyhan kahit sa harap ng anak namin.

I was supposed to come three days before pero nadelay ang flight ko dahil sa isang typhoon. Mabuti na lang at by God's grace, umabot din ako. My daughter will be giving the valedictory address and aminado akong sa genes ni David niya nakuha ang talino niya.

"Omma!"

Sabay-sabay na nag takbuhan ang quadruplets namin ni David kasama ang kani-kanilang mga "ate" na tinuturing din naming kapamilya. Alam ko ang hirap na mag-alaga ng mga batang hindi mo sariling anak kaya ganoon na lang ang respeto ko sa kanila. Isa pa, dahil nga apat silang lumabas ng sabay-sabay, di ko naman lahat sila ma-aalagaan all at the same time. We asked for a baby and it was all worth the wait dahil apat agad ang pinadala ni Lord.

"Pa-kiss omma."---Sabi ni Trixia, ang unang pinanganak sa kanilang apat. We named her after my cousin Gem Trixia kasi we pray that she will follow the footsteps of her Tita who happens to be a renowned author and an engineer too.

"Ako rin omma."---Hinila naman ni Ivan ang palda ko. Ivan is the English name of David's older brother who died from an accident. Ang sabi ni David, si Ivan daw ang isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit nakilala niya ng lubos ang Panginoon, at gaya ng kapatid ni David, we want our son Ivan to be a channel of God's grace. Lahat naman sila actually.

"Me too omma!"----Yumakap sa binti ko si Matthew, ang pinaka iyakin sa apat. Feeling ko nga iiyak na to kaya agad ko siyang kinarga. We got his name from the first book in the New Testament, Matthew.

"Ikaw ba Eunique? You don't want a hug from omma?"---Tanong ko sa pinakabunso namin na pinakatahimik din sa lahat. Siya ang huling lumabas nang ipinanganak ko sila. Eunique kasi sa ultrasound ko, triplets lang talaga sila pero nang manganak ako, may humabol na pang-apat.

Kapag pinagsama-sama ang initials ng apat naming anak, mabubuo ang salitang T.I.M.E. paalala sa amin ni David na in God's time, everything will fall in the right place if we put our trust in Him. Kapag naman sinama ang initial ng panganay namin, mabubuo ang salitang B-T.I.M.E., nangangahulugan ng BIG TIME. Yes, it speaks of God's love to us na bigatin, walang katulad.

"I want a hug too omma."---Tumakbo si Eunice at yumakap na rin.

"Kids, bakit puro omma na lang? Wala bang hug ang oppa?"---Biglang singit ni David na parang nagmamakaawa. He bent his knees and welcomed the kids who all ran at the same time that almost made David lose his balance.

Our children who are all four years old now are God's testament of His unfailing love.

"Mahal, I'll just bring the kids to the day care near the school ha. I don't think they'll be able to control the drive to run. I'll be back before the program starts."