Everything Has Changed

V

Pippa, po. Dylan, sir. Both twelve years old. Twelve years old. Twelve...

"Javi." -Olive cuts his thoughts. "I'm about to finish eating pero sabay naman tayo kumain. Yung sayo isang subo pa lang ata eh?"

He drinks his glass of apple juice and doesn't say anything.

"Is everything okay? Kanina ka pang lutang dyan. What did really happen earlier ba? What was the situation you got into?"

He sighs. "I met these two kids. Siblings."

"Oh?"

"They were lost so I helped them. Then when the mother arrived, I just... I didn't expect it would be her."

She frowns. "Her who? You know the mother?"

He just nods.

"Who is she?"

He cuts a piece from the meat on his plate and eats it. He wipes both sides of his mouth and while chewing the meat, literally taking so long to reply. After swallowing, he finally answers her. "You remember the girl I used to talk to you about?"

She thinks. "Yes.. Yung never mo sinabi yung name?" She nods. "I do. Paano bang hindi eh noon laging sya yung topic natin. Buti na nga lang ngayon hindi na--" she stops and finally realizes what's going on. She widens her eyes. "Don't tell me you just bumped into her."

"She's already a mother, O."

She sighs. "So I was right? You've been denying all this time but I was right. You're still into the same girl?"

He cuts the meat again.

She breathes deeply. "Was she with her husband too? Did you meet him? Does he know you?"

He shakes his head. "She was alone when she looked for the kids. I know she's still single, but I'm not sure if she has a boyfriend or not." He runs his hand on his face and sighs heavily. Then takes a moment to speak again. "Olive... Her children, they're twins. And both twelve..."

She frowns and shakes her head. "So?"

"Don't you get it? It was thirteen years ago! We were still together that time."

"Then, you're saying that..."

"Most probably, yes. I don't know."

She covers her mouth, shocked. "What are you planning to do? Eh sa kwento mo parang hindi ka naman ata kilala nung mga bata. So that can only mean that she never told the children about you."

"And worse, she never told me about them." He sighs. "I'm going to find out. I have to."

•••••••

The next day

Patricia has to meet with the board members of their company because she's never met the new ones and because she's the daughter of the owners after all. She's been working as the corporate controller of the company since the twins turned five. That's why her parents have always been proud of her. They can only hope that one of their beloved grandchildren, if not the two of them, will someday be as good as their mother (or better than her) in maths so they can inherit the business in the future.
Her phone vibrates. "Tricia where r u?" Her dad. "Omw na po." -she replies. After almost thirty minutes of being stuck in traffic, she finally arrives at the building. "I'll just call you po pag magpapa-sundo na 'ko." -she tells Bill, the family driver since her "dalaga" days." The driver opens the door for her and she quickly walks inside the building because she's running a bit late. She stops when the receptionist calls her.

"Ma'am there's someone waiting for you po. He didn't say his name pero andito lang po sya sa lobby kanina."

She frowns and about to ask who he is but someone touches her shoulder. She turns around and much to her surprise, it's... "Migo?" She breathes deeply. "What are you doing here?" -she asks with a serious voice.