"Putangina Ice lalabas na!" Sigaw ni Eral habang nakahawak ang kamay ko sa kanyang kamay, "putangina talaga!"
"Ssh! Maririnig ka nina Frost at Flemeral sa pagmumura." Pagpapatahimik ko sa kanya, humigpit ang hawak niya sa kamay ko habang ang mga doktor naman ay pumwesto na, lumingon ako sa may pinto ng operation room at nakita ang mga magulang namin na nakasilip sa glass window nito, nag-thumbs up sila sa akin nang nakitang nakatingin ako.
"Ang sakit sakit! Puta lang!"
"Ssh, inhale, exhale..." Pagpapatahan ko sa kanya.
"Putangina ninyong mga doktor, lalabas na ang kambal ko!" Sigaw ni Eral habang nakahiga sa kama, sobrang laki ng tyan niya, pawisan na siya at nanlalamig ang kanyang mga kamay, bigla kong naalala noon, parang ganito lang noong pinanganak si Frost, andito ako sa tabi ni Eral at binibigyan siya ng lakas loob.
"Baby, calm down." Saad ko.
"Hindi ko kaya! Lalabas na! Lalabas na!"
"Okay, in three you must push in full force." Utos ng doktor. Agad namang tumango si Eral, "one, two, three, push!" Agad naman niyang sinunod ang utos ng mga doktor.
"Ugh! Ang sakit!" She cried while my hand held on her, she gripped on my hand so tight, I wanted to share the pain but I couldn't.
"Isa pa, one, two, three, push!"
Bigla akong nakarinig ng iyak ng bata, natuon ang atensyon ko sa lalake na halos kahawig ni Frost, it was Frost the Second, my baby boy...
"Okay, isang baby pa," sabi ng doktor, "one, two, three, push!"
"Ughh!" Sigaw ni Eral habang nahihirapan siyang niluluwal ang kahuli huli, mas humigpit na naman ang hawak niya sa kamay ko.
Muling nagkaroon ng pangalawang iyak ng sanggol, it was Flemeral, our baby girl.
Hinihingal na at sobrang pawisan si Eral matapos ang panganganak, ngumiti siya nang makita ang magkambal namin. She wanted to speak but she no longer had the strength so she just watched our baby twins as they cry together.
I carried our baby boy Frost while Eral caressed the head of our baby girl Flemeral, kahit man na gustuhin niyang buhatin ay wala na siyang lakas pa. She already gave all her strength on her labor.
I stared into my boy who was now peacefully staring into me in my arms, he got his nose from his mother and his lips from me, he also got his blue eyes to me together with Flemeral the Second, he smiled when I smiled at him which made my heart flutter, "you remind me so much of the first Frost, baby." Bulong ko sa sanggol na nasa kamay ko. "I love you Frost." Tumingin ako sa kambal niyang nasa kamay ng doktor. "I love you too Flemeral the Second, and I love you Eral, my wife."
Eral smiled, "I love you too, Ice... forever..." she mumbled before she dozed off into a sleep, she was tired after giving birth to two child, before giving birth to Frost the Second and Flemeral the Second, our baby twins of opposite gender.
Then a thin steady line beep with no change of rhythm from the heart machine connected to Eral rosed making me look at her, she had her eyes closed and a smile was plastered on her lips. Oh god no...
"Bakit niyo hinayaang matanggal ang heart monitor?" Inis na hiyaw ng doktor na pumasok sa silid sabay turo sa mga nakadikit dapat sa katawan ni Eral pero natanggal, tumingin siya sa akin, "I'm sorry for this inconvenience Sir, natanggal lang ang heart monitor kaya naging ganon yong tunog, hindi po patay ang asawa niyo, she's just sleeping."
Mabilis naman akong tumango, nabunutan agad ng tinik ang puso ko. I almost thought she was gone.
***
I'm Ice Apolonio de Mayor.
I always thought I was heartless. I always thought that happiness was just temporary. I always thought of life in two opposite sides, there's the good and bad, up and down, light and dark. I never saw life in between the good things and bad things.
Not until she came.
Until Flemeral Lenessia-Apolonio de Mayor came, she is my wife, the mother of my twins, my lover.
She is the only girl who came to melt my frozen heart, making it beat again, making me love again.
I love her and I will continue to love her even if her hair will look like mine, I will love her until our hair is white, I will love her for eternity.
