The Badboy's Beloved

Chapter 11: Face the reality

        Althea's POV

Para akong naestatwa sa nakita ko.

My son. Is with his father!

And what scares me the most.

Is the way Alessandro looked at me.

It's accusing. And alam kong may alam siya. Or alam na niya.

"Mama! What took you so long? I got bored very much!" Nagising ako sa diwa ko ng magsalita si Andrew. Tumngin ako sa kanya. A different glint is evident in his eyes. Kakaibang kislap yon na ngayon ko lang nakita.

"Mama! Mama! Daddy's here!" Parang tumigil ang mundo ko sa narinig ko. Daddy? Alam na niya.

"A-andrew..." I don't know what to say. I'm loss of words.

"Daddy's here mama! Daddy's home! Daddy said he won't leave anymore mama! Daddy will be with from now on!" Kakaibang sigla ang meron si Andrew ngayon. Hindi ko akalaing ganito siya kasabik sa ama niya. Siguro, siguro. Napakadaming siguro ang tumatakbo sa utak ko. Sana. Ano.

Napatingin kaming dalawa ng anak ko kay Sandro dahil umubo siya.

"Ahmm. Son, can you leave us for a moment. May pag uusapan lang kami ni mama. Is it okay?" Andrew nodded his head. Nakakaintindi naman siya ng tagalog.

Andrew ran inside the house. I'm already sweating bullets, lalo na't dalawa lang kami dito. I gulped when Sandro looked at me coldly.

"Why don't you have a sit? Para makapag usap tayo ng maayos." I'm trying to hide my nervousness. He never fails to make me nervous and shake my knees.

Sandro started talking as soon as i sat down.

"Alam kong malaki ang kasalanan ko sayo Althea. What i did to you was unforgivable, but why do have to hide my son?!" I flinched when his voice raised. I took a deep breathe.

"T-takot ako noon Sandro, h-hindi mo naman a-ako masisisi kung---" Hindi ko natapos ang sasabihin ko dahil agad siyang sumabat.

"Still! Do you know what my feelings is when i saw him the moment he opened the door?!" Napatingin ako sa kanya. His eyes, shows mixed emotion.

"I was surprise. Surprised because of the kid who opened that door who looks exactly like me when i was younger. Scared. Scared of knowing that you had other relationships aside from ours. Envy. I'm envy because to whoever that bastard is he's calling papa. Pero tanga rin ako eh, may pakiramdam na ako na akin si Andrew pero naghanap pa rin ako ng katibayan, even though there's no need. After i proved it. Do you know what i felt after finding it out?" Tumungo ako. Parang ang sakit ng dibdib ko sa mga sumbat niya. Napatayo na siya sa galit.

Nagkamali ba ako ng disisyon? Nagkamali ba akong lumayo kesa sa humara? Pero takot ako eh.

"I felt horrible. I feel like i was a useless person. Who, for seven years, doesn't have any idea, that i have a son, who wants to meet his father. He cried Thea, alam mo ba yun? Alam mo yung pinakamasakit na naramdaman ko. Ang nalaman ko na buntis ka pero wala ako sa tabi mo. Sana sinabi mo saken. Pananagutan naman kita at handa akong makulong kung iyon ang gusto mo eh. But no. Ipinagkait mo sa aking ang pitong taon na buhay ng anak natin!"

I felt my tears fell. Diyos ko! Mali ba lahat ng disisyon na nagawa ko? Ni isa ba wala?

"I wasn't there when you're carrying him! I wasn't there to tend all your needs! I wasn't there when he was born! I wasn't there when you first hold him! I wasn't there when he first cried! I wasn't there on his first birthday! I wasn't there when he first laughed, smiled, crawled, talked, walked and run around! Wala!"

Maybe. Maybe i decided a wrong decision. I chose a wrong choice. Napagkaitan ko si Sandro. At napagkaitan ko si Andrew ng ama.

"I-i..."  I can't talk and say something parang may nakabara sa lalamunan ko. I heard he took a deep breathe.

"But what can i do? It's all in the past now. Hindi ko na maibabalik pa."

I wiped my tears. Compensating him is the only way. And this is what i know.

"Kung g-gusto mong bisitahin si Andrew araw araw. You c-can."

Huminahon siya at umupo rin.

"Of course i will. And now, for the sake of Andrew, let's have a deal." Napatingin ako sa kanya. Deal?

"W-what deal?" Sandro looked straight to my eyes. It feels like it's piercing through my soul.

"I only have two weeks left before i go back. I want you to take another leave. We'll be going somewhere. We'll give what Andrew really wants." Leave? Gusto ni Andrew? What?

"I can't. Kailangan kong pumasok. At anong---"

"Do it. If ever Taron won't let you. Leave it to me."

"Pero---"

"You want Andrew to be happy right?" Tumango ako.

"Then do as i say. Because what i will do will make our son happy and benefit the both of us." 

Para kay Andrew. I'm willing to make my son happy. Kahit alam ko kung ano ang pwedeng mangyari sa hinaharap dahil sa desisyong pinili ko.

I stared at Andrew's sleeping form. Hindi ko man alam kung paanong nangyari na nakilala niya si Sandro. Pero kanina, ngayon ko lang nakitang napakasaya ni Andrew, he even begged Sandro to stay when Sandro decided to leave. 

Nabahala ako kanina ng  nabanggait ni ni Sandro ang papa. Andrew call Frank, his papa. 

Francisco Alfred De Leon or most known as Franco, pero Frank ang tawag ko sa kanya. Alam kong anak siya sa labas ni Alfredo Del Fierro at alam ko rin na galit si Sandro sa kanya.

Kwinento niya sa akin kung bakit. Yun pala gusto niya lang asarin si Sandro.

I know Andrew longed for a father's affection ang Frank was the one who tried to suffice it. Sinabi sa akin ni Frank na hayaan na lang na siya ang maging ama kay Andrew, i objected at  first, i don't want Andrew to grow up with lies. Pero last year lang nalaman ni Andrew na hindi niya totoong ama si Frank. 

I know Andrew, mas paniniwalaan niya ang narinig niya. Kung siguro tagalog kami nag usap hindi niya malalaman. But Andrew is a genius, he trust his instinct, like Sandro.

I took a deep breathe. 

Changes will start tomorrow. 

Alessandro is unstoppable. He will surely do whatever he wants to do and do things on his own even though he knows he's wrong. His pride go up as high as the sky.

And i need to be ready for that beacause This is reality at, oras na para itama ang lahat.

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#Reality

1Dkathniel