uncolored (completed)

meltdown

Baste was in a bad mood. He was so upset that he was throwing a major toddler tantrum. His day didn't seem to start out okay.  Everyone knew he was tired already but he refused to listen to anyone when they tried to console him and would scream even louder when they tried to approach him. Good thing he and Samsam were in the hosts room and the music in the backstage was loud so his cries and screams were drowned by the general sound.

Rj heard the little boy's screams from the door.  He and Maine had just finished a production number and were going to get ready for their next segment.  When Rj opened the door, Baste was on the floor, throwing a major fit – kicking and screaming. His Yaya Myra was seated on the chair nearby and Samsam was quietly playing in the corner.

Maine pulled on Rj's hand so he looked at her and motioned for her to sit on the couch.  He sat on the floor close to Baste. After a few moments, Baste came close and accidentally kicked Rj.  He just looked at him and moved a little bit away. More screams from Baste, who was obviously distressed. A few minutes later, Baste's little fist was aiming for Rj's thigh when Rj caught his hand just in time.

"Ay...wag ganyan....not nice yan...." Rj calmly told the little boy.

Baste retreated his hand and sobbed heavily.  He was still crying but was slowly calming down.  When he was just sobbing, Rj came closer and the little boys face with a diaper.  Baste would bawl every so often but sobbed more.  Rj put his arm around the boy and continued to wipe his face and head, which was now sweaty.

"Anong nangyari? Bakit ka umiiyak?"

Baste couldn't answer because of his heavy sobbing so Yaya Myra explained that he seemed to have lacked sleep and didn't have a good day at school.  Then, while still playing at the backstage like he always does, he had a meltdown when he was told that it was time to go home.

"O....go home ka na pala e....ayaw mo?" Rj asked Baste

"....g....gus....to...." Baste sobbed

"Eh bakit ka pa umiiyak?"

"....p...play...pa...a...a....ko....." the boy bawled.

"Kailangan ba umiiyak pag nagp-play?"

Baste calmed down a little bit, thinking. Then he gave out a loud cry.

"O, bakit?......ganito, call ni Kuya Alden si Mommy.....sabihin natin na play ka muna sandali pa.....okay ba yun?"  Rj pulled out his phone from his pocket and pretended to call Mama Shiela.

"...Mama Shiela....play pa po si Baste....pero go home na rin sya after....okay Mama Shiela, thank you....Byebye!"

Baste was still crying but a little calmer.  He watched as Rj "called" Mama Shiela.  He nodded in between his sobs.

"....pero promise mo na uwi ka na mamaya, okay?.....uuwi din kami ni  Yaya Dub o?" Rj looked at Maine who was now smiling at the two.

"Oo Baste, tired na si Yaya Dub o..." Maine pretended to yawn

"O see...tired na si Yaya Dub....si Kuya Alden din, tired na...." Rj pretended to yawn as well.

"....G....go.....h.....home.....na.....m......maya?"

"Oo....go home na mamaya.....play muna tapos go home na mamaya....okay?"

Baste had stopped crying.  He nodded and slowly moved to where Samsam was playing.

Rj stood up from the floor and motioned to Maine that he was going to the restroom so Maine just nodded.

A few minutes later, Rj came back. Maine was already standing and gave Rj a bear hug.  He was surprised a bit but hugged her just the same.

"Why?"

"Wala lang....ang galing mo kasi with kids....ang galing mo with Baste....di ko alam kung magagawa ko din yung ginawa mo...."

"Sus! Kaya mo yun....kausapin mo lang naman sila e.....pag mas malaki na si Matti, kausapin mo lang....maiintindihan ka nun...." Rj said as he broke his hug and put his arm around her shoulder.

"O, Baste....kiss mo na si Yaya Dub and Kuya Alden....go home na kami e....tired na kami.....promise mo, go home na rin kayo ni Samsam mamaya pagtinawag kayo ni Yaya Myra, okay?"

Baste turned to look at Maine and Rj who were by the door. He stood up and approached the two to give them a kiss.

"O Samsam...kiss?"

Samsam approached and kissed the two but run off back to his toys.

"Okay Kuya Baste? Go home na ha?" Rj reminded for the last time as the toddler kissed and hugged them.

Baste nodded and ran off to play with Samsam.

"See...ang galing mo nga...." Maine said as she pinched his burger.

= = = = = = = = =

Rj witnessed how "lambing" Tatay Teddy was to Maine on one occasion that he had gone to their Bulacan house.  Maine was about to join Rj who was seated in the veranda when Tatay came out from one of the doors inside and was walking towards the stairs.

"Meng!"

"Tay!...bakit po?"

"Wala lang....miss ko na baby ko e..." Tatay said as he stretched his arms while approaching Maine and engulfing her in a tight hug.

"Uyyy....si Tatay....naglalambing....."

"Shempre naman....miss ko na ang Kuting ko e...."

"Taaaaaay!!" Maine giggled as Tatay kissed her on the head; he cupped her face in his hands and did an Eskimo kiss.  Maine hugged him again and said, "I love you!"

"I love you, Kuting! Love na love na loooooooove!" Tatay Teddy said as he gave her one more kiss before going up the stairs.

"Kuting?" Rj asked with a big smile on his face as Maine approached him.

"Uhh....yun yung tawag nya sa akin....." Maine shyly explained. "Kasi nung baby daw ako, para akong kuting kung umiyak....pero sya lang ang tumatawag sa akin nun....." she said as she sat beside him on the couch.

He noticed she was fidgety. She kept on evading his eyes and was squirming in her seat. "Did I pry a little too much?" he wondered.

"Anong nangyayari sa yo?"

"Eh kasi...."

"Eh kasi ano?"

"Uhmmm....."

"Uhmm?? May nasabi ba akong mali na naman? Secret nyo ba dapat ni Tito yung 'Kuting'?.....Sorry....."

"No....it's not that.....wait....." she stood up and went inside the house.

She came back a few minutes later, her hands behind her.

He sat up straight as she approached.

"Uhmmm....Ha.....happy......father's......day....." she said in a whisper as she gave him what she was holding.

He couldn't quite hear her.  "Ano?.....ano to?"

Suddenly, his alarm went off.

It was all a dream.