Moments: Random Maichard One-shots

Unbroken Promise

Oikos: AMACon 3 Drabble Challenge Day 30
Prompt: As teenagers, they promised to marry by 35 if they haven't found someone. He makes sure she doesn't find one.

(Again, I twisted it a little bit. 😬)

***

March 3, 1995
He was three the first time he saw her. His mommy took him to the hospital because the watermelon in ninang Mary Ann's tummy came out! They went in his ninang's room. His mommy was so happy when she saw the bundle of blankets in ninang's arms. His mommy got the bundle from his ninang and started cooing at it. Mommy was being weird. He waddled over to her and tugged at the hem of her shirt.

"Mommy, I wanna see!"

Very carefully, his mommy went down on one knee and showed him. He peered at it and was surprised that the bundle of blankets had a face! Mommy said that ninang swallowed a watermelon, that was why she had a big tummy. This looks nothing like a watermelon. It had a funny face. Its eyes were closed and its nose was scrunched like it smelled something bad. He smelled his armpit. It wasn't him! Mommy gave him a bath before they came here! He was fast losing interest in it when it opened its eyes. It fastened its big, brown orbs on him, blinking slowly as if it was sizing him up. He stared back, mesmerized.

"RJ," his mommy whispered, "meet Maine."

"Hi, Maine," he said. "Mommy what is it?" His mommy laughed.

"It's a baby, silly!"

"Like me?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Like you but she's a girl."

"A girl?" RJ wrinkled his nose in distaste. As if sensing this, the baby in his mommy's arms starts to cry. RJ looks at his mom in alarm.

"Mommy, make it stop." His mommy starts rocking the baby gently back & forth but it wouldn't stop. RJ gets an idea.

"Mommy, I try." Just like what mommy does to him when he's upset, he kisses the baby's nose. Maine immediately stops crying.

"Will you look at that," his ninang says, awed. "RJ, can you promise me something? Promise me that you'll make sure she never cries, okay?"

His ninang was partly joking but little RJ nods solemnly, taking her words to heart.

***

March 3, 2023

"Maine, stop crying."

She cries harder. He hugs her tighter, rubbing soothing circles on her back. She clutches the front of his shirt as if she were drowning and he was her only lifeline.

"That jerk! Sa birth--birth--birthday ko pa talaga!" she says in between sobs.

RJ's hands ball into fists.

"How many times have I told you? Ryan is a fucking asshole. Unang kita ko pa lang sa hayop na yan alam kong di na gagawa ng tama yan eh."

Maine sobs harder.

"Ang kapal ng mukhang mambabae! Kala mo gwapo! Mukha namang kalyo!"

Maine chokes, torn between crying and laughing hysterically.

RJ cradles her face between his hands, making her look him in the eye.

"Stop crying. He doesn't deserve your tears."

"I thought we were perfect, RJ. I thought he was perfect. I thought we would have babies and grow old together. And now, now I'm gonna grow old alone!" she wails.