Cave Me In (BaRa Fanfic)

Coming Back

If someone told her that she's gonna be a mother at nine-teen and will raise the precious kid alone for three years, Bang Pineda will surely gut them out alive.

Not that she'll regret having Bella, no. That kid has been her saving grace. Sure, she'd been force to face the concequence alone, battered the nine months of carrying her princess without it's "father", been up countless of times at night just to soothe the frantically crying infant knowing that she needs to pass her Practicals later that morning,  was forced to cut her budget at hair treatment just to make both ends met but no, she won't change the world unless there's little Bella living in it with her. Her split ends be damn.

"Maaa.." little Bella whimpered as her mother tickles her that early morning.

"Wake up, nugget. You'll end up getting late." Bang chuckled at the adorable sight. The three years old slept with possibly all the pillows in their humble cottage.

"Last day of school, pwede bang wag ng pumasok?" The kid grumbled while scratching her head. Her nose scrunching and a confused morning face greeted her. Bang's stomach lurched at the familiar sight. She knows someone who looks just like that in the morning. The only difference was Bella's longer hair and all traits and mannerism are all surely got from Bella's "father".

Ignoring the familiar pinched in her heart, She smiled gently, "sweetie, that alone should be an enough reason for you to go to school."

"But mom.."

"No buts Arabella," she said, now using her motherly tone. "And besides, i cook Bacons. Don't you want one?"

"Bacon? Like, real real bacons?"

Bang nodded and saw how Bella widened her eyes at almost surreal happines. She's a vegetarian and although her kid has eaten almost everything that she's cooking, Bella can't help but fall madly in love with bacons when Paolo accidentally gave her some months ago.

Bella quickly jumped out of her bed and entered her ensuite bathroom, but not before kissing Bang on her cheeks and shouting a rather rowdy Bella's version of 'Goodmorning Mommy!"

It's not exactly an eventful day para sa mag-ina. They just ate their breakfast faster than usual because Bella is running late. Hinatid niya sa paaralan ang anak and now she's going to the Elementary school kung saan siya nagtuturo. Around lunch time, sinundo ni Bang ang anak. Half day lang ang pasok ng elementarya but Bang also coached the locals volleyball team. She needed that extra income. So it's been around three when the two of them decided to walk way back to their home.

It has been almost four years simula ng lumipat sila sa probinsya. She know, she had nothing left in Manila so she took Paolo's offer at sumama sa kaibigan pauwi ng Negros kung saan may naghihintay sa kanyang trabaho bilang guro sa elementarya. A week later, she found out she's pregnant.

The Barrio she's living in has been welcoming. May kalayuan  eto sa Bacolod na tinuturing na kapital ng lugar so she's been away to traffic and the city's hustle for a while.

It is when they're only a block away from their home when she saw the familiar face of Paolo smiling at them, Bella upon seeing the young man hastily run with her arms flailing open.

"Kuyaaaa..!" She shouted in glee.

"Hello Butchoy!" Paolo kneeled down to level their height and received the hug of the little one.

"Ang langsa mo naman po." Bang heard her kid saying habang papalapit siya sa dalawa.

"Talaga? Aba, namingwit po kasi ako doon sa sapa at nakahuli lang naman ng napakalaking tilapia sa buong mundo!" He boasted sabay pakita ng tilapiang nahuli and Bella excitedly examined the fish.

Paolo might have noticed Bang moments later dahil napatayo eto at pinahid ang kamay sa likod ng lumang pantalon na suot,  "Hi."

"Hello," Bang replied, smiling. "Daku sang imong nakuha ba."

"Wow," Paolo exclaimed. "Nagpapractice kana ng Ilonggo? Nice!"

Bang nodded, "So anong masamang hangin ang nagdala sayo dito, aber?"

Her friend chuckled to himself. "Eh, ibibigay ko lang sana sayo tong nahuli ko.. pang sud-an niyo lang."

Bang looked at her bestfriend disapprovingly. "Naku, Isko, papagalitan ka na naman ni 'tya Rosing. Hayaan mo na't is-steam ko nalang ang bunga ng okra mamaya. Sapat na ang bacon na binigay mo sa akin kaninang umaga."

But Paolo was insistent, "Sige na, may ulam naman na kami. Sabay kong namingwit sa sapa kanina si Dodong, baka isang linggo'ng tilapia ang ulam namin neto." Tukoy ni Paolo sa nakababatang kapatid. Mukha pa ring nagdadalawang isip si Bang so Paolo added, "tsaka anong araw palang ngayon, malayo pa ang kinsenas mo. Ayoko din namang pumayat to'ng butchoy ko."

Bang smiled at that while Bella nodded as agreement while muttering something along the lines of Okra and nakakasawa.

"Salamat talaga, Pao." She expressed her gratefulness. "Hayaan mo kako't wala na namang pasukan, tutulong ako sa sakada sa pag tagpas ng tubo."

Paolo smiled and waved her hands as if it saying that it was nothing. "Oh siya, makadto pa ko kay Kapitan. May problema ata doon kina tiyo Panoy."

"Oh siya, lakat kag paghalong." Again she smiled gratefully at him before Paolo decided to turned his back and walk.

Words are not enough to express her gratitude over the young man. Alam niyang may pagtingin sa kanya ang binata, that much was obvious. But she's careful towards her relationship dynamics with Paolo. Malapit na kaibigan niya ang binata at ilang beses na nilang napag usapan ang tungkol sa bagay na iyon simula pa noong kolehiyo sila. It's just her luck that Paolo always chooses to support her lalo na't nalaman nitong buntis siya at walang tumatayong ama.

"Ma?" Bella's little voice sucked her back in reality and she looked down at her princess.

"Yes?"

Bella shrugged and pointed the door of their little cottage. Pinapaupahan sa kanila iyon ng Kapitan na siya namang tiyuhin ni Paolo. Tinuturing iyong bahay tuluyan ng mga dumadayo sa barrio but since puro ekta ektaryang taniman ng tubo lang naman ang mayroon sa Barrio nila, no ome was visiting. Tiyo Jose, the Punong Barangay of their little Barrio decided na iparenta nalang sa kanila.

Pagkapasok, agaran silang nagbihis. Bang prepared the fish at nagpasyang magluto ng Pinaasiman na tilapia para may sabaw sila habang ang kalahati ng isda ay pinirito niya at pinangtabi para ulamin sa kinabukasan. Bella on her own, decided to pick some Okra in their backyard para i-steam ng ina kasabay sa sinaing. Marami na namang bunga ang kanilang pananim and she knew na ilalako iyon ng ina few days from now.

They ate their dinner, washed the dishes together and later that night, Bang tucked Bella in her bed after na mabigyan eto ng shot para sa diabetes ng anak.

It was an uneventful day para sa mag-ina. Only if they knew what the summer holds for the both of them .

-

Hiligaynon:

*Daku sang imo nakuha ba : Ang laki ng nahuli mo, ha.

*Pang sud-an niyo lang :Pang-ulam niyo lang

*makadto- pupunta

*lakat kag paghalong- humayo't mag ingat.