Forever and Always

Kabanata 18

Kabanata 18

"Babba, I thought we'll go to the beach?" Bela asked as soon as she sat down beside me.

"Nah, your momma wants to wear swimsuit but I don't like. So we'll stay here na lang." I told her. "Ouch, Mads!"

"Kung ano ano sinasabi mo sa anak mo!" Maddie hissed.

"What? It's true naman na you want to wear swimsuit!"

"Ofcourse, Bei! Beach ang pupuntahan natin."

"Babba, is that a bad thing?" Bela butted in.

"Uh-uh." I said.

"Bea!" Maddie screamed.

"What?" I raised an eyebrow. "You'll expose your body, and that's a bad thing."

"I wore sexy jerseys." She retorted.

"Yeah, you did. But your belly button isn't showed."

Bela giggles. "Oh, I wouldn't trade this for anything. You and Momma are so cute."

"Do you want another baby sister?" I asked her and wiggles my eyebrows.

Bela giggles. "I would love too, Babba!"

"ISABEL BEATRIZ DE LEON!" Maddie shouted. "And you, ISABELA YRENEA DE LEON!"

Bela stood up when she heard her mom. "WAAAAAAH! RUUUUUUUUN!"

And we run. Paikot ikot lang kami sa living room dahil naghahabulan kami. Maddie caught Bela and she tickles her.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA MOMMA HAHAHAHAHAHA STOP HAHAHAHAHA." She can't even complete her sentence. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA BABBA HAHAHAHAHAHA HEELPPP."

And I, being a great dad, I helped her and we tickled Maddie instead. We were laughing and we run out of breath kaya tumigil kami. Maddie tried to calmed herself when she heared someone buzzed the doorbell.

"Maybe it's the team." I told her.

She nodded and went outside. Nasa labas palang sila ay dinig na namin boses ni Donya. As soon as the door was opened, Bela was too excited that's why she squealed.

"Ninang Donya!!"

"Omg! Ang baby babu ko!" Donya said and carried Bela. "Jusko. Napakabigat mo na!"

We laughed. Nagsipasok naman sila kaya kanya kanyang bati na. Mich and Jia brought they're baby girl named, Melissa.

"Omg, bff!!!" Melissa squealed and went to Bela agad.

They were both jumping. And talking like we don't exist.

"Little Maddie and Litte Jia." Mich said.

I laughed. "Bffs."

"Yeah. Bffs."

The two kids went outside to play. Habang kami ay nagkanya kanyang gawain na. Ang mga walang hiya kong teammates dito daw tatambay.

"Have you thought of proposing na to her?" Kat asked me while looking at Mad.

"Uh-uh." I said. "But I don't know what kind of surprise."

"You? Bea de Leon runs out of idea?" I nodded. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me!"

"I did, Kat."

"Gosh, Bei! It's 7 years na! And Bela's turning 8 na din."

"Yeah, I know." I said. "I've got plan na nga."

"I volunteer to help." Mich butted in.

I just smiled. "Thanks."

We went outside na to help the girls na magayos na kakainan namin. We were seating when the kids approach us.

"Babba, can I have a boyfriend na when I turned 18?" Bela asked.

"NOOOOOOO!" My teammates are the one who answered it.

"When you're 30 na, doon palang pwede." Ate Ly said.

"Yup, 30 babu. Okay? 30." Ate Mae said.

"Ayaw ni Babba na magboyfriend ka kaagad. So, pag 30 pwede na." I told her.

"I told you." Bela beamed at Melissa. "Babba told Momma na she will allowed me to have boyfriend when I'm 30 na."

"But you're too old na by that time." Melissa retorted.

"I don't care. That is Babba's rules." Bela defended herself. "Momma said I should follow Babba's rules because she knows what's best for me."

My jaw dropped at what my daughter had said. Nagkatinginan naman ang mga kateammates ko. They looked and smiled at me.

"A little Maddie indeed." Kat said.

Ate Ly tapped my shoulder. "You and Maddie raised Bela so well."

"I'm so proud of you." Mich said and messed my hair.

I looked at my kid who's now making kwento at Melissa. What did I do to deserve a kid like Bela? She knows how to make my heart melt.

"Hey." Maddie called my attention.

"Babe." I smiled.

She smiled at me. "I heard Bela."

"Is she really a 7 year old kid?" I asked her.

"Uhm, I think, she is a 18 year old but stuck in a 7 year old body."

I laughed. "She really looks like me, but her wit is definitely from you."

"That's not true." She said.

I hugged her. "Thanks for giving me a Isabela Yrenea de Leon."

"No, thank you." She sincerely said.

"Momma, Babba, group hug!" Bela said and joined us.

Maddie laughs. "Why so clingy naman, anak?"

"Momma, Babba said, it's okay to be clingy. As long as sayo po."

"Did you heard Bela said 'sayo po'?" Ate Ella asked.

We all laughed. It's so rare lang kasi na Bela will be conyo.  Her accent is too cute to handle kasi.

"Naku naman. Mga anak niyo napaka conyo. Paano na ang anak ng AlyDen?" Tanong ulit ni Ate Ella.

"Eh kung sabunutan kaya kita?" Ate Den asked.

"Hala! Grabe ka naman!" Ani Ate Ella sabay tago kay Ate Ly.

"Oh, aasarin mo tapos magtatago ka sa likod ko?" Tanong ni ate Ly.

"Grabe, besh! Ipagtanggol mo naman ako!"

Napuno ulit ng tawanan yung mesa namin. I hope madalas namin magawa 'to. Kasi once a month nalang talaga kaming nagkikita lahat.

"Kailan niyo balak sundan si Bela?" Tanong ni Ate Ella. Napaubo naman bigla si Maddie.

"Besh!" Saway ni Ate Den.

I laughed. "Ang tanong, kailan kayo bubuo?"

Binato naman ako ng tissue ni ate Ella kaya natawa nanaman sila.

"Oh edi nanahimik ka." Pangaasar ni Ate Den kay Ate Ella .

Bela held my hand, I looked at her. "What was Ninang Donya said?"

"Nothing, baby." Sagot agad ni Maddie. I laughed and she gave me a death glare.

"Momma, can I go to Melissa's school?"

"I thought you don't like sa Manila?" Maddie asked her.

"Eh, Mel said, it's fun there."

"But, it's fun din naman here."

"But, she Mel is my bff."

"Okay, we'll talk about this again later. Okay?"

She nodded. "Okay po."

I looked at Maddie and Bela. There's somethings I realized, that no matter how big the problem that has given to you, katumbas din ng ganung kalaking tiwala ang binibigay ni God sayo. I am so blessed dahil nalagpasan namin ni Maddie ang mga pagsubok na ibinigay sa amin. Started from the bottom, now we're here.