Giving In

Prologue

               "I'm pregnant." It was as if the words fell on deaf ears. Mari looked straight at Liam but he refused to look at her. At twenty one years of age, handsome, smart, insanely rich, graduating and about to take the board exam to be a licensed engineer. He had a great future ahead of him.

Knowing that a girl, who was not even his girlfriend was pregnant by him, was not something he was happy about. "Di ba umiinom ka ng pills?" tanong ni Liam. Siya mismo ang nagbibigay kay Mari ng pera pambili. But nakalimutan niyang magbigay nung isang buwan.

Wala silang relasyon for fuck's sake. They were only sleeping with each other because sex for them was a basic human need. It didn't have to involve emotions. Their arrangement worked well for them. At si Mari ang tipo ng babae na di matatanggap ng pamilya niya. And if Liam was going to be honest with himself, a girl like Mari isn't want he wants as the mother of his future children. She was a party girl. She consumes alcohol as if it was juice. At hindi ito parte ng alta sociedad na ginagalawan niya. She was from the province and the youngest daughter of average citizens.

"Oo. Pero di ako nakabili nung nakaraang buwan dahil sa wala kang binigay. At alam mong ginigipit ako ng parents ko kasi pinagdududahan nila ako. I told you I skipped a day on my pill cycle but you still had sex with me on the first night I should've taken it last month. Kaya wag mo akong sisihin dahil pareha nating pagkakamali to." Walang panunumbat o paninisi sa tono ni Mari. But the uncertainty in her eyes said it all. Incoming fourth year student pa ito. She had a year left before graduating. Tanggap man sa university nila ang mga dalagang ina, mahirap pa rin mag-aral kung buntis, lalo na't graduating.

"Look, I can't talk about this right now. May exam pa ako mamaya. I'll just call you para mapag-usapan natin to nang maayos." Mari realized she shouldn't have brought it up right now. Alam niyang ngayon ang huling araw ng exam ni Liam, while she still had one exam tomorrow. Next week wala ng klase. Mari could feel that Liam didn't really mean what he said. Maswerte siya kung magpaparamdam pa talaga si Liam. Pero di siya mamimilit. Hinding hindi siya mamimilit. At di rin siya maghihisterikal. She had more pride and self respect than that. Silang dalawa nagkamali pero kung takbuhan man siya. At least nasabi na niya. Wala na siyang pagsisihan.

"Fine. Kailangan ko na ring umuwi. May gagawin pa ako. Bye," paalam ni Mari. She was realistic. And she wasn't naïve. Tatanggapin niya ang disappointment ng mga magulang. Di man siya tatalikuran ng pamilya niya, alam niyang di basta basta matatanggap ng mga ito ang nangyari sa kanya. Her parents were practical but proud people. Di ito mamimilit pakasalanan ang anak nila. Di rin ito maniningil ng sustento.

Mari had one last exam the following day. Pero yung notes at libro niya nasa kaibigan niya na nagsasaya na ngayon dahil wala ng exam. Mari went to the place where students usually drink too celebrate. Nandun daw kaibigan niya. Dun din siya madalas pagkatapos ng klase dati. Dun din sila nagkakakilala ni Liam.

Nung makarating si Mari ay agad niyang nakita si Lana na kaibigan niya. Umiinom to kasama nang mga classmate yata nito na di kilala ni Mari.

Inabutan siya ni Lana ng shotglass. "Pass muna ako Lan. May exam pa ako bukas," tanggi niya. Wala naman sanang epekto sa kanya ang isang shot lang. But she wasn't stupid enough to have a drop of alcohol while pregnant.

Lana shrugged it off, believing Mari's excuse. "Heto libro mo. Nakaipit diyan notes mo. Thanks ah. Dahil diyan makakapasa ako," natatawa nitong sabi. Ngumiti lang si Mari.

She was about to go nang mapansin niya ang pamilyar na likod ni Liam. He was tipsy already. Probably drunk. Kasama nito classmates yata nito since they were all guys. "Pare, kamusta pala kayo nung sidechick mo na Business Management? Di mo pa rin ba yun seseryosohin?" di niya namukhaan ang nagtanong pero alam niyang si Liam ang tinatanong nito. Nakatingin kay Liam eh.

" Dude, she's not the type to be taken seriously. Probinsyana na, social climber at baka gold digger pa. Di yun papasa sa pamilya ko," natatawang sagot ni Liam. Mari wanted so bad to hit him across the face. Oo probinsyana siya. But social climber and gold digger? What the fuck?! Ni minsan di siya nanghingi ng pera kay Liam. Liam volunteered to pay for her contraceptive pills kasi ayaw nito magcondom. He offered her more pero tumanggi siya. She may not be as rich as them pero napapakain at napapaaral pa siya ng mga magulang niya. She didn't need a sugar daddy. And social climber? Kelan ba siya kumapit sa mga kilalang mayaman sa university nila. She avoids even avoids them coz she's intimidated even though most of them are nice. Her friends were like her, anak ng ordinaryong mamamayan ng bansa.

Humigpit ang hawak niya sa libro niya. If that was what Liam thought of her then fine. She didn't need him. She never did and she never will.