Second Chance

THEODORE 3

"Dennis! Find the nearest telephone booth sa salon! Dali!"

Okay I'm panicking. Pano ba naman kasi, Becca called and told me she was just using some payphone outside her mom's salon. Seriously, how could that woman be so careless?!

Pano kung mapano yung bata?! Kung biglang may humablot sa kanya doon??? Uso pa naman ngayon yung kidnapping tas ibebenta yung organs nung bata. Damn. If I would see----

"Sir! Si Becca po!"

Mabilis naman akong tumingin sa gawi ng tinuturo ni Dennis. I was relieved when I saw Becca sitting on the bench, waiting for me to come.

Syempre, dali-dali akong lumabas ng kotse and I ran to her.

"Becca!"

Her eyes widened as she saw me.

"DADDY!!!"

Becca came running to me too at doon ko nga siya niyakap.

"Thank goodness you're safe! Asan ba ang mommy mo?!"

"Eh daddy, di naman niya ko napansing lumabas eh. Saka gusto ko na ikaw makita."

Hindi pwede to.

I grabbed her hand and dragged her to her mom's salon.

"DADDY! Ayoko po! Di naman ako pinapansin ni mommy eh!"

"No, Becca. I have to talk to your mom.", mariin kong sabi dito.

When we got in, hinanap ko agad ang nanay niya. I was so furious that when I saw her, agad agad akong sumugod sa kanya even if she was busy in the counter.

Nakita naman niya kong papalakad na burying buryo kaya siguro nagpanic siya.

"THEO?!!!"

I left Becca for a while with Dennis. Pinaupo ko muna sila sa gilid while I talk to this woman.

"Mag-usap tayo sa labas.", I told her.

Di naman siya makahindi. Nang nakalabas na kami, hinarap ko naman siya agad. Frustrated and at the same time, I was feeling very impatient with her na gusto ko na siyang gisingin sa kahibangan niya.

"ANO KA BA NAMAN, SABRINA! Ni hindi mo man lang matignan yang anak mo!", paghi-hysterical ko na sa kanya.

Sab scratched her head like she used to pag nagagalitan ko siya. Para pa rin talagang bata kung umarte, may anak na nga siya't lahat.

"Ano bang kinapuputok ng butchi mo dyan?! Nasa salon naman si Becca ah!"

"SALON?! I found her outside, THERE! Sa payphone! She called me and when I came, she was sitting all by herself! PANO KUNG MAY HUMABLOT DUN SA BATA?!"

Halata namang guilty siya sa nangyari. She didn't know, of course. Busy kasi siya dun kakabilang ng pera ng salon nila. Bullshit.

"Oh...e-eh..wala namang nangyari ah! Saka I strictly told her to stay put! Napakatigas din kasi ng ulo nung batang yun eh! Wala ng ibang pinakinggan kung hindi ikaw!"

"Oh so now it's my fault?! Pano kasi, you never gave her your attention! Diba't ilang beses ko ng sinabi sayong idaan mo sa unit ko yung bata?! Ayun! Siya na mismo yung gumawa ng paraan! WALA KA KASING GINAGAWA!"

I didn't care if we were making a scandal outside. Pinagtinginan na nga kami ng matandang dumaan eh. Tsk. If Sabrina was only a responsible mother, hindi ako magkakaganito.

"WALA?! Para sabihin ko sayo, I'M WORKING MY ASS OFF IN THIS STUPID SALON para lang may mapakain ako kay Becca! How dare you say NA WALA AKONG GINAGAWA?!"

"Was that enough?! The kid needs more than that, Sabrina! Ikaw ang nanay! So you should damn act like one!"

"Punyeta naman Theo oh! Hirap na hirap na nga ako sa sitwasyon namin! Yung business partner ko pa kuno eh ninanakawan ng pera yung salon! Ang dami dami ko ng problema! PWEDE BA?!!!"

"ABA! KASALANAN MO YAN! DISGRASYADA KA KASE!"

That earned Sabrina's silence. I knew I went over the line pero sobrang immature kasi niya. As Becca's legal guardian, may karapatan akong intindihin yung lagay nung bata. It's just so sad that the kid had to suffer because of her mother's mistakes.

"Umalis ka na.", mahinang sabi sakin ni Sab.

"I'm taking Becca with me. Sakin muna siya."

"Hindi kita kailangan. UMALIS KA NA!"

Sab pushed me as hard as she could. Ang totoo nyan, wala na kong paki kung ilang beses man niya ko ipagtabuyan. Hanggang ngayon talaga hindi niya tanggap ang mga pagkakamali niya.

I called Dennis out at umalis na nga lang kami. Becca was crying to see me off pero wala akong nagawa. She has to stay with her mother, hindi ko rin naman siya maasikaso. And besides, mainit pa ulo ni Sab ngayon. Kita mo, lalamig din yan tas sakin din naman ang bagsak niya, hihingi ng tulong pag may problema siya kay Becca.

"Sir, san po tayo?", tanong naman ni Dennis.

I massaged my temples.

"Home. Gusto ko ng matulog."

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When I got home, my unit was all the same. Nakapatay yung ilaw at nakasara yung kurtina. The only light I have right now is from my lampshade.

I laid down on the couch, para man lang marelax saglit. Kahit kelan talaga stress lang ang binibigay sakin ni Sabrina. If she only listened to me before, edi sana wala siya sa lagay niyang yan.

Lumipat na lang ako sa kwarto ko at pinasya kong makatulog na nga lang. Sigurado, busy na naman ako sa trabaho bukas. Back to normal na ang lahat, ngayong nalibing na nga si lolo.

When I was going to my bed, nasagi ko yung paa ko sa matigas na bagay sa ilalim ng kama ko. What now???

Nung kinuha ko yung kahon, I just stared at it for a moment.

"Teka....parang...."

I hesitated. But I knew I was going to open it nevertheless.

Bigla naman akong nakarinig ng kulog. Umulan na naman.

Ayoko sanang buksan pa, kaya lang....

......

......

......

......

Then I saw it again.

My pre-nuptial album.

"Tss. Kita mo nga naman. It's exactly 7 years from now....."

Nung binuksan ko yung first page, I saw her.

I looked at her....for 5 seconds.

......

.....

10 seconds

.....

.....

STOP, THEODORE.

SInara ko yung album at binalik sa kahon. I pushed it beneath my bed as far as it could go. Yung hindi na masasangga ng paa ko.

Tama si Chelsea. I should have burnt all those before.

"Bullshit."

Humiga na nga lang ako and swear, this would be a long night for me.

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