SANA NGAYONG PASKO (COMPLETED) #Wattys2018

CONFRONTATION

Author: Guys, as promised this is just a very very short story. Baka biglang matapos to. Hehehe. Pero as usual mahilig akong may sequel ang stories ko kaya baka I might write a story about Matthew OR baka I might write the love story of Christianne and Matt/Steven. MIGHT lang naman guys. Anyways, thank you sa lahat ng nagbasa niyo. This is not the final chapter yet ....baka yung next. Haha. Please vote, comment or share it. It would mean a lot.

MATTHEW

Mama will definitely kill me after this. but I want to know the truth now. If he is not my Dad, then it's okay cause at least I would stop dreaming about having him as my Dad. But if he is, then I do not have to wonder as long as I live who is my father. Maybe Mama should grow up and tell us.

The ride to the house of grandpa was silent. Sir Steve, Tatay was the one who drove. Dexter sat at the back and I sat at the passenger's seat. If not for the text tones on Dexter's phone, it would have been as quiet as an execution room.

"Hey, grandpa, is Mama here?"

"Yes, she's in the kitchen. I think she is baking."

Then he looked at the man who was standing beside me and there was recognition. He looked at him and looked at me again.

"Matt?"

"Tito John."

"Ikaw?"

"Tatanungin ko pa lang. Hindi ko alam."

My grandpa closed his eyes. The hatred that he was shooting at Tatay Steve vanished when he opened them again. There were anguish and embarassment. Sir Steve ws quick, he crossed the space between him and grandpa ang hugged the older man.

"Tito John, itatama ko lahat. Sorry po hindi ko po alam."

My grandpa patted Sir Steve's back.  When he straightened ul, my grandpa looked at me and told me,

"Go bring your Dad to your Mom. She's in the kitchen."

"Okay grandpa"

I led the way to the house.

STEVEN

"Ma!"

"In here."

That voice. Ang lakas ng tibok ng puso ko. Makikita ko na siya ulit. Seventeen years ko siyang hindi nakita. Ni minsan hindi man lang nag krus ang landas namin.

When we get in the kitchen, she was reaching something sa cabinet hindi niya maabot.

"Can you please get that ball for me."

Lalapit na sana si Matt sa kanya nang pigilan ko siya. Nakuha naman agad niya ang ibig kong sabihin. Ako ang umabot sa bowl na pinapakiha niya. At first hindi muna niya napansin. Nakadikit ang likuran niya sa harap ko. She took a deep breath and she almost dropped the bowl I handed her ning makita niyang ako.

"Matt?"

"Ianne"

My knees became so weak. I wanted to  sit buti na lang I was gripping the sink. Kung hindi bumagsak na ako. The girl who completed me, is the same woman who continues to break me. The only girl I loved is just a breath away.  We stayed there for how long I didn't know just staring at each other.
Emotions flashes in her eyes before she pushed me away. She looked at Matt who was standing just meters away from us.

"What is this?"

She asked him.

"Mama, meet Sir Steve. Remember him? I used to talk about him to you when I was little? Remember the guy who pretended to be my Dad at school that you prevented me to see? Sir Steve, the one who accompanied me to buy your birthday gift?"

Every word that he said was laboured and I could see the pain, he was so hurt that I almost could taste it. Alam ko naramdaman din yun ni Ianne.

She took a a chair and sank on it.

"Let's talk Ianne."

"No."

"Come on! It's been seventeen, eighteen years, you're going to be 33 years old in a few days time, do not be childish. "

"Who is childish!"

"You"

"Matthew, get out from here. Matt and I will talk."

"No, he will stay here. He is 17 years old and I guess he deserves to know whatever you have to tell me."

She still looks young. Still as beautiful as I remembered. She still gives me that kick-in-the-gutt effect.

I want to hold her and forget about everything. But I want her to tell me the obvious. I want her to tell me if Matt is my son.

CHRISTIANNE

I looked at him and our son. I could not believe it that one day this will happen. Matthew the exact replica of his father when he was that age only shorter. And Matt who at 34 has not aged that much. He looks younger than his age actually but he has sadness in his eyes that weren't there before. I saw his pictures in magazines and on tv during his interviews or the billboards but I do not want to look at it more than a minute. I refused to acknowlege his presence in the world that I move in.

Now it's time to tell them.

"Let's go out. Dun tayo sa garden."

They both followed me.

"What do you want to know?"

"Is Matt my son?"

"Yes"

I looked at Matthew. He was not surprised but did I see anger in his eyes? I looked at Matt and I saw the same emotions.

"Why did you do it Mom?"

It was Matthew

"I was young. I was 15 when I got pregnant. Your dad was nowhere to be found."

"You knew where I was going. You knew where to contact me. I gave you where you could reach me."

"I was driven away from the house. Pinalayas ako ng tatay ko nung malaman na buntis ako. Nung dapat na magkita tayo, yun yung nalaman nila na buntis ako. Hindi ka nila hinabol kasi marami nang tsismis noon na hindi ikaw ang nakabuntis sa akin. Mga kamag anak mo at mga kaibigan mo mismo ang nagkakalat na nabuntis ako ng teacher, ng DOM, ng kabarkada mo. "

Lumapit siya sa akin, I pushed him away.

"Bakit hindi mo ako tinawagan? I stayed in the same room and same dormitory for two years because I was waiting for you to call me. I came home to look for you every vacation that I could get. Sabi ng mga pinsan ko buntis ka saw. Nabuntis ka. Bumabalik ako at naghintay kasi sabi ko baka kailangan mo ang tunlong ko. Pero I never get that call. So I presumed nag asawa ka na."

"Yung pinsan mong si Nina siya ang nagsabi sa akin na iwasan na kita kasi hindi na ako nababagay sa yo kasi disgrasyada daw ako. I was 16 with a baby and no money, pero hindi ako humingi ng tulong sa yo kasi savi nila huwag na daw kitang lapitan."

"I'm sorry Ianne I did not know."

He tried to hug me but I pushed him away. I looked at my son, our aon who was just standing there watching his parents argue, listening to whatever they have to say.

"When you called me that Father and Son Day, nakita kita sa video call. Natakot ako na baka pag nalaman mo, gagawin mo ang lahat para kunin sa akin si Matthew. Mayaman ka, wala akong laban sa yo. Si Matthew ang buhay ko. Pag kinuha mo siya, mamamatay ako Matt."

"Do you think I will do that? Hindi ako ganun kasama Ianne."

"I had no one Matt, si Matthew lang."

" I know. I know Ianne. Nung mawala ka, hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko. Nahirapan ako. I struggled with school. With life in a different place. Ikaw lang ang iniisip ko. Ikaw lang ang nasa puso ko. I also became hard because of you. Naging bato ako sa lahat ng emosyon. When I met Matthew, nag iba ang pananaw ko sa buhay. For some reasons, naging masaya ang mundo ko...lalo na pag kasama ko siya. Nagtataka nga ang sekretarya ko kasi pag siya na ang  nag ask ng favor, oo agad ako. Then he left again just like you nawala na namang parang bola. Pero kahit malungkot ang buhay ko, I will not take him away from you. I will never hurt you Ianne."