Memories of Summer ✔

26 - Daddy

Josh Del Fierro's POV

I woke up to the sound of my phone. Cj's name flashed on the screen.

"Hmm?" sabi ko.

"How are you? I got so worried, hindi mo ako tinawagan ng makarating ka diyan" He sounded worried naman.

"I'm fine, I wasn't able to call you. I was so pumped up with the info's I heard. Hindi na kita inistorbo at alam kong kasama mo ang pamilya mo. Isa pa, i was so hurt right now that I can't afford hurting myself more" Sabi ko sa kanya.

"What do you mean?" Tanong niya sakin.

"In the resort, I saw you looking at your picture together with Bea. You didn't know how hurt I was that time but I choose not to tell you because I was in a hurry to go home to Manila that time. I also heard you saying 'no more Bea Mom'. It hurts me that your Mom still loves Bea even if she hasn't meet me yet. I didn't call to say I'm fine and I arrived safe because I don't want to hear Bea's name again. Alam kong si Bea pa rin Cj, and my Dad's dying, kaya minabuti ko nang hindi ka tawagan" Sabi ko.

"Josh, I don't get you. But let me explain first. The thing you saw at the resort is wrong, I wasn't looking at our pictures together, I am actually deleting them on my laptop, I wanted to change those with ours" He paused for a while, "And you were right, Mommy loves Bea. She was my bestfriend, Mom treats her just like her own child. But believe me, she still supports me, If I choose to be with you she has nothing to do with it. She knows I love you, we already cleared those things when I got home yesterday. She understands Josh, she wants to meet you. But then, I think I have to postpone your meeting with her. I'll be flying there tomorrow, I'll just need to do something at the company before I leave. I'm so sorry about your father" Tumango lang ako sa sinabi niya. He loves me afterall, maybe I was so judgmental to make a conclusion right away.

"I love you Josh, don't ever doubt that" Sabi niya.

"I love you too, and I think you need to rest. It's getting late, and you have so much to do tomorrow for you to be here" Sabi ko. Ngumiti siya at tumago.

"Goodnight" Sabi niya.

"Goodmorning" Sabi ko dahil umaga na dito.

6am pa lang pero minabuti ko nang bumangon, I should prepare breakfast at gusto kong maaga pa lang ay mapuntahan na namin si Daddy.

I choose to prepare the easiest. Para magising ko na rin sila Mom & Lyndon. Gising na yung kasambahay namin pero mas minabuti kong ako ang mag-asikaso sa kanila.

"Goodmorning Ate" Masiglang bati ni Lyndon habang papalapit siya sa akin. I was scrambling the eggs.

Iniisip kong posibleng mawala ang mga ngiti ni Lyndon sa sandaling malaman nya ang tungkol kay Daddy.

"Goodmorning Lynd, do you want something for breakfast?" Tanong ko sa kanya, umiling siya.

"Anything you prepare is okay Ate. I'll just sit here and watch you" Sabi niya, nginitian ko sya at pinagpatuloy ang ginagawa ko.

30 minutes lang ay natapos na akong maghanda ng agahan, sakto namang bumaba si Mommy. Mas lalong namamaga ang mga mata nya ngayon.

She sat down beside Lyndon.

"Mom, I think Lyndon needs to know about Dad also" Sabi ko, I looked at my brother. He answered me with a confused look. Mom just nod.

Mahirap iabsorb lahat, mahirap mag move-on. I am a Daddy's girl. Ayoko lang umiyak masyado because I am my Family's strength now.

"Ate will explain everything after breakfast okay?" Lyndon nods. Ipinagpatuloy ko na lang ang pagluluto para makaalis na kami ng bahay, i badly wanted to see Dad right now.

Matapos namin magalmusal ay tinulungan ko maghanda si Lyndon ng maisusuot. He immediately run to his bathroom to take a bath. I prepare his clothes and wait for him to finish his bath.

"Lyndon" tawag ko sa kanya, he looked at me while putting on his sweatshirt. "Remember what I told you yesterday? I told you to be brave, the thing is Daddy is going to leave us soon" nalilito na naman nya akong tinignan.

"Why Ate? Is Daddy going to marry another girl?" Napangiti ako at umiling.

"No baby, Daddy is sick. He is leaving us after a week" Hindi sya nakasagot. He just cried and run to me. I hugged him tight. "I know how painful it is baby, you're just five and Dad were not able to see you growing to be a good man, but always remember Daddy loves us so much that he hid the truth to us. He don't want us to see him suffer from his disease" Nanatili syang nakayakap sakin hanggang sa unti unti syang makatulog.

I left him on his bed and prepare myself also.

Kinakabahan akong buksan ang pinto ng makarating kami sa ospital. I saw Dad talking to his lawyer.

"Dad" tawag ko sa kanya. He smiled at me, how did he managed to smile when he was hurting by himself?

"You're here!" Masiglang sabi nya, napatingin sya sa likod ko "And my Baby boy also" dagdag nya.

Wala si Mommy at marami siyang kailangan ayusin. From Dad's discharge papers and all the documents we need to fly back to PH tomorrow.

Umupo ako sa tabi ng hospital bed nya. I don't know what words to say.

"Why didn't you tell us Dad?" tanong ko sa kanya. "If you told us sooner, it could've been better, sana ay naconvince pa namin kayong magpagamot" May halong hinanakit ang pagsasalita ko.

"Leigh, I didn't tell you because I know you're hurt enought to suffer more. At alam kong masaya ka na sa bagong buhay na pinili mo. I am just your Dad, at wala akong karapatan na tanggalin ang kaligayang yun sa'yo" Sagot nya, may ngiti pa rin sa kanyang mata.

"You're being unreasonable Daddy. I don't care kung masaktan ako ulit, atleast you fought with us, hindi po yung ganitong wala na kaming magawa. Alam naming nasasaktan ka na po, sana ay lumaban ka po Dad, hindi lang para sakin kundi para na rin kay Mommy at Lyndon. How are we going to handle our daily lives when the time comes?" Lahat ng binibitawan kong salita ay may halong hinanakit. Gusto kong sumbatan si Dad but i just couldn't.

"Leigh, listen. Hindi ako sumugal because I already knew the chances are too small, more or less my case is just 45% in total. If I choose to take medications, I wouldn't be here by now. Malamang ay nailibing nyo na rin ako, I just choose the way na makakasama ko pa kayo ng matagal. The day I was diagnosed with cancer was the day Zeke broke your heart. Hindi ko nagawang sabihin sayo at pati sa Mommy mo. She was so worried about you. Ayokong makadagdag pa sa isipin ninyo. I wanted you to move on after I left" Sabi ni Daddy.

A tear fell from my eye.

"Dad, wag ka naman pong ganyan. Remember what you promised me? You'll walk me down the aisle right? Wala pa man din po akong matinong boyfriend biglang ganito na. Cj and I were just starting, I haven't formally introduced him to you" Sabi ko. Dad chuckled.

"I'm happy that you're happy anak, I am also sorry I couldn't make it to pursue my promise to you. Alam kong malapit na..." He paused, at hindi man niya pinahalata, i saw it. He winced in pain. "Please take care of your mom and your brother" may luhang tumakas sa mata nya.

"Ofcourse I will Dad. Hindi ko naman po sila pwedeng pabayaan, but please fight more for you to be with us kahit po mga 1 month Dad. I don't care if I seem so selfish but a month is enough." Tumango tango si Dad.

Yes. A month please fight for us.