CHAPTER 3
"M-Mommy!"
There I was, standing meters away from my man. My ten-month-old young man.
"Maghunos-dili ka, Diyos ko po!"
Natatawa na lang ako dahil hindi na magkandauga sa pag-alalay si Nely kay Amethon.
"You made yaya Nely so tired, huh?"
"Sss!" hirap na hirap niyang sabi saka nilapitan si Nely.
"Ayos na 'yon. Palit na." Nakangiting tugon naman ni Nely.
"Ma.. mamm.."
Sabay kaming nalingon ni Nely sa kaniya. I'm so sorry for laughing, but, baby, you look so cute saying some new word.
"M-ma.. mu! M-Mamu!"
Napanganga at napatayo ako sa narinig!
"That's your fifth word!"
Kinarga ko siya at hinalikan ang buo niyang mukha. I wanna make gigil, pero dahil masasaktan siya kinagat ko na lamang ang pisngi niya gamit ang aking labi.
He giggled.
"Nely, paki pasok mo na lang sa loob ito," turo ko pa sa walker ni Amethon.
"Mommy! Are you.. are you listening?"
Natinag ako sa boses na iyon ni Amethon.
He grew so fast and he's turning three this coming six months.
"What is it again, baby?"
"I.. I s-aw.. d-daddy with s-someone,"
Kahit hirap na hirap ay naintindihan namin ang mga salitang binitawan niya.
Tiningala ko Travis na ngayon ay nakataas ang kilay at medyo nakakunot ang noo.
"Anak,"
"P-po?" inosenteng tanong niya at lumaput ng bahagya sa akin.
I held his two small hands.
"Don't predict things too much.. once you get older, you can ask mommy and dada about those again. But right now, just let things be. You will understand them in time, alright?"
"A'right, m-mommy!"
"Go on. Play with Eniell."
Dahan-dahan siyang naglakad papunta sa pinsan. Samatala, nanatili akong nakatingin mula sa malayo.
"Until when will you gonna lie, Lalie?"
"What? He knows that I'm not her real mother."
"No, what I mean is, until when will you keep the truth that you don't know his father. At wala kang ideya."
I had, Travis. I fucking had.
"Tama si Trav, Lalie. Ang iniisip lagi niyang anak mo, may away lang kayo ng daddy niya. When the truth is, you don't communicate with each other because you don't know each other." Paliwanag ni Yuanna.
"Why don't you say who's his father, then? Kilala niyo, 'di ba?"
Lahat sila ay nagulat walang umimik.
I sighed.
"It's not as easy as you think."
"Woah, Lalie." Bulalas ni Malone.
"Ngayon ka pa talaga nawawalan ng lakas ng loob, ah?"
"Amethon's still young. Maybe when he's four or five." Ani Jass.
