A Little Push And I'd Fall

Push 12

“Rafeal. Rafael. Rafael. Rafael. Rafael,” hinga malalim. “Rafael. Rafael. Rafael. Rafael. Rafael. Ra –”

“Sabel,” tawag sa kanya.

“Huh?” focus Saab! Saway nya sa sarili. She continued her mantra, “Rafael. Rafael. Rafael,”

“Isabelle!”

“Ay! Rafael!” nabigla si Saab. “Crap! I was trying to finish the 100 Rafaels. Kaya nga dito ako sa kwarto para walang abala,” she murmured into herself and turned very displeased to see whoe is calling her, “Rafael”

“Kanina pa ‘yan a. What are you doing, Saab?”

“Repeating a common word over and over until it loses all meaning and sounds weird. Trying to have a bit of semantic satiation,” she blurted out.

“Neuroscience?”

“Psychology,”

“Childish,”

“Duh! I’m experimenting,”

“And you are using my name as a specimen,”

“Ikaw lang ba ang Rafael? Di naman a,”

“Isip bata,”

“Ay –“

“Daddy!” biglang bumukas ang pinto ng kwarto nila saka pumasok si Reese. She went to Thirj and he lifted her to our bed.

“Hey, baby,”

“Dad! I want to sleep here,” she looked at her father and hopped in the middle of the bed. “I’m gonna sleep here! I’m gonna sleep here! I’m gonnaaaa sleeeeeep heeeere. Yey!” she said in singsong.

“No Reese. You’ll be staying in your room,” Thirj said firmly.

“Reese,” Saab called her attention. “Mom will sleep with you…in your room,”

“Yehey! Mom’s gonna sleep with me!” she pulled Saab up. She gladly went up on her feet and carried her daughter in her arms. She needs a break being with Thirj and she needs some bonding with her child. She has to do her part to have the annulment process easy for their child. Reese is too young ang too fragile. She has to play her part to make things easier for her, Reese and Thirj.

‘I’m gonna do this right’ she murmured to herself. “You ready to sleep?” tanong nya pagdating nila sa silid ni Reese.

“Yes Mom!” saka sya nagsaludo. “We’ll gonna go camping!” sigaw pa nya. Binaba sya ni Saab sa higaan niya. “Mom! In the tent! Tent!” at lumundag pababa ng higaan. May maliit na tent sa dulo ng kwarto ni Reese kasama ng mga laruan nito.

‘This is insane. Ayo ko ng bahay-bahayan’ she complained to herself. She’s gotta do this. Reese and the tent she could handle. She went inside with Reese saka hiniga ang bata.

Saab is asleep. Deeply asleep. Masarap na ang tulog nya, “Mom, I want Dad here,” she protested kaya tiningnan ni Saab ang orasan sa kanyang palapulsuhan.

“It’s late baby. Dad’s asleep,” and she went back sleeping.

Morning came. Nagising si Saab sa mabigat na binti na nakapatong sa kanya. “Baby you really are heavy,” she grumbled eyes still closed.

“Good morning Mommy!” she heard Reese greeting her.

Instinctly she tipped her head to kiss Reese good mornig, “Hey baby,” she groaned. She felt her baby’s face was a bit rough around the area she kissed. Napamulat sya ng mata. Her eyes grew big. Those were stubbles!

“Mom kissed Dad,” Saab giggled.

Nasa bukas na bahagi ng tent si Reese naka tayo holding her iPad. “Oh my gosh,” she whispered. Dahan-dahang lumayo sa natutulog na si Thirj. Lumapit sya sa anak at dinala sa labas ng maliit na tent papasok ng banyo, “Baby what did you see?” pag kompronta nito habang sinusuklay ang buhok ng anak.

She giggled again, “You kissed Dad,”

“I didn’t baby,”

“On lips,” she let another giggle.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Saab. Oh no! I Dind’t. Sinikap niyang pakalmahin ang sarili. “It’s not like that,”

“No Mom” she chuckeled. “You just did,”

 “Did what?”

“…kiss Dad,” Reese added.

Saab looked at the bathroom door. Si Thirj yung nagtanong at sinagot naman ni Reese. Nagging balisa sya. “It’s not what you are thinking,”

“What am I thinking?”

“Hindi kita hinalikan”

“Okay,”

“I was suppose to give Reese a kiss,”

“Okay”

“But I was half asleep,”

“Okay,”

“I didn’t know”

“Yeah,”

“It was an accident!” she shouted. “Hindi ko sinasadya!”

“Jesus! Saab kalma lang,”

“Pano ako kakalma eh ninakawan kita ng halik. Pero di ko sinasadya. Promise! Hindi talaga! Antok pa talaga ako nun! Maniwala ka!”

Nag-aalboroto na si Saab. Namumula umagang-umaga. Ayaw pa awat. Then she was suddenly silent. She was surprised. Thirj lips found hers. That sealed her whinning mouth.

“Daaaddy!” Reese complained habang nakatakip ang dalawang kamay niya sa kanyang mata.

Saab pushed him away and he let her go. “What was that for?!”

Humikab si Thirj, “I just returned your precious kiss,” scratched his head then he walked away.

Natahimik si Saab, umuling-iling at hindi makapaniwala sa kalokohan ni Thirj, “Why are you in the tent with us anyway?!” she shouted at the top of her lungs.

“Mom? Is it okay to look now?” Reese asked innocently.

“Oh heavens,” she whispered.