Short Stories

If Only She Knew Then

"Just two weeks Bettina, two weeks ko lang namang iiwan sa'yo si Tin-Tin. We'll be flying to Australia for our business trip tomorrow and I don't have someone to watch over her, just you so please."

She lifted up her face and met her Ate Amara's pleading eyes.

She was sleeping earlier when she heard the door bell rang. She wasn't expecting any visitor that's why she was surprised when she found her older sister and a tiny creature beside her, standing outside her door. She didn't give her a call neither inform her that she'll be coming over to her apartment kaya naman nabigla pa siya nang mabungaran ito sa pinto.

She has been asking her to take care of Tin-Tin, her sister's four year old daughter for she and his husband will be out of the country for the next two weeks. Wala raw kasing mapag-iiwanan dito dahil nakaleave ng isang buwan ang yaya nito.

She took a deep sigh and said,
"You know I can't handle kids well. Baka nakakalimutan mo yatang . . . " She trailed off as she felt the lump starting to form in her throat again.

"Yna, two weeks lang naman eh. Kung hindi lang importante ang business trip namin na 'yon, hindi ako sasama. You're on your vacation kaya okay lang naman siguro kung ikaw ang magbabantay sa kanya habang wala kami. Besides, I trust you. Alam kong hindi mo siya papabayaan habang nandito siya sa'yo."

Napailing siya sa huling tinuran ng kapatid.
"You don't get it Ate. Sa lahat, ikaw dapat ang pinakanakakaalam na wala akong experience pagdating sa pag-aalaga ng bata."

She stood up to get herself a glass of water from the fridge. She emptied the glass, hoping the lump in her throat will be gone but it was still there. It has been there the moment that little girl's innocent gaze met hers.

"Tin-Tin is an amazing kid. You should know that. Sure she's makulit and madaldal sometimes pero isa siyang malambing at mapagmahal na bata. Sigurado akong magugustuhan mo siya agad agad kahit na ngayon ka lang niya makikilala."

Bettina's gaze landed on the fragile-looking four year old child sitting on the sofa. Besides the sofa was a suitcase resting on the floor that her Ate Amara left there.

She felt her heart jerked as her eyes roam all over the little girl's small face. It was her very first time seeing the child's face but her brown eyes surrounded by thick and long lashes, her aquiline nose, her thin red lips, her rosy cheeks were so familiar to her, so familiar that looking at her made her remember something she doesn't want to reminisce anymore. It brought back that same old emotion she wished she had never felt before.

She shifted her eyes to her sister's when she couldn't take looking at the child's face anymore.

She suddenly felt her Ate Amara's warm hand on her right shoulder as if comforting her.
"Subukan mo lang Yna. Wala namang masama kung susubukan mo di ba?" malumanay niyang sabi.

"Natatakot ako ate. I'm afraid I can't. . . " Naramdaman niya ang biglang pag-init ng sulok ng kanyang mga mata. Then tears suddenly fall from her eyes.

She instantly wipe it off when she found out that the little girl was staring at her with a puzzled look on her face.

"Don't be afraid, Yna. I assure you mamahalin mo rin siya like Dan and I did. Hindi mahirap mahalin si Tin-Tin. She's as lovable and talented as you are, Bettina. You could see that if you just open up your heart to her, so please?"

She took a deep breath, stared at the tiny creature on the sofa for a few seconds before finally saying, "Susubukan ka, Ate. Susubukan ko."

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Bettina kept on reminding herself that it will be just mere two weeks and everything will be back to normal again like it used to before that little girl came into her world, occupying her whole system.