Complicated Love

Chapter Two

Two

Napabuntong-hininga ako ng marinig ang pagbagsak ni Iris sa telepono! Naiiritang ginulo ko ang buhok ko!

"Why Daddy? What did Mommy say?" naka-kunot ang noong tanong ng anak ko. Agad naman akong ngumiti sa kaniya at kinandong siya. My cute innocent daughter who is clueless on what's happening.

"None. Your Mom just checking if you're fine" sabi ko. Ngumiti naman si Hailey at agad nawala ang kunot nang noo nito. Napataas naman ang kilay ko. Tila ba may iniisip itong nakakatuwang bagay.

"What is it honey? Tell it to Daddy" ngumiti pa ako para sabihin niya sa akin kung ano ba ang iniisip niya.

"Nothing Daddy" at humagikhik pa ito na ikinatawa ko rin. I can't help it. Hailey is our angel. Our cute and lovely angel. Siya ang natatanging dahilan kung bakit hindi pa ako nasisiraan ng bait sa Mommy niyang may topak.

"Anyway why did you lied to your Mommy? Why did you tell her that your Aunt Therese is here when in fact she's not." seryoso kong saad. I don't want Hailey lying even to her Mommy. Agad naman siyang yumuko at pinilipit ang kaniyang maliliit na kamay. I really want to smile but I hold myself because I wan't to show her I'm serious.

"Can you tell to Daddy why?"

"Cause that's what Tita Georgina told me to do. She said it will help you and Mommy to fix your problem" saad ni Hailey na natatakot pa din tumingin sa mata ko. Napa-buntong hininga ako sa narinig! George is really a pain in the ass sometimes! I'm wondering if she and Iris are the ones who's siblings. They are both giving me headache!

"Listen honey lying is bad alright. You don't need to help your Mommy and I okay? We are adult and we can fix our problem on our own. Next time don't listen to Tita George especially when it involves lying a'right?" tahimik naman na napa-tango tango si Hailey.
I smiled and kiss my daughter's cheek. It's a consolation that she's listening to me unlike her mother.

"Greg gabi na patulugin mo na ang bata. Hailey halika na at ihahatid na kita sa kwarto mo." ani Nay Merced.

"Good night Daddy!" masayang sabi ni Hailey at hinalikan pa ako sa pisngi bago tumakbo papunta kay Nay Merced.

"Good night honey!" pahabol ko at nakangiti namang lumingon si Hailey at nag flying kiss pa! I can't help but to laugh at my daughter's cuteness.

Napa-buntong hininga ako ng maalala si Iris. She is really determined to get us annulled. Im thankful that annulment in the Philippines is not that easy. So it is hard for Iris to make us annulled because its a long process. I still have time to pursue her and make her changed her mind about the annulment.

"Good morning Daddy!" nagising ako dahil sa maingay na si Hailey habang tumatalon talon pa sa kama ko! It's her habit to wake me up. At dahil nakatalikod ang makulit kong anak hindi niya pa alam na gising na ako. Kaya dahan-dahan ko siyang hinuli at kiniliti nang kiniliti! Hanggang sa tumitili na siya.

"Stop Daddy! Stop it daddy!" aniya habang humahagikhik! Natatawang tinigil ko na ang pangingiliti sa kaniya at hinalikan siya sa pisngi na namumula na ngayon dahil sa sobrang pagtawa niya.

"Where is Nay Merced?" I ask her. And she pointed her little finger to the kitchen while we are walking in the living room.

"She told me to wake you up daddy. It's bad to let the food wait for us Nay Merced told me." inosente pa ako nitong tiningnan. And I just nodded to her. My daughter is smart and sometimes I'm scared that she will find out what is the situation between her Mom and I.

" Kumain ka nang gulay Hailey." Then Nay Merced put some vegetables to her plate. Sumimangot naman ang anak ko na gusto kong tawanan. Iyan ang isa niyang namana sa Mommy niya. They both hate vegetables especially "ampalaya".

"But-"

"You should eat it Hailey its nutritious"

Gulat na napalingon naman kami sa nagsalita. Agad namang tumayo si Hailey.

"Good morning Mommy!" masaya nitong sabi at humalik sa Mommy niya.

"Hi baby! How's your sleep last night? Have you sleep early?" tanong nito at diniinan pa ang huling tanong na tila may nais ipahiwatig. Napa-ubo naman ako.

"Are you okay Daddy?" nag-aalalang sabi ni Hailey. Agad naman akong ngumiti sa anak ko at tumango.

"I'm fine honey. Don't worry about me okay?"

"You're Daddy is fine Baby maybe he just needed someone who can tap his back like last night right?" pasaring pa ulit nito.

Magsasalita na sana ako ng sumingit si Nay Merced at pinaupo na si Iris at inaya itong kumain. Habang kumakain hindi ko maiwasang tumingin sa kanilang mag-ina. They have the same manners in eating. They used to wipe their lips after swallowing their food. Ultimo sa paghawak ng kutsara at tinidor ay pareho silang dalawa. Nang maramdaman kung titingin siya sakin ay agad akong nag-iwas tingin!

Whew! Muntikan na ako dun ah!

"Can we talk?"
Gulat naman akong tumingin kay Iris. For the past eight months she refused to talk to me about our problems. So why now? Did she change her mind about the annulment? So I nodded and went to my office while I feel her presence walking behind me.

"So what should we talk about?" I look at her intently because she's not looking at my eyes again.  She look hesitated at first but I know her. I raised my eyebrow signaling for her to speak.

"It's about our annulment. The process was very slow! So I want you to tell your lawyer to cooperate with my lawyer."

"My lawyer is very professional Iris so I think he knows so much about his job. And you know here in the Philippines annulment is not that yet accepted." saad ko.

"I know but we both have money so it should be easy for the two of us right?" umaasang sabi pa ni Iris. Napa-buntong hininga naman ako dahil sa sinabi niya. Yes she's right! But is she that determined to make our marriage annuled? Meron na ba siyang iba kaya atat na atat na siyang ma-annul kami? Nag-iigting ang panga ko dahil sa naisip.

"Yes. Are you really that desperate to get rid of me? What about Hailey? How do you think she can handle this? She's just five years old for Petes sake Iris!" galit na saad ko. Hindi ko na mapigilang sumabog sa galit. I let her cause that's what she wanted but this time I want to let her know that not  because she wanted she can have it in just a snap of her fingers!

"Really now Greg?! After showing to our daughter how you flirt with your woman last night?" galit na saad nito. Napahilot naman ako sa sentido ko!

"Speechless? Why because you're guilty?" gagad pa niya.

" I'm not guilty okay? Therese is just my friend so you don't need to worry about it." pagod na sabi ko na lang. I guess I'm wrong. I thought she changed her mind about our annulment. Well I'm just stupid to think about it.

"If you said so. Isasama ko muna si Hailey kila Melody. Sa akin na din muna siya matutulog."

Tipid na tumango na lang ako sa kaniya. Pinanood ko pa siyang lumabas ng opisina ko. Bakit nga ba humantong sa ganito ang magandang pagsasama namin? What did I do wrong? Ilang beses ko na din yun tinanong sa sarili ko.

"Hi Daddy! Mommy and I will just visit Tita Melody. Mommy said you know it already" tuloy-tuloy na saad ni Hailey. Nakangiting tumango at humalik na lang ako sa pisngi nito.

"Bye Daddy! I love you!" malakas na sabi nito at matunog akong hinalikan sa pisngi.

"Love you too Princess.." sabi ko rin.
Hailey is like a fresh breath of air. She can take away my problems just by smiling and kissing me on my cheeks.