Author's Note: May bumabawi ih. hahaha
Donny
Umalis lang ako saglit to get some food for Kisses and Tito. Nasa loob naman na ng room si Tita Carrie with Kisses. Pagbalik ko, I saw Tito sitting on the bench outside the room.
"Tito, okay lang po ba kayo?" tanong ko sa kanya as I sit beside him, he took a deep breathe before answering me
"Kailangan ng tita Carrie mong magpa second opinion, nak." Sagot niya sa akin, "I can't just believe agad agad na yun na talaga yun. Kase parang sobrang labo naman nun. Hindi naman nagkakasakit masyado yang tita mo." Dagdag niyang sabi
"So ano po yung plano ninyo tito?" he looked at me na seryosong seryoso,
"Hindi ko pwedeng dalhin si Kisses sa Amerika. She will worry too much. At ayoko pading sabihin muna sa kanya hanggang sa hindi natin na coconfirm sa second opinion yung sakit." Marahan niyang sabi sa akin
"Pupunta po kayong Amerika, Tito?" tanong ko sa kanya, tumango siya
"Kapag kaya na ni Carrie. Pero as soon as possible yun." Sagot niya tsaka tumingin sa malayo,
"Pano po si Kisses?" nag aalala kong tanong sa kanya
"Alam mo naman anak na nasa Amerika lahat ng kamag anak namin, tsaka, iilan lang din naman kami, gustuhin ko mang isama siya, hindi rin talaga pwede. Kakasimula palang niya sa pre-med nak, I want her to live her life to the fullest na walang ibang iniisip. But I can't decide yet, too. Kase, kung totoo nga talagang may sakit yung Tita Carrie mon a Malala, syempre, kailangan din ni Kisses makasama yung Mommy niya." Mahabang page explain ni Tito sa akin
"Naiintindihan ko po tito." Sabi ko sa kanya at tumango tango, "Pano po yung mga negosyo niyo pag umalis na kayo ni Tita?" huminga ulit siya ng malalim,
"You know what? That's what I like about you. I see you dad on you, napaka responsible, open minded at selfless."
"Thank you po tito."
"I already talked to you dad, Anthony, kanina, habang papunta kayo rito. Nasa business conference lang daw siya pero pupunta na daw agad dito maybe in a day or two. Nasabi ko narin sa kanya na habang wala kami, siya muna ang bahala sa mga negosyo ko. I will still keep an eye, but your dad will take the full responsibility. Habang wala din kami, your dad and mom will take the guardianship of Kisses."
"Po?"
"She can go home with you on the weekends kasama yung family niyo to relax at mag stay sa bahay during weekdays. Kasama niya naman si Manang at si Choleng doon. Iiwan ko din si Cardo para mag drive sa kanya."
"Tito, ako naman nap o bahala mag pick up sa kanya papuntang school. Halos parehas lang naman po kami ng schedule."
"No iho, in case of emergency. She will need it, I'm sure."
"Sige po."
"And I have a big trust on you. I know what you are doing, Donny. You are a Pangilinan. And a Pangilinan doesn't know how to fail a Delavin."
"That's too much of a pressure po. Pero makakaasa po kayo Tito." Tito Gilbert gave me a tap on my shoulder after what I said,
"Just please don't tell Kisses yet what we are up to in the U.S, ang sasabihin ko lang sa kanya is that we have businesses to attend to doon at babalik din agad. Para hindi siya ma stress. Tapos whatever it is that's going to happen, que sera sera na."
My emotions are overwhelming right now. Hindi ko pa masyadong ma process kung ano yung nangyayari pero iniisip ko na lang na para din naman to kay Kisses.
"Whatever it takes Tito, I will always be here for Kisses and your whole family." Sabi ko sa kanya, maya maya lang, lumabas si Kisses at tinawag kami,
"Ba't andyan lang kayo? Let's eat inside. Gising nadin si Mommy." Tawag niya sa amin, nagkatinginan muna kami bago pumasok sa loob, mugto ang mata niya kahit wala pa naman siya masyadong alam, she worries a lot. Yan yung sinasabi ko sa inyo that my girl is selfless, she worries a lot for the people that she loves.
"Coming, love!" I re-energized myself so that Kisses wouldn't get a hint of what happening, that when I told her everything is fine, the truth is, it really is not.
Habang kumakain kami, Kisses started to warm up trying to put a conversation on her parents. Nakikinig lang ako sa kanya. At first, she started telling stories about our first day of school, about our new classmates, our new friends, the new environment that we are in. Tita Carrie is trying her best to respond. Tito also.
"Diba love? Ang saya ng first day natin?" Kisses trying to ask me para may kakampi siya,
"Yes love." I easily agreed on her
"Kaya Mommy, magpagaling ka na agad! Mag double date tayo nila daddy minsan!" masiglang sabi niya sabay sinubuan si Tita ng pagkain but she refused to eat it, "Ayaw mob a mommy?" madali namang nasalo ni Tito yung sasabihin ni Tita,
"Ahhh. Hindi pa pwede kumain ang mommy anak. She still has some other tests to undergo tomorrow kaya pinagpapa fasting muna siya ni Doc." Explain ni Tito Gilbert sa kanya
"Ganun ho ba Dad." Sabi niyang ganun, "Ano nap o ba yung initial findings kay mommy, dad?" she asked tito, nagkatinginan naman kaming dalawa,
"Ahmmm. Okay naman daw sabi ni Doc. Baka daw napagod lang talaga kaya nag collapse. Kaya nga din mag uundergo siya ng iba pang tests to make sure she's okay." Palusot ni tito sa kanya, palipat lipat naman ng tingin sa aming tatlo si Kisses.
"Nak, don't worry. Okay lang ako." Sabi ni Tita Carrie sa kanya at hinagod yung likod niya
"Gusto mo mommy, absent muna ako bukas just to be with you?" she offered, agad namang tumanggi si Tita pati narin si Tito,
"Ano ba naman yan Kisses, 2nd day of school absent ka na agad? Mommy will be fine. I got her. Don't worry." Sabi ni tito ulit sa kanya, "O siya, Donny, umuwi na kayo. Naitext ko na si manang na sila na muna ang bahala kay Kisses. I will update you two, tomorrow kung ano nang nangyayari dito sa hospital. Okay?"
"Will you be fine, here, dad?" tanong ni Kisses na nag aalala parin sa kanila
"Of course anak, please take care of yourself too. Sige na."
Kinuha ko na agad yung bag ni Kisses and led the way out.
Kisses
"Mabuti nalang love okay na si mommy no?" sabi ko kay Donny while we are already on our way home,
"Yes love. And let's pray for her fast recovery." Sabi niya sa akin, natingin lang ako sa kanya at hindi na nakasagot. How can this guy be so good all the time? , "O natahimik ka?" tanong ni Donny sa akin
"Wala lang. I just realized na maswerte pala talaga ako sayo." Sabi kong ganun sa kanya which made him smile
"Ako ang maswerte sayo love." He got my hand and kissed it, "I love you forever, no matter what."
We both went home in silence at nakikinig ng John Mayer songs.
Nung nasa tapat na kami ng bahay, akala ko hindi na bababa si Donny. But he did. Bago ako pumasok sa loob eh na pinigilan niya muna ako and gave me a hug, "I'm proud of you for today, my love." Sabi niyang ganun habang yakap parin ako. I felt him sigh and let go of the hug, he looked at me in the eyes and fixed my hair that fell upon my face, "Tomorrow, even if it becomes harder, I will always be here for you. Not as your boyfriend but your wingman."
"Awwww. Love, why are you telling me this?" he hushed me from what I was saying,
"Ayaw ko lang na makalimot ka na may mga taong nagmamahal ng sobra sayo maliban sa family mo. Our family loves you too. Our friends loves you too. Okay?"
"Yes love."
"Masaya ka man, or malungkot, or nasasaktan, hindi ako mawawala."
I just kept on nodding before he let me go that night. That night also, I prayed that things will get better after what has happened today. Despite all the odds, I am thankful that I have my Donny to lean on to.
YOU ARE READING
Between the Spaces
FanfictionA story of two typical teenagers who were too shy to confess their love for each other. One's a school jock and the other one's a consistent honor student in school. It's like they are bound to create spaces between them but one way or another, univ...
