A Blessing in Disguise

Chapter 5

NASA kalagitnaan ng pagpupunas ng luha si Rhina nang makarinig siya ng ingay na nagmumula sa labas ng opisina niya.

"Sir hindi po kayo pwede dyan. Please po umalis na lang po muna kayo. Lasing din po kayo so hindi po talaga kayo pwede dito. Please sir you are making disturbance to our clients po." Tila nakikiusap na sambit ng sekretarya niyang si Trina sa isang lalaki.

'Sino namang lalaki ang maglalakas loob na pumasok sa boutique ko nang lasing?'

Naputol ang pagiisip niya nang marinig niya ang boses ng nasabing lalaki sa labas ng office niya.

"No! I don't care about your clients!? I need to talk to her! Please let me in! Rhina!" The guy said almost shouting.

"Sir, sorry po but ma'am Rhina is currently resting by now. She's pregnant po. You can't go inside. Bumalik na lang po kayo kapag hindi na po kayo lasing." pilit na pakiusap ng sekretarya sa lalaki.

"I said NO! I need to talk to her. Rhina please let me in! I know you're inside. Please papasukin mo ko!Rhin-"

"Let him in Trina." sambit ng dalaga. Wala nang nagawa ang sekretarya kundi pagbuksan ng pinto si Ethan.

As soon as the door opened, he saw Ethan standing on the door way. Napakunot ang noo ng dalaga nga mapansing may sugat ito sa gilid ng labi. He's drunk.

Mula sa kinatatayuan niya ay nalalanghap na niya ang amoy nitong amoy alak. And it makes her slightly cringed her nose.

"Rhi—"

"What do you want?" Tanong ni Rhina at tumayo sa pagkakaupo mula sa kaniyang swivel chair hindi pinatapos ang sasabihin ng bisita.

"Ano na naman bang kailangan mo at nambulabog ka pa dito sa boutique ko? Hinayaan na kita diba?" She said while staring sarcastically on Ethan's face.

Ethan didn't answer. His eyes were glued on her small but already visible baby bump. A few seconds later he runs towards her—No! He runs towards their baby. Lumuhod si Ethan habang yakap ang tiyan niya. Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Rhina.

"E-ethan.." nasambit na lang niya. Nagulat siya sa ginawa nito. Nanigas siya sa kinatatayuan habang nakatingin sa lalaki.

"H-hi baby, this is your father. How are you there?Grow healthy and faster so that I can see you soon." Ani Ethan sa nababasag na boses. Hinahalik halikan pa nito ang tiyan niya.

His gesture made her heart tightened. She look away. She held her head up so the tears won't fall on her face.

"Ethan, stand up. Lasing ka lang. Umuwi ka na." Nahihirapang sambit ni Rhina habang pilit na inaalis ang mga bisig ng binata na nakayakap sa tiyan niya.

"No! I'll stay here. I'll stay with my child. And I'm not drunk!" parang batang sabi ni Ethan habang pilit sinusuksok ang mukha nito sa tummy niya.

Alam niyang hindi ito makikinig sa kaniya kaya hinayaan na lang muna niya ito. They both stayed in position and silence.

Minutes have passed and she decided to talk to him.

"Ethan stand up, nangangalay nako." She said

Tumayo naman ito at humarap sa kaniya.

"Pananagutan ko ang bata, Rhina. I...I will make it up to the baby. Handa ko siyang suportahan hanggang sa paglaki niya." Determinadong sabi ng binata habang nakatingin ng diretso sa kaniyang mga mata. So she look away.

"Para saan pa?" Bitterness is obvious in her voice.

"At tsaka ano bang pinagsasabi mo diyan? Anak?Why the sudden change? Iniwan ka na ba ni Ciara?" tanong pa nito na tila natatawa.

"N-no—"

"Then my answer is also no. Wala kang anak! Simula pa nung araw na itinanggi mo kami, nung panahong 'natatakot' ka na baka iwanan ka ni Ciara..wala ka nang anak!" sambit pa ni Rhina.

"You're kidding right?". Ethan asked

She laughed.

"Try me.." she just said.

"Rhina...Rhina please don't be like this. Wag ka namang ganito oh. Susuportahan ko naman kayo ng anak ko, hindi ko kayo pababayaan. Basta wag mo lang ako palalayuin kay Ciara. I can't Rhina..I can't." He pleaded. His last statement breaks her heart, again.

"At tsaka please maawa ka sakin. All I want is to father my child, to support and love the baby." Ethan added.

Napakunot noo naman ang dalaga. Pagkatapos ay humawak sa sinapupunan niya.

"Maawa?." she asked. In a quick moment, she slapped Ethan. Umalingawngaw ang tunog ng sampal niya sa apat na sulok ng opisina niya.

"At ang kapal din naman ng mukha mo para humingi ng awa sakin. After you dumped me? After you goddamned dumped us? You will seek for my mercy?!" Sigaw ng dalaga.

"R-rhina you know that I have a girlfriend that time, but you still let something happened between the tw—" hindi na muling natapos ni Ethan ang paliwanag niya nang muling umigkas ang palad ni Rhina sa pisngi niya.

"You fucking called me! At alam mong hindi ko kayang tanggihan ka, not on your worse state that's why I picked you up on that fucking bar. And you think I initiated that incident? Hell no, Ethan! You were my first, shame on you." Rhina cried hard. Ethan tried to console her but she refused.

"Hindi mo alam kung ano-ano ang mga pinagdaanan ko. You don't know the things I sacrified because you dumped me. Hindi mo alam kung gaanong hirap ko na mabuhay magisa. Kung gaano kahirap magtrabaho kahit masama ang pakiramdam mo sa umaga! Na tipong manghihina ka muna bago ka magpili-pilitang lumakas. Hindi mo alam kung ano ang pakiramdam ng mag-isa Ethan! So now tell me, how could you ask for mercy,huh? How could you?!" Umiiyak na sabi ni Rhina habang sinusuntok ang dibdib ng binata. She needs to bring out her frustration or else she'll suffer, again.

Shock and guilt were written all over Ethan's face.

"I-i'm sorry Rhina.I d-din't know-" Ethan.

"Ofcourse hindi mo alam. Hindi mo alam kase wala kang pakialam! All that matters to you is Ciara!Magagalit si Ciara, iiwan ako ni Ciara, mahal ko si Ciara! Puro na lang si Ciara. Siya na lang palagi kahit na mayroon ka na namang anak na mas nangangailangan ng atensyon mo." Rhina demanded. Ethan just bowed down his head. Full of guilts.

"Kaya pilit kong inilalayo sayo ang sarili ko, inilalayo sayo ang anak ko kase ayokong pag dating ng araw nakikihati lang siya sa pagmamahal na ibinibigay mo. Na mararamdaman niyang kulang ang pagmamahal mo para sa kanya. Just the thought of it makes my heart broken. And I can't stand that situation. Because I know, pag pinapasok na naman kita sa buhay ko, hindi ka rin magi-stay. You have Ciara." Dagdag pa niya. Habang sinasabi niya ito sa lalaki ay makikita ang sakit at paghihirap sa mukha niya.

"Pero don't worry, I will not make you choose. Kase alam ko naman kung sino ang pipiliin mo at masasaktan na naman ako. Just please Ethan, let me go. Let us go. Because I decided to let you go. Napagdesisyunan kong palalakihin ko ang bata ng mag-isa. Pupunuuin ko siya ng pagmamahal para hindi na siya maghahanap pa ng pagmamahal ng daddy niya. I love my child and I won't do anything that will hurt him or her." She smiled at Ethan even though her heart is in pain.

"R-rhina.." Ethan can't compose any little line. He don't know what to say. All he felt were guilt and regret. He also hate himself for being coward and stupid.

"Just leave Ethan. Just leave me alone, please." Rhina pleaded. She is hurting at the moment.

By that, Ethan look down. He slowly turn around. Lumabas ito ng opisina niya nang bagsak ang mga balikat.

She sit on her chair and cried and cried until her secretary went inside the office. Trina hugged her silently. Gumanti rin ng yakap si Rhina sa sekretarya. She cried, sobbed and soaked tears on her secretary's uniform.