Arik, the Traitor of Khron

Untitled Part 48

"I KNOW you tried. You did your best. We have always got along so well. Lagi ko ngang sinasabi maski sa sarili ko, mas close ako sa 'yo kaysa kay Mommy," sabi ni Tarcila sa kanyang ama.

"I guess." Kumembot-kembot ang puwit ng kanyang daddy sa paghahandang hatawin ang golf ball.

"Pero hindi naman totoo 'yon, Dad. We're not close. We get along, we go on dates, we don't argue... because... we really don't... discuss things."

Pumailanlang ang bola pero malayo sa butas ang binagsakan. Sinundan nila iyon.

"You know I'm not the verbal type," anang daddy niya.

Tumango si Tarcila. "But only because you're afraid of what I might talk about if you encourage discussion." Bumaba sila sa slope. "Dad, I still hate you."

Napatigil ito.

Nagpatuloy siya. "For ignoring me at the mall. For pretending you don't know me. Hindi ka pa nagso-sorry doon, eh. Dinala mo lang ako sa amusement park the following week. Binilhan mo ako ng kung ano-ano. Hindi ka nagpaliwanag. And you didn't give me a chance to ask why."

"I also still hate myself for that."

"That's why I asked to see you. If I forgive you, will you forgive yourself?"

"Will you? Do you?"

Tumango si Tarcila. "There's another thing, Daddy." Tumingin siya nang deretso sa ama. "My baby."

Nagtagis ang mga bagang ng daddy niya pero hindi nagsalita.

Nagpatuloy na lang si Tarcila. "Sabi mo, kalimutan ko na. Ituloy ko ang buhay ko. It was an order. And we all pretended the miscarriage did not happen."

"You were fifteen. That was the best thing to do. Forget. Move on."

"I haven't forgotten. At na-realize ko, hindi naman pala dapat kalimutan. He's in me. He'll always be with me."

"He?"

"I just know. Did you know, Dad, that the mother retains her baby's DNA, kahit nagka-miscarriage? I'll always have my baby's Y chromosomes in me." Iyon marahil ang nararamdaman ni Arik, iyong tinatawag nitong 'shell'. Being from another world, he was just more sensitive than humans. Iyon din ang dahilan kaya may 'powers' si Arik sa Earth.

Bumuntong-hininga si Tarcila. "Ang gusto ko lang, Dad, let's stop pretending. Please acknowledge and respect the life that once existed inside me... in this... realm. I—I named him after you, Dad." She saw it in the 'glimpse' she had of another reality. Nasa school ID ng kanyang anak. Luis Magsanoc II. "He's your first grandson."

Hinapit ng daddy niya ang kanyang ulo, idinikit sa dibdib nito. "I'm sorry, Baby Girl... so sorry."

Nag-angat siya ng mukha. "I forgive you, Daddy." You too, Mommy.