Every Second With You

Prologue

7 years ago...

I closed my eyes and cover my ears para hindi marinig ang sigawan nila Mom and Dad. Ngunit wala itong bisa. Araw-araw silang ganyan, sanay na ako.

Muli ko silang tinignan. My tears won't stop from falling. Lalo lamang itong lumala ng makita ko ang pagtanggal ni Mom ng singsing niya.

Ang singsing na nagpapatunay ng kanilang walang hanggang pagmamahalan-- na ngayon ay magkakaroon na ng wakas.

Lumabas ako mula sa aking pinagtataguan, ang hagdan. I was about to sleep when I hear some noise down there kaya lumabas ako sa kuwarto ko. At nakita ko silang nagaaway. So I decided na magtago.

Umakto akong kakagising lamang ngunit ang totoo ay kanina pa ako nakikinig sakanila.

"Mom, Dad? What are you doing? Are you too had an argue again?" I asked, innocently.

"Oh, sorry sweetie did we wake you up? It is just a simple argument, don't worry about that" said by my Dad and smiled at me.

Hindi na ako nagulat nang umlis si Mom sa eksena.

"What happened?" I asked, seriously this time.

"We just had a small fight sweetie, that's all" sagot muli ni Dad.

I think I know the problem.

My Dad is a playboy. Alam na yun ni Mom from the start but chooses to marry him, hoping that she would change that attitude of my Dad. Nagbago naman si Dad, ng one month. But after that, bumalik na muli siya sa pagiging playboy niya. Habang nagbubuntis sa akin si Mom, andun si Dad, nambababae.

Ilang beses na siyang nahuli ni Mom ng nambababae pero nagpapakamartyr siya, pretending that everything is okay, na wala lang iyon. Same with my Dad.

Tuwing uuwi siya galing sa trabaho, he would kiss my Mom. I sometimes wonder, hindi ba nandidiri si Mom? Ilang babae kaya ang nahahalikan ni Dad sa isang araw?

And lastly, Bakit ang tanga ni Mom?

Bumalik na muli ako sa kuwarto ko. I was trying to sleep but hindi ko kaya. I am worried about my Mom. Ayos lang kaya siya? Natutulog na kaya siya?

Sa kaiisip, ay di ko namalayan na unti-unti na akong nakatulog. At hindi na muling nagising pa...

I am Chloe Grace M. Lopez, and this is how I spent my every second with him.

7 years ago...

"Mom, what is love?" I asked the most beautiful woman in front of me, my Mom.

She laughed at my question, "You really want to know it, huh, little boy?"

"I am not a boy anymore! Now, answer my question," I said jokingly.

She smiled, "Love, well you can't define it. Dahil nararamdaman mo ito. Mararamdaman mong in love ka kapag hindi ka mapakali kapag hindi mo siya kasama, o kaya naman ay, nalulungkot ka kapag malungkot siya, masaya ka, kapag masaya siya,but the most common feeling is, nakakaramdam ka ng mga butterflies sa tiyan mo tuwing malapit siya, "

"Nararamdaman mo ba yun kay Papa?" I asked again, wondering, ako kaya? Mararamdaman ko kaya ang pagibig?

"Oo naman, lalo na nung nagpropose sa akin ang Papa mo? I feel like I am the most luckiest woman in the whole universe! But noong kinuha na siya ni Papa God? Yes, I felt sad, but I won't let it be my kryptonite. Ako nga diba si Superwoman? I should be strong!" She said and form a post like she is a Superhero.

I laughed. "Kaya ikaw din! Magpalakas ka! Sabi mo ikaw si Superman? Eh hindi naman nakakulong sa ospital si Superman eh!" Sinubukan niyang magpatawa, but she failed. Because those traitors started running from her eyes down to her cheeks. I immediately wiped it away.

Ayoko sa lahat makita ang mahal ko sa buhay na umiiyak. Doble ang sakit na nararamdaman ko.

Today is the day para ipa-chemo ako. I have leukemia. It was diagnosed two years ago. Namana ko ito sa yumao kong Tatay. He died three years ago.

Sisikapin kong mabuhay para kay Mama. Sabi kasi ng Doctor, fifty to sixty percent lamang ang chance na mabuhay ako sa mundo. Kapag inoperahan ako, dalawa Lang Ang magiging choices, it's either mabubuhay ako and maco-comatose ako ng ilang taon or mamamatay ako.

"Mama kapag ni-chemo therapy na ako wag kang iiyak, ah?" I said pero mas lalo pa siyang umiyak. I smiled weakly. I tried to reach out her hands but she did it for me, inilapit niya ang kamay niya sa akin.

Pinunasan ko ang mga luha na pumapatak galing sa mga mala-crystal na mata ng nanay ko.

"Mama, pangako, pagkatapos ng operasyon ko, ikaw naman ang aalgaan ko, palagi naman ako eh" I said then squeezed her hand. She smiled,

"Yes, little boy" I glared at her

She chuckled while wiping her tears.

"Mrs. Bautista," the doctor called my Mom. I think this is it?

My mother hold my hand tightly for the last time and head to the doctor that is assigned to me. The nurses entertain me while injecting some weird liquids through my veins.

Slowly, I just find myself, drifted to sleep.

I am Alexander G. Bautista, and this is how I spent every second with her