Turn The Page

Chapter 51

"Page," Nicky said the moment Page almost lost her balance and fell on him. Keeper kept her steady on the other side as Page held her chest. "What the hell happened to you?!" Keeper asked. Tears continued to stream down Page's face. "Pinalayas ako ni mama," she said. Nicky and Keeper looked at each other, confused. Then they looked at Page. The boys thought she sounded like she was having a heart attack. "Page, is your chest hurting? Can you breath?" Nicky asked worriedly. "'Wag nyoko isipin—," Page said as she continued to cry. "How can we not? We both could see you're in distress," Keeper said with concern. "Si mama. Please do me a favor. Puntahan nyo si mama," Page begged as she wept even louder. "Ano ba kasi nangyari sissy eh?" Nicky asked. Then he and Keeper took her away from the middle of the road. "I'll explain later, Nicky. Please lang. Nagmamakaawa ako sa inyo. Puntahan nyo na si mama. Baka anong mangyari dun. Please," Page begged. Nicky's heart broke for her. "I'll go. Keeper stay here," he instructed. "I'm fine. You don't have to stay with me Keeper. Please, si mama, si mama walang kasama," Page pleaded with them. Keeper rubbed her back continuously. He didn't know what to do. He thought he sucked at giving comfort to people. He never knew how to make people feel better. "Let's go," he said to her as he led her to the car. Nicky held Page on the other side. Page's whole body felt like noodles. She couldn't even walk straight, the boys had to hold on to her. When they arrived at June's home, Keeper looked back at Nicky who was seated at the backseat. "Are you sure you don't want me to come?" He asked him. "No, I think it's better if I go alone. Take care of Page. You have an extra key to my house, take her there," Nicky instructed as he prepared to leave the car. Keeper looked at Nicky then at Page who was staring at the house. Tears continued to flow from her eyes. "Be careful," Keeper said to Nicky. "Kayo din. Drive safely Keeper," Nicky replied. Keeper nodded. "I'll come and pick you up. Call me right away," he said to Nicky who nodded before he finally exited the car.

The moment Page left the house, June held on to one of the chairs as she knelt to the ground. Her loud cries filled the whole house as she fell to the floor. "How could you do this to me, Dez?" She said as she cried out loud. She rested her head on the wall as she sat on the floor. "I took care of our child. I did everything. Everything! Lahat ginawa ko because I thought it was the least I can do because you work so damn hard! I had so much respect for you! I've often wondered how a man as good as you was ever allowed to exist in this world. The moment I met you and got to know the whole you, I thought you were an angel borrowed from heaven. Kaya kahit lugmok na lugmok ako when God took you and our daughter away, I thought it all made sense. I thought the time finally came that God took his angels and brought them back home to Him. You and Summer. How could you do this to me, Dez? How could you? Sabi ko na nga ba eh. You're so close to perfect, it was too good to be true. While you're away, nakikipagharutan ka pala sa ibang mga babae. Ilan pa silang mga anak mo sa labas ang mag-shushow up in my doorstep and claim that you're their father?!" The moment June said this, the doorbell rang. She immediately looked towards the front door. She thought it must have been Page. She thought she must want to beg her way back into the house, but she thought that might not be possible. She couldn't stand seeing her at the moment; all she could see in her was Dezmond's mistake. She let the doorbell ring many times. She didn't want to let Page back in her house. After a while, she straightened herself up and got up. Then she walked towards the front door expecting her late husband's daughter back at her doorsteps.

"Did you forget something?" June asked the moment she opened the door. Her eyebrows met when she saw that it was Nicky. "Mamang," he said with worried eyes. "I'm sorry, Nicky, but Page's birthday lunch is cancelled. You may go home now," she said. She was about to close the door when Nicky stopped her. "Mamang, anong nangyari sa inyo ni Page?" Nicky asked worriedly. "Nicky, now's not a good time," June said. She tried her hardest not to cry. "Mamang, when will it ever be a good time after what happened today?" Nicky asked. "You don't know the intensity of what happened between me and Page, so I suggest you leave now before I say something I'll regret later," June ordered, but Nicky was persistent. "No, mamang. Hindi mo kelangan sabihin sakin kung ano yung nangyari today for me to understand the magnitude of it. Look at you, you're a mess. Not to mention we almost ran over Page on our way here because she was crying so much, she was so out of it," Nicky said. June looked at him. Nicky could still see June's concern when he told her about how they almost hit Page. "I'm not in the mood to talk, Nicky. So please lang, iwan mo nako," June said before she tried to close the door on him again. Nicky blocked the door. "Please, mamang. Don't shut me out. Not now. You need someone to talk to. Hindi dapat sinasarili yan. You're so used to having Page here for you all the time. Pano na ngayon na pinalayas mo sya? Kanino ka na magko-confide?" Nicky said as he tried his best to convince June to talk to him. "I guess I would have to learn to live on my own starting today, not depending on anyone. You know why? Because people will always, always, always  disappoint you, no matter how perfect you think they are," June said. There was bitterness in her tone, and Nicky could almost taste it in his own mouth. "Mamang, you need someone. One can't survive in this world alone," Nicky insisted. June looked him straight in the eyes. "I guess I'll have to try. Umalis ka na Nicky, there's nothing you could say or do that would make me talk to you anyway," June said. "How about if I say I have cancer?" Nicky asked. June was caught off guard. "That's not a good joke, Nicky, especially now," she claimed angrily. Nicky stared at her. "Don't look at me like that," June said. "I have cancer," Nicky repeated. "Don't say that. I don't like that," June said again. "I. Have. Cancer." Nicky repeated again. The tears that June tried so hard to swallow finally came out. "It's not very nice to use something as serious as that just to get me to open up to you," June said as she cried. Nicky bit his lip. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Pero kita mo nga naman, mamang, something as bad as that could be the key for you to open up to me," he said to her. "What cancer?" June said as she opened the door wider, signalling for Nicky to come in. "Kidney cancer," Nicky replied. June's chest tightened even more. Then she closed the door behind them. "Are you being serious right now?" She asked. Nicky nodded. June stared at him not knowing what to say or do. "When did you find out?" June asked. "Yesterday," he answered. "Oh Nicky," she said. Then she started sobbing. Nicky immediately went over to her and gave her a hug. "I'm sorry to be blurting it out at a time like this, mamang. I didn't want to, but you left me with no choice. You were shutting me out at a time that you needed someone the most. I'm sorry. I just knew you don't have the heart to close the door on me if you find out that I have cancer. I'm sorry ginamit ko yung sakit ko para dito. I'm sorry ngayon ko pa sinabi. I'm sorry na dumagdag pako sa pinagdadaanan nyo ngayon ni Page," he said. His heart broke for both June and her daughter. "Does Page know?" June asked. "No, not yet. I didn't have the heart to tell her today. Birthday nya diba? Tapos may ganito pa palang nangyari," Nicky replied. June took a deep breath. Her head was cluttered with so many things at the moment, she couldn't think straight. "I'm sorry, Nicky. Does Keeper know?" June asked again. Nicky nodded. "His whole family does. Hindi ko pa sinasabi sa family ko," he said. "You need to tell them soon," June blurted out. Tears continued to pour from her eyes. She felt for his parents. She thought she would probably not make it if she found out her kid has cancer. "What stage? Do you know?" June asked. "I'd rather not say it, mamang. Let's just say, my days here on earth are numbered. Then I'm off to a far away land," Nicky said with a smile. "Nicky, please," June begged. "It's true," he said. "You don't know that. You don't know the power of God's healing. He can heal you. Just please pray, lalong lalo na ngayon," June said. Nicky looked at her. "Oh I know, mamang. I pray everyday. I talk to Him the moment I wake up and before I go to bed. Do you?" He asked. The question caught June off guard again. "I pray everyday, but I guess I don't talk to Him as often as you do," she admitted. "Maybe now's the time to start. With everything that's happening to you and Page, maybe you need God's healing more than I do," he said. June looked at him with sad eyes. "Nicky, how can you be this strong?" June asked. Then she cried out loud. Nicky went over to her and held her. "Mamang, I can't focus on the negative, not now. I need to try to be as positive as I could. It may not help improve my health, but at least my spirit is at peace," he said to her. June's chest tightened again. She didn't know what to say. She felt ashamed to be acting so negative in front of someone who's battling something much more serious. "You know what I think about to keep me going, mamang? I think about my blessings. Buhay pako. I can still do a lot of things. Nakakalakad pa rin ako. I thank God for every moment na wala akong pain and I get to enjoy a pain-free day. I have Keeper na kahit lagi ako inaaway, andyan palagi para sakin. I have his family that loved and accepted me for who I truly am. I have you guys. I was also brought to a good hospital with doctors and nurses na not only took care of me but also showed genuine care and concern. I focus on those things," Nicky said. June looked at him. She admired his strength. "What about you? What happened to you and Page?" Nicky asked. June swallowed. Then she looked away. "I found out na anak sa labas ng asawa ko si Page," she said. Then tears poured out even more from her eyes. "Yun lang?" Nicky asked. His eyebrows met. "Anong 'yun lang'? Hindi mo alam kung gano kasakit pagtaksilan ng asawa mo, Nicky," June said. "Okay, your husband cheated on you. Nagbunga yung pagtataksil nya, and that's Page. Inenjoy mo yung bungang yun, mamang, before you found out where she came from. She was sweet, and she was everything you've ever wanted. She satisfied you. She was just what you needed at the time that you were hungry for something. Tapos malalaman mo lang kung san sya galing nawala na bigla lahat ng yun? Ayaw mo na kaagad sa 'bungang' yun? So your husband made a mistake, why does Page have to pay for that? You have a daughter who cares so much about you. Halos i-give up na nga nung babaeng yun yung buong social life nya para sayo eh," Nicky explained, but June shook her head. "I didn't ask her to do that for me," June said. "Eh yun na nga mamang eh. Mahal na mahal na mahal ka ni Page na she'd rather spend time with you kesa nga samin eh. Minsan nakakainis na nga eh kasi hindi namin mahila sa labas ng bahay na toh. Why? Because she adores and loves you so much that if she could spend every second with you, she would. Naiintindihan mo ba yung magnitude din nun, mamang? Naiintindihan mo ba just how much she could be affected right now? Mahal na mahal ka nung anak mong yun. She's breaking right now. She's suffering. Why? Kasi she's paying for the mistake of her father kahit na wala naman syang kinalaman dun. Why does it have to be like that, mamang? Bakit kelangang ganun? Para mo na ring sinabi na if a cop pulled over a car for speeding, instead of giving the ticket to the parent who's driving, binigay yung ticket sa bata in the backseat and expected na sila magbabayad nun. Now kasalanan ba yun nung bata sa backseat na nag-over speed yung nanay or tatay nila?" Nicky asked. June shook her head. "Exactly. Now do you think it's fair to give the ticket sa bata? Sige sabihin nating na-ticketan din yung parent that's driving the car, pero do you still think it's fair na bigyan din ng ticket yung batang nasa backseat just because she was in that car with that parent na nagkasala sa law kahit na wala namang kinalaman yung batang yun sa ginawa ng nanay o tatay nya?" Nicky asked again. June shook her head. "Then why are you letting Page pay for the consequences na kasalanan naman ng tatay nya? Mamang naman. I think you're more reasonable than this. Nagpapadala ka lang sa galit mo," Nicky said. June bowed her head. "You're right, Nicky. It's not fair to let my husband's daughter pay for the consequences of his actions--," June was saying but Nicky interrupted. "That's your daughter, too. Anak mo na din ngayon si Page, mamang. You adopted her, paalala ko lang. Dati you always claim her. Before all of these, you could barely count the times na you say "anak ko or my daughter" when referring to Page as if may aagaw lagi sa kanya sayo. Now you talk as if never mo syang naging anak ah," Nicky pointed out which made June cry even more. She thought he was right. "Alam ko mali, Nicky. Alam ko nasasaktan ko din sya. Pero at the moment, I just can't see her as the Page that I knew noon. Right now, all I see is my husband's mistake when I see her. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. I can't have her stay with me dahil I know I'm not going to treat her like I should. I just can't look at her the way I did noon. I'm sorry. It's my flaw I guess. I just can't pretend when I'm hurting like this," June said as she cried. "Sana lang hindi ka naging impulsive, mamang. Sana lang you thought things through before you even said anything or did anything. Kasi may nasasaktan din at the other end of this, at anak mo yun, mamang. Si Page. The daughter that you protected for so long and adored so much, she's hurting a lot right now, too. At wala syang kasalanan dito. Kelan ka pa magigising? Pag completely wala na sya sayo?" Nicky asked. June stared at the floor. Nicky's words cut deep inside her. Then she took a deep breath, "I guess yun ang problema when you've been hurt so many times, you just lose sight of everything else. Nagiging manhid ka na."