Good Night, Lucy

Chapter 7: Christopher And Lourdes

Christopher

Wala ng mas sasakit pa sa isang magulang na ang pinalaki mong bata at itinuring na anak ay makikita mong nakahiga sa kabaong.

It was never an easy job to be a parent. Lourdes and I had experienced many hardships in life, isa na doon ang magpalaki ng anak.

And hardship doesn't consist of pure pain, problems and failures. Hardships comes from both struggle and perseverance, pain and love, failures and victory.

We endured everything together.

"Kukunin ba natin ang bata, ma?" Tanong ko kay Lourdes. We are blessed with three sons. Our first is George, the second is Kaiser and our youngest named Zion.

"She's ours, pa."

"Ours? How can you be so sure?" Ibinaba ng aking asawa ang kanyang niluluto at ngumiti. Lumapit sya sa akin, she gave me a back hug and put her chin on my right shoulder.

"Sa atin man o hindi, gusto kong kunin ang bata. Please.. It was given to us by the Grace." Napabuntong hininga ako. I can't argue with her lalo na't nakikita ko sa kanyang mga mata na sigurado sya at gustong gusto nya.

"And besides," Umalis sya sa pagkakayakap sa akin. "I'm longing for a daughter. Might as well, have her here with us."

I smiled. Lourdes and I can no longer take the risk to produce another baby dahil na rin sa maselan nyang pag bubuntis kaya ganoon na lamang ang agwat ng edad ng tatlo naming anak.

And if my wife wants it. Longed for it then might as well, give it a shot.

The first time I saw the baby, I remembered the time and the feeling when I saw my first child. Pareho ng nararamdaman ko sa oras na iyon ang naramdam ko ng makita ko si Lucy.

She was crying at pulang pula ang mukha. Her obvious feature is her pale skin. Her birth was a sad one because her biological mother died the moment Lucy was born.

And her identity is still questionable to us. "Pwede bang saka ninyo na sya gawan ng DNA test kapag one month old na ang bata!" Kitang kita ko ang galit at awa sa mata ng aking asawa habang pinapatahan si Lucy sa kanyang bisig.

She was our little angel. An angel who need to survive everyday.

Tulad ng pagmamahal ko sa tatlo kong anak ganoon din ang ibinigay ko kay Lucy.

"Pa," I looked at Kaiser. He's baby sitting Lucy at ako ay nakabantay din sa kanilang dalawa. Ibinaba ko ang hawak kong libro, "Naaawa ako kay Lucy."

Hindi muna ako nagsalita at pinag masdan muna silang dalawa. Kai wasn't looking at me when he stated those words, nakatuon ang atensyon nya kay Lucy na inaabot sa kanya ang isang shape na hugis bilog. "She's still a baby and yet she suffered already."

Alam ko ang ibig sabihin ni Kai. And he is right, our little girl had suffered already. Baby palang she lost her true mother, hindi na nya pa makikita ang babaeng nag luwal sa kanya at nag alaga ng siyam na buwan. She suffered already by being denied of the love ng kanyang sariling ama. She's just a baby and yet from the moment she was born she need to prove her true identity to us.

Para sa normal na bata, wala pa dapat itong patunayan. Kami na magulang ang dapat nagpapatunay sa aming anak ng pag aaruga at pagmamahal habang sila'y bata pa.

"Chris!" Nilapitan ko si Lourdes na iyak ng iyak. Itinakbo namin si Lucy sa hospital dahil hindi na sya makahinga at nawalan pa ng malay. I thought it was just an asthma, but it was far more than that.