Taste of Love

Chapter 12

"Mama, I want to play with Sanji more" parang naiiyak na sabi ng anak ko matapos ang buong araw na pakikipag-laro niya kay Sanji.

"I know baby, but we really have to go now. Aren't you tired?"

He pouted and my heart skipped a beat because his face had that undenying resemblance with his father.

Shortly after our talk, Gin left without notifying the newly weds. Somebody called him, an Emergency, or maybe his wife.

My heart twisted in pain with the thought.

I'm really sorry for my son because he couldn't have a conventional family like how I wished for him. Hindi niya tinanong kailanman ang tungkol sa papa niya, let alone ask how he looks like or where is he.

And I was thankful for that.

"Fine baby, Sanji's mama and I will talk to schedule your play date. Or they can come over to our house, and we can come over to them, is that good baby?"

He jumped out of joy and kissed me in my cheeks five times and hug me so tight.

"Thank you mama! I love you! Let's go find Sanji before we left"

Tumayo kami at hinanap nga ang parents ni Sanji. And we didn't spend so much time from finding them dahil mukhang hinahanap din nila kami, apparently Sanji wanted to play with my son too.

"They were very close earlier, ngayon ay halos hindi na mapag-hiwalay. My Sanji is very happy"

Ysabella Lopez-Azumane, isang sikat na painter from across the world, Filipino-American and is married to Saiba Azumane, Sahi's older brother.

"They're inseparable now, I guess. And I promised Galaxy to schedule their play time. Or we can both visit each other's house. This is his first time being close to anyone, especially yung ka-age niya"

I giggled at the thought of us being friends because of our sons. We already scheduled our son's play date and we would come over to their house on Saturday.

"I was a bit shocked, kasi Sanji was home-schooled and he never had the chance to interact to anyone except us his parents. Mostly, adults lagi ang kasama niya. So it's a good thing Galaxy is friends with him"

There was a long pause of silence and we just look at our son's ng biglang dumating ang bagong kasal sa table namin.

"Hey, congratulations to the both of you!" pareho kaming tumayo ni Ysa para yakapin si Megu. While their husbands did a manly hug.

"Lulu, you've met Ysa already? That's great!"

"Yes Meg, apparently our son's became bestfriends" ako habang inaayos ang aking purse.

"That's sweet! Thanks for coming by the way. I hoped your enjoying, and wala munang uuwi please! Lalo na ikaw Lulu. The program isn't yet over!"

"It's past seven already, Meg, you know I have some papers to attend to"
reklamo ko habang sinusundot ang tagiliran niya.

"Just have fun, kahit ngayon lang, it's not like may mag-babawal sayo diba? You don't have boyfriends kaya!"

Pagbigyan ang bagong sinakal- I mean, kinasal.

"Fine, sige na nga!"

Bewildered, at halatang gulat ay humalakhak ang mag-asawa na nasa harap ko. Parang nakiki-third wheel naman ako dito oh. Sana all, may asawa.

"Dearest bride's maid and maid of honor, and the bride, at sa lahat ng mga single na girls na nandito ngayon,, may I call for your appearances here in front para sa bride's boquet-throwing?" said the emcee of the program.

Wala akong plano na pumunta don ano, duh, may anak na ako. Considered single oo, pero hindi na ano. Sino naman ang matinong lalaki ang mag-titiis sa babaeng may anak na, kahit pa may company at degree holder? Wala!

"Maid of honor daw, Luatta! The emcee and Meg is asking for you in front!" Ysabel said, encouraging me to go up front.

Fine! Baka kasi sabihing KJ ako. Bunganga pa naman ng bride na yon, napaka!

Everyone cheered that made me frown! May anak na ako, dapat matic out na ako dito ano!

"Lulu, saluhin mo ito ha? Para naman magka-lovelife ka na!" Megume said through the microphone that earned a laugh to everyone.

Lumapit ako sa kaniya at nag-salita rin sa microphone na hawak niya.

"I'm totally fine, Meg! Dapat nga out na ako dito eh! Magagalit anak ko niyan e" everyone laugh again, at bigla naman natigil sa pag-lalaro ang anak ko dahil narinig niya ang boses ko mula sa mic.

I heard Galaxy said,
'What's happening?'

"Alright go to your desired places, everyone!" pumwesto ako sa may gilid sa likod. Medyo malapit sa mga bisita.
As if naman na sasaluhin ko yan ano, balakayojan.

"Mama, don't catch the flower! Bibigyan ka na lang namin ni Sanji tommorow!" I laughed hard while my son shouted that, enough for everyone to hear and some of them said "aww" while most of the men laugh, once again.

Nilingon ko siya, ngayon ay katabi ni Sanji habang kalong sila pareho ni Ysabel, maybe she told Galaxy what's gonna happened when I caught the boquet.

'Don't worry, baby. Mama has no plans to catch it too'

Bago ihagis ni Meg ang boquet, tiningnan niya kaming lahat, mukhang inaalala kung saan kami naka-puwesto. And my hunch right was because when her eyes landed on me, ngumisi siya ng nakakaloko. Is she planning to throw me the boquet?
Edi sana hindi na pinatawag ang mga maid of honor dito diba? dapat binigay na lang niya sakin.

Pero mas loka naman ako sakaniya ano, as the emcee started counting, lumipat ako ng pwesto.

One

Two

Three

Meg threw the boquet!

At para surebol na hindi ko masasalo, yumuko pa ako at tinabunan ang aking ulo.

Everybody laugh, so am I. Pati ang tawa ng aking anak ay naririnig ko rin. Well, bakit nga naman hindi matatawa ang lahat, one of the groom's men caught the boquet! Malapit ako sa pwesto ng mga grooms men kanina, pero ng lumipat ako, siya ang nakasalo. Gosh, it was so funny! Everyone laugh, and it made him flushed his cheeks. Ngayon, mukha na siyang kamatis!

"Fakku, watashi wa mada kekkon suru junbi ga dekite imasen! Watashi wa hanayomede wa arimasen!"
(Fuck! I'm not ready to be wed yet! And I'm not a bride!) inis nitong sabi habang kumakamot sa ulo, I think he's half Japanese and half American. His eyes are blue, but a little chinky.

Everyone cheered!

"C'mon men, just own it! Be a man"
The rest of the person in the table, which is actually the groom's men were cheering him. The guy snorted and now, he is annoyed.

Tatawa-tawa akong bumalik sa table namin at agad namang kumawala sa bisig ni Ysabel ang anak ko.

"Mommy good job! Sanji and I will give you flowers tomorrow po!"
isang ngiti ang sinagot ko sa kaniya at saka niyakap at hinalik-halikan ang kaniyang mukha.

"That's sweet baby"

Naputol lang ang aming kulitan ng biglang may tumikhim sa aking gilid.

"Excuse me, Miss. I guess this is supposed to be yours, and I can't afford to be in this situation, this is so embarrassing!"

Hindi ko alam kung anong magiging reaksiyon ko. I'm not able to react when he put down the boquet on the table in front of my son.

Nagulat pa ako ng biglang mag-sigawan ang lahat dahil dun.

Huh? What's happening?