Kabanata 10: Home

"They're beautiful..." mahinang bulong ko habang malambing na tinititigan ang apat na sanggol sa kani-kanilang crib.

Dahil wala pa naman kaming naibigay na mga pangalan sa nurses kaya ang nakalagay lang sa bawat crib ay Baby 1 Mosheyev, Baby 2 Mosheyev, Baby 3 Mosheyev, at Baby 4 Mosheyev.

They're safe. They're all safe. Maayos ko silang nailabas and that is the most satisfying thing that I ever did.

Nang bumuka ang mga mata ng Prinsesa, ang pinaka-panganay ay kaagad akong napangiti. Luke is indeed right. She looks like me when I was still a little too. Parehong-pareho ang hulma ng ilong, mga bata at maging ng bibig. She's beautiful. Of course, kanino pa ba magmamana? Edi sa ina, siyempre.

And the three boys. I can spot any difference from the three of them. They're almost alike at ngayon pa lang ay worried na ako na baka maging advantage 'to ng tatlo para gumawa ng mga kalokohan in the future. I'm advance, I know. Pero... kilala ko ang sarili ko. At di imposibleng isa sa mga kalokohan ko ang mamana nila.

Pareho silang mga gwapo. Pareho na mahahaba ang mga pilikmata, kahit na sanggol pa ay kitang kita ko na kung gaano katangos ang mga ilong nito.

I wonder how many hearts will they break when they grow up?

Napailing ako.

"The boys... They just look like me, right?" napalingon ako kay Luke at bahagya siyang tinaasan ng kilay. He just stared at me before raising her eyebrows up and down, still encouraging me to believe that the three really looks like him.

Sinipat ko ulit ang tatlo. They're all sleeping when we get there kaya hindi ko makita ang kulay ng mga mata nito.

Weird.

But indeed, I can see the familiar features of my three boys that I can only see with Luke.

What kind of sorcery is that? How?

***

The Quadros were born the earliest day of seven months kaya kailangan pa nilang mag-stay sa hospital ng 2 to there months, depends on my babies condition. They're all healthy and the doctor said that it was a good sign. But they'll still be under monitor for the following months.

The days passed by like a blur. Sa mga araw na nagdaan at araw araw ko ring nakikita ang Quadros, parang mas naaaninag ko na kung sino talaga ang kamukha nila. And I forgot to mention, the three boys are indeed, has the same color of Luke's. I don't how is that possible. Siguro, it happened na magkapareho rin ng kulay ang mga mata ng ama ni Luke at ni Luke kaya they have the same eyes? Or is it even possible to develop the same eyes with Luke kahit na pinaglilihian ko lang ito noon? I don't know. And I refuse to know that for now. My main focus is the four and not anything else.

"Beh, bakit pakiramdam ko mas nagiging kamukha mo na ngayon ang tatlong boys?" Kunot noong tanong ni Paula habang nakatitig sa tatlong mahimbing pa rin na natutulog sa kani-kanilang crib.

I shrugged. I noticed that too. Kung noon ay nakikita ko ang features ni Luke sa tatlo, ngayon naman ay kay Dauss, ang tanging babae sa apat at ang alpha ko nalang 'yon nakikita. Is that even possible to happen? Well, maybe dahil nangyayari na ngayon e.

"Sasabihin mo na kaya sakin kung sino ang ama ng apat, Paula? O kung kilala mo man lang ba ang mukha?" Biglaan kong tanong rito dahilan para matigilan ang babae. Saglit itong napatitig sa akin bago dahan dahang ngumisi at napakamot sa batok.

"H-hindi ko alam, beh. Sabi lang naman ni Joker na... gwapo daw kasi foreigner tsaka businessman."

Napatango ako.

Foreigner? Hindi na ako magtataka doon. At mukhang sobrang bagsik pa nga ng genes dahil nakuha ng mga anak ko ang asul nitong mga mata, I suppose.

Mahina akong napabuntong-hininga at napailing sa sarili. I don't really know what gotten into my mind at naisip kong magpa-anak sa isang estranghero. My mind is really on its craziest stage that time, I suppose.

Bakit ko nga 'yon naisip? Well, that's one of the reason why Mama is rushing me to marry someone dahil gusto niyang magka-apo. And that's also the reason why I ran away from home. Yes. I ran away. Tumakas ako.

Mom and Dad was residing on Seattle. Simula noong ikasal sila at tumigil sa industriya kung saan kilala sa buong Pilipinas ay lumipat sila sa Washington. I was born there too. Pero umalis ako noong sabihin sa akin ni Mommy na ipapakasal niya ako sa anak ng acquaintance niya kuno.

Cliché, I know, but who would want to marry a complete stranger anyway?! No one. At ang tanging naiisip ko lang na solusyon n'on ay ang tumakas at umalis sa bahay.

And up until now, wala na akong balita sa kanila. And I decided that I want to come back and check up on them. But before I do that, kailangan ko munang bigyan sila ng apo para hindi na nila ako ipilit pang ipakasal sa isnag estranghero.

Maybe, maybe I will just wait for the Quadros to turn 1 and I'll be going back to Seattle. I have money. Nandito pa sa akin ang mga bank accounts ko pero hindi ko ito kailanman ginamit dito sa takot na ma-trace ako ng mga magulang ko.

I build my own business using the cash I withdrew back when I was in Seattle. I built a small sari sari store and of course, I found a career on writing. It was the, my passion, up until now ay nagagamit ko pa rin ito ang I was thankful for that. If not for it, baka naninirahan na ako ngayon sa kalsada. And I'm also thankful to Paula and her family who helped me with everything. They're one of the reasons why I survived my years here.

Who would have thought that a Sadhbh Oonagh Samaniego, daughter of and actress and a model and businessman, Carlie Vedad Samaniego, and Seamus Timber Zaldueza Samaniego, will end up in an unfamiliar country which is the Philippines?

It was an unfamiliar country to me back then, but now...

It's my home.

Napatingin ako kay Luke habang nilalaro nito ang mga anak ko. I smiled softly.

They're my home.