"HEY, Euna! It's you, since you married Red, you don't buy bacon from me anymore!"
"Oh, hi, Marites!" Euna greeted her neighbor back. "Okay, give me one kilo later, just pass it to the house, Reyna is there. Leave it to her," she said afterwards.
Marites giggled. "Thank you! Oh, when have you been so tight-lipped! Anyway, are you and Red still together?"
"Of course, that's why I can't get your goods anymore because of him. He is already shopping for me," she answered proudly. Well, Red said that's one of hia boyfriend duties.
Matites nodded. "Where are you going, Euna? Why are you carrying a thermos flask?"
Euna secretly rolled her eyeballs. "Because Nica's about to give birth," she replied. "This thermos is for her. You know, a newborn needs hot water. That's why I'm here at the corner because this is where Red and I will meet. Nica's father in law will pick me up here. Oh, there you go, I answered completely," she joked truthfully.
It's embarrassing for your gills, Marites.
Her neighbor giggled again. "You are so funny!" She even slapped her jokingly. "Hey, why isn't Red the rider on the railroad anymore? What happened? It seems like he hasn't been on the railroad for a month now..."
She was secretly annoyed, honestly. Her great neighbor is really in the hunting mode and she's the one she pulled out today!
"It's because he's moved to another area," she simply replied, that's exactly what Red told her.
She just wasn't sure if she could tell the truth to Marites—joke!
"Alright, I'll go first, my pick-up is already there."
"Okay take care!" Marites managed to say anyway.
She just smiled and shook her head as she turned her back to her neighbor.
***
"ANEECKA..."
From afar, Red watched Euna with a smile. The scene looks surreal—Euna hug her newborn granddaughter, as she looks at the baby intently with a smile on her lips.
Yes, Nica gave birth to a bouncing baby girl today.
It's just funny to think that the beautiful woman he's known all his life is now a grandmother to her niece who now has a new born granddaughter.
While...
"Babe, you know, I just noticed now that it's better for you to be a mother— a mother to our children," he said and winked at his girlfriend.
"Stupid!" Euna and Jax laughed at him at the same time.
They just laughed afterwards because of his corny joke.
"It's terrible, you two are taking a long time. That's why my friend is asking for a kid now," Jax yelled at him.
"You really are a monkey, Grandpa Jax," he joked back to his friend. He also hit her with cotton buds which he caught and immediately threw back at him.
"Hey, oh, the kids have played! Those cotton buds might burst and go to waste, I tell you two," Euna scolded them.
"Grandma Euna is another badass," said Jax, laughing.
"Hmp!"
They laughed again.
But to be honest, it didn't occur to him that something had happened sexually with his girlfriend before they were married. That joke of his friend Jax was vague.
He's not a saint. He's not even a righteous person, but Euna is different from the women he's known and loved. It sounds corny and unbelievable to those who hear it, but he can't see himself living without her.
Euna is the girl he will marry, he knows that to himself. He just hope he will have the courage to tell her the things he knew she's been waiting from him.
It doesn't matter, just a little more time and he will be able to fix everything.
"It's the noise of your Grandpa Red, isn't it, baby?" Reyna, who just arrived.
"He's just happy because my attention has gone to this beautiful baby, right, baby? Grandpa Red thought he was absolved of his arrears to me because of you," said Euna to the baby.
He just scratched the back of his head with a smile.
"Grandpa Red's birthday is coming up! Dude, where are you going to go? It's time and I'm thirsty for wine," Jax teased him.
"Yes, I'm just waiting for your pocket, Grandpa Jax," he joked back.
His response to him was laughter.
Yes, and his birthday is coming soon. And of all the people whose birthday is coming up, he is probably the one who is not excited about that day. That if only he could prevent that occasion, he really asked God to wean him.
"Auntie..." Everyone who was there turned to Nica who had just woken up.
Reyna attended immediately. "Sit down slowly."
"It really hurts," Nica complained weakly.
Euna's grimace did not escape her as she watched her nephew's difficult actions.
It seems that Euna is afraid to give birth. He could clearly see that in the register of her face.
He couldn't help but grin. His grin widened as his girlfriend looked at him with concern in her eyes.
He stood up from the windowsill he was sitting on to approach her.
Hey, if only the woman he loved knew that he could find a way to reduce the pain she would experience if she were to give birth. He heard that there was something like that in the big private hospitals.
If only she knew everything, he was sure they wouldn't be in that small clinic right now.
"Babe," Euna said to him when he stood behind her. He laughed softly. It's like when she said that, she was telling him that if possible, she doesn't want to give birth.
He just ignored Euna. He focused his attention on the baby she's holding. "That newborn baby is so cute. Soon it will be more prominent which of her grandparents she looks like."
The baby seemed to understand him because she smiled. He smiled also, as if something touched his heart when he saw the baby's gentle smile.
He shifted his gaze to Euna who remained watching him.
He put his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder. "Babe, you don't have to be scared, you know. Because pregnancy and childbirth are normal for women," he said kindly to Euna. "But of course, it's your body, your body, your choice. You don't have to force yourself to get pregnant and give birth if you don't want to."
"Are you sure?"
He laughed at her question. "Of course. Also, that kind of thing needs to be planned. It's too early for you to be afraid," he said and winked at his girl.
"Thank you. You know, maybe soon, by technology, it will be possible that boys will give birth too."
He was dumbfounded. "What?"
Reyna and Jax's laughter filled that room followed by Euna's giggles.
Sh't, does she wish for him to get pregnant and give birth?