KABANATA 46

Madison’s POV.

I woke up as if I am carrying a big, solid rock into my shoulders. My vision was not yet clear, and I feel nauseous as I opened my eyes to scan the place. I realized that I am now inside an emergency ward of a hospital. I reached over to gently tap my forehead while I am trying to refresh my memory and remember the reason why I am here. The more I try to recollect the last scenes in my head, the more I feel like my head is getting ripped into pieces. It feels like it is breaking all the shits out of me.

“Madison?” Nadinig kong may tumawag sa aking pangalan at agad siyang napatayo sa gilid ko. Nang luminaw na ang aking paningin ay nakita ko ang nag-aalalang mukha ni Trevor. Nanlaki ang aking mga mata sa gulat dahil hindi ko inaasahan na siya ang una kong makikita sa pagdilat ko.

“Trevor, bakit ako nasa ospital?” I asked him a question with creased forehead. Magulo ang isipan ko at hindi alam ang gagawin noong siya ay aking titigan sa kanyang mga mata.

“You collapsed earlier. Jesus, you really scared the shits out of me. Mabuti na lamang at nandoon ako kanina dahil kung hindi, baka kung napaano ka na,” pagkukuwentong saad sa akin ni Trevor. Nang madinig ko yung buong kwento niya ay doon ko pa lang tuluyang natandaan ang mga nangyari kanina. I slowly sat up taller and laid my back against the headboard of a hospital bed. I took a deep breath to clean my breath and bend over my knees against my chest.

“Thank you, Trevor. You made me really safe. Pero bakit ka nga pala nasa kumpanya ng mga Silverio kanina?” pagtatanong ko ng seryoso sa kanya.

“I gave my little brother a ride at his company agency since his manager had a flu. Paalis na sana ako ng building nila noong makita kita,” Trevor answered. Naalala kong isa nga pala sa mga sikat na soloist artist ng Silverio’s Entertainment Agency si Zachary, na kapatid ni Trevor.

“By the way, are you feeling better now?” he asked me worried sick. I have managed to give him a curt nod and flashed a smile into my face while looking at him.

“Yeah. Nahihilo lang ako ng konti ngayon pero magiging mabuti din yung pakiramdam ko oras na makapagpahinga ako sa bahay. You don’t have to be so worried anymore,” saad ko sa kanya.

Noong makita niyang nilihis ko na mula sa aking katawan yung kumot na nakabalot sa akin kanina at akmang magsasapatos na ay hinwakan niya yung kamay ko. I turned my head to face him. “What are you doing?” I asked him with a puzzled facial expression.

“We can’t leave yet,” he said. He was trying to cover me up with a blanket again but I stopped him.

“What? But why? I told you I am now totally fine. I just want to have a rest at home,” giit ko sa kanya pero tinitigan niya ako sa mga mata na bakas kong hindi siya sumasang ayon sa desisyon kong umalis na kaagad ng ospital.

“I know. Pero hintayin na muna natin yung diagnosis ng doktor sa’yo. Mas mabuting makasigurado tayo sa naging sanhi ng pagkahilo at pagkawala mo ng malay kanina,” sabi niya habang mahigpit ang kapit niya sa aking mga kamay.

“Wala kang dapat na ipagalala, Trevor. Pagod lang siguro ako at hindi ko nagawang makapag agahan sa tamang oras kaya nahilo ako. I know there is nothing we should get worried about,” I said but he shook his head, obviously he was determined of not letting me go without hearing any words from the doctor. I let out a heavy gasp for air because I do not want to argue with him anymore.

“Fine. Let us hear what the doctor will going to say,” giit ko sabay tumango. Nakita ko naman na agad na nagliwanag yung mukha niya noong madinig sa akin na pumapayag na ako sa gusto niyang mangyari.

“Madali lang ‘to. I promise. Pag nakausap na natin yung doktor, iuuwi agad kita,” nakangiting saad ni Trevor sabay marahang hinimas yung buhok ko. Tumango na lamang ako at hindi na nagsalita.

It is not long enough when a young female doctor made her way inside the ward. She was on her clean white laboratory gown with stethoscope hanging around her neck. When she approached us, she immediately gave me a sweet smile on his face. I wondered why she smiled at me as if she was going to release a big, good news ahead of us.

“Hello. Are you miss Madison Noelle Espinosa?” she asked then I gave her a gentle nod as a response.

“I have already examined your data awhile ago. I am very happy to inform you that you are two weeks pregnant. Nagpositive ka sa pregnancy test na ginawa namin sa’yo kanina. Congratulations, ma’am. You will now be going to be a mother nine months from now,” she said as she flashed a bright smile into her face. I felt that my entire body got frozen after hearing the unexpected diagnosis from the doctor.

I was not expecting to hear that from her and not even expecting to have a baby right now, so I don’t how should I react to the news she delivered to us. A moment of silence embraced the atmosphere inside the ward. I was trying to open my mouth, but my tongue had suddenly grown so thick to formulate a verbal response.

“By the way, is he your husband?” pagtatanong pa ng dalagang doktora sa akin habang nakaturo siya sa direksyon na kinatatayuan ngayon ni Trevor. Susubukan ko pa lamang na sumagot noong madinig kong nagsalita agad si Trevor.

“P-po? Nako, buti nga po sana kung ako, dok. Pero hindi po ako,” sagot ni Trevor sa kanya sabay marahang hinimas yung buhok niya sa batok. Nilingon ko si Trevor habang magkasalubong yung aking mga kilay. Ngumiti lamang siya sa akin at bahagyang natawa sa kanyang biro.

“Oh. I’m sorry. Anyways, I know you are a bit shock, but you will get used to it. Please see me next month for your pre-natal sonogram. I will go ahead and have a good day,” mahinang saad ni doktora tapos ay hinawakan niya yung kamay ko sabay ngumiti sa akin bago tuluyang umalis.

Nakatulala lamang ako sa may sahig at hindi alam kung tama ba yung mga narinig ko kanina o baka gawa-gawa ko lang iyon sa loob ng utak ko. I pressed my forehead against my knees while trying to recollect back my senses. Trevor was still standing beside me. He is now unusually silent, obviously he also didn’t expect to hear the news. I looked up and turned my head to face him. His gaze was steady and serious while looking into my eyes.

“B-buntis daw ako?” I even stuttered when I tried to confirm the news from him. He stared into me for a while then gave me a nod as a response.

“I guess so. The news came directly from your doctor, so it must be really true that you are pregnant,” aniya. Nang madinig kong sabihin niya iyon ay nanlamig yung buong katawan ko at para bang naestatwa ako dahil sa hind ko kayang paniwalaan yung balitang natanggap ko.

“I do not think if I should congratulate your or what. You seemed not happy hearing the news,” he said as he gave me a confused look on his face.

“No. It’s not that I am not happy hearing the news. Pero bakit kasi ngayon pa?” mahinang bulong ko sa aking sarili tapos ay biglang napako yung titig ko sa aking maliit na tiyan.

Bakit ngayon pa ako nabuntis, kung kailan magulo pa yung sitwasyon naming dalawa ni Russel dahil sa nanay niya? Bakit kailangang ngayon pa? Iyon ang ilan lamang sa mga tanong na bumabagabag ngayon sa aking isipan.

******

Dumating ako ng bahay na tila ba ay wala ako sa aking sarili kong katinuan. Kung saan-saang lugar na napadpad yung isipan ko dahil sa mga nangyari buong araw. Nalaman kong binili ng pamilya ni Russel yung club house building ni tiya Lany upang magantihan ako ng nanay niya. Nakatanggap ako ng masasakit na mga salita at pagbabanta mula sa kanyang ina. Higit sa lahat ay nalaman kong nabutis ako ni Russel matapos ang ilang maiinit na gabing pinagsaluhan naming dalawa sa kama.

Naiwaglit ko sa aking isipan na pwedeng magbunga ang pagiging mapusok namin sa isa’t isa. Nangibabaw sa amin ang init ng aming pagmamahal, kung kaya’t nawala sa aming mga isipan na pwede niya akong mabuntis oras na hindi kami naging maingat.

“Babe? Where have you been? I called you a million times already, but you were not answering your phone,” pagtatanong sa akin ni Russel. Naibaik lamang ako sa ulirat ko noong makita ko siyang nakatayo na pala sa aking harapan.

“Ang sabi mo ay tatawagan mo ako. I did not receive even a single text from you,” he added.

He looked so disappointed and was about to get mad at me, but I know he chose not to get ahead of his emotions. I tried to organize my words to explain to him what happen, but my mind is still in the state of shock as of the moment. I am having a difficult time to absorb everything that happened today, and I don’t know what I should do or what to tell him.

“I-I am very sorry, baby. Sobrang dami lang kasi ng mga nangyari kaninang umaga, kaya hindi kita nabigyan ng update,” paghingi ko ng tawad sa kanya sabay hinawakan yung kanyang kamay. Noong lambingin ko siya at bumusangot ako sa kanyang harapan. Napabuntong hininga na lamang ito sabay tumango at ngumiti. Pinili niyang intindihin ako kaysa sa magalit sa akin.

“Argh fine. But next time, please make sure to give me updates. You would really kill me because of worried sickness,” he uttered then he held my hand.

I gave him a nod as a respond that I will not do it again. I leaned forward to envelop myself beneath Russel’s arms. He wrapped both of his arms around my waist and gave me a warm hug. A hug in which I have no idea if I could still get this kind of hug from him tomorrow, the next day or even next month.

“Also, you are lucky because I can’t stay mad at you for too long. You’re too cute whenever you pout your lips at me,” he added.

“Thanks, babe.”

“So, tell me what happen? Why are you in such a hurry this morning?” Noong magtanong siya sa akin ay sakto namang kumalas ako mula sa pagkakayakap ko sa kanya. I swallowed hard and took a deep breath before I was able to gather my words. “Kinuha mula kay tiya Lany yung club house building niya,” deretsong pagkukuwento ko sa nangyari. I saw Russel’s eyes widen in surprise.

“You mean the Octagon club house? P-pero bakit?”

“H-hindi namin alam na unti-unti na palang nalulugi yung negosyo nang hindi man lang nagsasabi si tiya sa amin. Umutang pala ng malaking pera si tiya Lany mula sa mga loan sharks tapos ay ginawa niyang collateral yung building. Nagulat na lamang daw sila kaninang umaga noong kanilang mabalitaan na biglang ibenenta yung building sa isang malaking kumpanya na hindi man lang nagpapaalam sa kanya.” Noong matapos akong makapagpaliwanag ay napayuko na lamang ako.

“Oh shit. They are really in a big trouble. Pero matanong ko lang… sinong kumpanya yung bumili ng building niya?” I was not able to utter a single word, now that he was asking about the company who bought the building. I averted my gaze away from him and became silent for a few moments.

“I-I am not quite sure about that,” nautal pa ako dahil sa pagsisinungaling.

I decided to keep the issue partially hidden from Russel. I wanted to keep him out of it because I do not want him to get mad at his mom. Once he found out that it was all his mom’s doing, he will be going o carry all the weights and blame on his shoulders all by himself. Ano na lamang yung kanyang magiging reaksyon oras na malaman niyang kaya iyon ginagawa ng kanyang ina ay upang gantihan ako at mapilitan akong lumayo sa kanya.

“May tulong ba akong pwede kong ibigay? Kung dadalhin nila iyan sa korte, I can contact my lawyer to help your tiya Lany,” Russel said, obviously he was trying to offer me some help. His gaze was steady and serious while looking at me. I shook my head and gave him a smile on my face.

“No, babe. It’s okay we will be fine. I know we would still figure out a way,” pagtangging saad ko sa kanya.

“Are you sure? But if you need some help, please tell me. I don’t mind getting bothered, honey.”

Nang sabihin niya iyon ay tumango ako sabay napangiti sa kanya. “I surely will, babe. Thanks.”