Unwanted Marriage

T E A R 25

                      Enjoy reading anyone

LAKE-

Palabas na ako ng bahay nang maalala ko na mayroon akong sasabihin kay Arc na nakita kong naglalakad sa taas kanina kasama ang iba pa.

Paakyat na ako nang makasalubong ko si Atlas na kausap ang isa sa mga guard ko.

"Atlas, where's Arc?" Tanong ko dito.

"Upstairs" nagbow sa'kin ang guard pero si Atlas nagdire-diretso lang. Napailing na lang ako.

Pagka-akyat ko hindi ko nakita sila Arc. At dahil malapit lang kuwarto namin ni Dana sa hagdan, I decided na puntahan muna siya bago tuluyang umalis.

"Don't you think Lake deserve to know the existence of your kids?"

"And the kids deserve to know their father"

It's Isla and Vinn. And what? What are they talking about?

"They know Lake. Galit sila kay Lake" boses iyon ni Dana.

"It's your fault. You didn't give them a proper explanation about their father"

"And your brothers and friends are mad at Lake"

"We know Lake did a really bad thing back then but he deserves the truth" Ano bang pinag-uusapan nila? Dana and I have a child? It doesn't make sense. Years na ang lumipas after ng nangyari sa'min ni Dana.

"I'm, I'm just scared, what if he's not ready to have kids?"

I'm speechless and her words are my cue to show up.

"What kids?" Tanong ko na nagpatigil sa kanila.

"What kids?" Ulit ko. Tamihik silang tumingin sa'kin maliban kay Dana na hindi tumitingin sa'kin kahit sulyap.

"I said, what kids?" I repeat again, no one dares to speak.

"Isla" tawag ko kay Isla.

"What?"

"Tell me"

"Tell you what?" Gusto ko nang manakit ng kaibigan.

"About the kids"

"We better leave you and Missy. It's not something we should tell you. You need to hear it from missy herself. We better go back" nauna nang umalis si Isla at kasunod niya sila Vinn at kasama din nila si Ura.

Huminto si Ura sa gilid ko.

"Be good, couz" pi-nat nito ang balikat ko at tuluyan nang umalis.

Tumingin ako sa kinatatayuan ni Dana na hanggang ngayon hindi pa'rin makatingin sa'kin.

"Dana?" Masuyo kong tawag dito at lumapit.

"Hear me out, Lake. Please don't be angry, okay? Back then, when you leave me, when I leave the country. That's why you can't find me and I was pregnant. I will told you that, but you won't listened to me and leave. I, I gave birth to a twins, and, and it's not that I don't wanna tell you, it's just your not ready, I guess and, and" mabilis niyang sabi at kung saan saan tumitingin.

She was pregnant back then?

Damn it! I was such an asshole!

We even have kids. Twins to be exact.

"How come, the others know?" I'm pertaining to Isla and the others.

"Atlas and Arc, accidentally saw the boys then told it to the others. They met our sons yesterday. At first, I was scared since they are working here"