FEROX FOREVER 1: Nothing Sinful ✓

Kabanata 11

Abby

I dropped my bone-tired body onto the bouncy couch in the living room, nagpapasalamat sa wakas dahil makakapagpahinga na rin ako. I checked the time on my phone. It was already seven in the evening. That was fine. Hindi pa naman masyadong madilim sa labas. Anyhow, buti ay tulog na si Cal pagkatapos ng ilang oras ng kalikutan. Dahil kung hindi pa siya mahimbing na natutulog ngayon, ewan ko na lang at baka maghahating-gabi na ako makakauwi sa bahay. I didn't know where he'd gotten all his energy since I could barely keep up with him earlier.

Taking the job as a nanny for a two-year old toddler was like having an unruly tiger for a pet because you'd never know what you were going to get. Newborn tigers could be cute as hell, and maybe that attribute alone could compensate the fact that they could be so messy and wild as well.

Kahit na sobrang likot niya 'pag naglalaro kami, Cal was a sweet, joyful kid, and I had no complaints about that whatsoever. Better than him laughing than hearing him cry.

I chuckled to myself, remembering Cal's contagious laughter as I chased him around the mansion when we played tag; as if a child could outrun a grown woman like me. It could be a little tiresome, but also kind of adorable playing with a kid at Cal's age. He reminded me so much of Shawn.

You could see the evidence of Cal's previous activities scattered everywhere as proof of our chaotic day. Half-molded clays in hundreds of different colors were littering the carpeted floor, action figures on the coffee table with Superman's head missing from its plastic body, a half-finished LEGO set on the loveseats, a pile of stuffed toys in the corners.

Everywhere I looked was a beautiful disaster. Gayunpaman, sa kabila ng gulo, nakaramdam ako ng kasiyahan. Cal was entertained and well-cared-for. I knew I had done my best to keep the little one--and Veric--happy. Ito naman talaga ang papel na kailangan kong gampanan. Si Veric na rin ang nagsabi sa akin ng tahasan noong minsang hinanap niya ako sa campus na parang pag-aari niya ako.

Habang hawak ko ang bag ko at naghahanda na sa pag-alis, nakaramdam ako ng matinding kalungkutan. It was strange how attached you could get to a kid as sweet as Cal in just a few short weeks.

I'd miss him. But at the same time, I was relieved to be heading home. Babysitting was fun, but it was also draining, especially as a part-time job. I was looking forward to a quiet evening and an exquisite dinner with my parents. Mom was making spaghetti tonight and Dad his signature beef stew. I'd given them the money to buy the ingredients for the food since there was a spare money left from my paycheck after sending half of it to Kuya Colbrin's bank account.

I'd been working as Cal's nanny for three weeks now and Tara, my older sister, were starting to wonder where I was getting the money for Shawn's treatments. Palagi ko namang sinasabi na babysitter lang ako ng isang mayamang negosyante. We'd be catching up tomorrow for brunch since the idea of me nannying a rich man's kid and getting paid more than her monthly salary genuinely intrigued her.

Huminga ako ng malalim at tumayo. Normally, Cal and I played in his nursery. But earlier, I'd decided to bring all of his stuff to the living room for a change. Now I was regretting my decision, because I was too exhausted to pick everything up and put them back in Cal's toy storage.

It was time for me to leave, though, since it was getting pretty dark. Siguro ay makikiusap na lang ako kay Veric na bukas ko na lang ililigpit lahat ng mga laruan ni Cal sa sala kasi wala naman akong pasok bukas sa school.

The air inside the mansion was cool and eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the madness of the day when I was playing with Cal. I made my way across the spacious living room and down a dimly-lit hallway. Umaalingawngaw ang mga yabag ko sa marmol na sahig.