Wakas: My Possession

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"You look wonderful the whole day, sweetheart," I whispered to her ear as I danced with her in front of our loved ones.

This is the final event of our wedding day, the honeymoon is next and I guess where my lovely wife chose to spend our honeymoon.

In my dungeon. Two days daw kami roon, hindi raw siya lalabas. After that, Canada will be our next destination. We will visit her parents and friends there.

"Ang pogi mo!" Kinurot niya ang pisngi ko.

"Ang ganda-ganda mo naman." I kissed her forehead and hugged her so tight.

"Iniisip mo na naman 'yon, ano? Tama na, Jacob. Matagal pa akong mabubuhay. Baka sawa ka na sa akin kapag dumating ang araw na 'yon." She chuckled.

"Don't laugh, it is not funny."

Hindi mawawala sa akin ang pangamba dahil sa sitwasyon niya. Baka bukas ay kuhanin na siya sa akin, hindi ko yata matatanggap iyon. I will forever blame myself for that.

"Jacob, tama na. Huwag na tayong malungkot. Kasal natin, eh!" Sinapo niya ang mukha ko. "I love you." She kissed the tip of my nose.

Isa pa sa ikinalulungkot ko ay sinabi sa kanya ng doktor noong magpa-check-up siya. Hindi siya umiyak habang kinakausap siya ng doktor pero noong kaming dalawa na lang ay doon ko nakita ang labis na panghihinayang sa mga mata niya.

"I can't give you a baby but I want to," she said and shed a tear.

"There's a lot of ways to have a child, sweetheart. Mas gugustuhin ko namang wala tayong anak kaysa naman mapahamak ang buhay mo." I held her hand. "It's okay. It's okay kung tayong dalawa lang ang magkasama."

"I want a baby with you. Let's look for a surrogate mother to bear our child. Gawa tayong maraming baby," she said while her tears were falling. "Para kapag wala na ako, marami kang kasama. Maraming mangungulit sa 'yo, para hindi ka malulungkot."

Umiling ako. "Don't say that, please." I wiped her tears.

Kaya sa bawat araw na magkasama kami, I will seize the moment. Araw-araw kong pinaparamdam sa kanya na siya ang pinakamagandang babae sa mundo, na siya lang ang mamahalin ko, at siya lang ang magpapasaya sa akin hanggang sa dulo.

A year after our marriage, the surrogate mother we got was about to give birth. Tulala lang ang asawa ko habang naghihintay kami sa labas ng delivery room. I was holding her hands the whole time, hindi ko inalis ang tingin ko sa kanya.

"Relax, everything will be alright." I kissed her forehead.

"Anu-ano kasi ang pinapanood ko kaya kung anu-ano rin ang naiisip ko." Napakamot siya sa pisngi niya.

"Ano na naman kasi 'yan?" Ngumuso ako.

"May napanood kasi ako. Yung surrogate mother na kinuha nilang mag-asawa, anak pala talaga niya 'yon at nung asawang lalake." Sumimangot siya.

"The fuck, Nathalia?! Huwag mong sabihing iniisip mo 'yan? I never cheated on you. I never slept with another woman after you came," I said.

"Alam ko, naiisip ko lang, eh." Umirap siya. "Sana healthy ang baby natin. Sana makuha niya ang kulay ng mga mata mo. I really like them."

After thirty minutes of waiting, we finally met Nathalie Jace Lonzaga Cabrini, our first-born baby girl.

Nathalia was crying the whole time while carrying our baby. "Hi, baby. I'm your mommy. You are very beautiful," she said and then looked at me. "She looks like you."

"No, she looks like her mommy. Look at her nose, it's from you," I said and was mesmerized by the little life inside her arms.

She was happy raising our child and she asked for more so we ended up having five children. Nathalie Jace, Nathaniel Jules, Nathasha Jade, Nathen Jacob, and our miracle baby na nabuo mismo sa sinapupunan niya, Miracle Nathalia.

After five children, I decide to undergo surgery. A vasectomy. Sapat na sa akin ang mga anak ko. Masyado ng marami at baka hindi ko na mabigyan na sapat na atensyon kung madadagdagan pa.

"Sayang lahi mo," Nathalia said after our tiring night. Not because of our escapade in bed, katutulog lang ni Nathalia the second!

"Lima na ang anak natin, Nathalia. Hindi na iyon sayang." Pumikit ako. Nakakapagod mag-alaga ng anak.

"Akala ko ba isang dosena ang gusto mo? Wala ka pa sa kalahati," natatawang sambit niya.

"I will take that as a defeat." Niyakap ko siya. "Magpahinga ka na. Kapag umiyak si Miracle, ako na ang bahala."

She gave me a sweet smile. "Thank you, love. You're the best in everything!" She even kissed me before sleeping.

I thought I would be prepared when that unfortunate time came. At the age of 63, Nathalia started to have complications. Mabilis na siyang manghina at mapagod kahit wala naman na siyang ginagawa.

"Don't move, ako na ang kukuha," sabi ko habang pilit niyang inaabot ang apple na nasa table. Kinalimutan ko na ang sumasakit kong tuhod.

She needed an oxygen to breathe properly and it is hurting me to see her like that. Pinipigilan kong umiyak sa harapan niya. I don't want her to see that I am still not prepared if she will leave me.

"Come here." Tinapik niya ang space sa tabi niya.

Pagkaupo ko sa tabi niya ay dumako kaagad ang kamay niya sa tuhod ko.

"Masakit? Gusto mo ng masahe?" tanong niya habang hinahaplos ang tuhod ko.

"Don't worry about me. Magpalakas ka, birthday na ng bunso natin sa susunod na linggo, kailangan nating pumunta." I caressed her forehead.

"Ang lalaki na nila, 'no? Si Nathalie malapit nang magkaroon ng sariling pamilya. Ang bilis ng panahon. Ang bilis nilang lumaki. Parang kailan lang noong hindi pa sila magkasya sa mga bisig ko dahil ang liliit nila." Tumingin siya sa akin.  "Thank you, thank you for giving them to me. I lived a meaningful life because of you and them."

Sinubsob ko ang mukha ko sa leeg niya at sa unang pagkakataon sa loob ng maraming taong magkasama kami, I cried in front of her eyes.

"Hindi ko pa kaya, mahal. Dito ka muna." Niyakap ko siya nang mahigpit.

"Promise me you will live longer than me. Samahan mo ang mga anak natin. Huwag mo muna silang iiwan. Stay with them and made sure they will live a happy life. I love you, I will always be your possession, I am happy to be yours, Jacob."

"I love you too, so so much. Thank you for the years of being with me. I prepared myself for this day but it is still painful. Don't go just yet," pakiusap ko sa kanya.

"Let's go home, love. I wanna go home," she said while looking at the ceiling.

I nodded. Kaagad kong inasikaso ang paglabas niya. I brought her home and celebrated our youngest child's birthday earlier than expected. Nathalia was having fun, ang lakas-lakas niya noong araw na iyon but after that day, she died peacefully in her sleep. Hindi na siya gumising, she even wet our bed.

"Goodbye, love. Until next time," I whispered in the air hoping it would reach her in heaven.

Our children hugged me as they said their goodbyes to their mother. I fulfilled my promise to her, I lived a long life.

I am 97, I am still very alive and kicking. But I missed her so much and I wanted to be with her. Her beautiful face was the last thought on my mind before I took my last breath.

Nathalia Lonzaga Cabrini will be forever my love, my possession, and my life.

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