Stonehearts 6: Alexandrite

Prologue

"Naynay, sabi po ni teacher ko magaling raw po ako sa Science at Mathematics. Mamaya po pag-uwi natin ng afternoon, papakita ko po sa inyo 'yong mga quizzes ko." Magiliw na tugon ni Clyde bago sumubo ng kanin at hotdog na hinain ko kanina.

Nginitian ko siya bago tinanggal ang kanin sa gilid ng bibig niya. "Talaga? Sige, sa Sabado magpapa-day off si naynay para madala kita sa arcade tapos kakain tayo ng Jollibee. Ayos ba 'yon, baby?"

Lumapad ang ngiti niya kaya nasilayan ko ang nginunguya niyang naghalong puti at pula. "Hmm-mm!" Maliksi sagot niya sabay tango ng ilang beses.

I chuckled at the sight of delight in his eyes. My heart swelling with the mouthful grin he just threw at me.

Jovanni Clyde Bautista.

Taking him in and treating him as my own was the best decision I have ever made in my 27 years of existence. I was admittedly nervous and unsure of it at first, but when the nurse placed him in my arms, I knew then it was to me he belong.

I can't forget how he perfectly fit in between my arms as I coo and sway him to his sleep.

My cousin, Clare, was disowned by my aunt and uncle after learning that she got pregnant by her then boyfriend when we were in college. Two month into pregnancy, Sam bailed out on her because of a bullshit reason and that was I quote 'hindi pa ako ready sa ganitong responsibilidad'. Despite the difficulties presented by having an unborn child, Clare pushed through with her pregnancy.

She came to me one night, during her fourth month, since she got evicted out of the apartment she was renting. With school fees, check-ups, vitamins, she was really lost. Kahit na bulok 'yong tinitirhan kong apartment noon na halos isang tao lang ang kakasya sa loob, pinatuloy ko siya. Wala naman akong naging problema sa kanya dahil masipag siya at maalam sa gawaing bahay kahit na laki siya sa luho noong kabataan namin. Hindi ko na siya pinabayad sa renta, tubig at kuryente noon. I remember telling her then that she should save all her money for her baby.

Months passed and everything when smooth for the both of us. Except the fact that Clare stopped schooling on her fifth month, due to financial problems, pregnancy troubles, and conflict on her part-time job. Pero kahit ganoon, sinigurado niya na babalik siya sa pag-aaral kapag naipanganak na niya ang batang nasa sinapupunan niya.

Siguro noon, masyado lang din akong na-busy sa pag-aaral at pagtratrabaho na hindi ko napansin na may mali at may nararamdaman pala si Clare kahit na lagi niya akong binabati ng matamis na ngiti kapag umuuwi ako.

Because after 8 hours of delivering her baby, she suffered from a heart attack. Hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko noon, kaya tinawagan ko si tito at tita. Agad naman silang pumunta sa ospital kung saan nanganak si Clare.

I can see the regret on their eyes as they cry while retrieving Clare's dead body on the morgue. I remember how they hugged me tight and how many thank yous escaped their mouth after learning that I took care of their darling unica hija when she got cut off of the family's wealth. I also remember the anger and fury in their eyes when they saw the baby, the nameless baby, for the first time.

They all blamed it on him. They said that it weren't for him, if he was out of the picture in the first place, Clare shouldn't have died.

They offered to take me in after that. Sinabi nila na sila na ang magbabayad sa lahat ng gastusin ko, ililipat ako sa pribadong unibersidad, papahintuin sa pagkuha ng part-time job, bibilhan ng mas magandang apartment o mas mabuti, isang condo unit..pagkatapos nilang pirmahan ang papeles na ibibigay na sa isang bahay ampunan ang bata.