Heart Rallies

TEAH CARYL YU

That's Te-Ya.

If Leb had life while Mom and Dad were arguing, I was born when Mom and Dad tried to create me. Okay, I wasn't a zygote trying to peek or whatnot. I was simply destined to be formed even before any precontemplation or any plan of all sorts.

If Leb was the unplanned but wanted baby, I was the planned, expected, and wanted one.

I gave Mom a hard time when they found out that she's pregnant. Dad was thinking that they will have a sign should Mom experience some weird cravings again, make Dad dance another hippie song but there was none.

We were on Grandma's home that Sunday and she was preparing some mashed potatoes. Mom and Mama Raffy were helping Tita Amanda out when the eldest noticed something with Mom.

And yes, I call my grandma Tita Amanda because she looks so young despite having a crazy bunch of grandkids from four wonderful children.

"Bea, lumalaki yung ilong mo," Tita Amanda said.

Mom dropped the peeler and she wanted to freak out. She started being too much of a beauty conscious after she and Dad got married.

Mama Raffy's face lit. "Could it be that she's...?"

Tita Amanda was not excited but that same day, she pushed Mom into calling her OB to examine her. They all went to St. Lukes after lunch even if Dad was somehow hesitant for making an OB-Gyne visit like a family outing. Mom was dying to shoo everyone away, scared that the excitement would turn out as a failure, not only to my family but also to Tito Ethan's, Tita Ava's, and Tita Akira's. So the doctor did all of those tests and shortly, she ushered Dad inside her office.

Dad and Mom went out smiling.

That must also be the reason why I wanted to become a cheerleader. I love attention and happy celebrations.

I knew my gender right from the start and so I knew then and there that I would be my Daddy's girl. When Mom learned about her second pregnancy, that's when the symptoms came out.

They were sleeping soundly one night when Mom shook Dad's body to wake him up. With an eye open, he asked what Mom needed.

"Gusto ko ng fish fillet. Gusto ko yung medyo cheesy. Parang yung kinakainan natin sa Global. Saka ice cream na strawberry," she pleaded.

"Babe, madaming pagkain sa fridge," he said sleepily. At that time, we have already moved to our new home that they built. "Dun na lang kita ikukuha."

"Babe, no. Ayoko ng iba. Gusto ko fish fillet and ice cream," she told him. "Gutom na ako pati yung baby."

Hearing the baby word, Dad immediately stood up and wore his slippers. "I'll check the fridge."

He went down going to the kitchen and raided it as if what Mom wanted would appear if Dad did so. He went back to their room with a gallon.

Mom was frowning.

"Babe? Strawberry please," she pleaded him. "This is vanilla."

Dad loved Mom too much that he happily obliged going out of our house by 2 AM looking for strawberry ice cream and fish fillet after taking his jacket. When he found an open McDonald store, he bought five fish fillet sandwiches for Mom. He then went to four 7-11 stores until he found strawberry ice cream. It was nearly 3 when he got back home. He removed the fish from the sandwiches and took some mayo out of the fridge and went back to their room. Mom smiled as soon as she saw Dad.

She thanked him though she was disappointed with the fillet.

The following day, Dad bought home the fillet that she wanted and stored it on the ref so it wouldn't be hard to find one. He also bought three gallons of strawberry ice cream.