All I ask

AIA.07 - There is no tomorrow, All I ask

What do you want?

Kairos Gregor Rouvin Vejar’s

“Hey!”

I smiled when I saw Rem and Rom together inside the hospital suite. This is the first time I ever saw them together and it warmed my heart. Rem was sitting on Rom’s bed. He was holding a pen and a paper.

“Hello, Mr. Kairos.” Rem smiled at me. “I am dwawing Rom and I in Disneyland.” Ipinakita niya sa akin ang drawing niya na nakasakay silang dalawa ng kakambal niya sa train. “Rom, did I tell you alweady that Mr. Kairos hewe is taking us to Disney so you bettew get well soon ‘cause it’s goona be fun!” He excitedly told his brother. Ngumiti naman si Rom. Kahit paano ay may pagbabago na sa hitsura niya. Nagkakakulay na ang pisngi niya. The doctor said that his body is adapting well to his new bone marrow and that made me feel relief.

“Weally?” Rom asked. He, then looked at me. “Thank you, Mr.Kaiwos. Wait, Rem, he said that he’s an alien.”

“For weal?! Maybe he knows Dad!” Nagtingingan silang magkapatid. Lumuhod pa si Rem sa kama ni Rom tapos ay tumingin sa akin. “Awe you weally? Awe you fwom Maws?! Do you know our Dad? Mommy said that he’s the King of the Alien Ciwy! Ohhh! Do you know him?!”

Hindi ako nakasagot. Cachi had established the fact that I am indeed an alien in my kids’ lives.  Alien kasi hindi nila ako kilala, alien kasi sabi nga niya noon, I don’t use my heart but right now, I realized that I have my heart in front of me – these two beautiful kids.

“Rem why are you jumping on Rom’s bed? He might get hurt.”

Dumating si Cachi. Kasama niya si Alba na may sukbit na school bag sa likuran niya. It creeps me out how Alba looks a lot like my mother – lalo na iyong mga mata niya. Kapag nakatingin siya sa akin ay para bang kinukwestyon niya ang kahat ng desisyon ko sa buhay – just like Mama’s eyes.

“Hello, Uncle Kairos.” She greeted me. Naupo siya sa couch at naglabas ng libro. Cachi was eyeing her too.

“Alba, do you wanna play with the other kids in the garden?” I asked her.

“No. I saw it already, they’re all boys in there. Boys are stupid. They make decisions they don’t mean leaving them with a fucked up life when they’re adults.”

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. Cachi giggled a bit tapos ay binalingan niya ang mga anak ko.

“Mommy, you said that Daddy is the King of Maws! Mr. Kairos hewe is a wesident of Maws! He must know Daddy! I wanna see Daddy!” Rem said. Cachi just sighed. She held his hand. “And oh! I alweady told Rom that we’ll be going to Disneyland when he gets bettew! He’s so excited!”

Habang sinabi sa kanya ni Rem ang mga bagay na iyon ay nakatingin siya sa akin. She, then, looked at Alba who was busy reading.

“Alba, can you watch over the boys for a while. Kairos and I are going to talk outside.” Sabi niya. Tumayo siya at hinalikan si Rom tapos ay pinasunod ako sa kanya. Doon lang kami sa labas ng suite noong mga bata. Hinarap niya ako at saka humalukipkip.

“I am now better. Drinking my meds. We can now talk and I assure you won’t be in my back trying to make me breathe.” Confident na sabi niya. “Sabihin mo sa akin, ano bang gusto mo? Akon a lang ang mag-a-adjust kasi tulad ng dati, ikaw na naman ang kailangan intindihin. Ano bang gusto mo? Para tigilan mo na kami, para umalis ka na. Anong gusto mo? Ha? Ano, sapakan na lang tapos kapag nakadalawa ako sa’yo, uuwi ka na sa asawa mo?” Tinaas niya pa iyong sleeves ng t-shirt niya. Para bang hinahamon niya ako.