Taking Risks (Book 1) [COMPLETED]

Chapter Nineteen

Naging tahimik ang byahe namin. Ang tanging ingay sa loob ng kotse ay ang mahinang kanta na pinapatugtog sa radyo. I stop the car and kill the engine when we reach Rachel's place. Nilingon ako ni Jaki.

"Thank you sa paghatid." Narinig kong sabi ni Jaki.

Tumango lang ako.

"Sige. Ingat sa pag-uwi." Sabi niya pa bago buksan ang pintuan. Lumabas siya at kumaway sa akin. I wave back and gesture for her to get inside. She nodded with a smile before turning around. Inantay ko siyang makapasok pero bago niya pa mabuksan ang gate ay lumabas na si Rachel mula doon. Karga karga niya ang tulog na si Ian. May hawak rin siyang bag sa braso niya.

"Thank God nandito ka na. Pasensya ka na talaga ha. Inabala ko pa ang night out mo." Sabi ni Rachel sa mahinang boses.

"Hala ate okay nga lang. Tsaka pauwi na talaga dapat ako nung tumawag ka." Jaki explains in a whisper as well. Napatango naman si Rachel.

"Naalimpungatan kasi kanina nung nagbibihis ako. Nung makita niya na nakabihis ako alam niya agad na aalis ako. So he started crying saying he doesn't want me to go. Inalo ko at eto nga nakatulog na kakaiyak. Ayaw din bumitaw." Paliwanag ni Rachel.

"Sige ate akin na." Sabi ni Jaki. Ipinasa ni Rachel si Ian kay Jaki nang dahan dahan para hindi magising ang bata. When they successfully did it, nagpaalam na si Rachel at dumiretso sa kotseng nakaparada sa labas na ngayon ko lang napansin. Pinaandar niya ito at mabilis na pinasibad.

Nang makaalis si Rachel ay nagising naman si Ian. Tumingala siya kay Jaki.

"Tita Jaki? Where's my Mom?" He ask sleepily.

"Hey baby. She just have to be somewhere but she'll be back soon." Mahinahong paliwanag ni Jaki sa bata. But the kid started throwing tantrums.

"She left me? I told her to not go!"

Umiyak siya and Jaki tried comforting him. But Ian's not listening and won't stop. Lumabas ako sa kotse at lumapit sakanila. Napatingin si Jaki sa akin.

"Look oh! Your kuya pogi is here. Do you want him to see you cry?" Jaki said trying a different tactic. And it work. Ian stop wailing and look at my direction.

"Hey little kid. Why are you crying?" Lumuhod ako at ibinaba naman siya ni Jaki. Tumakbo palapit si Ian. Kinarga ko siya at agad siyang yumakap sa leeg ko.

"Kuya Pogi my Mom left me." Sumbong niya habang umiiyak sa balikat ko. I rub his back to comfort him.

"Sometimes our Moms have to go somewhere far but they will come back, okay? Your Mom will be back soon. She just have to do something." Sabi ko.

"But I told her not to go! But she still did! She wants to leave me! She doesn't love me anymore!" Pagmamaktol ng bata. I can feel my shirt getting wet from his tears. Siguro nga may kasama na rin iyong sipon.

"If our Mom left us it doesn't mean that they don't love us anymore. You know my Mom also left me before."

Humiwalay siya sa yakap niya sa leeg ko at tumingin sa akin. Suminghot singhot siya.

"She did?" Pinunasan ko ang luha niya gamit ang free hand ko. Tumango ako.

"Yes."

"Because she doesn't love you anymore?"

"No. It's not like that. She have to work so that me and my siblings have something to eat. She loves us. She doesn't want us to starve so she have to go far away from us."

"How far?" He ask innocently while his eyes are trained to me. He finally stop crying because my story caught his interest.

"Very far. You have to ride an airplane." His eyes widen.