Fleeting Moments

Chapter 12: Movie

#HHFM Chapter 12:

Movie

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"Frankie, shall we set up the free room for your baby?"

Napaangat ang tingin ko mula sa keyboard papunta kay Tita na nasa upuan sa tapat ko. Her eyes were focused on the DSLR camera that she was holding. Hindi ako nakasagot agad sa tanong kaya lumipat din sa akin ang tingin niya. She raised both of her eyebrows at me, and I averted my gaze towards her.

"Kayo po'ng bahala," sagot ko.

Earlier this morning, she invited me to join her outside. Nahiya akong tumanggi. Kaya heto kami ngayon sa garden nila with my laptop and her teacup on the round white table. Hindi na nawala-wala sa akin ang pagka-intimidate sa kaniya, kahit na mabait naman siyang makipag-usap sa akin.

Kahapon din, naririnig ko ang pangungulit niya kay Ryo kung babae o lalaki ba ang anak namin. Just a few more weeks and everyone will welcome him to the world yet his grandparents, lalo na ang mga magulang ko, wala pa ring kaalam-alam tungkol sa kaniya. If Tita would ask me now, hindi ko alam kung masasagot ko. Ewan ko rin ba kay Ryo kung bakit ayaw sabihin, baka gusto lang inisin ang Mommy niya.

"But I think it's better if you would put the crib in your room, pero parang mas malaki ang room ni Ryo e," she added.

I pursed my lips and prayed that she would stop talking. I seriously have no idea on how I should respond. Naiintindihan ko naman na nagpaplano lang naman siya at concerned bilang lola, but I think she's forgetting the most important part here, na ex ako ni Ryo at nakikitira lang ako sa kanila. Maybe she already got used to my presence, but it's not like I would be staying here forever.

I already asked Cali to look for apartments na mas safe at mas maayos para sa bata. After my delivery, I would just wait for a month or so before going home, dahil kailangan ko ring sabihin kina Tatay. Then I would need to go back here for work. Ang pinakamalaking problema ko ay kung sino'ng mag-aalaga kay Raiko. Hindi naman puwedeng si Cali dahil halos parehas naman kami ng schedule sa office. Sunod, kung papayag ba ang mga magulang kong dalhin ko si Raiko rito, feeling ko kasi ay mas gugustuhin nilang sila ang kasama ng apo nila.

Isa pang problema, sigurado akong hindi papayag sina Nanay na hindi makakausap si Ryo at sina Tita. I just hope that my parents would know how to calm down. Nakahihiya kina Tita kung sakali mang bigla na lang magwala si Tatay.

Tita Rayi was probably bringing it up because she saw the stuff that Ryo and I bought last Valentine's Day, a.k.a. the most awkward mall experience of my life. I tried so hard to act and sound normal pero kinalaunan, para akong binuhusan ng isang balde ng hiya. Lalo na't hindi nakikisama si Ryo at parang kinamatisan sa sobrang pula ng mukha niya habang nagtitingin-tingin kami ng gamit. All we did was shop for Raiko's needs, with minimal talking, tapos, umuwi na kami. Hindi rin naman option na magtagal kami sa labas nang magkasama, with his celebrity status and all that.

Hindi pa namin naaalwas ang mga shopping bag. Ryo just set up the crib in my room. Ang ibang gamit, nasa kuwarto pa niya at hindi ako sigurado kung binuksan na niya.

"Frankie," tawag sa akin ni Tita.

"Po?"

"Alam na ba ng parents mo?" she asked, putting her camera on the table before sipping on her drink.

Bahagya akong natigilan doon para mag-isip kung magsisinungaling ba ako o hindi. In the end, I felt bad at the thought of lying to her, so I shook my head.

"Uuwi na lang po ako pagkatapos kong manganak," I told her. Bahagya akong kinabahan nang makitang napasimangot siya.

"What about your baby, then? You're still going to work after your maternity leave, right?"