04

 

 

 

"Dada, I'm done na po."

 

 

 

Soleil cutely informed me after showing her empty glass of milk. Napangiti naman ako. Naubos niya din kasi pati 'yung mga pancakes na inihanda ko sakanya kanina. Well, paborito eh haha.

 

 

 

"Ay ang very good naman ng kabibe na 'yan oh." I praised, which made her smile so proudly. I chuckled.

 

 

 

"Tas aayaw-ayaw ka pa kanina ha." This time, tinukso ko naman siya as I grabbed a couple of soft tissues from the table para punasan ang 'milk mustache' niya.

 

 

 

And with that, she pouted and crossed her arms again before glaring back at me. "Psh."

 

 

 

That made me laughed. Umaattitude na talaga ang bebe oh. Siguro, unconciously natransfer ang ugali ni Bruhilda from two weeks ago dito sa junakis niya kaya siya naman ang nagiging mabait ngayon.

 

 

 

I chuckled from the thought as I softly pinched her cheeks. Ang cute! Nakakagigil! Namumula-mula pa talaga ito kaya napakameztizang-meztiza ang datingan.

 

 

 

"Huwag ka ng magtampo, Kabibe. Bibilhan nalang kita ng bagong toys mamaya." Pagsusuyo ko.

 

 

 

"Really?" At ayan na nga ang mga munting kislap sa kanyang mga mata. Naku po, kapag laruan talaga eh noh.

 

 

 

"Yup!" I replied, before messing her already just-woke-up messy hair.

 

 

 

But damn, ang sobrang spoiled talaga sa'kin nitong batang ito no? Eh hindi ko naman anak? Tapos kung makapagbigay din ako ng mga gusto nito eh dinaig ko pa ang isang mayamang magulang na bumabawi sa anak– no shade kay Bruhilda ah.

 

 

 

"Promise mo 'yan, Dada ha." She held her pinky finger and I immediately hooked my own with hers.

 

 

 

"Promise po." I shook it, promising, and then sealed it with a soft kiss afterwards as she smiled so widely. That was my indication that the current issue was already forgiven– or maybe, somehow forgiven. I rejoiced.

 

 

 

From my peripheral vision, hindi naman nakaligtas sa tingin ko si Bruhilda, who was already smiling at us with what seems to be fondness and a little bit of jealousy in her eyes.

 

 

 

Ayan kasi. Iwan-iwan pa more.

 

 

 

Anyway, I focused back on the kid as I looked at the time. "Pero bago yun, mag-shower na muna tayo, Kabibe." Pag-aaya ko dito. Hindi naman na 'to umangal pa at nagpabuhat nalang sa'kin.

 

 

 

Matapos kong paliguan at bihisan 'yung bata, who insisted on braiding her hair into her favorite style again for the nth time– a mermwaid braid, naghahanda naman kami ngayon para umalis.

 

 

 

Nakasakay na kami sa motor and I was safely positioning Soleil on my front when the mother of the kid suddenly popped out of nowhere. 

 

 

 

Napasigaw naman ako. Putcha, kamuntikan ko pang mabitawan 'yung bata!

 

 

 

"Ma'am Allessandra! Ano bang ginagawa niyo diyan!? Biglang-bigla nanggugulat eh!"

 

 

 

"Ay, sorry!" She replied, apologetically and made a peace sign.

 

 

 

I frowned. "Bakit? Ano ba kasi 'yun?" Naiinis na tanong ko sakanya while she just shyly looked away and pouted. Hay'nako.

 

 

 

"Dalian mo na, male-late na kami ng anak mo oh."

 

 

 

"Ano kasi... uhm." I rolled my eyes. Ay ano ba 'yan.

 

 

 

"Ano nga? May kailangan ka ba?" I asked again.

 

 

 

Nang hindi na siya sumagot pa, I just shook my head and started the engine. Bahala siya diyan.

 

 

 

Suddenly, nataranta naman agad siya after hearing the roar of the motorcycle. She immediately looked back to us again, specifically at me. Ano ba kasi ang gusto nito?

 

 

 

Biting her lips in a shy manner, she finally uttered her reply. "C-Can I tag along with you guys?"

 

 

 

I just raised my brows. Oh? So gusto lang pala sumama. Akala ko naman kung ano na kung maka asta.

 

 

 

When I was finally about to answer, nagulat nalang ako when Soleil immediately beat me to it. "No!"

 

 

 

Parang nanlumo naman agad ang nanay sa narinig atsaka nagpapa-awang tumingin sa'kin. I looked away. Pota, at talagang inilagay pa ako sa alanganin.

 

 

 

Now, I only have two choices. It's either I pick the daughter and risk a sulking/annoying Bruhilda for the rest of the day, or, I pick the mother and face a very mad, plus the never ending tantrums of the kid.

 

 

 

I weighted my options for a second before sighing. Then, I turned off the engine first bago bumaba– along with Soleil, para kunin ang extrang helmet sa seat compartment.

 

 

 

I guess, susuyuin ko nalang ulit ang bata.

 

 

 

"Dada!" I can feel the burning glare of the kid.

 

 

 

"Sorry na, Baby. Pumili ka nalang ng maraming toys mamaya, okay?" Paglalambing ko dito.

 

 

 

In the end, the kid grumpily agreed after hearing the magic word, 'toys'. Napangiti naman ako. And somehow, in the back of my mind, I know that she also wants the other to come with us.

 

 

 

Nang makuha ko na ang helmet, ibinigay ko naman agad ito kay Bruhilda, who only looked at it cluelessly. I sighed.

 

 

 

"Halika nga dito." I ushered for her to move closer. Sumunod naman siya kaagad sa'kin as I began to unclip the lock atsaka isinuot ito sakanya.

 

 

 

When that's done, I fixed her hair afterwards and made sure that she's comfortable sa suot.

 

 

 

Napatigil pa nga ako when our eyes came in contact with each other pero agad din naman akong umiwas atsaka sumakay na ulit sa motor.

 

 

 

"Sakay na." Pag-aaya ko dito and that made her smile so excitedly and did what I had asked her to do.

 

 

 

"Kumapit ka ng mabuti ha. Mamaya, kargo ko pa kapag nahulog ka." Pagbibigay babala ko dito.

 

 

 

"Sure. No problem!" Sagot nito.

 

 

 

Hawak-hawak ko na ang manibela at ready na ulit paandarin when suddenly, I felt her arms wrapping their way around my waist.

 

 

 

My gripped tightened.

 

 

 

Langya.

 

 

 

Kinakabag na naman yata ako.

 

 

 

Nagpakawala muna ako ng isang malalim na hininga bago nagsimula nang mag-drive. 

 

 

 

With only three minutes to spare, we made it into Soleil's school and right now, I was holding the kid's hand as I guided her all the way to her room.

 

 

 

And oh, pati yung nanay din pala sumama. Ayaw kasing magpaiwan sa parking lot eh. Kaya ngayon, she was tailing behind our backs as we walked around the hallway, careful not to bump into the sea of people. 

 

 

 

Ang dami na ding kasing mga batang nakakalat sa labas. Maglu-lunch time na din kasi at 'yung iba, tapos na sa pang-umagahang klase nila.

 

 

 

May mga magulang din o sundo na nagbabantay kaya mas lalo lang tuloy sumisikip 'yung daan.

 

 

 

Just then, napakunot ang noo ko bigla when I felt that we have several eyes looking at us– or mainly, sa likuran ko pala.

 

 

 

I looked around. And I gritted my teeth. 

 

 

 

Halos 'yung mga lalaking sundo pala 'yung nakatingin. I then clicked my tongue atsaka tumingin kay Bruhilda, who only looks clueless again at namamangha lang na inilibot ang tingin sa paligid.

 

 

 

"Allessandra," Pagtatawag ko sakanya.

 

 

 

"Hmm?"

 

 

 

"Wait, teka? Did you just called me by my name?"

 

 

 

Oops! I slipped, kaya I didn't bother to reply anymore and just quickly took her hand which caught her by surprise. After that, I gently pulled her close to me as we walked away from those annoying guys but not before giving them a deadly glare.

 

 

 

"Feeling mo naman. Namali ka lang siguro ng rinig pero dito ka lang sa tabi ko ha. Don't let go of my hand."

 

 

 

Nang makarating na kami sa silid-paaralan ni Soleil, saktong  papasok pa lang din 'yung guro kagaya namin. I smirked. Na-clutch pa nga. Hindi nalate ang kabibe. 

 

 

 

The said teacher also noticed us too kaya bigla itong tumingin sa gawi namin atsaka ngumiti ng malapad bago bumati– sa'kin alone. "Hi, River! Hinatid mo si Soleil?"

 

 

 

"Hi, Miss De Guzman." Pagbibigay galang ko sa guro. She is still young though, probably mga nasa around late twenties pa lang siguro kaya Miss ang tawag ko. "Oo eh, mabuti at hindi nalate haha."

 

 

 

She giggled as she tucked a hair behind her ears. A mannerism I always seen her do whenever we're talking. "Hindi 'yan. May five minutes spare time pa naman haha. And always hindi naman kayo late."

 

 

 

I just gave her a smile. Paanong hindi male-late eh palagi din naman kaming nagkakasabay pumasok ng room. Kaya palagi ding naka-clutch.

 

 

 

"Anyway, may gagawin ka pa ba after–" Hindi na natapos ang tanong niya when Soleil abruptly pushed me out along with Bruhilda tugging my hand.

 

 

 

"Dada, you can go na po!"

 

 

 

"River, let's go. I'm getting hungry."

 

 

 

I stared at the both of them and unconciously gulped when they are both already looking at me, annoyed and glaring. Teka, naman. Para naman akong may nagawang isang napakalaking kasalanan sakanila ah.

 

 

 

I managed to steer away from their deadly gaze, cleared my throat and then looked back to Soleil's teacher again. "Uhm, paki alaga nalang po kay Soleil, Ma'am. Thank you."

 

 

 

"Oh okay. No problem, River." She replied, lightly smiling but soon frowned when she looked at the girl beside me, who was already raising her brows at the teacher. Then, dumapo naman ang tingin niya sa magkahawak na kamay namin ni Bruhilda.

 

 

 

She frowned even more. 

 

 

 

Naramdaman ko naman ang biglang paghigpit ng hawak ni bruhilda sa'kin.

 

 

 

"Uhm... if I may ask, but who are you?" She curiously asked, rudely. Kaya napa-angat naman agad ang kilay ko.

 

 

 

Woah. What's with the sudden hostility? And why do I also feel like there's some kind of a tension brewing between the two of them? Hmm?

 

 

 

Anyhow, I decided to just let it be. Until Bruhilda replied, "None of your business, Ma'am."

 

 

 

I gasped. "Bruhilda." Mahinang pagsasaway ko dito. Akala ko ba bumait na 'to? Ba't nag-aatitude na naman? At sa guro pa talaga ni Soleil ha.

 

 

 

"Sorry. Anyway, like what River had said. Please take care of my daughter."

 

 

 

Tila nagulat naman ang guro. "Wait, you're Soleil's mother?"

 

 

 

"Yes. The one and only."

 

 

 

"Wow. This is the first time that I saw you in perso