C3 - Maliah.

Five years later…

“It is lolo’s wake, why am I not allowed to see him for the last time?” Pwedeng pagsabitan ng kaldero sa haba ng nguso na maktol ng anak niya kay Arianna.

“Because you are Mommy and Lolo’s secret. Did you already forget that?” malumanay na niyuko niya ito dahil tumigil na ito sa paglalakad. Naka-cross arms ito at naka-pout. “Maliah, listen to me. You promised to be a good girl if I take you home with me.”

“But Mommy…” hindi umubra ang pagmamaldita kaya luha naman yata ang susubukan nito sa biglang pamamasa ng mga mata nito. “He’s my Lolo. I want to see him…”

“I understand how you feel, anak. But right now is not the right time for everyone to see you.”

Maliah smiled sadly.

“How about we video call and I’ll let you see him?” Arianna offered, hoping it would work. 

“Then you will do it secretly too?” 

She nodded. Wala siyang pagpipilian sa ngayon. She cannot reveal Maliah’s existence yet. 

“Would you want that?”

“I guess…” 

Natawa siya nang mahina. Tumayo siya at inaya na ang anak na mabuti naman at naglakad na rin ulit. Sa totoo lang, nakakaabala na sila sa ibang dumaraan. 

Nasa airport sila at papalabas pa lang. 

Arianna looked ahead. It had been five years since she left. At ngayon ang unang beses na babalik siya sa bansa. She had not expected to return this soon. But Samuel suddenly died of cardiac arrest.

Masakit sa kanya dahil hindi niya alam na may dinaramdam ang kanyang ama. During his visits and their regular video calls, wala naman siyang nakitang senyales na hindi maayos ang kalusugan nito. In fact, he was a very happy grandfather to Maliah.

Well, she didn’t expect Maliah herself. Sa katunayan, nasa Amerika na siya nang mapagtanto niyang buntis siya. And who could the father be except the man she met at the bar? Iyong lalaking wala na nang magising siya kinabukasan. 

Iyong lalaking hindi man lang niya maalala ang mukha… 

But looking at Maliah, who didn’t get a single feature from her, may slight na siyang ideya sa itsura ng ama nito. He sure must have a lovely pair of blue eyes. Kasi hindi naman blue ang mga mata niya at sigurado siyang hindi rin naipalit ang anak sa ospital pagkapanganak. 

So, there could only be one reason why her daughter would have blue eyes. Maliah inherited it from her father.

But it had been so long. And she had no clear memory of the man. 

“Mommy, do you know that man?” Muling tumigil sa paglalakad si Maliah at nang tingnan niya ay nakaturo sa kung kanino.

Sinundan niya ng tingin ang tinutukoy nito and saw a man wearing sunglasses facing their direction. Matangkad ito, at hindi maitatanggi ang agaw-pansin nitong kagwapuhan.

“Does he know us?”

Naupo siya sa harap ng anak at ibinaba ang kamay nitong nakaturo pa rin. “Don’t randomly point your finger at someone. It’s rude, Maliah. And Mommy doesn’t know him. Besides, he’s not looking at us.” How could Maliah tell anyway? May suot itong dark sunglasses. “Look, there are a lot of people here. He may be waiting for someone else, okay?”

“Okay!”

“Let’s go.” Muli niya itong inaya habang tinatawagan naman niya ang hotel service nila. 

Nang balingan niya ulit ang anak, nahuli niya pa itong kumakaway sa lalaki kanina. The man waved back. Kahit medyo malayo na ito sa kanila, parang nakita niya itong ngumiti. 

Hindi na lang niya pinagtuunan iyon ng pansin. Maliah was a natural charmer. Cute ang anak niya at friendly. Well, that guy was not the first one na randomly ay kinakawayan ng anak niya. Minsan pa nga, nakikipag-usap ito sa kung kani-kanino kahit pa paulit-ulit niya itong bilinan na ‘wag makipag-usap sa strangers. 

Arianna worried na makidnap na lang ang anak niya sa kadaldalan nito at pagiging overly friendly.

Hindi na rin naman nagtagal at nasundo na sila ng hotel service. Sa hotel muna sila tutuloy. Well, uuwi siya sa bahay nila kapag dumating na ang yaya ni Maliah. Hindi niya ito naisabay ng flight dahil nag-atubili pa itong sumama. 

“Aren’t you tired, anak? SMillerp ka muna while I unpack, okay?”

“Not tired, Mommy. I’m hungry…” nakanguso nitong sagot habang nakasalampak sa ibabaw ng kama.

“Mommy will order food. What would you like to have?”

Excited itong bumaba ng kama at inunahan pa siya sa telepono. Napailing na lang siya at hinayaan ito. 

Kinabukasan pa nakapunta sa burol ng ama si Arianna. Hinintay pa kasi niya si Daisy na yaya ng anak. She was a Filipina too dahil iyon talaga ang choice niya as she believes na walang mas maaruga kundi Pinay. 

“Arianna,” mahigpit siyang niyakap ni Dominic pagdating niya. “You’re here. You’re really here…” Namasa pa ng luha ang mga mata ng binata. 

But Arianna just gently pushed him away. Hindi niya gusto ang pagpapanggap nito. 

Limang taon na ang nakaraan pero sariwa pa rin sa alaala niya ang gabing nahuli niya ito at si Bianca sa kama. She never told him about it, kaya siguro hanggang ngayon, pa-victim pa rin ito. Well, in the eyes of many, she abandoned her fiance for five years. 

Hindi siya nakipag-communicate sa lalaki, kahit na kay Bianca. But they were thick faced to continue living in her house even though it was apparent that she had changed the way she treated them. 

But Samuel knew what happened. When she was at a loss with her sudden pregnancy, nakipagkita siya sa ama. He was disappointed, of course. But he was an excited grandfather even then. Na mas lamang nitong naipakita at naipadama sa kanya na balewala ang naging pagkakamali niya dahil anak siya nito at ang nasa sinapupunan niya ay apo nito, kaysa sa disappointment nitong hindi niya natupad ang pangako niyang mananatiling malinis hanggang sa maikasal siya. 

About Dominic and Bianca’s betrayal, Samuel told her to leave the matter to him. 

Five years later, he was lying in his coffin while the traitors remained at their house. Sigurado si Arianna na hindi binalewala ng kanyang ama ang ginawa ng dalawa sa kanya, but maybe, he just ran out of time to make them pay for hurting her. He did mention to her that he discovered something during their last call. Hindi man nito nasabi kung tungkol saan iyon, Arianna thought it was worth finding out.

“You must be tired, why don’t you rest first?” Sinundan siya ni Dominic nang lapitan niya ang ama.

“I’m good, don’t worry about me,” malamig niyang sagot.

“Arianna, I know it’s not the right time—”

“It’s not. So, please, if you don’t mind, I want some alone time with my dad.” 

He appeared hurt, but he let her be anyway.

Nang makita niya ang ama, kusang nag-unahang pumatak ang mga luha niyang ngayon niya lang pinakawalan.

“Dad!!!” she cried.