Return Of The Wife

Chapter 6

[6] The Princess and the Prince

My hands were still cold kahit na ilang minuto na ang lumipas nang makita ko si Damien. Hindi ko alam kung anong ginagawa niya dito at wala na akong plano pang alamin iyon.

I looked at Gerry munching her sandwiches that I prepared. Si Terrence naman ay inaabutan ito ng mga kailangan niya, sometimes ay inaasar dahil sa makalat kumain ang bata.

I looked at the two of them.

Dapat kontento na ako ngayon. I have the wealth, I have my friends, I have Terrence and I have a loving daughter. But still, bakit pakiramdam ko ay may malaking butas sa puso ko. It's like I'm still incomplete.

"Hon? You're spacing out again," I looked at him smiling while holding his phone na kanina pa palang tumutunog.

"Sorry,"

He smiled. "I'll just take this call, okay?"

He nodded and leaned forward to kiss me on the forehead. I closed my eyes as I felt his lips against my skin. Nang makaalis na si Terrence ay tumayo ako at lumapit kay Gerry na gulo-gulo ang buhok.

Inilabas ko ang suklay at ang ponytails niya at nagsimula nang ayusan ang buhok niya.

"Mommy can I play with mister Prince again?"

"Who is mister Prince anak?"

She sighed.

"The man that you talked to po kanina. But you got mad po." She paused "He's not bad Mommy, I can feel it somehow. And I think he's sad."

My heart raced habang sinasalaysay ng anak ko ang tungkol kay Damien. Of all people na puwede niyang maging kaibigan at mapalapit ang loob ay si Damien pa ang pinili niya. At hinding-hindi ako makakapayag na mangyari 'yun, I won't allow him to hurt my daughter the same way he made me feel.

I gently stroke her hair at malalim na huminga. Not wanting to shout at her dahil sa pagpupumilit na maka-usap ulit si Damien.

"What did he told you, Gerry?"

She stayed silent. She's giving me her silent treatment, unless I say yes ay hindi siya magsasalita. 

"Okay ganito, I'll let you play with him pero next time na lang. Kasi your Daddy will get jealous, 'di ba he wants to play with you too?"

I tried my best para utuin siya. And I came up with the idea na isingit si Terrence, as far as I know ay ayaw niya na nakikita na nagtatampo o nagagalit sa kaniya si Terrence o kaya ay ako.

She nodded, pero matamlay.

"Okay po Mommy,"

Marahan siyang kumagat ng sandwich niya at kinalaunan ay bumalik na rin si Terrence. Umupo ito sa tabi ni Gerry na nakasimangot.

He looked at me with those questioning look at ngumuso naman ako. Telling him that Gerry's throwing a tantrums. Tumango siya.

"Gerry let's play anak." Aya niya dito.

Bigla namang nag-angat ng ulo si Gerry at kuminang ang mga mata nito. Agad na tumayo at nagpagpag ng damit. She was beaming happily habang hinihigit ang mga kamay ni Terrence. I laughed nang muntikan nang madapa si Terrence dahil sa paghabol kay Gerry.

I looked at the two of them and I wonder what will happen in the near future? Hindi naman na panghabang buhay na ganito lagi ang mararanasan namin. It's not like the world we are living is a fairytale, this world, it is the reality.

Sa hindi kalayuan ay may pamilyar na pares ng mga mata akong natanaw. That familiarity brings shiver down to my spine but gives me butterflies the same time. That kind of abnormal feeling that was lost.

"Damien..." I whispered as I met his knowing gaze.

He's leaning under the shade of a tree with his arms on his chest. After all those years ay hindi ko inakala na makikita ko ulit ang sarili ko noon gaano ako nagpakatanga sa iisang lalaki.

But it wasn't his expressions that shocked me. A little girl, not more than my daughter's age approached him. She tugged Damien's shorts pero hindi siya nito pinansin, the little girl crossed her arms at sinundan ang tingin ng katabi papunta sa 'kin.

Something inside me grumbled as she stared down at me. Mukhang napansin ni Damien na nakabaling ang mga mata ko sa tabi kaya nagulat siya nang makita ang batang babae. But the shock on his face disappeared and was replaced by a smile.

Kinarga niya ang batang babae at naglakad palayo.

The little girl looked familiar, her jet black hair reminds me of someone. Although may kaunting pinagbago sa hugis ng mukha but I would never forget those pair of eyes. I've seen it before. Yes, parang pamilyar na pamilyar iyon sa akin pero hindi ko ma-pinpoint kung kanino at saan ko nakita. Even her heart shaped face.

No doubt the girl looked familiar, malamang ay anak iyon ni Kiana. Even more so, I think that Damien's the father. After all, hindi naman sila naghiwalay talaga ni Kiana. The devil's mistress.

So hindi niya pala pinaabot ng forty-days ang pagkamatay ng anak namin. He didn't even mourned at my daughter, true he did got angry dahil sa pagkawala ng anghel ko pero...dahil 'yun sa mana.

And I guess they planned it all along. Marrying each other and creating a wonderful family. And he played it well, such a player that any varsity would be ashamed of his superb skills.

And the thought that he doesn't care about our daugter makes me want to kill him even more.

"Mommy?"

I looked at Gerry standing in front of me, si Terrence naman ay nasa isang ice cream parlor at may kausap.

Her eyes looked at me with worry. I gently caressed her soft face.

"Why are you sad, is it because I did not told you about what the man said?"

I didn't answer instead ay nginitian ko lang siya at muling tinitigan ang kaniyang maamong mukha. Her expression softens at kinalaunan ay naupo sa mga hita ko.

She streched her leg as she gets some grape.

"He told me a story Mommy, about a Prince and Princess." She started. "And it goes on like this...

Once upon a time, there was a prince who was wandering around the castle. Then he saw a princess crying on a garden, he comforted the princess and eventually fell in love with the princess' exceptional beauty. They became friends and got closer to each other but one day, the princess met another prince and they fell in love with each other.

The prince left with a broken heart. Then the old witch appeared and brainwashed the young prince. So the young prince fell in love with another Princess. Until one day, the king ordered the both of them to get married. They did but the prince was still broken, thinking that he hates the Princess, lived like a king.

The Princess, on the other hand became a prisoner in the hands of the Prince. Years passed and the prince grew back his love for his Princess but the old witch and the jealous other Princess formulated a plan that will separate the two. The mean ladies succeeded and the Prince and the Princess are no longer together.

But the Prince, he truly love his Princess and his heart will always be for his lost Princess..."

My heart was pounding like there's no tomorrow at para bang ano mang oras ay tatakasan ako ng katinuan. He's impossible, he's making more things complicated.

Lalo pang dumoble ang t***k ng puso ko nang biglang may sumulpot sa likod ko. That familiar scent of his perfume.

I whispered, "Damien."

Naramdaman ko ang presensiya niya sa likuran ko. My neck became stiff and my breathing became uneven. Unang pumaling ng ulo si Gerry at kita ko ang panlalaki ng mata niya.

"Mister Prince!" She beamed.

Wala na akong magawa pa kundi ang lingunin din siya. Ngayon ay hindi na siya nakatayo. He's kneeling in front of me and my daughter.

He sighed, "Yara can we talk?"

"I don't talk to strangers, sorry." I quickly said at nagtangkang lampasan siya.

"Yara please I'm begging." I know I'm not blind. I rolled my eyes at him, napansin ko na papalit-palit ng tingin sa amin si Gerry. Akmang tatalikod na ako nang bigla niyang hinawakan ang brason ko. It didn't hurt like before but I could feel his tension.

"Damn it Yara, I'm your husband!"

"Correction, ex-husband!" Nagngingitngit na sumbat ko sa kaniya. "How dare you tell me that! Bakit naging asawa ka ba sa 'kin, you were nothing but a monster kaya huwag na huwag kang magkakamali na lumapit sa 'kin o sa anak ko. I swear Damien, I will give you hell."

Nabigla kaming dalawa nang bigla na lamang tumayo si Gerry at tinulak si Damien. Napaupo naman siya sa damuhan at gulat na tumingin sa batang tumulak sa kaniya.

"I hate you.." she said straight to Damien's face. I saw how his expression changed. Nakita ko na gumuhit ang sakit sa kaniyang mukha.

And I remembered someone who is like that when he's angry. Mukhang natakot rin si Damien kay Gerry dahil pinapaalala ni Gerry kung ano ang ugali niya kapag galit.

And it hit me, Gerry resembles a lot of Damien's personality. As well as most of his facial expression. But that's impossible dahil hindi naman namin anak biologically si Gerry.

Gerry whispered. "I hate you so much." She was gritting her teeth at matatalim ang mga tingin na pinupukol sa lalaking nasa harapan namin. "You're the reason behind my mom's sadness! You're bad!"

Nakaramdam siguro ng pagkataranta si Damien dahil bakas sa mukha niya ang pagkalito. Nagpalit-palit ang tingin niya sa amin ni Gerry until it finally rested on the kid. He slowly leaned forward para pantayan ang anak ko.

"Hindi naman sa ganoon. . ." He tried to explain his side pero nang nagtangka siyang hawakan ang mukha ni Gerry ay tumalikod ito at humarap sa 'kin. She took my hand at hinila ako paalis doon.

"Come one mommy, let's get you away from Mister Prince. I don't want to see you cry." She said loud enough para marinig ni Damien at hinila na ako nito ng tuluyan palayo doon.

I didn't even spared a gaze at him. I know, how cold of me. What can I do? He's the one to blame. He's the one who made me this way.

And I thank him for that.

*****