Saved

6

Pagkatapos kong mapakain ang mga bata ay agad itong hiniram ni Sir Caleb, makikipaglaro lang daw muna siya sa dalawa. Ang totoo niyan kanina pa siya naghihintay simula nung maibaba ko na ang dalawa hanggang sa tapos ko na silang mapakain.

"Hello little ones, I'm your lolo, say lolo. Lo-lo" Magiliw na sabi ni Sir Caleb. Nakaluhod siya ngayon para pantayan ang taas ng dalawa.

"Lo.. lolo" Masayang sabi ni Anuj na ikinatawa ng malakas ni Sir Caleb.

"Very good" Kita ko ang magiliw na paggulo ng buhok nito kay Anuj at nung akmang hahawakan na nito si Tanuj ay biglang umiwas ang huli. "Naku ito ang sungit Cassius na Cassius talaga nung bata pa. Isn't he look really like me?" Nangingiting tanong na baling nito sa akin. "What is their name?" Tanong muli nito.

"Si Tanuj po ito, ito naman si Anuj" Pakilala ko sa dalawa, nakangiting tumango tango ito.

"Nice name, did you already baptize them?"

Umiling muna ako bago magsalita "Hindi pa po, isasabay ko nalang sana sa birthday nila"

"When is their birthday?"

"December 25 po"

"Oh really? What a coincidence, Cassius's birthday is on that day too" Natatawang sabi nito "It's just 2 months away, it's really a good thing we can still attend it"

Muli nitong binalingan si Tanuj at lumuhod pa para mapantayan ito "Say lolo Tanuj" Baling muli nito kay Tanuj pero umiwas lang muli ito at saka bumaling sa akin.

"Ma! Mama" Sigaw nito na parang nagpapakarga ulit.

"No. Go play with your lolo and Anuj" Sabi ko dito nakipagsukatan muna ito ng tingin sa akin na parang nagpapaawa at naghihintay na kargahin ko siya. "Sige na Tanuj" Malambing na sabi ko ulit, doon na ito tumalikod sa akin at saka tumakbo papunta kay Anuj at Sir Caleb.

Tuwang-tuwang naman na kinarga ni Sir Caleb ang dalawa at parang batang nagtatakbo sa loob ng bahay na animo ay lumilipad na malakas na ikinatawa ng mga bata.

"Tulungan ko na ho kayo" Baling ko kay Ma'am Anita. Siya kasi ang magluluto ngayon kaya naisipan kong tumulong nalang muna sa kanya habang libang pa ang mga bata.

Kanina ko pa kasi napapansin na wala silang katulong at ang ini-expect kong malapalasyong old house na sinasabi ni Cassius ay may tamang laki lang. It was a two storey middle class house. Mukhang mas malaki pa ang bahay na tinirhan ko noon nung nasa puder pa ako ng ama ko kaysa dito. Para lang silang ordinaryo at normal na pamilya kung umasta at kumilos taliwas sa iniisip ko sa kanila.

"Ma, tulungan na kita" Alok ni Ma'am Rina na kakababa lang sa ayos nito mukhang kakatapos palang nitong maligo.

"Don't bother iha, Ziya is here, we can handle this, just help Caleb to look out for the kids" Nakangiting sabi naman ni Ma'am Anita, tinignan muna ako nito bago tumalikod at pumunta na pwesto nila Sir Caleb at mga bata.

"We'll just cook tinola for you and then menudo and porkchop it's Cassius, Caleb and Rina's favorite" Sabi nito at saka na namin sinumulang magluto ako yung tagahiwa ng mga ingredients at ito naman ang taga timpla.

Saktong alas dose na ay tapos na kami sa lahat ng niluluto namin naihanda na din namin ang lamesa.

•••

On the other side

Habang nasa meeting ay hindi na mapakali si Cassius, all he thinks about was just to go home.

This is the first time after so many years that he was so excited to go home, even when he was about to leave he was really so reluctant especially when he saw Anuj clinging into him and calling him with that warm and milky voice.

Cassius sigh upon remembering it again.

"Sir, tonight you have an appointment with a foreign investor" Doon lang siya napabalik sa sarili nung magsalita si Henry, his secretary.

"Cancel all my appointments tonight" Mabilis na sabi ni Cassius na ikinataka ni Henry.

"But---"

Magsasalita palang sana siya nung putulin iyon bigla ni Cassius "Just do what I say, are we done here?" Tanong nito na alangang ikitango nalang ni Henry.

"Good let's head home now" Mabilis na imporma ni Cassius sabay ang mabilis na pagtayo, gulat na napatingin agad si Henry sa kanyang orasan. Magsasalita pa lang siya nung dali-dali ng lumabas ang amo. Wala na siyang nagawa kundi ang magkibit balikat nalang at inisip na baka may emergency kaya ito nagmamadali.

Habang nasa daan ay may nadaanan silang baby booth agad na pinahinto ni Cassius ang sasakyan na ikinataka naman ni Henry pero walang ingay na sinundan nalang nito ang amo.

"What are we doing here Sir" Takang tanong ni Henry.

"Didn't you say you have a new born nephew?"

Naguguluhan man ay sumagot nalang si Henry "Yes? Are you going to give him a gift? But it's not his birthday"

"Silly, you're going to help me buy something that I can give to my twins" Masayang imporma nito na may ngiti sa labi.

"Your twins?" Hindi na nagsalita si Cassius pero makikita ang pagningning ng mga mata nito.

•••

Sakto namang kakatapos lang ni Anita at Ziya magluto ng pumasok na si Cassius at Henry.

Pansamantala munang natigilan ang dalawa ng madatnan ang itsura ng bahay. Ang dami kasing nakakalat na laruan mga papel at kung anu-ano pa.

Kilala niya ang Mommy at Abuela niya ayaw na ayaw nila pagmakalat ang paligid pero sa nakikita niya ngayon na masaya pang nakikipaglaro ang Mommy, Daddy at Abuela niya sa kambal at tila wala ng pakialam sa paligid. Nangingiting napailing nalang siya.

Agad ding hinanap ng mga mata niya si Ziya at napahinto siya ng makita niya ito sa dinning table at inaayos ang mga pagkain.

Seeing her in her messy hair, apron and there are some sweats dripping down on her small face, there are some tingling emotions that he feel which is new to him.

"Ta!!!" Biglang tumakbo palapit sa kanya si Anuj kasunod si Tanuj with their unstable and wobbling balance.

The three grandparents was already in panick because of the sudden pace that the kids do. Even Cassius was already in panic kaya inilang hakbang niya lang ang mga ito at kinarga na sa magkabilang kamay na ikinahagikhik ng dalawa.

"Hello Little monsters" Masayang bati niya dito.

"Ta! Mam! Mam!" Maingay na ungot ni Anuj.

"Okay, we'll go to your mother to eat. Looks like both of you are enjoying this place, look at what you did" Naiiling na sabi ni Cassius at muling pinasadahan ang paligid.

Pagkakita palang kay Ziya ay hindi na mapakali si Tanuj at gustong-gusto ng magpakarga sa ina.

"Sige na iha ako na diyan asikasuhin mo nalang sila" Alok ni Anita na alangang tinalima nalang ni Ziya.

"Take care of Tanuj, I will take care of Anuj" Sabi ni Cassius sabay bigay kay Tanuj sa kanya.

•••

Pagkatapos nilang mananghalian ay tinulungan na ni Cassius iakyat ang mga bata at bumaba agad because he knows that Ziya had to breastfeed the two.

Even if he really wanted to stay to see the kids while they are asleep. Even though he knows that he will see them again there is a part of him that wanting to be always with them and can't really get enough of twins but it's also awkward to see Ziya while breastfeeding them, so he'd rather choose to be with the elders than to be in an awkward situation where he doesn't know what to do.

And by the time the elders was already on his sight, just like what he had anticipated his mother's blazing gaze was the one welcomed him.

"Now Cassius, can you tell us what is happening?" Nakapamewang na salubong ni Rina sa anak habang naniningkit ang mga mata. "That girl was the second daughter of the Veloso, Julia's sister, your fiancee, she disappear two years ago and now she reappear and both of you have twins. Didn't she elope with her boyfriend? What the hell is really happening here?" Naguguluhang dugtong pa nito.

"I don't know mom, I don't know too. I was also shock when she appear again at my door. It's true that something happened to us two years ago I was drunk and she was too, then it happened"

"I can't believe how irresponsible you are Cassius"

"It was just a one night stand and as you all know she disappeared two years ago, so I decided to forget about it, that is what we agreed on after I gave her money"

"What? You mean the one million that you have withdrawn two years ago was given to that girl? I can't believe it, I knew from the first time I saw her, that woman was a bad news. I think we should get a DNA test that woman might use some schemes to make us believe that children were yours and if it's really yours we'll get the full custody of the children, we can't let that woman see the children again"

Pagkatapos sabihin ni Rina iyon ay kasabay nun ang pagtunog ng pagkahulog ng mga gamit at nung lingunin nila iyon ay si Ziya ang nakatayo doon at hindi na maipinta ang mukha nito.

Si Cassius ang unang nakabawi sa pagkagulat "Ahm, wait" Agad nitong anas pero nagmamadali lang na pumasok si Ziya sa kwarto at mabilis na kinarga ang kambal.

"Wait, what are you doing? Where are you going?" Sunod-sunod na tanong ni Cassius ng makita ang pagmamadali ni Ziya.

Bubuksan palang sana nito ang pinto nung humarang si Cassius.

"Tabi" Mahina ngunit madiin nitong utos.

"Come on Ziya calm down first okay, I know what you're thinking but it's not like that---" Hindi natuloy ang sasabihin pa sana ni Cassius ng biglang magangat ng tingin si Ziya sa kanya at hindi niya alam kung bakit bigla siyang natameme at parang nasindak sa nanlilisik na mga mata ng babae.

"Aalis na kami ng mga anak ko, hinding-hindi ako papayag na mawalay sa akin ang mga anak ko. Alam mo Cassius, pinagsisisihan ko na ikaw pa ang tinakbuhan ko, napakatanga ko na kung bakit sa oras na iyon ikaw pa ang naisip na takbuhan ko" Malamig nitong sabi naikinatigil ng bahagya ni Cassius kaya nung tuluyan na nitong buksan ang kwarto ay wala na siyang nagawa para pigilan ito.

Nakita nila Anita, Rina at Caleb na si Ziya na bumababa karga ang kambal habang nakasunod naman si Cassius, akmang tatayo na si Rina at Anita ay pinigilan ito ni Cassius sa pamamagitan ng mga tingin, si Caleb naman na mukhang naitindihan agad ang nangyayari ay pinigilan at pinakalma ang asawa.

Tuluyan ng nakalabas si Ziya ay nakasunod pa rin si Cassius sa kaniya.

"Look please just calm down, don't mind what my Mom said, I won't let that happened trust me" Halos mangusap na ang boses nito pero tuloy-tuloy lang si Ziya sa paglalakad, frustrated na napahilamos nalang ng mukha si Cassius.

" At saan kayo sa tingin niyo pupunta? Sa kalsada? Ano sa tingin mo ang mangyayari sa mga bata, magisip ka nga Ziya" Iritang asik na nito doon na napahinto si Ziya at napalingon sa kanya. He was taken a back at first with the way she look now it looks like he stumbled with a fierce cat "I'm really sorry for what my mother had said, sometimes she is very meticulous and discreet, so she can sometimes be insensitive with her words but I assure you that we can talk this out with her. Trust me, I won't let the twins be away from you. Just get in my car, papagabi na baka magkasakit ang mga bata" Malumanay na ani nito, matiim muna siyang tinitigan ni Ziya bago ibaling ang tingin sa kambal na tahimik na natutulog.

Napapikit nalang ito saka sumakay na sa kotse doon lang nakahinga ng maluwag si Cassius saka dali-daling pumasok sa driver seat.

Hanggang sa makarating sila sa Condo ni Cassius ay tahimik lang ang dalawa.

Walang imik napumasok nalang si Ziya sa kwarto para patulugin ang mga bata. Binagsak nalang ni Cassius ang sarili sa sofa at doon napasandig nalang.

Ziya was like a fierce cat he just stumbled upon, she's so distant and aloof, that's why he's having a hard time keeping up with her. It's like any moment, she'll just run off if he look away just even for a second.

He knows that he'll have a hard time gaining her trust, but one thing he has to do now is to give her an assurance and security for her to not run off again. It's like dealing with an important investor one way to get that person by patience and effort.

His first step must be to eliminate possible threat and that is her mother.

"Hel--"

"Mom, Please don't talk about the custody anymore, the kids will always be with Ziya. Just let me handle this okay and don't let that woman be upset, if you still want to meet your grandchildren"

"What? Did she said that?"

"No, I just know it. I'll hung up now, good night Mom" With that he really hunged up the phone.

Rina was left dumbfounded with how her son treated her and even her husband didn't even talk to her because of the incident earlier and even her mother-in-law look at her with displeased in her eyes. She was just being cautious but that girl manage to get everyone on her side in just a short amount of time.

She felt wronged and become more determined to expose that girl's true color, because she knows and she believed she was one of those schemer that they need to beware of.