Twisted Affection

TWENTY-TWO

I didn't realize that three years had passed, and I decided to enroll in one of the universities here in Pampanga. I'm now a fourth-year student, at huling semester na ay graduate na ako. Tinulungan ako ni Zaiden na makuha lahat ng requirements ko sa University at may mga subjects lang talaga na kailangan kong kunin dahil siguro iba-iba ang variations ng curriculum nila.

Masyadong mabilis ang nangyayari, at hindi ko napansin na malapit na pala akong matapos sa pag-aaral. My babies are growing up, and they are becoming handsome and beautiful.

It's really hard for me to hide that I'm a mother already and even my classmates didn't know about it except Rian. It's safe that way kahit na alam kong sa sarili kong nahihirapan na rin ako. I got pregnant at 20, and now that I'm turning 24 this year, I didn't realize how challenging those years were in my life.

After I found out that Quincy knew Zairon, I still worked there but I only lasted for months. Nagiging paranoid na ako dahil naiisip kong baka susulpot na naman muli si Zairon at hindi talaga ako naging comfortable sa pagtrabaho araw-araw.

And it took years for me to finally move on. Right now, I'm still trying to get in touch with Zaiden. We labeled ourselves as friends and I realized that I no longer have feelings for him. Hindi na ako apektado kapag nandiyan siya palagi. And Zairon? I don't know. Hindi ko pa rin alam. Takot lang ako ngayon dahil sa nalaman ko at hawak-hawak ko pa rin ito hanggang ngayon.

Zaiden also called me a month ago and he decided to go back in the Philippines dahil nagkasakit raw lolo nila at siya na ang humawak ng University na skwelahan ko noon. He will visit the twins kapag may oras rin siya. Naging comfortable na rin akong tawagin siya sa first name niya, masyado raw kasing formal kapag tinatawag ko siyang Professor.

“Mommy? Play?” Yumuko ako at tiningnan ang anak kong si Cole. He’s tugging my uniform while staring at me with his cute and chubby cheeks.

Lumuhod ako upang pantayan siya at pinunasan ang pisngi niyang may chocolate. “You're dirty na, where's your ate?” Tinuro niya naman si Calia na nakaupo lang sa sulok at tinitingnan ang kaniyang books. Calia is always holding books although she didn't read it pero tinitingnan niya lang ang mga pictures sa libro.

“Can we play po, mommy?” I sighed and kissed his cheeks.

“I can't, baby. May pasok kasi si mommy,” yinakap ko siya at hinalikan sa noo. “I'll promise na babawi si mommy sayo, let's go to the mall? I’ll buy you toys tomorrow, okay?”

Cole's eyes lit up at the mention of toys and the mall. "Really, mommy?" he asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Really, baby," I assured him, giving him another hug. His little arms wrapped tightly around my neck, making my heart melt.

“Promise, mommy?” He looked at me with those innocent eyes, full of trust and love.

“Yes, promise,” I said, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

His face broke into a wide grin, and he scampered off, probably to tell Calia about the promised trip to the mall. I couldn't help but smile at his excitement.

I then turned my attention to Calia, who was still engrossed in her book. Walking over to her, I bent down to her level. "Calia, sweetie, mommy has to go to school now, okay?"

She looked up from her book, her big eyes mirroring her brother's. "You come back, mommy?" she asked in her soft, sweet voice.

"Of course, sweetie. Mommy will always come back," I reassured her, giving her a gentle hug. “Go to ate Serina na. Tell her that I'm going na.” Tumango siya at tumayo na rin ng maayos. She ran into the kitchen where Serina cooked their breakfast.

Sumilip si Serina sa’kin at kinawayan ako. “Ingat, ate!”

With a final goodbye, I grabbed my bag and headed out, ready to face another day at the university. As challenging as it was to balance school and motherhood, I wouldn't trade it for anything. My babies were my world, and I would do anything for them.

I took one last glance at my two precious angels, promising myself that I would work hard for their future. After all, they were the reason I was pushing through, the reason I was striving to be better. They were my motivation, my inspiration, and my strength. And for them, I would keep going, no matter what.

Pagbaba ko palang ng tricycle, narinig ko na ang pagtawag ng mga kaklase ko sa pangalan ko.

“Laurenestine!” Sigaw ni Darcy .

“Girl, may chika kami!” humarurot ng takbo si Jazz sa akin na parang may humabol sa kaniya ng kung sino.

“Hoy! Hoy!” Sigaw ni Darcy sa kalayuan dahil nag uunahan ng tumakbo ang dalawa papunta sa'kin. Natatawa nalang ako sa mga pinaggagawa nila.

"Slow down, you two!" I called out, laughing as I watched Jazz and Darcy race towards me. Their faces were flushed with excitement. Finally, they skidded to a halt in front of me, both panting and giggling.

"Okay, okay, what's the big rush?" I asked, trying to hide my amusement.

Jazz, who had recovered first, leaned in close, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Finally! May exchange instructor tayo girl!”

Kumunot ang noo ko. “Exchange instructor? Why?”

Nagkatinginan silang dalawa. “Miss. Salsero told us kanina. Siya raw ang magha-handle sa atin hanggang ma-end ang semester. She even told us that he personally requested it when he heard that our former instructor was in the hospital. Wala kasing magha-handle sa atin at saka, girl, he’s a real doctor kaya real na real talaga ito!”

“Why would a doctor waste his time to handle us, anyway?” I heard that the school always allowed doctors to handle students specially the fourth year students na mag iintern na.

"Girl, don't question it. It's a blessing!" Jazz said, her voice filled with excitement.

"Maybe he just wants to give back or something," Darcy suggested, shrugging. "You know, share his knowledge with the next generation of medical professionals. At saka, matagal namang ganito ang skwelahan eh, they allowed real doctors to handle para mas challenging.”

I was still a bit skeptical, but I had to admit that the idea of being taught by a real doctor was intriguing. It would definitely be a unique opportunity to learn from someone with hands-on experience in the field.

"Who is this doctor anyway?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

Jazz and Darcy exchanged a glance before Jazz leaned in closer and a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Well, that's the best part. Rumors say that he’s from Manila. We don’t know the other details yet, at malalaman rin naman natin mamaya dahil ipapakilala naman ng dean sa atin ng personal.”

"Ah, ganun ba?" sabi ko, habang pinipilit kong itago ang aking kaba. "Sana maging maganda ang pagtuturo niya sa atin."

"Oo naman, for sure!" sabi ni Jazz na puno ng kumpiyansa. "At saka, exciting din na may bago tayong makikilala, diba?"

Tumango ako, ngunit sa loob-loob ko, kinakabahan ako sa mga posibleng mangyari. Alam kong dapat akong maging positibo, pero hindi ko maiwasang mag-alala.

“Tama ka, Jazz. Exciting nga,” I replied with a forced smile.

“Oo naman, girl! Baka pogi pa ‘yan. Exciting ‘di ba?” Darcy added with a wink, causing Jazz to burst into laughter.

I chuckled lightly, trying to ease the tension I was feeling. “Basta magaling magturo, okay na ‘yun sa’kin. Pogi or not.”

They both laughed at my statement, their excitement still radiating off of them. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. How I wished I could be as carefree as them, not worrying about anything other than school. But I had bigger responsibilities, bigger worries.

I couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling that was creeping up on me. I had a bad feeling about this new instructor. I just hoped that my hunch was wrong.

“Alright, girls. Let’s head inside. Baka ma-late pa tayo,” I said, trying to divert my thoughts.

“Let’s go!” Jazz said, linking her arm with mine. Darcy did the same on my other side, and together, we walked towards the university building.

I took a deep breath, bracing myself for whatever was to come. I just hoped that this new chapter in our lives would be a positive one, for the sake of my children and my future.

But as we walked closer to the room where the dean would introduce our new instructor, my heart pounded harder in my chest. I just couldn't shake off the feeling that something was about to change, and I wasn't sure if I was ready for it.

“Ready, girls?” Darcy asked, her voice filled with anticipation. Magkatabi lang kami ng upuan at wala talagang araw na tahimik ako dahil sa dalawang ‘to. Even they are my close friends here in the University, I never tell them about my twins. I don't know, it's still hard for me trust someone right now. Tinatago ko pa rin kung ano ang takbo ng buhay ko ngayon. Lagi naman akong ganito kahit noon pa.

I nodded, forcing a smile on my face. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied, hoping that my voice didn't betray the nervousness I was feeling.

Pagpasok namin ay halos complete na pala ang classmate namin. Mukhang kami nalang ang kulang.

“Good morning madlang tao!” Sigaw ni Jazz. Masyado talaga siyang hyper kahit kailan. She's also the president here in our class while Darcy is a treasurer.

Nagkagulo ang lahat nang pumasok kami. "Good morning, Jazz!" ang sabay-sabay na sagot ng mga kaklase namin. Nagtawanan kami ni Darcy habang pinapanood si Jazz na nagwawala sa harap.

"Okay, okay. Settle down, everyone!" sabi ni Jazz, waving her hands for everyone to quiet down. "Let's all take our seats. The dean will be here any minute now."

Sinundan namin ang payo ni Jazz at umupo sa aming mga upuan. Nagkatinginan kami ni Darcy at nagtawanan. Kahit na sobrang energetic ni Jazz, hindi namin maiwasang mahalin siya. She's always been the life of the party, always making everyone laugh.

Hindi nagtagal at dumating na ang dean. She walked onto the stage with a serious expression on her face. "Good morning, everyone," she began, her voice echoing throughout the room. "I hope you're all ready for the new semester."

We all nodded, eager to hear what she had to say.

"As you all know, your former instructor is currently in the hospital and won't be able to handle your class for the time being," she continued. "However, we have found a suitable replacement," she smiled at us before uttered a name na akala ko ay hindi ko na maririnig pa.

"Please welcome your new instructor, Dr. Zairon Aero Gavilan.”

My heart stopped at the mention of the name. Kusang namagnet ang buo kong katawan sa akin upuan. Nanlalaki ang mata ko habang lumalakas ang t***k ng puso ko.

“Did I hear, Gavilan?” Darcy whispered.

“Wait, correct me if I’m wrong, hindi ba at head ng family nila ay owner ng isa sa sikat na University sa Manila?” she added.

Pumitik si Jazz na parang may maalala siya. “You're right. You know I'm social media freak. There's even a viral video three years ago na involved ang isang Professor sa University nila.”

Kumurap ako at hindi makatingin sa kanila ng maayos. What if they will know that I'm the woman who’s in the viral video? Lalayuan ba nila ako?

Pero hindi nagtagal, pumasok na siya at naglakad papunta sa harap. He was even more handsome than I remembered. His dark hair was neatly styled, and his gray eyes were as captivating as ever. He was wearing a white coat over his casual clothes, making him look even more like a doctor.