RAY OF LIGHT

CHAPTER 26

"Ako ang tunay na ina ni Gelo." That voice echoed into my mind which made me open my eyes.

Please do tell me that it was just a nightmare. That it really never happened. That I never heard those words clearly. Please tell me that it wasn't for true.

"Mom?" pagtawag ni Gelo na nasa tabi ko. "Mommy? Dad! Mom's awake!" sigaw nito.

"Hey love, are you okay?" puno ng pag-aalalang tanong ni Glade.

Tumango ako at umupo, sinubukan pa akong tulungan ni Glade kahit hindi naman na kailangan.

"W-what happened?"

"You... You lost your consciouness," sagot niya.

"Bakit?" tanong ko. I hope mali 'yong naiisip ko. Sana nabuo ko lamang iyon sa paniginip ko.

"Cheena confessed her connection to Gelo. She was Gelo's real mom."

But sadly it was true. Upon hearing those words from Glade, I felt weakened. Parang ayokong tanggapin iyon.

But the truth is truth. Hinid ko iyon mababago at 'yong ang masakit.

"Mommy, are you okay?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Gelo.

Hinaplos ko ang pisngi niya at bahagyang ngumiti pero nararamdaman ko rin ang pamumuo ng luha sa mga mata ko na kanina ko pa pinipigilan.

"Of course baby, mommy is okay," I assured him.

"Mommy is it true that yaya Cheena is my mom? I heard it a couple times already this morning. Was it true?"

Nakagat ko ang ibabang labi ko saka kami nagkatinginan ni Glade, waring nagtatanungan kami ng tahimik kung ano ang dapat na sabihin kay Gelo. Ayokong biglain siya. Masyado pa siyang bata para sa mga ganitong bagay.

"Of course not baby. I'm your mom but if you want to call your yaya Cheena as your mommy, you can. More mommy more happiness, right?"

Gelo move his head to the side like he was weighing my words if I'm telling him the truth or not.

Pero pinakita ko sa kanya na totoo ang sinasabi ko.

Hanggang sa sumilay ang ngiti sa kanyang mga labi.

"I prefer calling her yaya C mommy," he said.

Nginitian ko naman siya. "If that's what you like then, okay. There's no problem with that."

"Baby can you go to Manang Lida, tell her to ready your mom's food and help her too on preparing it, hmm?" baling ni Glade dito.

"Okay! I got it daddy," sabi nito.

"Be careful on the stairs okay? Don't run," sigaw ni Glade nang bigla nalang tumakbo palabas ng kwarto si Gelo.

"Hey! You don't look fine love," Glade said the moment that Gelo was away.

"So that was true? Cheena is my boy's biological mommy?" mahinang sabi ko.

"Y-yes," malungkot niyang sagot.

"So kukunin na raw ba niya si Gelo sa akin? Glade, what if kunin siya? What if itakas siya ni Cheena? Paano?" naguguluhang sabi ko.

"Sssshhhh," he then caressed my back. "No. She will not do that. George is Gelo's father so apparently, our baby will still be in our radar. You will still be seeing him, talk to him, hug him, kiss him. Everything that you want to do with him."

"Parang hindi ko yata kayang ibigay si Gelo sa kanya," I honestly said it.

"You raised him well love but you must also think about what Cheena was feeling the past years of not able to hear her own flesh blood son call her 'mom'. Imagine the pain that she was carrying the whole time? I know you're hurting love but don't you think it's more painful for Cheena?"

Glade has a point. Pero pakiramdam ko sarado ang isipan ko sa ganoong bagay. All I know is that, Gelo is my son, I raised him and I loved him so... Gelo is mine.

"Please do understand Cheena's side too love. Let's not be irrational here, okay?"

I sighed and just nodded to him.

Napabaling kami sa pinto nang may kumatok.

Nang bumukas ito, inuliluwa nito sina Gogi, Hillary at Hiro. Ano ginagawa niya dito? Sa pagkakatanda ko, wala naman siya kanina rito.

"Hey ate! You made us all worry. How are you feeling?" agad na tanong ni Hills.

Bahagya akong ngumiti. "I'm fine. Nabigla lang siguro."

Umirap ito. "Who wouldn't be? Kasama lang pala natin ng ilang taon na 'yong nagpamigay kay baby Gelo sa atin. My gosh! What kind of mother she is!"

"Hillary she doesn't have any choice that time. She made that choice to save Gelo. She was in debt that time and baby Gelo needs proper care. What if nagkasakit si baby Gelo dahil kulang sa nutrition na natatanggap niya. Gelo was a new born baby that time," mahabang paliwanag naman ni Glade na mas lalo ikinairap ni Hillary.

"So you're siding that b***h?" she asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"I was just trying to make you understand her side,"

"So you're really defending her!"

"I wasn't!"

"Can you two shut up!" sigaw ni Gogi na ikinagulat ng dalawa, even me.

He barely shout so when he does he's really mad.

Kumunot ang noo ni Hills dahil dito.

"Why? Are you going to stand for her too? Is it because you like her? Or maybe you already fell inlove with her? What about Natalie? Are you ready to let that girl replace my ate Natalie?!" she shouted back, she's really getting pissed off.

Natalie, Gogi's ex-girlfriend has a strong bond with Hillary, that was what Gogi said. They had like a siblings relationship, kaya pati ito ay labis na nasaktan sa pagkawala noon ni Natalie.

Napasabunot si Gogi sa kanyang buhok, pati ito ay hindi na rin alam ang gagawin.

"Pwede ba?! Tumahimik ka! This is not just about you! This is more on about me! Ang gulo na! Gulong-gulo na ako ng sobra! Hindi ko alam kung totoo ang sinasabi niya dahil hindi ko maalala ang nangyari 5 years ago!" tumahimik kaming lahat dahil sa mga sinabi niya.

"Hindi ko na alam ang dapat kong isipin! Totoo ba ang sinasabi niya? Nangyari ba talaga ang lahat ng iyon? Anak ko ba talaga si Gelo?" makikita talaga sa mukha niya na gulong-gulo na siya sa mga nalaman niya.

"I don't know! I can't just trust someone else's words without a concrete proof to justify everything that she said to us!" dagdag nitong sigaw bago nagwalkout.

"Love, I'll just talk to George okay?" paalam agad ni Glade para damayan ang kaibigan niya.

"I can't believe this is happening to our family!" napapailing na sabi ni Hills at umalis din ng kwarto.

Napapikit na lamang ako at napayuko.

"Napakagulo na," bulong ko.

Parang gusto ko nalang magmukmok maghapon at umiyak ng umiyak hanggang sa gumaan na ang nararamdaman ko. Naroon pa rin kasi 'yong takot ko. Takot na baka dumating nalang 'yong isang araw na hindi ko na pala makakasama si Gelo dahil kukunin na siya ni Cheena.

"You can cry if you want."

A voice suddenly speak out. When I lifted up my head, Hiro was leaning on the wall on the side of my door. Nariyan pa pala siya. Hindi ba siya sumama kay Hillary nang umalis?

Siguro sa sobrang lunod ko sa pag-iisip tungkol sa rebelasyong naganap naging unconscious na ako sa palagid.

"It's better to cry out the pain than keeping it inside you," he added.

"Why are you still there," I asked.

"No one noticed me earlier even... my girlfriend. He left me here, so I chose to stay."

I sighed not having the strength to entertain him. "You can go. I want to be alone."

"You were alone for the past 2 hours already. You slept 2 hours."

My eyes widened when he said that.

"How did you know?" nagtatakang tanong ko.

Nilibot niya ang paningin sa kwarto ko saka umubo. "Hillary called to tell me that she's not okay so I came here and she told me what happened, and that's it."

Ibig sabihin no'n kanina pa siya naririto?

Ah... for Hillary. Hillary needs him.

Tumango ako. "Okay. Alam kong alam mo kung nasaan ang room ni Hillary, pwede ka naman pumunta na lamang doon. I want to be alone."

He scrunched his brows then moved his head. "Okay. I'll go then," he said then about to go but he bumped into someone.

"Ouch!" nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang makitang napaupo sa sahig si Gelo.

Nagmamadali yata itong pumasok kaya nagulat ng biglang sumulpot palabas ng pinto si Hiro causing his fall into the floor.

Agad akong bumangon at tinakbo siya para patayuin ngunit naunahan ako ni Hiro. Pero hinila ko ang anak ko palapit sa akin saka tiningnan ng masama si Hiro.

"Sa susunod mag-iingat ka naman!" asik ko sa kanya saka yumuko para magpantay kami ni Gelo. "Is my baby boy okay?" I asked him.

"It hurts a little mom but I'm okay. You don't have to worry, I'm a big boy now," he assured me and so I stand up straight and looked back to Hiro.

"Wanna say something?" taas kilay kong tanong.

Kumunot naman ang noo niya. "What?"

Hindi makapaniwalang tiningnan ko siya. "Mahirap bang mag-sorry?" pabalang kong tanong.

"I didn't even do anything. It was an accident."

"Still, don't you know how to say sorry?"

"Look, it wasn't my fault. It was actually your son's fault, he was running like he's in a rush."

"Baki-"

"I was actually in a rush mommy H's boyfriend," sabit nito na masama ang tingin kay Hiro.

Napangisi ako ng makitang ayaw ni Gelo sa kanya.

"Mommy you have do go downstairs, mommy H's and yaya Cheena were fighting!" biglang aligagang sambit ni Gelo.

"W-what?"

"Mommy let's go!" sigaw nito at hinila ako pababa sa kwarto ni Cheena.

And there I found them. Gogi holding Cheena and Glade was stopping Hillary on attacking Cheena. Tito Greg and tita Felie was not there, at hindi ko alam kung nasaan sila. Even manang Lida is in the room.

Ano na naman bang nangyayari?! Parehong magugulo ang mga buhok nila.

"Umamin ka na kasi na sinungaling kang malandi ka! Hinding-hindi ka papatulan ng kapatid ko kahit gaano pa siya kalasing! Ilusyunada!" puno ng galit na sigaw ni Hills.

"Nagsasabi ako ng totoo! May nangyari sa amin noon! Kaya may Gelo ngayon!" balik naman ni Cheena.

"Huh! Kwentong malandi lang 'yan! Bakit gusto mo ng pera namin? Ilan ba kailangan mo para itigil na 'yang paggawa mo ng kwento?! Isang milyon? Dalawa? Sabihin mo! Ako na mag-aabot sa'yo! Tantanan mo lang kapatid ko!"

"Wala akong pakialam sa pera niyo!"

"As if maniniwala ako sa'yong malandi!"

"Edi huwag! Kung hindi mo kayang tanggapin ang katotohanan pumikit ka! Takpan mo 'yang tainga mo!"

"Pwede ba! Tumigil na kayong dalawa! Stop acting like a kid!"

Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko at agad na pinaharap sa akin si Gelo para hindi na niya makita pa ang nangyayari.

Kinalabit ko si Manang Lida na katabi ko.

"Manang pakisamahan nga po muna si Gelo sa kwarto niya," bulong ko at tumango naman ito saka inakay si Gelo.

"E bakit ba kasi kayo nagpapaniwala sa babaeng iyan!" muling sigaw ni Hillary ng makabawi sa gulat dahil kay Gogi.

"Niloloko lang niya tayong lahat! Inuuto!" dagdag pa nito.

"Sorry for interfering but what if we undergo some DNA test? If it's really true that George is Gelo's father," biglang sabi ni Hiro na nasa tabi ko lang pala.

"That way you will be able to know if she's telling you the truth or this was just a stupid storytelling," he added.

Nakatitig lamang ako sa kanya ng sinabi niya ang mga iyon, maski ang iba nas kanya lamang ang atensiyon.

Nang walang nagsalita ni isa sa amin ay nailang siya.

He cleared his throat. "W-well, it was just my suggestion though."

"Fine. Let's do it," finally Gogi said it.