S T O M A C H  C R A M P S
32918

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TAEHYUNG

Published: April 25, 2019

- 785 words

Frustrated, annoyed and very lazy, I got down from the bed with a loud huff, ignoring the pain that surged within my abdomen because I was a woman and this wasn't something new to me anymore.

Hindi lang siguro talaga masanay-sanay ang katawan ko dahil hindi naman ako robot para ma-immune sa kahit na anong uri ng sakit. Kahit ilang beses mo pang maramdaman ang sakit, paulit-ulit mo pa rin iyong mararamdaman, walang paraan para mamanhid ka… hala humugot na.

Iniwan ko si Taehyung sa kama na kanina pa nilalaro si Yeontan na wala namang ginawa kung hindi magsumiksik sa akin. I loved the puppy so much, maybe more than I loved Taehyung but I wasn't loving how his thick and tickling fur was brushing against my skin. Nakaka-irita, lalo na at hindi maganda ang pakiramdam ko sa puson ko.

Ang sarap niya tuloy ihagis sa labas ng bintana, mabuti sana kung iyong Daddy niya ang ginugulo niya, kaso sa akin siya parating lumalapit!

I would also admit that every time Taehyung wasn't around for their schedules, I always spoiled the precious puppy, giving him all the attentions he deserved and all the love but not now, not now when I wasn't feeling very generous of my affection. It was me who needed affection right now, to be very honest.

Sa kusina ako nagtungo para kumuha ng maiinom. I leaned my abdomen on the counter's edge, hoping to at least have something to ease the pain but I wasn't having any of it. Sumasakit pa rin talaga. Pangalawang araw kasi ng menstrual period ko, sa pangalawang araw pa naman dumarating ang sakit. Naka-ilang hugot ako ng malalim na buntong-hininga, sinusubukang ikalma ang sarili ko at sanayin ang katawan ko sa sakit pero sobrang sakit talaga.

Rolling my eyes in my greatest irritation, I angrily looked down at my feet when I felt a fur brushing against the skin of my toes. In normal times, I could have carried him from the ground and peppered him kisses but since I was too annoyed for any of that, I stepped back from the little puppy.

"Oh please, small furry stuff, could you please give me a break?!" I didn't also mean to scream, it just really that my irritation had been boiling and he was the only thing I could steam the heat off. Ibinaba ko ang baso sa countertop saka naglakad palabas ng kusina, sa living room ko piniling mag-stay pero nakasunod pa rin siya sa akin!

Itinaas ko na ang mga binti at paa ko sa couch pero nanatili siya sa ibaba, nakatingala sa akin. Ugh, he was cute and irresistible but no, I was annoyed.

"Go away, I'm pissed off you!" galit kong sigaw ulit.

"He-hey, why are you screaming at him?"

Mas nainis pa ako nang marinig ko ang malalim na boses ng boyfriend ko mula sa likod. He then appeared in front of me, taking in his arms the ball of fur from the ground before sending me a glare. Akala niya yata natatakot ako sa kaniya? Fine, takot naman talaga ako sa kaniya pero hindi ko kailangan ng sermon niya ngayon.

Sinalubong ko ang matalim niyang mga mata, mahirap iyon dahil sumasakit talaga ang puson ko kaya sumuko rin ako at pagalit na hinablot na lang ang throw pillow sa gilid ko saka ipinatong sa kandungan ko bago ko itinulak para bigyan ng pressure ang puson ko.

"It still hurts?" His voice toned down a bit.

Umirap ako kahit hindi ako nakatingin sa kaniya. "S-Second day."

Narinig kong nagpakawala siya ng malalim na buntong-hininga. "Aye, Tannie. You bad little stuff, Mommy's aching so you need to understand that she couldn't take care of you. You're so spoiled, hm, I better put you in your bed so you can rest and so that I can take care of you Mommy." Kasunod kong narinig ang mga yapak niya palayo. Hindi naman siya matagal na nawala na dahil nang bumalik siya sa ay mabilis niya akong sinikop sa mga braso niya.

"Taehyung!" I screamed, hiding the fact that I was flushed because of what he said to Yeontan and because of what he just did. His pair of arms felt too strong as he held me up into his chest so I wouldn't fall.

"You should really learn to speak your pain to me, baby. I know how you hate treating Tannie like that, you love him so much—"

"Yes, more than I love you." I cut him off.

"I know, though I love you more than him." Maayos niya akong ibinaba sa kama bago siya yumuko sa akin para patakan ng mabilis na halik ang mga labi ko. "You're lying." And he smiled widely, revealing his boxy smile.

I smiled back. "Of course, you're the love of my life, Taehyung. There's no one I love more than you."

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HOSEOK

- 920 words

Watching my boyfriend go here and there around the house, preparing me a tea to drink and reheating the pancakes for me to eat, I tried so hard not to let him see how I was internally dying. Okay, medyo exaggerated iyong pagkakasabi ko pero tanging mga babae lang ang makaka-intindi ng nararamdaman ko.

I wasn’t just babbling when I said how the pain was almost killing me. It was my first day so it was so more painful. Normally, luckily for me, isang araw lang sumasakit ang puson ko pero buong panahon naman ng menstruation ko ay sobrang moody ko. I was too lazy to move around for all I wanted was to just lie on my bed, curl on my pillow and let my femininity get the best out of me.

Now tell me, madali lang maging babae.

Tell it to me if you’ve already gone through menstruation cramps, if you’ve already felt like all your blood’s draining from your core and if you’ve already experienced going around wearing pads and not being bothered about it. Tell me, and just then, I would stop whining and would girl up for real. Sa ngayon, masakit talaga.

“Baby, I’ll just quickly prepare your bath while you drink your tea, okay? Kaya mo pa?” After putting the foods he prepared for me on the countertop in front of my crouching form, Hoseok softly brought his hands on my face before slowly raising my head so I would see him. Concern was evident through his small eyes.

“Hobi, you should be resting…” malungkot kong sabi dahil kagagaling lang niya sa big hit building at paniguradong kung anu-anong sayaw na naman ang pinagawa sa kanila ng choreographer nila. Knowing them, they had very hard dance steps, so I knew how much spent he was that he should be really resting now.

Also, gawain naman talaga namin ang ganito. Every time that time of the month would come, which he never lost track on since he had my regular menstruation calendar monitored, he was all out taking care of me, giving into all of my whimpers and whines of pain, doing everything he could just so I would feel fine. Hindi naman talaga nawawala iyong sakit, nandiyan lang, pero sa tuwing nandiyan siya, ipinaparamdam sa aking hindi niya ako iiwan ay nakakalimutan ko iyong sakit. He was such a remedy to be honest.

Kung sa ibang pagkakataon sana nangyari ang ganito, kung hindi sa mismong oras na pagod siya, baka hinayaan ko siyang gawin ang lahat. Kaso hindi, pagod siya ngayon at kaya ko naman ang sarili ko.

“I can’t rest with you like this. C’mon, drink your tea to at least ease the pain and I’ll just call you when your bath’s ready. Sasamahan kita…” Grinning widely, revealing the sunshine that seemed to live in his face, he slowly leaned down on me to lightly brush a soft kiss on my dried lips. Hindi na rin niya hinintay na makasagot ako dahil tumalikod na siya para magtungo sa banyo.

He already have remedies for me. Matagal na siyang nag-search ng mga temporary remedies for my menstruation cramps at nag-settle kami sa simpleng tea at relaxing cold shower.

Nangangalahati na ako sa iniinom kong tea nang marinig ko ang malambing niyang boses na tinatawag ako mula sa banyo kaya tumayo na ako habang bumubuntong-hininga. Siguro kapag natapos kaming maligo ay ako naman ang sasama sa kaniyang magpahinga. Only in that way I would be rest-assured about his health too. Even walking towards the bathroom seemed so hard for me as my stomach weighted because of the contraction inside, I was sometimes hating being a woman.

Pero nang makita ko si Hoseok sa loob ng banyo ay agad ko rin namang binawi iyon. He was the only reason I would forever be thankful for being a woman. Isa pa, this was just a simple menstruation cramps, wala pa ito sa sakit na dadanasin ko oras na mabuntis ako at ipanganak ko ang magiging baby namin ni Hoseok.

He carefully helped me strip out of my clothes before gently leading me towards the filled tub. Kulay pula iyon at humahalimuyak ang mabangong amoy kaya naisip kong gumamit siya ng bath bomb. After I hopped into the tub, he also stripped out of his clothes and followed into the tub, placing himself behind me as his legs locked me in between. The cold water that both wrapped our bodies somehow comforted me, accompanied by his warm body that sheltered protection to me like usual.

Hinila niya ako hanggang sa mapasandal ako sa dibdib niya, ang ulo ko ay sa balikat niya sumandal bago ko maramdaman ang paglandas ng isang kamay niya mula sa dibdib ko pababa sa tiyan ko. Breathing quickly, I hardly bit my lower lip in utmost calmness, feeling the pads of his fingers giving comforting presses and caresses on the lower part of my stomach as if trying to ease the pain.

“Can I just take your menstruation from you?” he innocently asked, his lips lightly touching my ear.

I chuckled, holding his hand to guide him caress my stomach. “And how would you do that?”

“I’ve been asking Joon about it, he’s smart so he must have an answer.”

Sure, I would let him do anything if it was the only thing I could do to assure him that something like this wouldn’t kill me, at least not literally. Ipinikit ko na lang ang mga mata ko at dinama ang mga haplos niyang talaga namang himalang nagpapawala ng sakit sa puson ko.

“Then his girlfriend must be really lucky.”