Last few chapters... ~Author-sama

W A L D R I N

"Buntis ba ulit si Maxene?" Raven asked me. "Mukhang sumusungit siya nitong mga nakaraang araw. Pati si Marshan nasinghalan niya kanina." 

"If only that's the reason of her mood swings." I sighed. 

"Bakit ano bang nangyari?" 

"An unknown number called me last night at si Maxene ang nakasagot nun... It was Leanna." I sighed. Napaface palm na lang ako kapag naalala ko yung nangyari kagabi. Matagal ng nakablock yung number ni Leanna na gamit niya noon sa phone ko, hindi naman ako makapalit ng number dahil yun din ang number na gamit ko sa work. 

Maxene was so fuming mad last night she literally crashed my phone with her bare hand. I cannot argue with her kahit alam kong wala naman akong kasalanan. 

"I didn't expect Leanna would be like this." Christian sighed. 

"I am just glad my wife trusts me. Hindi naman siya galit sakin kagabi but she vents out her anger anywhere, anytime and to anyone she could."

"Ganun din si Yasha nitong mga nakaraang linggo. Ewan ko ba, naggagayahan atah itong magkakapatid." Yrew commented. He's part of us now. Kahit naman medyo naiinis ako sa kanya eh mas nangingibabaw pa rin yung gratitude ko dahil sa pag-aalaga niya sa mag-iina ko.

"Hindi niyo kasi naiintindihan ang feelings namin." Eksena ni Marshan. "Kahit naman sabihin nating mahal niyo kami, hindi pa rin naming maiwasang mainsecure sa mga pasts niyo." 

"Hindi naman ganun si Monique." Christian said. 

"Bakit may past ka ba?! Akala ko nga noon bakla ka eh!" Marshan exclaimed na ikinagulat namin at hindi na rin naming napigilang mapatawa. Raven held Marshan para patigilin ito.

"Bakit ba ang iinit ng ulo niyo?" Christian glared at her. Inirapan lang siya ni Marshan.

"Hmmm. I think I know exactly why." Biglang sulpot ni Yasha habang nakahawak sa baba nito. We all looked at her pero nagkibit balikat lang ito. 

"I have an announcement to make later." She winked at us bago ito umalis. Nandito kami sa bahay nina Christian ngayon. They may have the smallest house among us pero dito talaga ang paborito naming puntahan kapag may get together kaming lahat. 

We are planning for Clarence' birthday this coming week.

Dumaan si Maxene sa harapan namin at pupunta sana siya sa mga bata but I pulled her to me. 

"Hindi na nga ako pinapansin ng mga bata dahil andito ang Lolo Dad at Lola Mommy nila tapos pati rin ba ikaw?" Tampo ko sa kanya. Pinaningkitan niya ko ng mga mata kaya napalunok na lang ako. Mukhang hindi pa humuhupa ang galit niya. 

She reached for my face and pinched my cheeks hardly I literally teared up in pain.

"Masyado ka kasing gwapo kaya hindi makamove on yung ex mo sayo." Irap niya sakin. I tried not to cry kahit ang sakit na talaga ng pisngi ko. Gusto ko siyang pagalitan sa ginawa niya but I'm afraid we'll just fight. 

"Sisihin mo sina Daddy at Mommy, wag ako." I pouted at her. I wrapped my arm around her as I pulled her towards our circle. Lumapit na rin samin sina Monique at Vicky. 

"So let's start planning." Vicky initiated. Sa aming lahat si Vicky lang talaga ang magaling pagdating sa mga ganitong bagay, my wife can vouch to that. 

"Anong theme ba natin? What is Clarence' favorite cartoon character? Or his hobbies?" 

"Mahilig siya sa cars, paborito niya si McQueen." Marshan commented. Napangiti ako ng bahagyang sumandal sakin si Maxene habang nakayakap ako sa kanya mula sa likod. 

"The balloons should be red, red ang favorite color ni Clarence." Christian added. 

"I'll do the cake, madali lang namang gumawa ng McQueen cake." Monique suggested. 

"Gusto ko kapag birthday nina Hansel and Gretel, magbake ka ng Eiffel Tower cake." Maxene started teasing Monique. Kanina pa siya ganyan sa amin. Kanina pa siya nang-aasar.

"S-Sure. Kahit ano..." Monique chuckled. 

Vicky started designating us some works. We are discussing about everything ng mapansin kong hindi na kumikibo ang asawa ko. Bahagya kong sinilip ang mukha niya and she looks very sleepy but still trying to be attentive of what we're discussing. 

"Are you sleepy? You should go upstairs and rest." I told her. Nag-angat siya ng tingin sakin at humikab. Bahagya siyang humarap sakin at yumakap. Resting her head on my chest. 

"Nakakahalata na ko ha?! Bakit ako lang ang walang kalandian dito?" Vicky commented. 

"Di ka nag-iisa, si Christian at Monique magjowa nga di naman naglalandian." Marshan said. Monique flushed red at bahagyang kinurot sa tagiliran si Marshan. 

"Ang bully mo!" Christian snorted. 

"I'll just take my wife upstairs..." I excused us pero pinigilan lang ako ni Maxene.

"I'm wide awake..." She murmured pero nakapikit na itong nakayakap sakin. 

"You look tired and sleepy, ayos ka lang ba?" Kinapa ni Marshan ang noo ni Maxene. I brushed Maxene's neck para pakiramdaman ang temperature niya pero normal naman ito. 

"Kulang lang ako sa tulog, kakahintay na tumawag si Leanna ulit." She yawned. Napabuntong hininga na lang ako. 

"Sinira mo na nga yung phone ko, diba? Paano siya makakatawag?" I asked her. She lazily raised up her head and rolled her eyes. 

"She called 7 f*cking times on the landline when you're already asleep. And yeah, I smashed all the telephone in the house." She cursed. "She's getting desperate." 

Hindi lang ako ang nagulat sa sinabi niya. We have known Leanna for almost 4 years at hindi namin aakalaing magiging ganito siya. She may have not known my wife personally but I hope she could just stop because I won't stop my wife on inflicting harm on her. 

"Ano? Ipapatumba ko na ba?" Yasha commented. 

"Tsss wag na..." Maxene sighed. Kumunot ang noo ko, parang dati naman very vocal siya sa pagkainis niya kay Leanna but this time parang pinapalagpas na niya lang. Maging si Marshan ay wala ring komento.

"Guys! Kumusta ang preparations?" Ate Claire approached us. Nakasuot pa ito ng apron at may hawak na sandok. She and Kuya Spencer volunteered to cook. 

"Okay na Ate, wala na kayong proproblemahin." Vicky thumbs up. 

"Thank you sa inyo... Anyway, tara na sa dining area, luto na ang mga pagkain." She smiled at us. I looked at my wife who is softly snoring pero alam kong gising pa siya. Tinawag na namin sina Mommy at Daddy pati na rin ang mga bata. 

"Are you excited sa birthday mo?" Marshan asked Clarence na nasa tabi na naman ni Hansel. They have been inseparable. 

"Yes po kasi mas marami na po tayo." Masayang sabi nito. Tumingin ito sakin at ngumiti. "Tito yung gift ko po ah?" He grinned.

"Of course! Makakalimutan ko ba?" I slightly messed his hair. Hindi naman nakalagpas sakin ang pag-asim ng mukha ni Hansel. 

"Ako Daddy? Ano gift mo sakin?" He pouted. 

"I'll give it to you on your birthday---" Natigilan ako ng mas lalo itong ngumuso at bumaling kay Daddy. "Lolo Dad, Lolo Pogi, ano po gift niyo sakin?" 

"Dad, Pa, please don't spoil him..." Pinangunahan ko na sila dahil wala ng lakas ang asawa kong makipag-usap ngayon.

"He's my only grandson, how can I not spoil him?" Dad asked me. 

"Lolo Dad, Clarence is enrolled in a Taekwondo class. Gusto ko rin po." Hansel said. Napatingin kaming lahat kina Kuya Spencer kasi mukhang pati sina Mama at Papa ay hindi alam iyon. 

"It's time for him to start with sports." Ate Claire chuckled. 

"Okay, bukas i-eenroll ko kayo ni Gretel." Daddy said. 

"Ehhh! Gretel don't need it naman po. She's strong already." Hansel pouted. Napatingin naman kami kay Gretel na tahimik lang na pinainom ng gatas ni Mommy. 

"Well, we can vouch to that, Gretel may be a shy, anti-violence girl, pero manang-mana yan kay Maxene. I remember when we sent them for the first time to a day care center dahil may kailangan kaming asikasuhin ni Yrew at walang magbabantay sa kanila kasi hindi pa kaya ni Maxene noon, after work we went to fetch them, puro gasgas na itong dalawa and Hansel was crying so loud. Sabi nung teacher nila napaaway daw itong dalawa because some of the kids teased Hansel." Yasha started. 

"Yeah, we even watched the CCTV footage just to see what really happened kasi inaaway na kami nung mga ibang parents dun. 2 boys bullied Hansel, they threw blocks at him and Gretel saw it. She picked up her chair at inihampas dun sa dalawang bata until they bled, hanggang ngayon kinikilabutan pa rin ako sa napanood ko." Yrew chuckled. 

"I remember that, iyon ang unang beses na napalo ko itong dalawa." Maxene yawned besides me. "That was the first and last time na naging ganun si Gretel, ewan ko na lang ngayon."

"Gretel, sweetie, have you been a bad girl?" Mama asked her. 

"I wouldn't say I am bad, more of like, vengeful?" She said. Narinig ko ang pagsinghap nila, I glanced at my wife and I saw her grinning na animo'y proud na proud sa sinabi ni Gretel. Napasentido na lang ako. 

"Yey! That's our girl!" Yasha laughed at nakipaghigh five kay Gretel. 

"Well, that's not good..." Mama commented. 

"Ma, at least she's not weak." Yasha said. 

"Hoy, wala kang nanay dito, wag kang nakiki-Mama." Bara ni Maxene kay Yasha. Bahagya kong inakbayan ang asawa ko. I have been a witness of how they fight, wala silang pinipiling lugar kapag nagsimula na silang magbangayan. 

"FYI, nakikiMommy ka sa Mommy ko kaya bakit ako hindi pwede kay Mama?!" 

"Kasi legally, anak ako ni Mommy, ikaw di ka naman related kay Mama!" 

"Oh my gosh! STOP!!! Ang nonsense ng away niyo!" Marshan cut them off. 

"Inggit ka lang wala kang Mommy..." Irap ni Maxene sa kanya. Humigpit ang akbay ko kay Maxene when Marshan gasped. The three of them started fighting. Nakisali pa talaga si Vicky sa mismong harap pa ng hapagkainan. 

Ang hirap nilang patigiling apat kasi nang-aaway at nandadamay sila. The kids are just covering they ears and we just continued eating na para bang walang nag-aaway sa mga tabi namin.  

"Anyway! Attention everyone! I have an announcement to make..." Yasha stood up, clanging her glass of water with a spoon. Natahimik naman kaming lahat at napatingin sa kanya. 

"Sinabi ko na sa parents ko kasi lagi naman silang wala, and I would like to take this opportunity lalo't andito naman halos lahat tayo... Guys, Yrew.... I'm pregnant." Yasha announced. Yrew was so shocked he looks stoned in his seat. Napasinghap naman ang mga kababaihan sa narinig. 

We were about to congratulate them when the 3 spoke. 

"Me, too..." 

Vicky, Marshan and Maxene said in unison...