"THE operation was successful. They made it but she needs to wake up first, nothing is certain for now."
Hindi magawang mapanatag ng lahat ng mga nandoon nang marinig ang sinabi ng doktor na kalalabas lang mula sa operating room. Sa ikalawang pagkakataon ay nandoon sila at nananalanging makaligtas ang isang kapamilya na nag-aagaw buhay.
Agad na dinala ni Mason si Niccola sa pinakamalapit na ospital nang makuha niya ito mula sa ilalim ng tubig at hindi na humihinga at maputlang-maputla. Halos wala ng buhay.
Nalaman ng pamilya nito ang nangyari sa dalaga at agad na sumugod sa ospital. Nahimatay si Alessandra nang marinig ang nangyari sa anak, tumaas din ang presyon ng matanda, mabuti nalang at walang malubhang nangyari rito.
Nanghihinang napasalampak sa sahig si Mason, hindi niya mapigilan ang mga luha sa pagtulo. When he held her in his arms, she was lifeless, akala niya ay mawawala na ito sa kanya.
"W-What do you mean by they, doc?" tanong ng kakambal ni Niccola na si Lucas.
"The baby is safe, it was a miracle that they made it. She was drained out of the blood and her lungs were filled with water, you need to be strong for the possible outcomes, we can't be sure what will happen the following days."
Walang makapagsalita sa mga nakarinig dahil sa gulat at takot. It was indeed a miracle that the baby lived after what happened.
Parang pinukpok ang ulo ni Mason nang marinig ang sinabi ng doktor. She was pregnant, magkakaanak na sila ngunit walang kasiguraduhang mabubuhay ang mga ito. Hindi niya alam ang gagawin at iisipin, ayaw niyang mag-isip!
"Oh god!" bulalas ni Alessandra na muling hinimatay at mabilis na nasalo ng asawang si Nick.
"LIMANG araw na siyang ganyan," si Snow na nakatingin sa binatang nasa loob ng ICU kasama ang kapatid niyang wala pa ring malay hanggang ngayon. Halos hindi na lumabas si Mason doon kahit na sabihin ng mga doktor na hindi dapat ito maglagi sa loob. Walang makapigil sa lalaki dahil nagwawala ito. He look like a mess.
"Did he even eat?" si Krishia na katabi ng kakambal. "Is he even sleeping? Pinapatay niya ang sarili niya. Paano nalang 'pag nagising si Ate at siya naman ang magkasakit?" aniya na muling tumulo ang luha sa mga mata. Umaasa siyang magigising ang kapatid nila. Mabubuhay ito para sa kanila, para sa anak nito. "Pull him out of there, Kuya."
Bumuntong-hininga si Lucas na nakasandal sa pader. Siya man ay matindi ang pag-aalala sa kakambal. Isa siya sa mga higit na naaapektuhan sa nangyayari, sabi nila ay malakas ang koneksiyon ng magkambal, and it was true.
Hindi pa katagalan mula nang ma-coma ito dahil sa pagkakabaril, ngayon ay nasusuong na naman sila sa ganoong sitwasyon.
Nagpaalam si Lucas sa naroong nurse at nagsuot ng gown, mask at gloves bago pumasok. "Come on, Man. Take a rest." Bahagya niyang tinapik ang lalaki ngunit wala itong kibo. "Look, she is my sister, my twin, I am as affected as you are or maybe more. Get yourself together, man. She wouldn't like it when she wakes up."
Bumuntung-hininga ang lalaki at tumayo sa kinauupuan at lumabas.
Si Lucas ay pumalit sa puwesta ni Mason na kaa-alis lang at pinagmasdan ang kakambal. "Hey, wake up, you brat. You're having a baby, naunahan mo pa ako. Finally, may apo na si Mom... Wake up, Princess." Nag-init ang sulok ng mga mata ni Lucas ngunit hindi niya hinayaang bumagsak ang mga luha mula sa mga mata. He needed to be strong, at least.
Umuwi si Mason sa bahay niya kahit na gusto niyang manatili sa tabi ni Niccola. Tama ang sinabi ng kapatid nito, hindi lang siya ang naaapektuhan sa nangyari rito. Higit kanino man ay ang pamilya ng dalaga ang pinaka naaapektuhan.
He admitted, he was afraid that at any moment, she could leave them with their unborn child. He doesn't know how to pull himself back if something happened to them.
Lalong sumama ang pakiramdam niya nang maratnan ang mga bisitang hindi niya inaasahang pupunta roon sa kanyang bahay.
"What are you doing here?" he asked in an impassive voice.
"My God, what happened to you? You look... unkempt. You've lost weight and look at those dark circles around your eyes. Did you even—"
"What are you doing here?" ulit niya sa naunang tanong. He doesn't have the spirit to face the two right now.
"I just come to ask how Niccola is. Xylona will be staying with me for a while." Tinapunan ng kanyang ama ng tingin ang ina niyang prenteng nakaupo sa pang-isahang sitter. "I saw her outside when I arrived."
Hindi na siya nagtaka kung paano nakapasok ang dalawa sa loob ng kanyang bahay.
"I'm tired. I don't have time for visitors." He was about to step inside his room when her mother spoke.
"Please, Mason. We need to talk."
"What is there to talk about? We all have different lives... Live with it." He sighed when he saw a paint of sadness in his mother's eyes. The eyes' that resembled his own, like the color of an ocean. Whatever the circumstances are, the fact remains that she was his mother, kahit na hindi ito nagpaka-ina sa kanya. "What do you want?"
"Come home—"
"Where's home? Yours in Ireland? Here at Dad's?" Since he was a young boy, he doesn't have a home, doesn't feel at home.
He never felt a warmth from the two who were in front of him at that moment. His father had a family of his own and his mother had her own world.
"Please, come back with me to Ireland." Mason almost believed the sadness he saw in her eyes. He almost believed that she needed him. "I found a good woman for you. She'll make a good wife, she's beautiful and—"
"Rich? You want me to marry her to save your business." It was more a statement than a question. Hindi kaila sa kanya na pabagsak ang textile business ng kanyang ina sa bansa nito. Hindi naman ito lumalapit sa kanya ng walang dahilan. She never did. "Go back to your country, Patricia. I already have my woman."
Mabilis siyang pumasok sa kanyang silid at malakas na isinara ang pinto. Nahiga siya sa kanyang kama at napakuyom ang kamao dahil sa dahilan ng kanyang ina kaya ito naroroon. Isa ito sa mga rason kung bakit siya pumasok sa navy, he wanted an escape of everything that was bothering him.
Ilang araw na siyang walang tulog at pahinga. Dala ng pagod, gutom at puyat ay nakatulog si Mason, ni hindi niya nagawang magising nang tumunog ang kanyang cellphone.
"I told you, this is not the right time," anang matandang Clarkson sa babaeng kaharap na may bughaw na mga mata. "His woman was in the ICU for days now. You shouldn't have come here."
"I failed as a mother, Armado. He is living alone all his life. He left home and I didn't stop him."
Tumayo ang lalaki at marahang tinapik ang balikat ni Patricia McCarthy. "You're not the only one who failed." Lumakad si Armado patungo sa pintuan, bago lumabas ay muli niyang nilingon ang babae at sinabing, "It's nice to see you again, Pat."
HAPON na nang magising siya mula sa mahabang tulog. He slept for almost a day. Mabilis ang mga kilos na tinungo niya ang banyo at naglinis ng katawan. He received many missed calls from Niccola's sister and a message saying that she regained her consciousness.
He drove as fast as possible, as if he was in a race with Vin Diesel in fast and furious. Patrolmen were chasing him but he didn't stop driving towards the hospital. He badly wanted to see her awake.
He had lost his tail and reached the hospital safely. Mabilis na tinungo niya ang hospital room na pinaglipatan dito, naratnan niya roon ang dalawang kapatid na babae ni Niccola. And there she was, sitting on the bed and laughing with the twins.
"Ahm, we'll buy something to eat, Ate. Come on, Snow," Keisha said when she saw Mason. Nginitian niya ang binata at lumabas kasama ang kakambal.
Ilang sandaling nagkatitigan ang dalawang naiwan sa loob ng silid. Niccola saw how those tears gushed from his sapphire orbs. She smiled at him and offered her hand to urge him to come closer. Hinawakan ng lalaki ang kamay niya at umupo sa kanyang kama.
"You're here. I've waited for you." Tumaas ang kamay niya sa mukha ni Mason patungo sa ilalim ng mga mata nitong nangingitim. "You've lost weight." Hindi ito sumagot at kinuha ang mga kamay niya at dinala sa mga labi.
"Did you eat?" Tumunog ang tiyan nito bilang sagot sa kanyang tanong. Nag-aalalang tiningnan niya si Mason sa mga mata nitong mamasa-masa. "You need to eat, Mason."
"No! I'll stay here. I miss you." He kissed her forehead, down to her eyes, to her nose, her cheek, and pressed a brief kiss on her lips. "Thank you for coming back."
She cupped his face with her hands, pinahid niya ang luhang umalpas sa mga mata nito gamit ang mga daliri. "I won't be going anywhere... Go, eat. Please, for the baby and me, eat, Mason." Inilapat niya ang mga labi sa mga labi nito. Ilang sandaling naglapat ang kanilang mga labi bago niya bahagyang inilayo ang mukha. "Eat and come back to me."
Ang sabi ng kanyang mga kapatid ay ito halos ang nagbabantay sa kanya at hindi gustong iwanan siya. It was not hard to tell at first glance that he was sleep and food-deprived. Malaki ang inihulog ng katawan nito at nangingitim ang palibot ng mga mata.
Hinalikan ng binata ang noo ng dalaga bago lumabas.
"UUWI muna ako, sweetheart."
"Sige, Mom. I'll be alright."
Bumuntung-hininga si Alessandra at lumipat ang tingin sa lalaking katabi ni Niccola sa kama at mahimbing na natutulog.
Hinaplos ni Niccola ang buhok ni Mason na natutulog sa kaniyang tabi. Ang mga kamay nito ay nakayakap sa kanyang beywang. Tatlong araw na mula nang magising siya at hindi ito umaalis sa kanyang tabi. He would sleep there, eat there and spent his whole day inside her hospital room.
"He really loves you," bulong ng ginang.
"Are you saying something, Mom?"
Ngumiti lang ang ina niya sa kanya at hinalikan siya sa pisngi bago naglakad palabas ng kanyang silid.
Maingat niyang iniyakap ang mga braso kay Mason habang nakatitig sa kisame. Pumasok sa kanyang isipan ang nangyari sa kanya mahigit isang linggo na ang nakakaraan. Kung hindi dahil kay Mason ay baka nakabaon na ang patay niyang katawan sa lupa.
She survived, again. Ang dami niyang pinagdaanan nitong mga nakaraang buwan, but she managed to survive somehow.
Si Ortiz ay nagbaril sa sarili nang madala sa presinto at agawin ang baril ng isang pulis. Kinapa niya ang damdamin, wala na siyang maramdamang galit dito, naroon ang awa para sa namayapang lalaki. He doesn't have a reason to live so he took his own life. He was sad and depressed because of what happened to his son, that's why he did that o her. He said that he needed someone to blame for his loss, but that doesn't justify his bad deeds.
Katok sa pinto ang pumukaw sa kanyang pag-iisip. Seconds later, a woman with a familiar set of eyes stepped inside her room.
Tumuon ang tingin ng sopistikadang ginang sa kanya at sa lalaking katabi niya.
The realization hits her when she saw how the expression on the woman's face turned soft when her eyes darted at the man sleeping beside her. Mason got his mother's eyes.
"Hello, I'm Patricia. I'm Mason's mother, do you mind if..." she trailed off.
"Nice to meet you, Ma'am. Sit down." Subalit nanatiling nakatayo ang ginang habang nakatingin sa kanila. Magalang na nginitian niya ang estrangherong babae na may bughaw na mga mata.
Gigisingin niya sana ang lalaking katabi nang pigilan siya nito.
"I came here to say goodbye. I will go back to Ireland."
Nakaramdam ng pagkailang si Niccola nang titigan siya ng ginang. "He found himself a good woman." Nag-init ang pisngi niya sa sinabi nito.
"I am lucky I found a good man."
Tumango-tango ang babae sa kanya. "I have a flight to catch. Say my goodbye to him. Tell him he can visit me if he wants to... and I'm sorry." A sad smile crept on her face. "Take care of him, dear. I never did when I got the chance."
Hindi na siya nakatugon nang mabilis itong umalis.
Napapabuntung-hiningang tumagilid siya ng higa paharap kay Mason na hindi man lang nagising. He was sleeping like a baby.
Take him of him, dear. "Always."