Broken Hearts RX: Book II: Crestfallen (TAGALOG)

Chapter 8

Tabitha understood him well. She knew how it felt wanting the attention of a real mother. She grew up fending for herself kahit pa may mga taong lagging nakatuon ang pansin sa kanya. She still wanted to be loved by her real mother. At alam din niyang naging makasararili siya sa disisyon niya apat na taon na ang nakakaraan. She doesn’t want to be hurt by the person she knew then as Tristan. That made her question herself, what if she had made the phone call for him to visit her that day in the hospital. Would he sober up from his addiction to Britney? Tabitha sighed. “Kristoff is just a child to understand.”

Sasagot na sana ang binata ng biglang tumunog ang telepono ni Tristan. Sinagot niya ito ng malumanay. Tabitha knew that he is needed kaya naman tumayo na ito sa kinauupoan niya. “Expect a call from my lawyer. If you don’t want to settle things privately, I’ll demand justice from this unfairness. I want to be part of Kristoff’s life whether you like it or not.” Saad nito at umalis na patungo sa departamentong kinakailangan siya.

Tabitha wanted to retaliate. Gusto niyang sakaling ang walang hiyang lalaking iyon. Matapos siyang saktan, ngayun pinapalabas pa niyang siya ang dehado sa mga nangyari? Ngunit hindi din niya maiaalis na mali din ang kanyang ginawa. Anu ang gusto niyang gawin ko?! Call him and say, ‘Tristan remember the night that you took my virginity? Yes, you got me pregnant. So you better move on from Britney and start a family with me.’ Nagngingitngit niyang isip. But thinking back, she was as selfish as he was. She kept the only connection that they had with each other a secret. She kept her son from knowing his father.

Wala siyang magagawa kung gustohin man ni Tristan ang gumawa ng aksyon sa namagitan sa kanila. But she was hoping at least for him to be civil. Ayaw niyang mastress ang anak niya. Ayaw din niyang makadagdag pa si Tristan sa kadamiraming alalahanin pa niya. Raising a child was trying by itself, but raising a sick child? It’s a whole new level. May mga pagkakataong akala ni Tabi na hindi na niya makakasama ang kanyang anak dahil sa sakit nito.

She haven’t had a chance to think of Tristan and how he would feel, dahil ang inuuna niya ay ang kalusughan ni Krystoff. Her priority was keeping Kristoff alive. And to hell with all the crap that Tristan had just accused her of. Kung hindi naman ito patay na patay sa kaibigan niya malamang isa na silang pamilya. Pamilyang masaya kahit sa gitna ng problema.

Tumayo na si Tabitha sa kinauupuan niya. She wanted a drink, ngunit she’d be breat feeding Kristoff kaya she decided against it. Nakakapikon ang pagiging unreasonable ni Tristan,pero di pa din niya ito masisisi sa naging reaksyon nito. Anyone in their right mind would have the same reaction as him. He had a child and all these years ay wala siyang kaalam alam patungkol dito. He must have felt like a fool. And Tabithacould understand him.

She walked towards her son’s private room. Hawak hawak niya ang cheese cake na pinabili ng kanyang madrasta. Pagbukas niya ng pintuan, the room was dimly lit dahil natutulog pa din ang kanyang anak. Sinalubong naman siya agad ni Andrea. Unang tingin pala nito sa kanya alam na agad nito na hindi maganda ang ibabalita niya.

“He didn’t take it lightly did he?” tanong nito sa kanya, where in she nodded her reply. Andrea pressed her lips into a thin line, which signaled Tabitha that the lady was thinking of ways to get on Tristan’s good side.

Tabitha sighed, “he said to expect a visit from his lawyer. Mommy, I think he’d go as far as getting a paternity test just so he can co-parent with me.” her heart was breaking, would he go that far just to show his capability to hurt her?

Gusto nalang niyang ialis sa isipan niya ang mga possibleng mangyari kung gawin man ni Tristan ang mga banta niya. Kung alam lang nito na hindi na niyang nagawa pang isipin ang sarili simula ng isinilang niya si Kristoff. It was one step at a time into healing her son. How can she think of anyone else when her son can be taken from her by his condition? Hindi niya lubos maisip kung gaano ka kitid ang utak ng lalaki. ‘imbes na isispin nalamang ang kalagayan ni Kristoff, he had to go around and shove being unfairly treated to me.’

Tabitha was worried sick at dumadagdag pa sa kaniyang lalahanin and pagiging conceited ni Tristan. “Hayaan mo na anak, that was just his initial reaction. Malay mo ay mahimasmasan din yun.”

She must have thought of him in a very negative way dahil sarcastikong tawa lamang ang naging reaction niya sa sinabing iyon ng kaniyang madrasta. “Tristan can be a jerk sometimes. But him being selfish is something I’ve experienced first hand.” She bitterly spoke. “Kaya nga di ko na pinaalam kung sino ang ama ni Kristoff dahil alam kong na ganito ang magiging reaction niya.” saad niya looking down in a solemn way. “You know Santiago Men, mommy. They will always stick to their code, no matter how heartless it may sound. They would rather save face and be in a loveless marriage para maingatan lang ang pangalan nila.”

Andrea rubbed Tabitha in her back. In her lifetime alam na alam nito ang gawi ng mga Santiago. The Santiagos had been a big clan in their province. And they were big in their honor as men. Ayaw nila ng may maagrabayadong babae, to the point na naging tanyag sila bilang mga chivalrous knight. Maraming babae din ang nag take advantage sa kaugaliang iyon ng mga Santiago, to the point that engagements had been broken dahil na din sa mga schemes ng ibang babaeng despirada a mapabilang sa angkan nila. If Tabitha would be married to Tristan dahil kay Kristoff, alam ni Andrea na mamamarkahang kabilang sa mga despiradan babae ang kaniyang anak.