A Husband's Regret (Tagalog)

Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

Aegeus

"Mommy! Mommy! Wake up!" 

Gumuhit ang ngiti sa labi ko nang marinig ang munting boses ng prinsipe ko. Naglaho ang ngiting iyon nang mag-umpisa siyang tumalon sa kama ko.

"Aegeus, anong palaging sinasabi ni mommy?" tanong ko kasabay nang pagbangon ko.

He pouted his small lips and hugged me. "No jumping on your bed..."

"And?"

"My bed," he said and kissed me. "Sorry, Mommy, I was just excited because today is my first day! I want you to prepare my breakfast. I don't want to eat Yaya Meling pancakes! Yours tastes better."

I smiled and messed up his hair. "Okay then, I have to fix my bed first before I cook your pancakes. Go downstairs and ask Yaya to bathe you,” saad ko at mabilis na hinalikan ang tungki ng ilong niya.

I glanced at my clock, counting the time that I still have before I go to my office. I sighed when I only have less than two hours. 

Working and taking care of my son is difficult. But I'm still happy with my life. The best decision that I ever made in my life was giving birth to my son, Aegeus Limuel Miller.

I was twenty minutes late when I arrived in my office. It's been three years since I started working in the Prime Publishing Company located on the outskirts of Manila as an editor. Just last year, I got promoted as the head editor.

Time flies so fast, it's been six years since I left my life in New York. Naging mahirap man ang mga nakalipas na taon hindi ko kailanman pinagsisihan ang pag-alis kong iyon.

"OMG! Sammie, why are you so late? Inaantay ka ni Sir Marcus sa taas, may announcement kanina," salubong sa akin ni Mika.

Binilisan ko ang hakbang ko patungo sa office ni Sir Marcus hindi na inabala ang sarili kong ilapag muna ang mga gamit sa office ko.

"Good morning, Sir Marcus," I said with an apologetic smile.

"You're late."

"Sorry, today is Aegeus' first day in school.”

He nodded and motioned the chair in front of his table. I sat on it and looked at him.

"Ang laki na talaga ni Aegeus, pusta ko ginising ka niya na nagtatalon sa kama mo.”

I laughed. "You got it right, Sir."

He scoffed. "Enough with the formality, Sam, ilang beses ko bang dapat sabihin na tawagin mo na lang akong Marcus.”

"You're still my boss."

"But you're also my friend."

Malapit na kaibigan ng kapatid ko si Marcus kaya naging kaibigan ko na rin ito noon bago ako tumulak patungong New York. Nang bumalik ako sa Pilipinas at naisin muling magtrabaho he offered me a job in The Prime.

"So, what's the meeting all about?"

"Prime has been acquired by an international company, Samantha."

"What?! How did that happen? What about the Velasco's?" tanong ko tinutukoy ang nagmamay-ari ng Prime.

"They sold it; their son wanted to focus on their real estate business."

Nasapo ko ang noo kinakabahan sa maaaring mangyari gayong iba na ang magiging may-ari ng Prime. "Ano na kayang mangyayari sa atin?"

"Next week, may gaganaping event para i-welcome ang bagong may-ari. Doon pa lang natin malalaman ang plano nila since new management na tayo."

I bit my lips. "I hope they won't fire us."

Ngumiti siya ngunit nakikita ko sa mga mata niyang nag-aalala rin siya. "That won't happen. I won't let it happen."

***

"HOW's school, Aegeus?" tanong ko sa anak ko na naabutan kong walang imik sa kwarto niya at nakatingin lang sa dingding na puno ng mga litrato namin.

Sumikdo ang puso ko nang harapin niya ako at bumungad sa akin ang mukha niyang puno ng mga luha.

"What happened, baby?” nag-aalala kong tanong sabay lapit at sapo ng mukha niya.

"M-Mommy!" He shouted and hugged me.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"My classmate made fun of me because I told him I don't have a Daddy."

"Aegeus..."

"Bakit wala akong Daddy just like them, My?”

Niyakap ko siya nang mahigpit kasabay nang pagtulo ng luha mula sa mga mata ko. "You have a Daddy. I'm your father too, right?"

"No, you're not! You're my mother, Mommy, tell me! Where's my Daddy?!"

He pushed me and with his little hands, he caressed my face. "Mommy..." he slowly stopped crying when he saw my tears. "D-Don't cry..."

"You're crying so Mommy is crying too..."

Pinunasan niya ang mga mata niya at tiningnan ako. Namumula ang mga mata niya at nakita ko ang pagngatal ng bibig niya sa pagpipigil na umiyak. "I'll stop crying, Mommy. I don't want to see you cry."

I wiped my tears and kissed him on his forehead. "You're so sweet, Aegeus... do you really want to know about your father?"

He nodded. "But it's okay if you don't want to tell me, Mommy. Just don't cry, please."

I smiled. "Aegeus, you're still too young to understand everything. But I'll tell you one thing he's not here in the Philippines."

"Where is he then?" asked Aegeus with curiosity on his eyes.

"New York."

He frowned. "Why are we here in the Philippines and not with him?"

"He's working there." Binuhat ko siya at iniupo sa mga hita ko. Niyakap ko siya mula sa likod at hinaplos ang buhok niya.

“Hindi niya ba tayo love, mommy? Bakit siya nandoon?”

I'm sorry, Aegeus. 

"He loves you, Aegeus."

"Kailan ko siya makikita? I want to see him, Mommy," malungkot ang boses na saad ni Aegeus.

"You'll see him when you grow up, w-we'll visit him." 

Oh God, forgive me for lying.

"Bakit hindi now?"

"Because..."

Hindi ko magawang matapos ang sasabihin ko dahil hindi ko na alam kung ano pang kasinungalingan ang ihahabi ko makaiwas lang sa mga tanong ng anak ko.

Malalim akong bumuntonghininga at natahimik na lang. "Mommy?"

"Aegeus, Mommy is hungry. Can we talk about this next time?"

Nilingon niya ako at hinaplos ang pisngi ko. "Last question Mommy,"

"Ano ‘yon, baby?"

"What's his name?"

Napalunok ako bago ko binigkas ang pangalan na matagal na panahon nang hindi ko nasasabi.

"Pisces...Pisces Hammington, baby."

I closed my eyes remembering that man.

My ex-husband.

TBC