Resilient Hope

Chapter 12

Ngayon ang huling araw nina Astrid at Aillard sa Tagaytay. Bago sila tuluyang umuwi, balak ni Aillard na dalhin si Astrid sa isa sa kanyang mga paboritong restaurant sa Tagaytay.

Excited na excited si Astrid na kumain doon dahil sinabi ni Aillard na Filipino restaurant iyon. Kahit hindi ito five-star, sabi niya, ang pagkain naman ay masarap.

Sa kabila ng excitement ni Astrid, hindi maganda ang pakiramdam niya. Pinilit niyang pasiglahin ang sarili upang hindi mag-alala si Aillard at hindi masira ang kanilang masayang araw. Gusto niyang manatili ang kanilang saya hanggang matapos ang araw.

Sa kasalukuyan, naliligo si Astrid dahil anumang oras ay aalis na sila ni Aillard. Naunang naligo si Aillard at natapos na rin niyang paliguan si Zuzu kaya siya na ang sumunod na maligo.

Nakaharap sa salamin, hinubad ni Astrid ang kanyang damit at napanganga siya sa kanyang nakita. Punong-puno ng pasa ang kanyang katawan.

What the heck!

"Oh my gosh," bulong niya.

Pinasadahan niya ng tingin ang kanyang katawan. Alam niya kung saan galing ang mga pasa. Madaling magkapasa ang mga kagaya niyang may leukemia dahil isa iyon sa mga sintomas ng ALL.

Humugot siya ng malalim na buntong-hininga. Kailangan niyang itago ang mga pasa dahil tiyak na magpapanic si Aillard kapag nakita niya ito.

"You will be fine, Astrid," sabi niya sa sarili.

Kahit nanghihina, pinilit ni Astrid na maligo at hindi na siya nagtagal pa. Nag-isip siya ng paraan para matakpan ang ilang pasa upang hindi iyon mahalata ni Aillard mamaya. Hinalungkat niya ang kanyang bag at nahanap ang isang long sleeve na blouse. Sapat na iyon para takpan ang kailangang takpan.

“Astrid, baby, ayos ka lang ba dyan?” tanong ni Aillard mula sa labas ng pinto.

“Oo, sandali lang. Lalabas na ako.” Nagmamadali siyang naglagay ng make-up at lipstick para hindi mahalata ang pamumutla niya.

Pagkatapos mag-ayos, lumabas na siya ng banyo. Naabutan niya si Aillard na nakasandal sa pader, hinihintay siya.

“Bakit may nagbago sa’yo? Hindi ko lang masabi kung ano,” sabi ni Aillard habang hinahagod siya ng tingin mula ulo hanggang paa. Dati kasi, powder at lipgloss lang ang gamit niya.

Astrid smiled sa kabila ng kanyang nararamdaman. “Wala iyon. Aalis na ba tayo?” binago niya ang usapan.

Tumango si Aillard. “Yes. Wala ka na bang nakalimutan?”

“Wala naman na.”

“Okay… Let’s go.”

Hawak-kamay silang bumaba ng hagdan, pinagbuksan siya ni Aillard ng pinto ng sasakyan, at inalalayan siyang makasakay. Kasama rin nila ang baby nila na si Zuzu.

Buong biyahe, nilaro ni Astrid si Zuzu sa kanyang kandungan at minsan ay nag-uusap sila ni Aillard.

Pagkatapos ng tatlumpung minutong pagmamaneho, huminto si Aillard sa isang malawak na parking lot. Hindi napansin ni Astrid na nakalabas na si Aillard sa sasakyan hanggang buksan niya ang pinto sa kanyang tabi at inalalayan siyang bumaba.

Buhat ni Astrid si Zuzu habang naglalakad sila papasok sa loob ng Ridge Park. Agad silang sinalubong ng mga tauhan doon na masayang bumati sa kanila. Napansin niyang friendly at mababait ang mga empleyado ng restaurant.

“Boss Aillard!” bati ng isang lalaki na lumapit sa kanila. “Magandang umaga, boss. Magandang umaga din po, Ma'am."

Astrid smiled. “Magandang umaga din.”

“Magandang umaga, Kevin.”

“Ang tagal na po nung huling kita natin, boss, pero gwapo ka pa rin.” Hinihintay silang makalapit bago iginiya papunta sa dati nilang pwesto. “Sa dati pa rin po ba?”

“Yes.”

Nauna itong naglakad, sinusundan nila habang patuloy ang masayang daldalan.

Hindi mapigilan ni Astrid ang mamangha sa buong lugar. Napakaganda at aliwalas, puno ng iba't ibang bulaklak at puno na lalo niyang nagustuhan. Idagdag pa ang magandang view ng Taal mula sa kanilang kinatatayuan.

This was the perfect nature view she had been searching for.

"So beautiful..." she murmured in admiration.

"You're beautiful," Aillard whispered before kissing her lips.

She laughed softly and gently pushed his chest away. "Someone might see us, it's embarrassing." The truth was, she felt a flutter of excitement at his words and the kiss.

But Aillard was persistent, stealing another kiss before finally stopping. She shook her head but secretly enjoyed his affection. Over time, she had grown accustomed to his kisses, especially his cuddling when they slept.

They stopped in front of a spacious hut. Aillard led her inside and seated her. He joined her despite the ample space available.

"What would you like to order, boss? The usual?" asked Kevin, the waiter who always attended to them.

Astrid noticed that Aillard seemed well-known here, as nearly all the staff greeted him by name since their arrival.

Aillard shook his head at the waiter. "What do you want?" he asked her.

He let her choose. Astrid scanned the menu, instantly craving the dishes listed. It seemed she would be eating a lot today.

"Give us bulalo, kare-kare, sizzling sisig, chicken wings, pinakbet, and for drinks, a mango shake for me. What about you?" she asked Aillard.

"Pineapple juice."

"And one pineapple juice and a bottled water. For dessert, leche flan and blueberry cheese tart. Anything else you want to add?"

He shook his head. "Can you finish all that?" he asked her.

"We can finish it together," she replied, smiling ear to ear.

Aillard chuckled. She loved the sound of his laughter. In the past, his smiles and laughter were rare, but now she saw and heard them every day.

She wanted to see those smiles and hear those laughs until her last breath. Badly...

Their attention shifted back to the waiter as he asked, "Is that all, Ma'am, Boss Aillard?"

They both nodded. The waiter excused himself, promising to return once their food was ready. Left alone with Aillard, she turned to him.

"Did you ever bring Kendall here?" she asked, remembering his ex.

Astrid was curious if he had ever brought Kendall to this place.

He frowned slightly. "Nope. Never. You're the only woman I've brought here."

"Why?"

"She hates this kind of restaurant. She prefers five-star places," he answered disinterestedly, as he always did when discussing his ex.

"Then why did you bring me here?"

Aillard glanced at her and smiled. "Because you're different from her. You prefer simple things that make you happy, while she's into classy things. That's one of the things I love about you. You don't care if I don't take you to the most popular places."

"She can do that because she has the money to spend on the things she wants," she said, thinking about how she still relied on her mom and the company her dad had left for them.

Hindi niya mapigilan ang sarili na isipin kung gaano kayaman si Kendall. Sa pustura pa lang nito, masasabi niya nang mayaman ito. Bigla tuloy siyang nanliit sa sarili. Wala siyang sariling kumpanya o kahit na anong negosyo. Tama nga na may kumpanya silang mapupunta rin sa kanya balang araw, pero sa ama’t ina pa rin niya iyon. Ang mga magulang niya ang nagpakahirap doon, hindi siya.

Patuloy na umiling si Aillard. “No. Nagkakamali ka. She’s from a middle-class family.”

“Huh?” Middle class? Ibig sabihin—

Nagpatuloy si Aillard, “Yes. Hindi siya galing sa mayaman na pamilya. Anak siya sa labas ng namayapang sekretarya ni Lolo. That’s why I know her.”

Dahil sa kadaldalan ni Astrid, tinanong niya lahat kay Aillard. Mabuti na lamang at walang tanong-tanong na sinagot nito lahat ng katanungan niya.

“Well, she married one of my investors because of money. Sadly, he died last year because of old age.”

What the hell!

Alam niya na wala siya sa posisyon para husgahan si Kendall kung bakit ito iyon ginawa, pero hindi niya mapigilan na maasar para dito. Para bang nasa isang pelikula sila na ipinagpalit ng babae ang lalaki sa isang matandang lalaki para sa pera. At nang mamatay ang matanda, babalik sa buhay ng lalaki ang babae.

Tsk!

Sorry, not sorry, Kendall, but Aillard is mine now. Not yours but mine. Mine alone.

“Aren’t you mad at her? She left you… for money.”

“I’m not mad because of what she did. I am mad because she destroyed the family of that man. Kahit magalit ako sa kanya, wala na akong magagawa pa doon kundi ang maging masaya at tanggapin ang naging desisyon niya. I just hate it. Destroying another family for your own good is not good and reasonable. She’s a woman, too. Dapat alam niya ang maaaring maramdaman ng asawa ng lalaki dahil sa ginawa niya.” That's true…

Kendall should know that, but still… Who are they to judge her? They are also human. Humans who also make mistakes.

She’s so proud of this man in front of her. Astrid is so lucky to have this kind of man—yung maintindihin at sobrang bait. Sana ay hindi ito magbabago.

“Why are we talking about her? We’re here to spend time together, so let’s forget about her.” Aillard caressed her cheeks. “I love you, Astrid. Always remember that. Handa akong gawin ang lahat para sa’yo.”

Kinikilig na kinagat niya ang pang-ibabang labi niya. “I love you too, Aillard.”

Dinampian nito ng halik ang labi niya, pagkatapos ay ang noo naman niya. Hanggang sa dumating ang order nila, hindi nawala sa labi niya ang ngiti. Kahit ang panghihina na naramdaman niya kanina ay nawala dahil sa kasama niya—ang lalaking mahal na mahal niya.

Ngayon na sigurado na ni Astrid na mahal niya ito, nagbago ang isip niya.

She wants to get better. She wants to get healed. She wants to fight her illness. She wants to live in this world with Aillard until they grow old—until their last breath. And lastly, she wants to build their own family.

Natigil ang ginagawa ni Astrid at Aillard nang dumating si Kevin kasama ang dalawang waiter, dala ang mga order nilang pagkain.

“Boss Aillard, ito na po ang order n’yo. Dadalhin ko na lang po yung ibang wala pa dito,” magalang na sambit ng lalaki.

Hinayaan nila itong ayusin ang mga in-order nila. Amoy na amoy ni Astrid ang mabangong aroma ng mga nasa harapan niya. Hindi na siya makapaghintay na tikman lahat ng in-order niya dahil siya ang namili ng kakainin nila.

“Thank you,” aniya matapos nitong ilapag sa mesa ang mga pagkain.

“Thank you, Kevin.” Inabot ni Aillard ang tatlong libo. “And the change would be your tip.”

Lumawak ang ngiti ni Kevin at ilang beses na nagpasalamat sa kanilang dalawa, kahit na si Aillard lang naman ang nagbayad ng order nila.

“Naku, Boss! Maraming salamat po. Enjoy your food, Boss and Ma’am,” anito at iniwan na sila.

Napangiti na lang sila ni Aillard nang makita ang masayang mukha ng binata.

Nang makalayo ito sa kanila, nagsimula na silang kumain ni Aillard.

Unang subo pa lang niya, nanunuot na sa bibig niya ang kinain niya. Napakalasa ng mga ito at tamang-tama lang ang timpla.

“Uhmm…” Hindi niya mapigilan na hindi mapaungol nang humigop siya ng sabaw ng bulalo. “Ang sarap ng mga pagkain nila dito. Sa tingin ko, paborito ko na rin itong restaurant. Thank you for bringing me here and letting me taste this delicious meal with you.”

Mabilis nitong itinago ang hawak na cellphone. “I’ll bring you here again if we have free time.”

“Talaga?”

Aillard nodded and smiled at her. "Of course... yes. I like sharing my favorite restaurant with you, especially when we eat here together."

Her appetite was further stimulated by his words. She couldn't wait to come back and eat again.

They felt their payment with Aillard was worth it, as they finished everything they ordered. Astrid liked the bulalo and chicken wings the most out of everything they ate, since they were her favorites. She and Aillard were very full.

They stayed a few more minutes at Ridge Park before deciding to return to their journey. After feeding Zuzu, all Astrid did on the trip was sleep.

They were close when Astrid woke up, wanting to use the bathroom.

"Aillard?"

He glanced at her briefly before returning his gaze to the road. "Hmm?"

"Can we stop at the nearby fast food place? I want to use the bathroom. I really need to pee, Aillard."

Aillard nodded, finding a nearby fast food place and quickly parked the car when he found one. He didn't wait for Aillard to open the door for her. She herself opened it and entered the fast food chain without saying anything. She went straight to the bathroom.

As she came out of the bathroom, she noticed her appearance. Earlier, she had managed to cover her paleness with makeup, but now it was clearly visible on her face. She added more makeup before coming out.

As the day passed, she noticed her body becoming sluggish.

Aillard greeted her when she came out of the bathroom. She didn't realize he had followed her.

"Let's go," Astrid said.

He responded with a brief nod. Astrid shrugged off his quietness. Maybe he had something on his mind, so he was quiet. When they left Ridge Park, he was fine.

They were about to get in the car when Astrid suddenly felt dizzy. She held onto him tightly to regain her strength and balance herself so she wouldn't fall. Aillard immediately supported her when he noticed something was wrong with her.

"Are you okay?" Aillard asked, worried.

He quickly helped her. He opened the car door and sat her down. He didn't close the car door so he could check on her first.

"I'm just a little dizzy. But I'm fine," she replied, holding her head. She gently massaged her temples, hoping the dizziness would go away quickly.

Aillard checked on her. "Damn it, Astrid! You're bleeding!"

"Huh?"

He pointed to her nose. "Your nose. It's bleeding."

She felt her nose. She could feel the warm liquid from it. Her eyes widened when she saw the red liquid on her hands. It's blood.

Nervously, she looked at him. He's worried. The handsome face shows signs of worry. Before she could speak, Astrid felt her vision slowly closing.

No! Please! No!

Aillard's chest thumped loudly when he saw Astrid's nose bleed. Fortunately, she was in front of him, so he quickly caught her. Without hesitation, he adjusted her position in the car, but he was surprised to see the sleeve of her dress move.

Bruises covered her arms. He was nervous. This was the second time she had fainted right in front of him.

Damn it! She's not okay. Why the f**k didn't she tell me?

Aillard was annoyed with himself. Why didn't he notice her bruises earlier, when they're always together?

He took Astrid to the hospital where he had taken her before. He was grateful they were close by. As he drove, he couldn't help but blame himself. If only he had been more attentive to her, this wouldn't be happening now.

Using the rear-view mirror, he looked at the unconscious girl in the back seat. He accelerated even more.

This is all my fault. I'm sorry, baby.