Abandoned Baby
Chapter 92
After Carla and Bless went shopping, they decided to return home. When they got home, Bless put the baby down for her nap while Carla retreated back to her room to study.
Bless made her way downstairs to see Meera was at the kitchen cooking dinner.
"Hi yaya." Bless greeted Meera with a kiss on the cheek.
"Hi anak. Have a good day with Carla?" The older woman asked.
"Opo Yaya. (Yes maid) Very good day." Bless said with a smile.
"Mabuti yan." (That's good to hear.) Meera smiled at the pregnant woman.
"Yaya. Alam mo pa si "Ginger" yung cute bakla barbero sa shop sa tabi ng bahay mo?" (Do you still remember Ginger the gay barber at the shop near your house?) Bless asked remembering him when she was younger and they were very good friends since then growing up.
"Si Ginger, yung lalaki yan ng Barbero, hmmm...I think so anak, bakit?" (Ginger, the barber guy...I think so child, why?) Meera was curious in knowing as Bless had her chin on Meera's shoulder.
"La lang yaya (Nothing really maid)...I was just wondering how is he all these years...Miss na miss ko siya." (I miss him.) "Parang alam ko siya after all these years and curious lang kung nandoon siya pala." (I still remember him after all these years and was curious only if he's still around.)
"Oh anak, Nandoon pala ang best friend mo after all these years. May shop ng marami cliente punta diyan alam ko.(Oh child, yes you're best friend is still there after all these years. He has his own shop that many of his clients go too that I remembered.) Last I remembered I seen him was before I left here." Meera told her with a warm smile knowing the young woman was reminiscing her childhood.
"Oh yeah?" Bless was interested in knowing.
"Yup I believe so." Meera laughed taking a look at Bless with a smile cupping her cheek with her hand.
"Alam bata pa ko ikaw mag braid ang hair ko every morning before start ang pasok ko?" (When I was a child, you braided my hair every morning before I started school?) Bless asked her.
"How could I not forget anak, I loved doing your hair for you. Miss na miss yung memories yan." (I miss those memories.) Meera told her with a warm smile.
"Yaya, do you think I should talk to momma and papa if ever see them again?" Bless asked Meera honestly.b
"I don't know Yaya...a part of me... parang Mahal ko si Papa at si mommy (like..I still love daddy and mommy) and it's just been on my mind eversince patay si Evelyn...(Evelyn died) gusto ko sila kita at usapan at gusto ko alam kumustahan ang buhay nila you know. (I want to see them and talk to them and see how their life is)And the other part of me says let go na (just to let go now) eversince I haven't seen them all my life. "Gusto ko sila kilala at gusto malaman kung mahalin sila parin ako ." (I just want to know them and want to know if they still love me.) Bless sighed feeling her heart was constricted not knowing her parents and not getting to grow up with a real family.
"Anak, just follow your heart. The time will come. But in the mean time don't forget nandito ako sa iyo kasi mahal kita at hindi gusto kita masaktan." (I'm here for you because I love you and I don't want to see you get hurt.) Meera told her in a comforting voice and gave her some advice.
"Thanks yaya...Mahal kita rin. Parang ikaw ang mommy ko sa buhay ko kung wala si momma at si pappa sa buhay ko." (I love you too. You're like my real mom in my life when mom and dad weren't around in my life.) Bless hugged the older woman from behind.
"Alam ko noon bata pa ako gusto ko pumayag kay papa gusto ko ng ice cream tapos ang klase ko for dessert. Hindi siya gusto kasi kumain dinner before dessert so ikaw ang tanong sa yo kung okay lang tikim ng ice cream and you said yes and didn't snitch on me kay papa." (I remember when I was a child I tried asking dad for ice cream for desser after getting out of class. He didn't want too because we had to eat dinner before dessert so I asked you and you said it was okay to taste some ice cream and you said yes and didn't snitch on me to papa.) Bless giggled remembering that memory.
"Kasi kulit mo ah' anak. Hay parang ang cute cute mo noong bata ka." (You were so naughty child. You were so cute though as a child.) Meera and her laughed about the good ol' times they had together and Bless was thankful she still had Meera who treated her like her own child that she loved and cared for.
"Upo na, mag kain tayo." (Sit down, we're gonna eat.) Meera told her as she did so.
"Yaya, si Jonathan, Anong trabaho niya ang nationality niya. Curious lang paano kayo mag meet." (Jonathan, what work does he do and what's his nationality. I'm curious how you two met.) Bless was intrigued to know so much from her and wanted to know more of her past hope to get some information on her life that she remembered or rarely knew so she hoped Meera still remembered.
"Real estate agent ang trabaho niya currently before it was construction worker sa ibang hotels sa abroad sa job niya. Meet kami sa aeroplano when he was doing business sa abroad sa Manila that's when he first noticed me and asked me my number so we exchanged both ours to one another and the rest was all history from there. He met Carla at ang ang isang anak ko si Becky and made us a part of his family after we've been together for quite some time. Amerikano si Jonathan by the way." (He works as a real estate agent currently before it was construction worker at hotels abroad which was his job. We met in the airport when he was doing business abroad in Manila that's when he first noticed me and asked me my number so we exchanged booth ours to one another . He met Carla and my other daughter Becky and made us a part of his family after we've been together for quite some time. Jonathan is American by the way.) The older maid explained to her while putting down the food on the table.
"So hindi biological dad si Jonathan kay Carla at Becky?) (He's not Carla and Becky's dad biologically?) Bless asked.
"Hindi si Jonathan ang biological dad. Step dad lang after hiwalay at ex asawa ko ako mag raise sa kanila. Si Becky ang panganay ko at si Carla ang bunso. Si Becky mag stay sa Pinas with her with Lolo and Lola sa mom and dad ko kasi gusto nandiyan sa Pinas mag aral. Gusto siya one day mag trabaho dito sa abroad kasi gusto siya mag teacher. Si Carla naman wants to be a lawyer so she wanted to be with me so her dreams came true when she said mag aral dito sa states. Matalino siya parang ang Ate niya sa school at may good grades sila. Gusto ang bunso ko mag follow sa footsteps ng Ate niya parang Valedictorian after their schooling."
(No Jonathan isn't the biological dad. Just their step dad after my ex husband and I split so I raised them both. Becky is the oldest and Carla is the youngest. Becky wanted to stay in the Philippines with her Grandpa and Grandma, my mom and dad because she wants to stay in the Philippines to study. She wants to work here one day abroad to be a teacher. Carla wants to be a lawyer so she wanted to be with me so her dreams came true when she said she wanted to study here in the states. She's smart like her older sister in school and they both get good grades. My youngest wants to follow in her older sister's footsteps so they both want to be a Valedictorian just like her sister after her schooling.)
"Mabuti yan. Matalino sila dalawa. (That's good. They're both smart.) They both have great heads on their shoulders." Bless said about the two girls.
"Ikaw Bless, Kumusta ang buhay mo at anong job mo ngayon?" (What about you Bless, how's life and what job do you have now?) Meera was interested in knowing much about her eversince they caught up on just about everything.
"Mabuti naman. Excited ang syota at ako magka baby. Gusto namin mag anak so may sibling si Catherine. Six months to go pa sa baby namin so prepared kami pag nandito si baby. Ako, ang job ko personal assistant at ibang odd jobs mag gawa minsan kung bored ako. May degree ako sa PR (Public Relations) so minsan gawa ako ang office work at iba pa sa WWE sa office ni Vince."
(It's all good. My boyfriend and I are excited we're having a baby. We want another child that way Catherine will have a sibling. We still have six months so we're prepared when baby is here. Me, my job is being a personal assistant and doing odd jobs if I'm bored. I also have a degree in Public Relations so sometimes I do office work and other things in Vince's office.) Bless explained what she did for a living as far as her life went.
"Paano gawa yan at meet ang boyfriend mo?" (How did you do that and meet your boyfriend?) Meera asked as they ate at the table.
"Kita ang ad sa paper so I decided to apply for the job and said yes and been working there for I think tatlong taon na. How I met Drew, sa best friend niya si Stephen, Irish siya at close sila so he got Drew and I together since Drew gusto niya sakin and we've been together after a year since after mag meet. Si Drew, Scottish siya." (I saw an ad in the paper so I decided to apply for the job and said yes and been working there for three years I think. How I met Drew was his friend Stephen who happens to be Irish and they're very close so he got Drew and I together since Drew really liked me and we've been together after a year since after we met. Drew is Scottish by the way.) Bless told her life story how they met.
"Si Catherine, ampun siya sa inyo at si Drew?" (Catherine, you and Drew adopted her?) Meera asked her about the baby.
"Opo. Tapos patay ang biological mom niya. Hanapin ko siya one night sa ibang city sa dumpsters after ng trabaho namin. May ibang letter hanapin sa basket ng baby ng care sa baby niya so...yeah that's how we got Catherine. Wala iba siya ang pamilya...ako at si Drew lang at ang road family ko mahal na mahal sila kay Catherine at tulong sila sa akin sa kanya." (Yes. After her biological mom died. We found her one night in the city by the dumpsters after our work. There was a letter in the baby's basket saying to take care of her baby so...yeah that's how we got Catherine. She has no other family. Me and Drew and only and our road family that loves Catherine and they would us take care of her.) Bless explained how she and Drew got Catherine.
"Mahal na mahal ang baby at mahal na mahal talaga si Drew ng baby niyan." (I love that baby s much and Drew also loves that baby very much.) Bless told her how much she loved Catherine and Drew as well.
"Si Catherine.(Catherine) She's the one that brought Drew and I closer as a couple and made us a strong family." The expectant mother told the maid how happy Catherine made her and Drew and how close they got because of her.
"Hintay si Drew at ako kung may ibang pamilya mag gusto kay Catherine, wala...ako at siya mag mahal si Catherine at gusto namin mag ampun siya so we did and made her part of our family. Gusto niya ang mommy niya diba? Ang biological mom niya 18 lang siya mag matay kasi abuso ng boyfriend niya...behind bars ang biological ama for life so now sa akin si Catherine. Ako at si Drew bigyan si Catherine ang bagong kinabukasan sa buhay niya at ang mahal namin sa kanya." (Drew and I waited to see if any other family wanted Catherine, none...Drew and I love Catherine and wanted to adopt her and so we did and made her part of our family. Her mom would want that right? Her biological mom was 18 when she died because her boyfriend abused her...Catherine's biological dad is behind bars for life so now Catherine is our's. Drew and I would give Catherine a brand new life and we would give her all the love that she needs.) Bless emotionally said that she and Drew would do anything for that little girl and give her everything that she would possibly need.
"Tama ka anak. (You're right child)You and Drew did the right thing. I can see how much you love that little girl. Her biological mom would've been proud you took her in and give her all the love and care in this world. She's going to be thankful one day that you adopted her and give her a home and now giving her a sibling that she'll love." The older woman told her reaching out and squeezing her hand.
A few minutes later Carla walked in since she was hungry when she seen Bless and her mom talking.
"Hi anak. Dinner is on the table kung gutom ka na." (If you're hungry.) Meera told her daughter.
"Thanks ma. Hi Ate. What are you and mom talking about?" Carla inquired as she seen the young woman at the table as well.
"Life and reminiscing about the past." Bless told Carla with a warm smile.
"Do you think you can both share some stories? I would love to hear some if you both don't mind." The youngest girl asked as she joined her mom and new friend at the table.
"Sure anak. Get a plate and grab a seat and we'll talk." Meera told her youngest daughter what she was told and joined the ladies for a little chit chat during dinner.