Author: admin

Almayrah A. Tiburon

Schedule ko sa araw na ito sa aking doktor para magpa-ultrasound. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pinili ko ang pink kong whole dress, ginamit ang pink na rubber shoes, pink na medyas, at pink na kombong, hindi dahil sa babae ako kundi yun ang naisipan at komportableng isuot ko sa araw na yun. Habang nagbibiyahe’y napapaisip kung ano ang kasarian ng magiging anak ko. Pagdating sa clinic ay marami ring mga buntis ang nandoon para magpa-check-up. Nang matawag ang pangalan ko’y nag-usap kami ng doktor ko, sabay pinahiga ako’t nakatingin kami pareho sa monitor.

“Dok, bago niyo po tingnan kung anong gender ng anak ko, gusto ko po pala babae kasi dalawa po ang anak kong lalaki.”

Ngumiti ang doktor. Marahil nakita niya sa akin ang pananabik. “Baby girl! Congrats!” Wika niya at kung hindi ako nakahiga’y marahil mapapalundag ako sa tuwa. Saglit pa’y pumatak ang mga luha ko. Muling tiningnan ng doktor ang monitor, “babae nga. Tears of joy,” aniya habang nakatingin sa akin.

Nang malaman ng asawa kong si Azis ay masaya rin siya dahil alam niyang masaya ako kahit pa mas gusto niya ulit ng batang lalaki. Ang totoo’y nag-aalala siya kung magiging babae ang anak namin. Mahirap daw kasi palakihin ang batang babae sa henerasyong ito. Pasaway raw kasi ang mga bata at mahirap kung ang pasaway ay babae. Kako depende sa amin ‘yun bilang mga magulang. Niyakap ko sina Cozy at King at sinabing alagaan nila ang bunso nila at protektahan. Hindi ko alam kung bakit sinabi ko ‘yun sa mga bata kahit alam kong hindi naman ako maiintindihan ng isang mag-aapat na taong gulang at mahigit isang taong gulang.

Limang buwan na ang ipinagbubuntis ko. Muli ay sa panahon ng pandemya, na mas lalo akong dapat mag-ingat dahil may dalawang maliliit na bata at may batang babae na rin sa sinapupunan ko na hindi pa man lumalabas ay mahal na mahal ko na. Bago matulog ay kinapa ko ang aking tiyan at pinakiramdaman ang tibok ng kanyang puso. Gumalaw siya sa unang pagkakataon. Marahil ramdam niya na masaya akong magiging nanay niya.

Sa gabi habang pinapatulog naming mag-asawa ang dalawang bata, “Alam mo, sa mga susunod na buwan ay tatlo na sila,” wika ko kay Azis na hindi pa rin nawawala ang mga ngiti ko sa labi.

“Sinong patutulugin ko sa tatlo paglabas ng anak natin? A, si King. Malaki na rin si Cozy at maiintindihan naman niya.”

“Basta, walang dapat na mangunguna sa kanila, ayaw kong maramdaman nila na hindi tayo patas, na kailangang mahalin natin silang tatlo nang labis-labis.”

Bago kami matulog ay pinag-usapan namin ang magiging pangalan ng bata. Ang napagkasunduan namin ay “Bae Qailah (one who speaks) Sofia (an intelligent and wise woman)” at ang kanyang magiging palayaw ay “Precious”.

Anak, Precious, nag-alala ako para sa ating dalawa dahil sa pandemya, mapanganib ang paglabas sa kagaya kong buntis kaya sobrang pag-iingat ang ginagawa namin ng ama mo. Alam kong ang pagbubuntis kong ito’y stressful dahil sa pag-iisip ng laganap na sakit na ito. Natural lang siguro na mag-alala ako para sa atin dahil sobrang mahal na mahal namin kayo ng mga kuya mo.

Kapag naipanganak na pala kita’y ayaw kong bumili ng mga damit mo na kulay pink lang. Gusto ko kung anong komportable’t presentable ka’y yun ang ipapasuot ko sayo. Ayaw ko kasing kung anong ididikta ng lipunan ay gagawin ko dahil ayaw ko ng stereotype; na sinasabi ng maskuladong lipunan na ang mga babae ay mahihina, na kailangan ay sa tahanan lamang kasama ang kaldero’t kalan, at maglinis ng bahay. Ang pagiging babae ay hindi nasusukat sa kung ano ang nagagawa sa tahanan at kung anong kulay ang isinusuot. Naniniwala akong maraming babae ang polychronic, na kayang gawin ang mga bagay nang sabay-sabay, na alam kong kaya mong pagsabayin ang maging manggagawa’t kapaki-pakinabang sa lipunan gayundin ang gawing maging maliwanag, mapayapa, at masaya ang tahanan.

Bilang babae, gusto kong paglaki mo’y maging matatag, matapang, at matalino ka sa mga pagsubok at manindigan sa mga desisyon at landas na tatahakin. May mga pagkakataon mang mahina ang boses mo’y natitiyak kong may makaririnig at may matitinag dahil huhubugin kita sa mga salitang may puso at malawak na pang-unawa. Lagi mo sanang itatangi ang kapayapaan at katarungan. Huwag titigil sa pagiging mabunga at malikhain. Huwag kang mag-alala kasi nandito kami ng ama mo para alalayan at gabayan kayong magkakapatid.

Limang buwan ka pa lang pero tungkol sa lipunan na ang sinasabi ko. Marahil ay gusto na talagang kitang makita. Bigla kong naramdamang gumalaw ka. A, baka ramdam at gusto mo rin ang mga gusto kong mangyari. Alam mo bang ninanamnam ko ang bawat mong galaw? Natutuwa kasi ako dahil pakiramdam ko’y masaya kang kasama ako. Alam mo bang nagsimula na akong mag-isip at mangarap ng magiging kinabukasan mo? At alam mo bang nasa imahinasyon ko na tatlo na kayo; magkakasamang pakakainin, maglalaro, magtatakbuhan, mamamasyal, at siguro mag-aaway. Party-party na siguro dito sa bahay. Nananabik na talaga ako sa pagkikita natin. Paglabas mo sa Abril ay mas lalo ka pa naming mamahalin ng ama mo kasama ng mga kuya mo – aarugain at kakalingain namin kayo nang walang humpay at walang pagod.

Nelson Dino

The sea had turned restless, its once calm surface now a churning mess of waves. A young lady stood on the edge of her father’s boat, the wooden frame creaking under the strain of the storm. She held tight to the worn railing, her knuckles white with effort, eyes wide as the sky grew darker. The winds howled, ripping through the sails and sending the boat veering off course. Panic flickered in her chest, a wild, erratic heartbeat that seemed to sync with the pounding rain. Her father’s voice, calling her name—Lundang—was swallowed by the roaring sea as furious waves battered the boat. Then, a deafening crack echoed through the storm, the sound of wood splintering, and suddenly, the world tilted violently.

Everything was water.

She was flung into the icy embrace of the ocean, the shock of it stealing her breath. The waves surged over her, pulling her down and spinning her in a dizzying swirl beneath the surface. The salt stung her eyes, and her lungs screamed for air, but she fought against the current, kicking her legs frantically. Just as darkness began to close in, she broke through the surface, gulping down the air in ragged gasps. The sea raged around her, merciless and unyielding, but she clung to consciousness, driven by a fierce will to survive.

The storm seemed to rage on forever, but finally, the winds began to die down. The waves still tossed the young lady about, but with less force, and she found herself floating in the water, exhausted but alive. The night sky had cleared, revealing a scattering of stars overhead, dim and distant but still there, like silent witnesses to her struggle. She felt a sudden stillness as if the sea had finally relented, allowing her a moment of peace. Her limbs ached, her body battered and bruised, but the fight had gone out of the ocean, leaving her to drift on the quiet, moonlit waves.

Time lost its meaning as she floated there, alone and adrift. But then, out of the endless blue, something changed. A gentle but insistent current began to carry her away from the open sea. She was too weak to resist and tired to care, so she let it guide her, hoping it would lead her to safety.

When she awoke, she was no longer in the water. The ground beneath her was solid, calm, and covered in soft, damp earth. She blinked against the harsh sunlight, the scent of greenery filling her lungs. Slowly, she sat up, feeling the sun’s warmth on her skin and the grass’s softness under her hands. She looked around, taking in her surroundings.

She was on land—dry land, lush and green, with trees towering overhead. The air was thick with the scent of rain, earth, and birds calling from the branches. She pushed herself to her feet, unsteady but determined, her damp clothes clinging to her body. She took a few tentative steps, feeling the earth give slightly beneath her weight, the grass brushing against her ankles.

Ahead of her, rising out of the forest like a silent sentinel, was Bud Bongao. The peak loomed above her, its slopes covered in dense, green vegetation. Seeing it filled her with an inexplicable sense of calm as if the mountain were a familiar friend watching over her. She couldn’t remember how she got here, but the show didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she was safe.

As she made her way through the forest, she noticed movement in the trees above her. Monkeys, their dark eyes bright with curiosity, leaped from branch to branch, chattering amongst themselves. They watched her with interest, their small faces expressive as if they were wondering what she was doing in their domain. She smiled up at them, feeling a strange kinship with these creatures of the wild. They seemed to sense her peaceful intent, for they did not flee but followed her progress through the forest, swinging from vine to vine.

The path was narrow, winding through the dense foliage, leading her closer to the peak. She followed it without hesitation, driven by an instinct she couldn’t quite explain. The air grew cooler as she ascended, the trees thinning out to reveal more of the sky above. Finally, she emerged into a small clearing, where the trees parted to reveal a breathtaking view of the sea beyond. The vast blue expanse stretched before her, glittering in the sunlight, calm and serene as if the storm had never been.

She stood there, transfixed by the sight, her heart swelling with awe and gratitude. She had survived. The sea had spared her, and now she was standing on this sacred mountain, looking out over the world. It felt like a blessing, a gift from the universe, a reminder of the fragility of life and strength within her.

“You see it too, don’t you?”

The voice was deep, warm, and full of understanding. The young lady turned to find a man standing at the edge of the clearing, partially hidden in the shade of the trees. His beard was long and white, his eyes kind, with a wisdom stretching beyond the years. He stepped forward, his movements slow and deliberate, like someone who had lived many lifetimes.

She nodded, unable to find her voice, her gaze drifting back to the sea, and asked, “How do you know my name?”

“It’s like a current,” he said, standing beside her. “Your name is like a life, as it means a “close friend.” Sometimes, it’s calm; sometimes, it’s rough. But it’s always moving, always changing and tough like the peak of this mountain.”

She felt his words settle into her heart, deep and true, like the roots of a tree. They stood silently as the sea whispered its ancient secrets and the sun slowly descended toward the horizon.

Her name echoed in the rhythm of the currents, a melody tangled in her life as her memories unfolded. With her plan and her father setting their sights on Sandakan, the waves in the Sulu Sea rose and fell. Their journey faltered, leaving them adrift, their lives stretching into a vast, uncertain expanse—her father was never found again!