Chapter 13

Cold Shoulder

Marty nibbled on her strawberry sandwich after finishing her lunch. Napansin niya naman ang tingin ni Harley sa kanya.

"Bee? Bakit mo tinitipid?" he asked.

"E apat lang 'tong strawberry kaya tinitipid ko," sagot niya.

"Kain ka lang. Marami pa sa baba, hindi ko ga'no dinamihan kasi baka mali pala gawa ko sa gusto mo kaya apat lang muna nilagay ko d'yan sa bowl."

Marty's eyes marbled. "Talaga? Marami pa?"

"Oo." Harley nodded. "Marami pa. Nasa ref. P'wede ulit tayo gumawa mamaya."

"Okay!"

"Masarap ba? Tama 'yong ginawa ko d'yan? Lengthwise na hati sa gitna tapos lalagyan ng honey?" he asked.

"Tama! Ganito 'yong na-imagine ko!"

He smiled. "Okay. Buti naman."

"Ang sarap," she said, slowly chewing the food in her mouth. Hindi niya pa rin gets kung bakit siya naiyak no'ng isang gabi dahil lang hindi siya makakain ng strawberry na may honey. But somehow, she gets it now.

Especially when the sweetness and a bit of acidity from the fruit was colliding in harmony with the sweet and nutty flavor of honey. It was hitting the spot.

She couldn't explain it, but it felt like she finally had a taste of cold water after spending days in the middle of a drought. That's how it seemed to her.

Napapansin niya naman na pinanonood lang siya ni Harley kaya nilapit niya rin ang strawberry sa bandang bibig nito pagkatapos kumagat.

"Tikman mo, ang sarap!" sabi niya.

Umiling naman si Harley. "Hindi na, bee. Sa 'yo na 'yan. Ang cute mo lang panoorin."

"Tikman mo nga, e!" ungot niya naman.

She noticed how he was startled with the sudden change of her mood.

"Okay, okay," sabi ni Harley bago kumagat sa strawberry na inaalok niya.

"Ano? Masarap 'di ba?"

He nodded. "Masarap."

"Talaga?"

"Masarap nga, bee."

"Hmp! Okay."

"Kailan pala tayo magpapa-check up?" he asked.

"Sabi ni Isobel mas okay daw if six to eight weeks pregnant na. Pero okay lang din naman if magpa-check up na rin tayo agad kaso hindi pa siguro gano'n ka-visible si beebie sa ultrasound kasi maaga pa," sabi ni Marty.

"Bakit? Tingin mo ba ilang weeks na si baby?"

Her brows immediately furrowed. "Beebie!"

"Ay, okay. Beebie. Tingin mo ilang weeks na si beebie?" he asked again.

Saglit namang napaisip si Marty.

Isobel already briefed her out with how the calculations were done. As far as she could remember, the count starts from the first day of her last period.

"O baka hindi?"

"Ha? May sinasabi ka ba, bee?" tanong ni Harley.

"Iniisip ko 'yong counting ng weeks. Sabi kasi ni Isobel start daw ng first day ng last period ko tapos depende rin sa cycle."

"Naaalala mo ba exact date no'ng last period mo?"

"Nasa calendar ko sa phone."

Both of them spent the afternoon figuring out how far she is. Nakailang basa na rin sila sa iba't ibang sites pero medyo nalilito pa rin si Marty.

"Hindi kasi, bee. Oo nga, sa unang araw daw ng last period mo, pero depende din sa cycle mo. 5 weeks ka na dito," Harley explained.

"Bakit sabi dito sa calculator, 4 weeks? Mali ka naman ng bilang, e! Saka ang tagal kaya na-detect ng pregnancy test na buntis ako. Mas accurate 'to!"

"Hindi nga! Naka set 'yan sa standard na 28-day cycle. Iba cycle mo 'di ba? Kaya 5 weeks ka dito sa calculation ko."

"E bakit hindi na-recognize ng PT na buntis ako? Ilang days pa lumipas? Ang sabi dito as early as 10 days puwedeng maka-detect mga PT. 10 days, almost two weeks. Ngayong week lang na-confirm si beebie kaya most probably nasa 3-4 weeks pa lang kami."

Harley sighed. "Hindi nga. May probability din naman kasi na p'wedeng palyado 'yong test kaya hindi na-detect agad kasi sobrang aga pa. Mag-base tayo dito sa numbers na meron tayo para sa accuracy."

"Ah, basta! 4 weeks kami ni beebie. Pagod na ako d'yan, 'di pa ako nakakaligo."

"Okay." Napatango si Harley. Tumayo siya para linisin ang lapis at papel na ginamit niya. Marty noticed his silence but she was annoyed that he's not agreeing with her. E dapat nga mas alam at ramdam niya 'yon kasi siya naman 'yong buntis.

Mas marunong pa siya d'yan sa math niya? Bahala siya d'yan 'di kami bati, she scoffed before walking to the bathroom.

***

Marty stayed at the living room with Ishan while the Uly, Isobel, and Harley were busy in the kitchen preparing dinner.

"Tata, can you teach me how to count again?" Ishan asked sitting in front of her.

"Okay, close your hands," Marty instructed and Ishan immediately followed.

"One."

"One," Ishan parroted.

"Two,"

"Tu!"

"Three."

"Twee!"

Marty chuckled. "Ish, it's three."

"Twee!" he said, holding out three of his fingers.

"Let's eat na! Luto na 'yong food," tawag naman ni Isobel sa kanilang dalawa.

Marty and Ishan were holding hands while walking to the kitchen and she noticed how Harley followed them with his eyes. His gaze even lingered when they settled down on their seat.

Pero hindi niya pa rin pinansin.

She pretended like she saw nothing, but Marty stomped her hand on the chair beside her when he pulled it from the table to sit down.

"Tabi kami ni Isobel d'yan," sabi niya.

He let out a breath. "Okay."

She noticed the how Isobel and Uly immediately detected the animosity between them, and it seemed like Chigo caught on it too in the middle of eating dinner.

Masarap naman 'yong ulam nilang kaldereta at tinola pero nakukulangan si Marty sa lasa.

She stood up to get the condiments from the cupboard but the fish sauce was located on the top shelf. Napalingon siya sa may lamesa.

Marty scrunched her nose. Ayaw niya namang tapakan 'yong upuan niya, wala ring ibang bakante dahil sakto lang sa kanilang lahat 'yong bilang ng upuan sa dining.

She tried to mount the kitchen counter to reach the top shelf when a warm hand held her waist.

"Ako na, bee. Ano bang aabutin?"

Napasinghal siya. "Wala. 'Wag na. Ayaw ko na pala," sabi niya.

She carefully went down before proceeding back to the dining area.

Sinubukan niyang kumain ulit pero nakukulangan talaga siya sa lasa. She eyed the kitchen again only for her husband to emerge with a tiny bowl in hand.

Pinatong naman ni Harley 'yong bowl na may patis maliliit na sili sa tabi ng pinggan niya bago bumalik sa puwesto. 

Marty sighed. It was exactly what she wanted.

Pero dahil nagtatampo ako, 'di ko gagalawin 'yan.

"Ga'no ka katagal ulit dito, Harley?" tanong ni Chigo.

Marty didn't even heave her head up to show some interest on their conversation.

"Three weeks po."

"Tapos dito lang kayo ni Martiana sa bahay o may pupuntahan kayo?" her father asked.

Still, with her eyes fixed on her plate, she could feel her husband's gaze on him, probably trying to ask whether they have some plans or not.

'Di pa rin siya kumibo.

"Hindi pa po namin sigurado, Tito," Harley answered.

"Ikaw, Martiana, kauuwi lang nitong asawa mo inaaway mo agad?" sita ni Chigo sa kanya kaya napaangat siya ng tingin.

A crease appeared on her forehead. "Ayaw niya kasing makinig sa 'kin," she argued.

"Ayaw mo rin namang makinig sa akin," mas mahinahon na sabi ni Harley.

"Toss coin na lang tayo kung sino tama sa inyong dalawa para 'di na kayo nag-aaway d'yan," singit naman ni Chace.

"Ano ba kasi 'yon?" Chigo asked. "Ba't kayo nag-aaway."

"Hindi naman po kami nag-aaway. Ayaw lang makinig ni Marty sa calculation ko. Kanina pa po kasi kami nagco-compute kung ilang weeks na siya—"

"Tapos na akong kumain, akyat na ako," Marty announced.

'Di rin siya nagpapigil kahit sa tatay niya. She was still hungry, but she doesn't like to stay there just to be criticized.

Manginginain na lang siya ulit mamaya, bahala na sila do'n.

Marty laid on her side hugging Ambee. She was quiet,  staring blankly at the cream blackout curtains when the door to creaked open.

She heard his footsteps approaching. Naramdaman niya rin kung pa'no lumundo 'yong kama sa likuran niya pero hindi pa rin siya kumikibo.

"Bee," he called.

Marty shivered when she felt his arm slowly enclosing around her waist.

"Sabi ni Tita magpa-checkup na lang daw tayo para sure. Binigay niya sa 'kin number ng OB-GYN niya kanina," he said.

But Marty's still quiet.

Harley sighed, gently pulling her and Ambee closer to him.

"Sorry na. Frustrated lang din ako kanina kasi ayaw mo maniwala sa calculation ko."

And still, nothing.

"Pero tama ka naman baka mali rin ako. Kaya magpa-checkup na lang tayo. Gusto mo ba magpa-schedule ako bukas?" malambing na sabi niya.

He tried planting little butterfly kisses on her bare shoulder but Marty remained still like a statue.

Mamaya na kita kikibuin, she thought.

She's still annoyed by the fact that he's not believing her.

"Bee . . ." he called. His kisses were now traveling from her arm to the back of her ear.

"Sorry na," he whispered. "Pansinin mo na ako, please?"

She bit her lip, secretly hitching her breath when his kisses were now approaching her nape.

It was her weakest point so she had to grip Ambee tighter.

Hindi ako bibigay, hindi ako bibigay, hindi ako bibigay, she chanted in her mind.

But when his soft kisses began landing on her cheek, Marty just melted away.

"Nakakainis ka mag-sorry! Ang daya mo!"

He chuckled, claiming her lips. "Sorry."