AIA. 01 -I will leave my heart at the door

The stranger in our door.

Kairos'

"What? What? Hindi kita maintindihan, Kairos. Can you just sit down for a moment and calm your tits? Sumisipa iyong anak ko sa tyan ko dahil sa'yo."

I was phasing uncomfortably in front of Telulah Consunji – Sandoval. She is my cousin. She is a very intelligent lawyer. Hindi nga lang siya nagpa-practice ngayon dahil buntis siya at medyo maselan ang kalagayan niya. She already has a son, seven years old na iyong bata, kasing edad halos ni Danielle ko.

"Can you calm down and tell me again what happened." She said calmly. Nakatingin siya sa dalawang marriage certificate ko. Hindi ko maintindihan kung paano nangyari ang kasal na ito! How the hell did it happen? How the hell can't I remember the fact that I marrid Catherine Fe?!

"Paano ako nakakuha ng cenomar kung kasal na ako by that time! This is fake! So fake! Hindi kami kasal ni Cachi! Paano ang reputation ko? Ng company? Paano ang press! Tel, they're gonna have a field day! Hindi pwedeng maapektuhan ang image ng company! People cannot know about this! It's not even real is it? Tell me!"

"Oh this, December 24 is authentic, Kairos. Ang kaso, baka kaya nakakuha ka ng Cenomar that time ay dahil hindi pa naka-rehistro itong kasal mo. Ganoon talaga lalo na kung sa civil lang kayo kasal. Hindi na siguro napansin noong nasa office. But if this is true, they hindi kayo kasal ni Iake, at may habol sa'yo itong si Catherine Fe."

"Paano mangyayari iyon kung hindi ko naman natatandaan! Loop hole iyon! Ibig sabihin iyong other party wala siya sa katinuan."

"Kung wala ka sa katinuan, bakit nakapirma ka?" Pinagdikit ni Tel iyong dalawang certificate. "Pirma mo ito, parehong- pareho. Hindi ka naman siguro pinilit. Nasa taman edad ka."

"Paano kung lasing ako?!"

"Paano ka nakapirma kung lasing ka?!"

"Paano kung hindi naman na- consummate ang kasal?!"

"Are you sure!"

Sasagot sana ako nang maalala ko iyong nangyari sa amin the night before I got married. Counted ba iyon?

"Kairos... so... hindi ka makasagot. Was the marriage consummated?"

Hindi pa rin ako nakasagot. That counts. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Paano ko ipapaliwanag kay Mariake ang bagay na ito? Kung mayroon man akong iniiwasan iyon ay ang mag-away kami. I don't want to end up having a destroyed marriage. I want to keep Mariake and my kids! Fuck again!

"May habol sa'yo si Miss Cinco, Kairos. Lalo na sa yaman mo." Alam kong nagbibiro siya pero naalarma rin ako. Kasal kami, wala siyang pinirmahang pre – nup! Fuck again! Mariake signed a prenup. Wala namang masama, sine-secure ko lang iyong para sa akin at sa mga anak ko.

"What can I do now?" Tanong ko sa pinsan ko.

"You have to find Miss Cinco." Sabi ni Tel sa akin. "But why would you do that if you can have it pulled out and destroyed. It's as if hindi nag-exist itong kasal mo. Walang makakaalam, Kairos. I just have to make a call."

Hindi ako nakasagot. I smiled at Telulah tapos ay umalis na ako. Pagsakay ko ng kotse ay tinawagan ko si Mr. Andrado – ang isa pang galamay ko.

"I have to know where the hell is Catherine Fe Cinco before the day ends or else you are going to lose your job." Hindi ko na siya hinintay sumagot. I went home to my family.

Pag-uwi ko ay sinalubong kaagad ako ni Ada. She's smiling at me, nagpapakarga pa.

"Hello, Daddy! I missed you!" She's four years old and I really love her. I really do.

"I missed you too, where is Ate Danielle and Mommy?"

"In the kitchen, they're cooking po."

"Alright. Let's go." I smiled at her. Nagpunta na kami sa kitchen kung saan natagpuan ko ang panganay ko at si Iake. She smiled at me.

"Ang aga mo naman, Kairos." Hinalikan niya ako. "Sabi ko diba hindi na dapat nagpapakarga kay Daddy kasi big girl na ikaw, Ada?"

"But he's my Daddy. I missed him!"

"And I missed you two baby girl!" I snuggled her.

"How about me? Did you miss me?" Tanong naman ni Danielle.

"Of course I missed you. Kiss Daddy, c'mon!" Yumuko pa ako para mahalikan ako ni Danielle sa pisngi. Tapos noon ay ibinaba ko na si Ada para matulungan ko silang dalawa ni Iake sa paghahana ng hapunan. She cooked chicken afritada, paborito kasi iyon nang mga bata. Habang nagluluto kami ay hindi ako mapakali. Hindi ko alam kung tatawag si Mr. Andrado sa akin o talagang mawawalan na siya ng trabaho.

I need to find Cachi. I need to talk to her. Alam kong mas madali iyonh iniisip ni Telulah pero gusto kong malama kung paanong nakasal kaming dalawa nang hindi ko nalalaman and after that, I will have the marriage destroyed. May sarili naman na siyang buhay. Hindi iisang beses sinabi sa akin ni Alejandros noon na may boyfriend si Cachi, may may asawa na raw ito. Alam kong walang asawa si Cachi pero hindi ko sigurado iyong sa boyfriend.

I remembered her being at CLPH noong kasal ni Oliver. She came alone, ni hindi sila nakapag-usap ng kapatid ko pero alam kong umalis siya roon na kasama si Ody. Hindi ako tanga. Mula noon, inisip ko nang talagang mas pinili niyang hindi na lang ako makasama o maka-usap. That was also the time when Alejandros started calling a random number thinking that it was his daughter, iyon pala prank caller lang.

We had dinner. Inasikaso ni Iake ang mga anak ko. I like her being so domesticated. Hindi talaga niya hinahayaan na hindi siya ang naghahanda ng pagkain naming lahat. Kahit na may maids kami.

In the middle of the dinner, my phone rang and I had to excuse myself. My heart was beating fast. I saw Mr. Andrado's name in my screen.

"Sir, I found her. She lives in Seattle now. I am going to send you the full address."

"Please do, Mr. Andrado and please tell the people in the airlines that I will be needing a private plane and I need it tonight. I will be flying to Seattle. This is an emergency." Sabi ko pa. Nagkaintindihan na kami sa flight arrangements ko.

I went back to my family.

"Is that work, Daddy?" Danielle asked me.

"Yes, baby. Daddy's gotta leave tonight."

"And where are you going?" My wife asked.

"Emergency client call in Singapore. I'll be back two days from now, or kung maaayos ko agad, bukas na." I smiled at her.

"Okay, iaayos ko ang gamit mo."

"Thank you, Iake," Sabi ko na lang sa kanya. Mabilis ang oras. Inayos niya ang mga gamit ko at inihatid pa ako sa kotse ko. She even stood for a long time hanggang sa hindi na niya ako makita. Hindi nagtagal ay nasa airport na ako at nakasakay na sa eroplano papuntang Seattle.

Ilang taon kaming hindi nag-uusap ni Catherine and now, I am going to her to talk about this fucked up marriage. Alam niya ba? Kung oo, bakit hindi niya sinabi sa akin? Is she crazy? What the hell is going inside her mind.

Eighteen hours later, I am standing in front of her apartment door. Sa fourth floor siya nakatira. I am face to face with her door. Hindi ako makahinga. Kabang – kaba ako. Wala akong ibang naiisip, pinipilit kong mag-isip ng pros and cons pero hindi ko magawa. Walang laman ang isip ko kundi ang pangalan ni Catherine Fe.

Kumatok na ako. Walang sumasagot.

Paulit – ulit ang ginawa ko but then, walang sumagot.

"Hey, who are you?" I heard a little boy's voice. I looked at my left and I saw a boy – maybe six or seven years old, wearing a blue denim jacket, a pair of khakis and a blue shirt. May bonnet rin siya sa ulo.

"Sofie, there's a stranger in our door. Can you call Mommy?"

"Who are you, Sir? Who are you looking for?" The blonde girl asked.

"I'm looking for Catherine Fe's apartment. Uhm, Cachi Cinco, am I in the right place?" I asked them.

"That's Mommy's name!" The boy said.

"Rem, stop it. Don't yell. Mrs. Riley will hear you and will shout again."

Nakatitig ako doon sa bata. Mommy niya si Cachi?

"Your mom is Cachi?"

"Mommy said to not talk to strangers. Call mommy now!"

"Kairos?"

Another voice popped out. I looked and I saw Ody. What the fuck is he doing here.

"Mr. Ody! There's a stranger in our door!" The boy pointed at me.

"Oh he's not a stranger, he's my cousin."

Nag-init ang ulo ko.

"Why are you here?" I asked him.

"I should be the one asking you that. Why are you here in Cathy's apartment?"

"Mom! There's a stranger in our door!" The boy yelled. I looked at the stairs, noon ko nakitang paakyat na si Catherine Fe. She had a longer hair now. At nang magkaharap kami ay para bang nagulat talaga siya.

"Kairos' is here." Sabi ni Ody.

"What is Ody doing here?" I asked her.

"No, what are you doing here?" Matapang na tanong niya. Mula sa coat ko ay inilabas ko ang marriage certificate naming dalawa.

"We need to talk." I told her. She looked at me. She definitely knows something.