Read. At. Your. Own. Risk.Pros and Cons Kairos Gregor Rouvin Vejar"Tell me why, Kairos?"Her tears fell. I somehow know how hard she was trying to look stronger. Her hands were clasped in a way na hindi mahahalata na nanginginig siya. I know her, she is my wife. I know how scared she is now and I cannot blame her. I know how much of an asshole I am. I know how much I have hurt her. I know these things and yet, I cannot prevent them from happening to her because, well because of the wrong choices I have made in my life."Well, that's not true." Biglang sabi niya. "I felt like I was the wife but at the back of my mind, I was never sure if you love me or not or you were just being nice. But to me, those were the best moments of my life, Kairos but that all went away because you told me that it was always been her. How about that huh?"May pait sa boses ni Mariake. I sighed again. She stood up and fixed the pillows inside the crib."Bakit pa ng aba tayo mag-uusap? Alam ko naman, Kairo
READ. AT. YOUR. OWN. RISK.Falling into placesKairos Gregor Rouvin – Vejar"What happened?!"I am frantic as I am talking to Alejandros. Alba was sitting on the couch while looking at us. Elisha was with her. Si Eros ay nasa lap ni Pan at tulog na tulog na. Everyone in the family is awake and we are going to look for Ada. Mariake is crying and shivering. I am worried about her too – pero mas nag-aalala ako sa prinsesa ko."I saw her leaving the house. I checked on Alba kasi, Kairos tapos napa-look ako sa window and then, I saw her leaving. I thought, I was namamalikmata pero it was real! Like, I went here to check on her, the twins were asleep on the crib but Ada's nowhere to be found so I came to the house again and woke Elisha and here we are now. We like have to find her.""Mr. Pops is gone." Iake said. "Umalis talaga siya. She always takes the bear with her.""God! Mariake, how can you be so pabaya?" I heard Dione in the background. "Iyong dapat nagpapahinga na kami, pati parents
Kairos Gregor Rouvin Vejar'sDay one"Ako na."I smiled at Mariake right after I took from her the big box she was holding. We were on the stairs and she was trying to out the box to the nursery. Nilagpasan ko siya pagkatapos ay dumiretso na ako sa loob ng gagawing nursery. I had my people fix things here in the house. I am very excited about them coming home."Papa, look po, I found these po sa toys namin ni Ate. Pwede bai tong ilagay sa crib ng babies?"I put down the box to accommodate Ada. She was holding a musical mobile. I remember that thing. It was the first thing I bought for Danielle when I learned that Mariake was pregnant with her – na hindi na iyon false alarm. I didn't know how or what to feel back then, but one thing is for sure, I am excited to see Danielle. I wanted Mariake to give birth the next day."Why, Papa? Why are you silent? Nagugutom ba ikaw?" Ada asked me again. Ginulo ko iyong buhok niya at saka tumawa."This is the first toy I bought for Ate Danielle." I t
Prologue: O to the M to the G!Since I was five years old, I know that something inside of me is different. First, I have three sisters, Amalthea, Pan and Dionne, they are all pretty and they all like pretty things. I also have a brother; his name is Kairos Gregor Rouvin Vejar. We're supposed to always play together but Kairos likes playing tough games like rugby, football and others. Habang ako, I like playing tea party with my sisters. I love brushing Pan's hair, I love braiding Ate Amal's hair. I love putting lipstick on Dionne's lips. I love hanging out with my sisters so much.When I was eight years old, Pan introduced me to her new friend, Elisha Marie Limaco Magkaklase sila ni Pan at sabi nila mag-best friend daw sila. Pan and I and my other siblings study at the same school. Araw-araw kaming magkakasama kaya araw-araw rin naming kasama si Elisha.Elisha became a part of our lives. Kumbaga, parang extended sister na siya. Mama became very close to her. Wala rin namang kapatid s
Alejandros'"Have you heard from Elisha?"I did not react. I just sat there and ate my pasta while I listen to my boyfriend and my sister talk about the woman I fucked and probably the mother of my child now. It's been two years since I last heard from Elisha and no one really knows where she is. She went off the grid. Even her parents don't have a single idea of where she is right now. She's not missing – she just doesn't want to be found."I kinda miss her." Pan said. Sabino seconded her. I remained quiet."Babe, are you okay?" Sabino asked me. I looked at him and smiled."Of course. I miss her too. I just hope she is okay." I smiled at the two. Sabino kissed my knuckles and wiped the side of my lip. I didn't know that I had something in there. I wasn't myself. I am not myself for two years now. My mind is where Elisha is right now. How I wished that I went after her to ask her. What if he's pregnant? What if I got her pregnant? I haven't told anyone about what happened to us. I can
Alejandros'"What are we even doing here, Alele? Buntis ako, tapos kung saan – saan mo ako dinadala?"I was still inside the car with Cachi by my side. Yes, she is very pregnant but I really needed someone to be with right now. Ngayong araw ko kakausapin si Elisha. After a long while, after finding out that she had lost our baby. I am inside my car looking at the house she lives in. It doesn't look safe. It was an old hous, sa ilalim ay ay barber shop, na may nagche-chess sa gilid, sa right side may tindahan na may mangiginom sa kanto. I looked at Cachi who was eating her McDonald take out. She was savoring the cheesey friens. Suminghap pa siya habang kumakagat."Wis, Ateng! Six months na iyang tyan mo, kung umarte ka para kang naglilihi pa rin!" I told her. Hinampas niya ako sa balikat."Ano bang ginagawa natin dito?!" She hissed at me.I sighed. "Kakausapin ko si Lisha. It's been almost a year and a half, kailangan na naming mag-usap.""But I thought that she lost your baby? Why do
Lisha's"Gusto mo bang pakasalan kita?"Napatingin ako kay Alejandros matapos niyang sabihin sa akin iyon. Hindi ko alam kung nararapat bang sagutin koi yon. Hindi ko alam kung bakit niya kailangan itanong iyon sa akin? Kung normal na sitwasyon siguro, baka, sumagot ako ng oo. May anak na kaming dalawa, wala man kaming relasyon pero gusto kong bigyan si Alba ng maayos na buhay, iyong may buong pamilya kami, iyong masaya. Sa sobrang pagkatulala ko sa kanya ay napaluha ako. Nagulat naman si Alejandros."Huy, h'wag kang umiyak, baka isipin ng mga tambay sa kanto na inaaway kita! Baka gahasain nila ako!" Frantic na sabi niya. Agad kong pinahid ang mga luha ko. Inayos ko ang sarili ko. I reminded myself that what we have isn't normal just like the others. Bakla si Alejandros at kaibigan ko siya, hindi ko kukunin sa kanya ang kalayaan niya. He's a good man and a good friend and I am sure that he is going to be a good father. I am not going to take it away from him because he deserves to be
Alejandros'I wasn't able to come to Lisha's for three days because of work. Napakarami kong ginagawa buti na nga lang at nandyan si Kairos para hatian ako sa trabaho. Nakikibalita rin naman ako sa company ko and the people there told me that Sabino is back in the country and he's the one in-charge of the fall make – up collection. I really wanted to go to the company because I wanna see him, iyon nga lang, nahihiya ako sa kanya."Catherine's not answering my calls." Nagulat ako nang magsalita si Kairos sa tabi ko. Hindi ko napansin na nakapasok na siya sa office naming dalawa. We share the same space. May dalawang table lang doon na magkaharap. Minimal lang ang design sa office namin, the tables, the couch, sa tingin ko ang attraction ng office namin ay ang view ng airport sa likod.I eyed my brother. Can he really be this insensitive?"Baka naman busy iyong tao." Sabi ko na lang."Busy? Wala naman siyang ginagawa sa Qatar. Wala siyang work. She's just there for a vacation. Pinauuwi