"A mother's understanding is as broad as the sky and as deep as the ocean"
***
Clyde is currently sitting in a very extravagant living room and offered with coffee.
Lugong lugo sumama ang binata kahit na ang gulo gulo ng utak niya sa nangyayari. Masakit ang buong katawan niya sa mula sa pambubugbog ni Willam. Putok ang labi at puno ng pasa ang mukha pero hindi niya alam kung ano ang mas masakit. Ang bugbug na inabot niya sa kanyang kaibigan o ang katotohanang iniwan na siya ni Eiffel.
"You seemed troubled Clyde" saad ni Pauline at eleganteng uminom ng tsaa.
"Ma-Tita.." hindi sigurado kung anong itatawag ng binata sa ina ng kanyang asawa. Napaiwas nalamang siya ng tingin.
"I should have hated you Clyde for what you did to my daughter." Panimula nito at halata ang guilt sa mukha ng binata sa sinabi ng ginang.
"But... Seeing how miserable you are right now. I can't find it in my heart to hate you." Malungkot na ngumiti ito.
Gulat si Clyde sa sinabi ng ginang. He was the reason why her daughter was hurt yet until the end she was still understanding. He wondered how lucky he is to have a mother-in-law like his Tita Pauline.
"I saw everything that happened in the Airport and I saw how much you loved Eiffel. The Fuentabella heir crying for a child is something isn't it?" tanong ni Pauline while narrowing her eyes.
"So how come that you yearn for a child who can't give you your needs?" and damn! She nailed it!
Clyde was speechless. Ano pa bang dapat niyang sabihin? O paniniwalaan man lang ba siya ng ginang oras na inamin niya ang lahat?
Dahil walang masabi ang binata ay napabuntong hininga si Pauline. Pilit niyang iniintindi ang binata ngunit kung ito mismo ay hindi magsasalita ay paano niya malalaman ang lahat ng katotohanan?
Tumayo siya at tumingin sa kanya si Clyde.
"Come" tawag niya, nagugulhan man ay sumunod si Clyde at umakyat sa magarbong hagdanan.
Nagtungo sila sa isang kuwarto at alam ni Clyde na ito ang kuwarto ni Eiffel. Nalilitong tumingin siya sa ginang. Bakit siya dinala nito dito?
Pain registered in the eyes of her mother-in-law.
"Open it" utos nito at sumunod naman si Clyde.
Pumasok sila sa loob ng madilim na kuwarto at sinara ni Pauline ang pintuan. Binuksan nito ang switch ng ilaw, kumalat ang liwanag sa buong kuwarto at tumambad sa binata ang itsura ng kuwarto.
Nanlaki ang mga mata ni Clyde sa nakita.
Naghalo ang pagtataka at takot sa kanya.
There were so many dried bloods on the bed at may ilang patak din ng dugo sa sahig.
What happened here?
Naglakad papunta ng side table si Pauline at may kinuha sa loob ng drawer saka inabot kay Clyde.
Nababalutan ito ng puting panyo at nang binuklat ni Clyde ay isang gunting na may bahid ng dugo ang nasa loob.
"Eiffel used that to commit suicide." Pauline stated at nanlamig ang buong katawan ni Clyde sa narinig mula sa ginang.
Nawala lahat ang kanyang lakas at nanghihinang napaluhod ang binata.
Nanginginig ang kamay na tinitigan ang gunting at dahan dahang napatingin sa kama na puno ng dugo.
Sunod sunod ang mga luhang pumatak mula sa kanyag mga mata.
"As a mother, napakasakit na makita ang nagiisa kong anak na tulalang nakaupo sa kama niya at puno ng dugo na tila hinihintay si kamatayan" Kwento ni Pauline.
"It was a nightmare, the girl who was so strong and always smiled was gone. Parang dahan dahang sinasaksak ang puso ko sa bawat luhang umaagos mula sa asul na mga mata niya na nakuha niya mula sa asawa ko"
"My daughter who was only an eleven-year-old child tried to kill herself..." hindi napigilan ni Pauline ang pagtulo ng mga luha niya but still tried to composed herself.
Nararamdaman niya ang pagsisisi at kalungkutan ng nakaluhod na binata habang umiiyak.
"I- I never wanted to h-hurt her Tita. God knows how much I love your daughter." Hirap na nagsalita si Clyde.
"She is my everything. My one and only wife... And it breaks my heart to know the consequences of what I did to her... I pushed her to kill herself!" masakit na hinanakit ni Clyde.
He brushed up his messy hair revealing his tear stained face.
Pauline who was supposed to be angry at Clyde couldn't help it but to feel sympathy towards him. She can see how regretful and hurt Clyde is.
"Then why did you do it?" tanong ni Pauline na kanina pa nais malaman ang kasagutan.
"I-I wanted her to be f-free."Hirap na amin ni Clyde habang umiiyak.
"I realized how gifted Eiffel is, she was talented and intelligent. But all she wants is to be my wife..."
Kitang kita sa mukha ng binata ang galak at kalungkutan.
"And no matter how happy I am, I can't help it but feel guilty because she is already bounded to me from the very beginning. I wanted her to experience being a normal child and to grow up like other kids. I wanted her to have a dream. To have a goal and to experience reaching it, to struggle like everyone does. I don't want to steal her freedom. I want her to learn how to love herself first..."
Pauline was so amaze in everything that Clyde said. He loved Eiffel so much that he was ready to set her free.
"B-But I never intended to hurt her like this. I just don't know how to tell it to her. Because once I did it, she would take it as an order from her husband. Gusto ko siya mismo ang tutuklas sa sarili niya."
"I never planned to cheat on her, I would never love any other girl aside from her, pero yun lang ang pagkakataong mayroon ako. The time came that I had to let her go, I'd rather let her believe that I fooled her. I know it would hurt her but it would hurt her more if she would find out that I couldn't tell her myself that she must love herself first before loving me"
Puno ng pagsisising amin niya.
"I-I'm so sorry Tita Pau. Im sorry... Alam kong hindi ako karapat dapat para mapatawad niyo..." umiiyak sa saad ni Clyde.
Yumuko si Pauline at kinuha ang kamay ni Clyde "I forgive you Clyde" nakangiting aniya.
Gulat si Clyde, hindi maintindihan kung bakit ganun lang siya kay bilis na patawarin ng ginang.
"I know what love is" Pauline stated with a warm smile.
"I was also ready to leave Raven when his father threatened him to cut all his ties to to the Sinclaire. I loved him so much that I will grant him his freedom. Yet he chose me, he chose me over his own family and that really made me happy but there was a huge guilt dwelled inside my heart. I know how Raven loves his father and I was the reason why he was hated by his own father. Kaya naiintindihan kita Clyde." Puno ng sympatya na paliwanag ni Pauline.
"And I admire how strong you are to free Eiffel. Napakasakit pakawalan ang taong mahal mo lalo na at alam mong siya ang mundo mo. Eiffel is so lucky to have a guy like you as her husband."
"P-Pero kinamumuhian na niya ako Tita. I made her believed that I only saw her as a child, that I never loved her... I put the blade on her hand!" lugong lugo na sabi niya.
"No, Clyde" Pauline said, shaking her head "You sacrificed your happiness. You sacrificed your everything for her sake. For Eiffel's sake. And I know when the time comes that she will know the truth. She will be able to forgive you. Because you are her everything"
Pauline took a deep breath.
"Clyde. Raven and I was unfair to the both of you, we are the reason kung bakit kayo nahihirapan ng ganito. So sa ngayon..."
"Live your life Clyde. Pick up yourself just like what I told Eiffel. Do what you must do as the heir of the Fuentabella. Be successful on your own. So that the next time you see each other, there would be no more regrets. You will be able to love her not as a teenager but as an adult and Eiffel can love you back as a woman and not as a child anymore."
"I believe in destiny." Nakangitng amin niya at hinimas ang ulo ng binata "Kung talagang para sayo ang isang tao, mawala man siya sayo ng mahabang panahon ay magkikita at magkikita parin kayo... kung kailan tama na ang mali at kapag pwede na ang di dapat..." nakangiting saad ni Pauline at tinulungan makatayo ang binata.
"T-Tita-"
"Don't call me that. You are my son Clyde, no matter what happens. Ikaw lang ang kikilalanin kong asawa ng anak ko."
Hindi man ganoon kasaya ay ngumiti na rin si Clyde. He was happy knowing that his mother-in-law understands him and supporting him until the end.
"Thank you Mama."
*******
Last chappie na po guys! Who's excited?! Hahaha, sana po ay nasagot na po ang big question niyong lahat na WHY?
But... is that all nga ba Hubby???
Hahaha naiconnect niyo na po ba kung bakit ganoon ang first chapter ng MMK?
After the last Chapter is the Epilogue na po, I'll be posting a special chapter kung sinipag po ang baliw niyong author so ipagdasal niyo nlng po hehehe.
That's all peeps! :-) see you on the FINAL CHAPIE~