EARLY ON, Trina was already hitting on Clint.
“Do you really have no intention of stopping Clint? My God! What’s that again?” Trina shouted, still clinging to her hair in exasperation. She saw Lissie’s name calling out to Clint.
Clint continued to put on his shoes. He was about to leave early now, so he didn’t mind Trina babbling.
“You are just trying to leave now, Clint! For real?” Trina shouted as she locked the bedroom door.
Clint stopped what he was doing. “What’s that, Trina? I have two new clients from Singapore! Don’t be like that. This is a job; I’m not just leaving, you know that! I’m not just going to hang around! I’m working so you guys can have everything you want.” Clint explained in a calm way, though it was obvious that he was irritated.
Trina approached him. ” You’ve been like that even before Clint! They were supposed to be a client, but after the session, you’re f***ing them!” Trina said while hitting Clint’s chest. “Lissie’s like that! You’d think I’d forgotten?”
Clint didn’t move. He just continued doing what he was doing.
“And why is that Lissie calling you again? How did she get your number? Didn’t I already tell you about that girl?” Trina shouted again. She was really angry because Clint was ignoring her. “What? How did you two meet again, Clint? Answer me! Umn!” He pushed Clint to sit on the bed. “Did you go back to her coffee shop? How? Did you f**k her once more? What’s with you, Clint?!” Trina furiously exclaimed.
Clint chuckles, “Trina, please- Don’t act like you really care; my two clients now are from her, who will pay me a lot and can even be my partner in another promotion that I will build in Manila,” Clint answered slowly while standing up. “When have you been like that? What’s the catch? Are you with a man again, so you’re super defensive that I’m always the one you fight with to keep the conversation away from you?” Clint pointed at her. “Actually- I don’t really care if you have a man! Who cares, right? It’s not really between the two of us, so what is it to you if I talk to Lissie again?”
Trina’s face turned red; she pursed her lips then…
Pak!
Trina slapped Clint hard.
And another..
Pak!
Clint just let her finish it. Then, after he held his cheek because it was really hurting with the hard slap of Trina,
“Who are you bragging about, Clint? Chari? Your Mama Chari, who do you run to when you get out of here?” Trina asked. “How many girls do you have at this time?”
“I don’t have a girl, Trina, so please stop and don’t involve Mama Chari in our conversation. She had nothing to do with it. Why do you always mention her in the conversation when you have a fight with me?” Clint replied calmly. He fixed himself.
“When I find out you’re going to see Chari, just look! I’ll really mess up her life and then Tejie and I will leave you!” Trina shouted.
“Don’t you dare do that. That person doesn’t do anything to you! And don’t bring Tejie up! ” Clint answered with raised eyebrows.
“Dare? You thought I couldn’t do that, Clint? Besides, I’m not stupid enough not to realize that you and your Mama Cha still have a connection! ” Trina replied flatly as well.
“Trina, please—not Tejie, I’m okay with us being in this mess as long as he’s with me and-not Mama Cha, please Trina. You’ll only get hurt by what you do!” Clint replied, “forcing you to include her in our mess is not a good idea because you might be the one who doesn’t like the outcome.” When he opened the door, he was surprised because Tejie was standing in front of him.
“Really? You really challenged me! Well, make up your mind if you don’t want me to do that! Why do you think I’m the one who’ll get hurt? What’s with Chari besides his son, who looks exactly like you? Hmn? I’m so tired of understanding you, Clint. I’m really going to take Tejie away from you if you don’t stop your bullshit! ” Trina shouted.
Clint and Tejie looked at each other. The child heard what his mother said.
“Try to leave now, Clint! When you come back, we will be gone!” Trina said.
When she left the room, he was also surprised that Tejie was there, standing in front of Clint.
And when the two were left behind,
“Dad, your cheeks are red. Did mommy slap you again?” The child asked.
Clint continued to hold his cheek, which was still a bit painful.
“Dad, why is she always like that to you? “She always hurts you,” Tejie said sadly.
Clint just hugged his son and kissed him.
“Dad, I’m not leaving you like mommy said. I’m here for you, Daddy.” Tejie said.
Clint’s heart was pinched, and he hugged his son even more. He doesn’t know why, but Tejie’s behavior has changed a lot in the past few days. Since being hospitalized, it has become tender and close to him.
“I’m just here for you, Daddy. I don’t want mommy. Hmn.. ” Tejie was crying. “I don’t like her man, Daddy, hmp!”
“Why, son? How did you say you didn’t like Mommy’s man? And-mommy has a man, where-where did you see my son?” Clint asked.
Tejie is crying. “Daddy, always take me with Clyde. I want to be with him. He said to me, You are his, Sir Clint. Is he your son too? He loves you very much, Daddy,” Tejie said, hugging Clint even more. “Take me to him. I want to play with him again. Don’t leave me here with mommy,” he cried out.
“He said that?” Clint’s voice was also scratchy.
“Yes, Daddy. He even showed me all your dances. You are his idol, Dad. Take me to him, Dad; he promised to teach me how to dance and do a breakdance when I return. Hmp! I’m going to leave mommy. I don’t want to be with the man she’s with,” Tejie said, still crying.
Clint didn’t move. In fact, he is also hurt by what is happening. He is confused about his situation with Trina now. She often gets jealous, so she gets angry with him, which she never really did before. He was also surprised when Tejie mentioned that his mom was with a man. Now, Clint finds out that his wife still hasn’t changed, but he wonders why she is so soft on him and insists on getting married.
“Daddy is leaving his first son. I have a meeting today and I can’t show up. Promise me you won’t go, Tej. When Daddy comes, you’ll still be here, right? Promise?” Clint said to his son.
Tejie replied softly. “Yes, Daddy. I’m just here. Promise I’ll still be here when you come back.”
Clint hugged his son.
“I love you Tej. I don’t want to lose you.” Clint whispered after he kissed Tejie on the forehead and said goodbye before leaving.
MIDNIGHT..
Chari was surprised when Clint suddenly came to their house.
“Why are you so late, Clint? Aren’t you supposed to be here tomorrow?” Chari asked. ” Ugh! Drunk! ” Clint said when she smelled it.
Clint smiled and immediately hugged Chari. “Is Clyde asleep, Ma?”
“Yes, it’s almost twelve midnight. What are you doing? Why are you drunk? Where did you drink?” Chari asked while looking closely at Clint. Just a moment and.. “Clint, why do you have a bruise on your cheek?” She saw the bruise on Clint’s right cheek where Trina slapped him hard earlier.
“Don’t mind this, I bumped into the cabinet earlier,” he said with a smile. “Ma, I’m going upstairs to see Clyde. I wanna kiss my baby!”
Chari followed when Clint came up. He went to Chari’s room because Clyde was there.
“Ummn.. my baby,” he said as he laid down next to Clyde and immediately hugged him.
“What the hell, Clint, he’s asleep,” Chari said.
Clint hugged Clyde even more until he woke up. “Hi baby, how are you feeling?” Clint kissed Clyde.
“Dad Sir Clint, you smell like my alcohol,” Clyde said with a smile. “The one my doctor is using.”
Clint took off his shoes and laid down next to Clyde. Then he laid Clyde’s head on his arm and hugged his son.
Chari just looked at them. She knew Clint had a problem. She could feel it.
“Clyde, I love you so much. I don’t want to lose you and your mom, hmp! I’m sorry, son, it took so long for us to meet.” Clint was crying. “I’m so sorry I didn’t take care of you when you were a baby. So sorry for being late, sweetie. Daddy loves you so much. I don’t want to lose you. I don’t want to be apart from you anymore. ”
Chari sighed.
“Don’t leave Daddy, okay, Clyde? Even if I mess up sometimes, promise you won’t leave me, hmm.. ” he said, while hugging his son tightly.
Chari left the room first.
Two hours later, Clint came down. She caught Chari having a drink in the kitchen.
“Asleep?” Chari asked quickly when she saw Clint.
Clint grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat next to Chari at their perfectly sized kitchen counter.
“Where did that bruise come from, Clint? Did Trina hit you again? It looks like it was on the left last time!” Chari said.
Clint even caressed that cheek.
“Why do you always let her do that to you, Clint? I haven’t done that to you?”
Clint didn’t answer, just reaching for his beer bottle while staring at Chari.
“What happened Clint? Tell me please, is that about me?” Chari asked seriously.
Clint still didn’t answer. He just kept staring at her.
“Clint, what’s wrong?” Chari keeps on asking.
Clint shook his head. ” Nothing, Ma,” he said, looking straight into her eyes.
“Do you love me, Chari?” Clint suddenly asked. “Do you still love me even though I’m not doing a good job of being a father to Clyde? Huh? Ma?” Clint’s tears fell a moment later.
Chari held Clint’s hand. “Did you and Trina fight again?”
“Ma, I want to let go of her. I want to leave her, but why can’t I? I’m really confused!”
Chari let go of Clint’s hand. Maybe you already love her, Clint. That’s why,” she answered.
Clint held Chari’s hand back again. “Ma, I promise I really don’t love her! I really don’t feel anything for her! Tejie is the only thing stopping me, so I’m still there! But I’m really struggling, Ma! I want to leave her and go to you!” he seriously said while holding Chari’s hand and staring at her in tears. “Ma, I want to go back to you but I can’t! Why, Ma? Why is that? I always think about Tejie. I don’t want him to have a broken family, but Ma, I’m really fed up! Hmm! I’m so- so f**kin’ confused!” Clint cried.
Chari resigned. “Are you having a hard time, Clint? I’m sorry, huh. It’s like-it’s like your life just got more messed up when we met again.”
Clint chased after Chari’s hand and tried to hold it. “Ma, no! Don’t think like that! I’ve been looking for you for a long time, Ma. If you only knew!” He said at the same time as he gave Chari a pitiful look.
Chari didn’t move. She pretended to reach for her beer bottle just to get his hands off Clint.
“Ma, please.” Clint tried to take Chari’s hand again. “Ma, don’t think like that! I might go crazy if I lost you and Clyde!”
“It’s like-you’re having a hard time, Clint. It’s really hard to keep up. Even if you say you love me, Trina is the one you’ve been with. No matter which angle you look at, it seems like Clyde and I are the ones causing trouble,” she said, looking at the distant.
“Ma, don’t do that! Please.. You’re only making me think more about what you’re saying! Don’t — ”
Clint couldn’t finish what he had to say because his cellphone rang. Trina is calling.
“Clint answered it!” Chari ordered.
Clint just shook his head quickly. “No!”
“Answer it, Clint! I want to hear you talk to her!” she yelled.
When Chari said that, Clint immediately picked up the cellphone and answered.
(Trina) “Clint! I know where you are! Don’t wait for me to come see you there with Chari! You will be in big trouble! Go home or you’re not going to get anything here! I’ll take Tejie home with us and I’ll never show you again!”
Toot! Toot! Toot!
Trina’s loud voice was heard from the other line.
After that, Clint looked at Chari.
“Did you hear, Clint, go home because Trina is going to bring Tejie home with them. I don’t want trouble, Clint. It’s embarrassing for Clyde, so please. Leave..” Chari said, with obvious tears welling up. She was just waiting to see how Clint would react, whether to leave or not. But..
Clint didn’t speak, but instead he reached for his beer bottle again, drank it, and dropped it while staring at Chari before standing up to leave.
Chari was left alone, sitting there with a heavy heart. She didn’t think Clint would actually leave. She thought that Clint wouldn’t come home even after she told him.
“Why does it hurt? Hmmm.. Why does it hurt so badly? Did I expect too much? Ugh! It hurts… Hmmm.. I’m so sorry baby—sorry Clyde.. Huuuuu..”
Chari couldn’t stop crying because of the pain of those moments. When Clint stood up to prepare himself to go home to Trina immediately, he proved that she and Clyde were really only a second choice for him.
“I wanna go home, hmp!”
June_Thirteen