1 The Baby

"Waaahhh... Wahhhh..."

While I was lifelessly walking towards my 2-bedroom flat I was able to hear a baby crying. Maybe I am hearing things because I was so tired from work. I continued walking towards my flat but as I go nearer, the cries grew louder and louder. Then I thought of my flatmate Christie. Maybe she has returned already. I know she was on her third trimester when she left telling me that she will stay in the province for the meantime. I wasn't informed that she will come back today, maybe she was planning to give me a surprise so I quickly grabbed my keys and opened the door hoping to see her.

As I opened the door I tried opening my mouth to utter a greeting but to my dismay there's nobody inside except for a crib in the living room. I tried looking around to make sure that nobody's in here. After confirming that I was alone inside my flat, I started approaching the crib in front me and saw a baby looking almost red maybe from crying for hours.

I blinked several times and pinched myself thinking that this could be a dream. Maybe I was hallucinating. But every time I opened my eyes the baby is still there and I could still the pain from the pinching I made for myself. Beside the baby was a birth certificate, a letter, keys to our flat and a baby bag. I took the baby from the crib and tried to console it from crying but it wouldn't stop.

I opened the baby bag inside the crib and took a bottle of milk. I placed it on the baby's mouth. It sucked the contents quietly. I don't know how long that baby is here but it sure was hungry, maybe that's the reason he didn't stop from crying.

"Sachie?" I heard a male voice. I went to the door and opened it after the second knock he made. What greeted me was a shocking face made by Reeve. Reeve is living on the other unit beside mine. I already considered him as a "friend" and we were able to go out occasionally.

"When did you give birth?" then placed his right hand on his chin like he wanted to unravel some mystery with the scene before him. "When did you get pregnant? Did you have a boyfriend? I thought you didn't have one?" He was bombarding multiple questions and I didn't know which one to answer first.

I looked at the baby in my arms and saw it trying to fight it's sleepiness. I motioned Reeve to keep quiet and swayed the baby until it gave up and went to sleep. Reeve went closer and looked at the baby. "It's so cute. I think it has some foreign blood." Reeve exclaimed while holding its little hands. He's right, the baby has a foreign looked and it looked like him. "Both of you are looking the same" I added and then afterwards some thoughts were playing inside my mind.

"Reeve?" I called his attention. "Is this your baby? Do you have a relationship with Christie? Don't deny it and don't you dare lie to my face." My pitch got higher and startled the baby prompting me to sway it again until it slept soundly. After checking and making sure that it was sound asleep, I placed it back into crib and glared back at Reeve.

"Wait... Chill..." while placing it's hand in a form of surrender. "First, I don't have any relationship with Christie. Second, yeah I have a foreign blood but it's not my kid. Sachie..." he had pleading eyes as he uttered my name. I gave a big sigh and grabbed the Birth Certificate together with the letter inside the crib. I sat on the couch adjacent to the crib and Reeve sat beside me.

I placed the birth certificate on my side leaving the letter on my other hand. While I was trying to open the letter, my hands were shaking. I don't know it's contents and I don't know if I'm ready to know what does it say. From my back, Reeve placed his left hand on my left shoulder like telling me that it's alright. I took a deep breath and finally opened the letter in my hands.

Dear Sachie,

I know this is very sudden and I know you might get angry but allow me to explain it somehow. Honestly, I'm not ready to become a mother. It was his fault. I'm so annoyed by him. He knows that I still have plans for my life and having a baby is not part of it. I know that while it was still in my womb that you will take good care of it after giving birth to it. I know that you will treat him as your own. I'll understand if you'll get angry at me but please spare the child.

The baby is already yours. I placed your name in the birth certificate as it's mother. You have all the right as his mother. I still remember our talk about the baby's name so I named him 'Kenji' because he's a boy.

His father might come to you one day and I'm leaving you with the decision if you'll allow him to be a part of his life. We are not together anymore. I left him after discovering that I was pregnant.

I'm sorry for the inconvenience I'm causing you right now. I'm really sorry bestie...

Please take care of Kenji.

Christie

After reading I crumpled the letter. I don't know what to feel. Should I get angry? annoyed? Should I laugh? It's not a good joke. I felt tears were forming inside my eyes as a peeked at the baby sleeping inside the crib. I reached for its little hand and touched for awhile. I stood up from sitting and looked at Reeve. He went up and enveloped me in a warm embrace. I cried in his arms without hesitation and just let go of everything.

"Reeve... I don't know what to do? I'm not ready to have a child. You know that I'm living by myself for so long. I don't have someone to entrust him if I need to go to work. What should I do?" I cried.

Reeve tightened his embrace and said, "Shhhh... It's okay... We'll take care of it. I will be with you so don't worry to much..." he promised.

4-29-18