Chapter 2 - The Seed Donor

"Good night Mama and Granny. Good night Father God!" Then she was in her deep sleep.

Sleep refused to call on Splash that night. For fear that she might disturb her daughter's sleep by her restlessness with her body facing left and right, she decided to be seated and petted her daughter's silky hair. While doing this, memories came rushing in her mind.

Her parents were extremely harassing her to be entangled with a husband she didn't know where to find. They had been doing this since she was twenty five years old. This time she's already twenty eight and she was sure that the more they would be insistent about it. In the office where she was working, there was no one who was a husband material, more so being a father to a child she would like to have. In fact, she would like a twin if God forbids.

"But... How can I have a twin when I don't even have a boyfriend? Where on heaven shall I get a boyfriend?"

That was her most grievous thought... Or shall we say her number one problem.... Where and when to have a boyfriend. Or even not a boyfriend but a man who was willing to be the father of her child. My importunate mother had some qualifications.

First and foremost, the man should undergo a medical check up so to be hundred percent free from HIV-AIDS infection. Second, he must be tall, not dark, and handsome. Third, he should be stable in his job and be hard-working, responsible gentleman. Last but not the least, he should present an NBI clearance.

Gosh! Not one would ever ever want to be required with this list of qualifications. It was a good thing that my parents did not think of giving a qualifying examination that consisted one hundred questions to be answered in multiple choice and another twenty five points for an essay writing about responsible parenthood.

Anyway.... A soap opera over a radio station broadcast that, "There is always hope while one is still alive."

I am alive and kicking, therefore, I am not a hopeless case. As it is said that... it is millennial era, I can always try this modern technology.

And she really tried using her gadgets but to no avail. It was so good that even though her mother was already a senior citizen, still she was technologically aware in using those Saturday morning when she was about to turn on her washing machine she heard the ringing of her cellphone. The name of her mother was flashing.

"Hello, mother?"

"Now, try to listen attentively to what I am going to say. Download and install in your cellphone this application, seeddonor@rahey.com."

"Got it mother but Kindly give me an hour to do it while I am doing my laundry."

After an hour, Splash rang her mother and complained. "Mother, there is a fee so I can have a conversation with someone."

"How much is the fee? Is it expensive?"

"It is two hundred pesos."

"Well, my child... Come to think of it... What is two hundred pesos if it is worth it?"

She paid, she conversed, she transacted,... After a year... PRESTO.. She became a mother. A mother of not only a very cute baby girl but also a very pretty one. A baby girl that Splash's mother had ever dreamed of... With blue eyes, auburn curly hair and fairest complexion.

"Here you are my baby girl. Time runs so fast... Three years ago you were a very tiny infant... Now, you are already three years old. Next year, I shall enroll you to a nearby nursery school so you can start socializing with your fellow kids." She thought while drowsiness was almost lulling her to sleep when her cellphone rang. At first, she tried to ignore it. However, the ringing went on that was why she was forced to pick her cellphone from the night stand. As an unknown number flashes, she became hesitant in pressing the reply button. Her curiosity pushed her to accept the call.

"Yes, who's in the line?" Splash inquired.

"Oh, Can I talk to Peace? This is Sydney Britton.

" Speaking. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yeah. How old is our baby, now?" Sydney Britton asked.

"What... B.... Ba... Baby?" She stammered. Then she added. "Sir, you are unfamiliar... That means that we are completely strangers with one another. How come that you are asking your baby from me? For all you know... I am still single." This was her long explanation before pressing the red button and switch her cellphone off.

She suddenly felt that she was in an oafish state as a new information everybody was dying to know had popped out suddenly.

With the movement of her sleeping baby, her momentary gawking turned into realization that the caller might just be a trickster...

I was wonder-stricken that I was unable to know his nationality and his location while calling me. Wait.... Let me check if my application here in my cellphone is turned on.

Then... She was busy checking for the apps in her mobile phone for awhile.

What? He is here in metro city? What if he's going to pursue looking for me? My God! What shall I do? I don't want to meet him. I don't want to talk to strangers.

Finally, she was able to sleep with the confusion in her mind and extreme fear in her heart. She seemed to be at the middle of a turbulent ocean who was little by little falling from an aircraft down to a dark abyss with a whirlpool into its bed twirling her body to unconsciousness.

At 5:30 in the morning, her child was shaking her shoulder to wake her up.

"Mama, mama, mama. Wake up now. Granny told me you will be late if you wouldn't wake up yet."

"Good morning baby girl. Can you give me my morning kiss so my drowsiness flies away?"

"Tsup! Mmuuuwwwaaa! Good morning, too, my one and only Mama."

"Thank you baby for that wake up kiss. Here's mine for my one and only baby, too! Mmmmuuuuwwwwaaaa!"

Then she instructed her to go ahead. "Baby, go to the dining room. Tell granny that I'll fix our bed first before going to the bathroom."

"Okay, mother. Please don't take it too long. The food is nicer to eat when it is still warm. You told me that, Mama."

"I know, right?"

The baby proceeded to the dining room while her mother went to the bathroom after fixing their bed as she woke up in her dishevelled long black hair. As she was already inside it, she decided to be completely sanitised before eating her breakfast.

Having been cleaned and freshed, she dined with her child and her mother who was busy assisting her daughter eating the food in her plate.

"What is our food for our breakfast today, baby?"

"Granny cooked a rice, a sunny side up egg, and a sinigang fish with sweet potato reddish leaves, a banana and... Mama.. You want a pineapple juice or a coffee with milk?" Her baby enumerated them all.

The three of them ate their breakfast until they were full.

Her mother and her baby were helping each other to wash and keep the dishes. Whereas, Splash went to their bedroom to change her house dress into their office uniform.

Before leaving her apartment for her work she reminded her daughter to behave and obey to her grandmother by which her child never disagreed.

In the office, they were all busy as it was Monday and it was the day of the weekly session for an approval of some resolutions and project proposals. As a matter of fact, they had eaten their lunch at 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon. A lunch break usually didn't occur in their mind as they were all tied up to some important paper works for editing, filing, signing and so on and so forth. Their schedule was so hectic as they were in the secretariat department. Naturally, because Ms Pearl Ace May Solis was one of the permanent employees in the Secretariat Department, she was not exempted from the said rigid schedule of office works. She was so busy that she did not have time to hold her mobile phone. She suddenly realized it when one of her office mates inquired about their scheduled trip for her mountain climbing.

"Good you asked me about it. My cell phone was switched off last night. Hmmm... Wait for awhile..." Then... When she switched it on... There were so many calls that she missed to receive from the same unknown number as of last night. Immediately, she browsed on her calendar to check for the exact date her office mate was asking. Then she quickly switched her cell phone off again.

She was so upset that when she gave the exact date of their planned mountain climbing her voice seemed to tremble which was unnoticed to her colleagues.

"What's wrong? You seem to be frightened. Is there any frightening message in your mobile phone? And... Hey! Wait... I noticed that you switch your phone off." Her tattler inquirer told her.

"Nothing... I just don't want to be disturbed as... you know... and you can see... We are all busy today." She quipped so she would stop pestering her.

Finally, at 4:45 o' clock in the afternoon, as the sun was setting in its bed in the west, all of them in their department were keeping their files in the shelves and drawers as they were about to leave at 5:00 o'clock. However, those who were scheduled to have an overtime for that day would be left in their office till 7:00 o'clock in the evening. Since it wasn't her schedule to have an overtime, she was off from her work on that day.

Their supplies at home were no longer enough for their weekly consumption. So, there was a need for her to go to a supermarket. When she was in the queau at the counter, she remembered to switch on her mobile phone when a tune for notification caught her ears. She tried to read a message from her office mate who was still at that time having her over time.

"Ms. Peace, a man came and was looking for you."

She texted back. "Was he my younger brother?"

A reply arrived. "No, I knew your brother. He is a foreigner and spokening dollar." A joke from her office mate's message.

"I knew no one even a fellow Filipino who would be turning himself in the office to look for me. More so to a foreigner."

"But he introduced himself to be your daughter's biological father."

"What!?" She was in dazed as she was really flabbergasted.