She's Dying

*Charm's POV*

Oh God. Please let her be okay. Please..

Let her be safe. Please..

"Charm!"

She's here.

Magiging maayos na si Theia.

"Tita!!!"

"Don't cry, hija. She's gonna be fine. Papasok na ko sa loob para matignan siya."

Almost 20 minutes na yung nakalipas simula nung pumasok siya sa loob. Hindi ko alam kung anong nangyayari. Nakadrop na yung call kay Kuya and I couldn't connect again.

It was raining hard. Baka natraffic siya.

"CHARM!!!"

Lumingon ako at nakita si Kuya na tumatakbo papalapit sa'kin. Basang basa siya ng ulan.

"Kuyaa!!" I hugged him.

Hindi ko kayang maghintay ng mag-isa. Hindi ko kaya. Natatakot ako.

"I'm sorry ngayon lang ako.."

"Ayos lang, Kuya. Buti nalang dumating ka.."

"I'm all wet. Wala akong dalang payong."

I let him go kasi nanginginig na siya. Pumunta ako saglit sa nurse station para humingi ng towel.

"What's wrong?" I asked him pagbalik ko. Kanina pa kasi siya natingin sa paligid.

"Hindi ba si Nathan yung narinig ko kanina?" Tanong niya. "I'm sure I heard his voice."

"Siya nga."

That made him looked at me.

"He saw us." Sagot ko. "Tinulungan niya kong dalhin si Theia dito."

Hindi ko naisip na siya pa yung tutulong sa'min.

Sa sobrang bilis ng pagmamaneho niya kanina, akala ko maaaksidente kami.

But I didn't complain. Kasi alam kong para kay Theia yung ginawa niya.

He even carried her.

Something that I never thought would happen.

Sa harapan pa ni Ivy.

"Then where is he?"

"I asked him to leave." I said. "Pasimula na kasi yung party. Hindi naman pwedeng wala siya dun."

Persuading him was harder than I thought. Akala ko kasi paghatid niya sa'min aalis na siya. Pero hindi.

He even insisted on waiting hanggang sa magising si Theia..

After promising that I'll text him once she wake up, he finally left.

"May balita na ba sa kanya?"

"Wala pa.." Sagot ko. "Hindi pa lumalabas si Tita.."

"Ano bang nangyari, Charm?"

"Hindi ko din alam, Kuya." Sabi ko. "Ry approached us nung naghihintay pa kaming makumpleto kanina."

"Ry??"

"He wanted to talk to her nung friday pa." I said. "They were supposed to talk yesterday kaya lang diba may nangyari."

"Alam mo ba kung anong pinag-usapan nila?"

I shook my head. "Ry said he needed to talk with her alone kaya hinanap ko lang siya nung magsisimula na."

"Then.. I saw her lying on the floor.. unconscious..."

It was a nightmare.

"Shh.. Tahan na, Charm."

"Dapat hindi ko siya hinayaang makipag-usap ng mag-isa. I should've been there.." I cried. "I'm really sorry, Kuya. Napaka-irresponsible ko pagdating sa kanya. I know her condition pero hindi ko manlang siya iningatan.."

"Charm, wag mo sabihin yan. Hindi mo yun kasalanan.."

"Pero ako yung nandito. You trusted me to take care of her." Sabi ko. "What if I was too late?? Paano kung hindi ko siya nakita agad? Malamang... malamang wala na siya sa'tin ngayon at kasalanan ko yun.."

"We need to be strong, Charm." Alam kong mas natatakot siya but he's trying his best to comfort me.

I'm really sorry, Kuya..

Ayokong mawalan ng bestfriend, Lord.

Please pakibalik na sa'min si Bessy... T___T

Ibalik niyo lang po siya, I will never let her out of my sight :(

We both stood up when the door opened at lumabas si Tita.

"Alec."

"Tita.."

"Theia's awake." Sabi ni Tita at tinignan kami parehas.

"Oh god."

"Thank you, Tita!" I hugged her.

"You need to go inside."

"Is there something wrong?" Tanong ni Kuya.

Tita sounded serious.

"She wants to talk to you, Alec."

***

We were on our way home. Tita had no choice kundi payagan si Theia umuwi dahil nag-pumilit siya. She asked her to promise in return na hindi niya na ulit kakalimutan uminom ng gamot niya.

Nakasandal siya sa balikat ko while Kuya drove. Walang umiimik simula kanina kaya tumahimik lang din ako.

Ano ba kasing pinag-usapan nila?

When the car stopped, nakita ko si Manang sa may pintuan. Lumabas naman si Kuya at pinagbuksan kami ng pinto.

"Bessy, we're home."

Kuya held his hand out and she took it. He carried her into the house tsaka siya binaba sa sofa.

"Nang, kayo na muna pong bahala kay Theia." Kuya went directly upstairs.

"Ikukuha kita ng damit, hija."

"Are you okay?" I sat beside her.

Tumango naman siya. "Galit ba si Kuya?"

"Halata naman." Sabi ko. "Pinag-alala mo kaya kaming dalawa."

"Alam ko. Sorry." Sabi niya. "I don't understand what happened. Kausap ko lang si Ry tapos.. bigla nalang akong hindi makahinga."

Bumaba si Manang at inabot yung damit.

"Thank you po."

"Magbihis ka na." I said. "Aakyat rin ako para magpalit."

Pumasok ako sa kwarto at nilapag sa higaan yung bag naming dalawa. I opened the shower pagpasok ko sa cr.

I was about to go down para maghanda ng kakainin namin nung narinig ko silang naguusap. Umupo lang muna ako sa hagdan para makinig.

******

*Theia's POV*

"Kumain na ba kayo?"

"Hindi pa po, Nang." Sagot niya. "Pero ako na po bahala. Magpahinga na po kayo."

I peaked outside the bathroom. Nag-uusap sila sa kusina.

"May iniwan akong cooked pasta at carbonara sauce dyan sa ref. May baguette rin sa mesa. Nag-grocery ako kanina."

"Thank you, Nang."

I waited for her to leave bago ako lumabas. Kuya looked up but ignored me.

"Do you need help?"

Tinuro niya yung tinapay.

Hindi niya parin ba ako papansinin?

Pagtapos ko ilagay sa toaster, inayos ko naman yung lamesa.

"Are you still not gonna talk to me, Kuya?"

"Uy."

"Kuya."

He turned his back on me at kinuha yung iniinit ko. Paglingon niya, nasa harap niya na ko.

I smiled.

"Move."

"No."

Is this gonna be the hard way?

"Hindi ako gagalaw hangga't hindi mo ko kinakausap."

Nilapag niya bigla yung plato at hinarap ako.

Oh no..

Lumayo ako ng konti sa kanya.

"Anong gusto mong sabihin ko?"

"Anything." I answered. "Sabihin mong pinapatawad mo na 'ko."

"You didn't take care of yourself. Naging pabaya ka. And now you want me to forgive you?"

Hindi ako sumagot.

"Do you even realize what could've happened?" He asked. "What if hindi ka nakita agad ni Charm?? Paano na sila Mommy at Daddy? Ako? Hindi pa kami ready na mawala ka and we will never be. Yet you've put yourself at risk."

I had no idea ganyan siya kagalit ngayon.

"See?? That gives me the right to get mad at you. Kaya pwede ba? Don't even ask for forgiveness kasi hindi mo yun deserve ngayon."

He took a deep breath. Which was a sign na tapos na siya.

"Tapos ka na?"

I wanted to make sure at baka masigawan ulit ako.

He didn't answer kaya nagsalita na ko.

"Kuya, parang hindi ka na nasanay sa sitwasyon ko." I told him. "This is how I lived my life. Hindi niyo ko pwedeng kontrolin habang buhay."

I lied.

Hindi naman nangyayari yung ganito noon at sa totoo lang, natatakot ako.

And I don't want him to know.

"This is never about controlling you, Theia." Sagot niya. "This is about your health. What matters is okay ka."

"But I'm fine.."

Another lie.

"Why do you keep insisting that?" He asked. "Alam natin parehas na hindi. You should've stayed in the hospital."

"I'm okay."

I don't feel fine or okay at all.

"You're not. Pinairal mo nanaman yang katigasan ng ulo mo." Sabi niya. "Kuya mo ko kaya dapat nakinig ka sa'kin."

The way he talks, makes me want to get angry as well.

"I had Tita's consent." Sagot ko. "She said I can go home basta uminom lang ako ng gamot."

"Gamot??" Ang taas na ng boses niya. "You even forgot to drink that, Theia! Tignan mo yung nangyari sa'yo."

I didn't respond agad kasi tama siya. Nakalimutan ko naman talaga uminom kanina.

Pero hindi yun sapat na rason para magalit siya ng husto.

"That's just one time, Kuya." I said. "Can't you just let that go?"

"One time??" Mas nagagalit lang siya lalo. "Hindi mo parin ba narerealize yung posibleng nangyari??"

This is not how I imagined this.

Masyado siyang galit. Hindi ko na maintindihan kung bakit.

"Bakit ka ba ganyan?"

He didn't answer.

Kinuha niya bigla yung plato at pumunta sa dining area.

"Simula nung nagising ako, palagi nalang kayo nakapaligid sa'kin."

What I said made him stopped pero hindi parin siya sumagot.

He kept his back on me.

Iniiwasan niya ko.

Lumapit ako at hinarap siya.

"Anong meron??"

"Nothing."

He was avoiding my eyes.

May nangyari nga.

"Something happened. Kaya kayo ganyan."

"Wala."

"You're lying."

"It's nothing."

"Why are you doing this? Why are you being overprotective now??"

"Wala nga!"

"Bakit ba galit na galit ka?" Tanong ko. "Dahil nahimatay ako? Dahil nakalimutan ko yung gamot ko?? Tell me!"

Ayaw niya paring sabihin??

"You really wanted to know??"

"YES!"

He's hesitating.

Wala talaga siyang balak sabihin.

"ALEXANDER ZAMORA!!"

Hindi ko na napigilan. Sinigawan ko rin siya.

That did it.

Tinignan niya ko and I didn't expect what I saw.

Umiiyak siya.

"Because that one mistake meant a lot, Aletheia. That one mistake almost took you away." He said. "I'm losing you at wala akong magawa.."

I'm really dying..

"Kaya pwede bang makinig ka nalang?" Sabi niya. "We can't afford to lose you, Theia.."

"So it's true.."

My tears started to fall.

Tama ako ng narinig..

I'm really going to die..

"Ala-m mo..?"

"I heard you talking with Tita that day.."

Pinilit kong hindi maiyak nung hinawakan niya yung kamay ko. Pero yung luhang hindi ko naiyak nun, nilalabas na ng mata ko ngayon.

"Th-eia.."

"Why didn't you tell me??"

I felt betrayed.

Hinintay kong sabihin niya sa'kin but he didn't. Nung nagbago yung mga gamot ko, tsaka lang nag-sink in sa'kin lahat.

"..."

"You knew I was dying at nagawa mo yun itago sa'kin, Kuya..."

"H-ow can I?" Tanong niya. "Paano ko sasabihin sa'yo, Theia??"

"Kahit ano! Kahit anong paraan!" I cried. "I even gave up on Nate, Kuya. Akala niyo ba ginusto kong isuko siya? I really wanted to fight pero hindi pwede dahil sa sa'kit na to!"

Pagkatapos ng lahat ng nangyari, mamamatay lang rin pala ako?

Mamamatay din pala ako..

******