Gabby

*Theia's POV*

Baka nga multo? Multo kaya?

"Kuy----"

May biglang humawak sa paa ko.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"

Nagtatalon ako kaya napabitaw ako kay Kuya at napatingin sa kanila.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"

They were laughing so hard. Nag-apir pa sila sa harapan ko.

"WAAAAAHHHH!!! I HATE YOU CHARMAINE! LUMAYAS KA DITONG GIRL SCOUT KA!!!"

Niloko nila ako.

"Sorry-HAHA-na-HAHA-pero-HAHAHA-dapat nakita mo yung mukha mo, bessy! HAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Tawa lang sila ng tawa.

"MAG-SAMA KAYO NI KUYA!!!" Sabi ko. "WAAHH PINAGTULUNGAN NIYO KO!"

"Bessy-HAHA-sorry-na-kasi-HAHAHA!"

"NAGSOSORRY KA BA TALAGA?"

"Wait. Ito na. Kakalma na." Sabi niya tapos huminga siya ng malalim at naging seryoso. "Sorry!!!"

Todo peace sign siya sa'kin.

Napatingin ako sa Kuya kong tawa parin ng tawa.

Aba ang saya niya ha.

"Isa ka pa!" Binato ko siya ng table napkin. "Kanina lang ang lambing lambing mo tapos pagti-tripan mo rin pala ako!"

"Ehem. Sorry na nga diba?" Sabi niya pero alam kong pinipigilan lang nila tumawa.

Mga baliw.

"Bakit ka ba kasi palihim na bumaba, Charm?"

"Oo nga. Natakot tuloy ako."

"Ang tagal niyo kaya mag-usap!" Sagot niya. "Gutom na gutom na ko!"

Napahawak siya sa tsan niya.

"Edi dapat sinabi mo!"

"Paano ko sasabihin kung nag-uusap kayo?"

"Akala ko tuloy may magnanakaw!"

"Sorry na nga. Ayoko namang makisingit sa inyo."

"Kunwari ka pa, I know you heard everything."

"Malamang." She winked at me.

"Kain na tayo." Sabi ni Kuya at umupo na kami sa hapagkainan.

"Malamig na.." Ang lungkot ng mukha ni Charm pagtapos niya tumikim.

"Sorry na." Sabi ko tapos kinuha ko yung pasta. "Iinitin ko lang saglit."

"Initin ko narin yung tinapay."

***

"Kuya may hindi ka pa sinasabi sa'kin ah."

Kakatapos lang namin kumain at nag-volunteer siyang maghugas ng plato.

"Bukas nalang. Gabi na oh."

"Anong gabi na? 9 palang kaya." Sabat ni Charm. "Tsaka tapos na yung exams. All we needed to think about was the ball and graduation."

Tinignan siya ng masama ni Kuya kaya umiwas siya ng tingin. She hid behind my back.

"Uy. Hindi pwede yon, Kuya ko."

"At bakit naman?" Pinatay niya yung faucet at nagpunas ng kamay.

"Kasi may usapan tayo kanina." I crossed my arms. "Sinabi ko sa'yo yung tungkol kay Ry at kapalit nun yung ikekwento mo."

Umupo si Kuya sa sofa katabi naming dalawa ni Charm.

"Fair enough. Pero kailangan ko munang pag-isipan kung sasabihin ko."

"At bakit?"

Hindi siya sumagot agad.

"Is it that bad?"

"Maybe."

"Fire away."

Will it get any worse than knowing that I'm dying?

"Naomi called this morning.."

Mukhang wala siyang balak ituloy.

"And?" Si Charm na yung nagsalita.

He was hesitating. Kitang kita na ayaw niyang sabihin yung nangyari.

"Kuya, kung masasaktan ako dyan sa sasabihin mo, edi masaktan na."

"Alright. Here goes.."

"Go on. I'm listening."

"It's about Nathan."

Huminga muna siya ng malalim bago nagsalita ulit.

"He has amnesia, right?"

Charm and I both nodded.

"Naomi and I were actually trying to figure out what happened to all those memories you had with him." Sabi niya. "In less than 2 months, 3 years na kayo at sa totoo lang, that's a very long time, Theia."

Mag 3 years na sana.

Pero if he's with her now, does that mean hindi na kami?

"We both decided to skip work and went to visit his doctor. Si Dra. Guevarra." He said. "And after our conversation, we've confirmed things na hindi namin inaasahan."

I was waiting.

Pero kada hintay ko, mas kinakabahan ako.

"She told us na hindi nawala lahat ng mga memories na yun, Theia."

"Hindi nawala?"

He nodded.

Paanong hindi nawala?

"Then that means.." Sabi ni Charm.

"He remembers every moment they had together."

"Pero paano??" I asked. "Hindi niya naman ako naaalala.."

"Here's the catch, Theia." He said. "Nathan remembers the memories but not with you."

Huh?

"What??"

Charm and I were both frowning.

Hindi namin naiintindihan yung sinasabi niya.

"Okay, it's like this." Sabi niya. "Pumunta kayo sa isang lugar, nag-date, marami kayong ginawa, etc. Naalala niya yung lugar, kung anong nangyari, even the emotions, but not you."

I was still confused.

Naintindihan ko pero parang hindi.

"Naaalala niya pero hindi si Theia ang kasama niya." Charm whispered.

If she put it that way, then it made sense.

Hindi sa hindi niya ko maalala.

Hindi lang ako yung naaalala niya.

"Exactly." Sagot ni Kuya. "And someone else replaced you in those memories."

Lumabas nalang sa bibig ko yung pangalan niya.

"Ivy."

Kuya slowly nodded his head. "Dra. Guevarra confirmed all of that pagpunta namin. Sinabi din kasi sa'kin ni Naomi that when Nathan woke up, he said something weird."

"Anong weird?" Tanong ni Charm.

"He said he was on his way to Ivy. But we all know na si Theia ang pupuntahan niya."

"Edi yung singsing.." I stared at my left hand.

"Anong meron sa singsing?"

"Our promise ring." Sagot ko. "Nate saw me wearing this."

Naaalala niya..

That thought almost made me so happy.. pero..

"Pati yung pagmamaneho." Kuya said. "Naomi mentioned that Nathan doesn't even remember he knows how to drive. Kasi para yun sa'yo."

That was one of his conditions. Before allowing Nate to date me, kailangan niya daw munang matutong magdrive.

It was for my own safety. He doesn't even allow me to ride a taxi alone.

"Edi may chance pa para bumalik siya kay bessy, diba?" Charm smiled at me. "If he remembers, then eventually marerealize niya rin na hindi si Ivy yung taong nasa alaala niya."

Tama si Charm.

We have to be positive.

Maaalala niya rin ako.

"Yun din yung naisip ko." Sagot niya. "Natuwa pa nga ako nung nalaman ko yun but it's the other way around, Charm. Dra. Guevarra warned us."

Kuya looked so serious.

"Nathan's amnesia is actually a rare case." He said. "He is battling with what he believes in, which means na sobrang delikado lalo na kapag pinilit natin."

"Naniniwala siyang si Ivy yung babaeng nasa alaala niya." Charm said.

"Yes. And if he saw the ring, that might be a reason to question kung ano yung pinaniniwalaan niya."

"Kasi wala kay Ivy yung singsing." Tumango si Charm. "His memories may change pero hindi ka niya pwedeng palitan ng tuluyan. Afterall, it's really you, Theia."

"Anong dapat kong gawin??"

I'm going to lose him kahit napag-isipan ko nang ipaglaban siya?

"Seeing the ring will be a good start, Theia. But we still need to be careful around him." Sagot niya. "Lalaban ka parin naman but don't push too many things at the same time. Baka hindi niya kayanin."

If it's the only way..

I'm not going to give you up, Nate.

"He might even fight with what he knows and what he feels."

Napahinto kaming tatlo.

I even held my breath.

Sino yung nagsalita?

******

*Charm's POV*

"Ey, kuya." I broke the silence. "Ang galing mo ha. Nagbabago ka narin ng boses ngayon."

"Ha?"

"Ikaw lang yung nagsalita diba?"

"Anong ako?" Sagot niya. "Baka kayo."

Hindi ba? Akala ko siya.

"Wala naman tayong ibang kasama dito diba?" Tanong naman ni Theia.

May narinig talaga ako.

And I'm sure we all heard the same thing.

"Wala nga." Sagot niya.

"Aren't you talking to Gabby?" Theia looked at me. "Baka nakaloud speaker kaya ganun."

"Of course not. I don't have my phone." Sabi ko. "Lowbat ako, bessy. Nasa taas nagchacharge."

"Eh sino yun?"

"Baka may multo nga."

Nakangisi si Kuya which made me think na baka siya nga yun.

Tinatakot niya siguro si Theia.

"Eeh!"

"Ginawa mo namang multo yung Lovey ko, bessy."

"It's true!" Sabi niya. "I really heard Gabby's voice."

I frowned. Impossible e.

"Ako nga."

Omg.

Napakapit siya sa braso ko.

"See??"

It's really his voice..

Bessy wasn't lying. Pero kasi..

"That's.." Hindi ko alam yung isasagot. "But I just talked to him a while ago. Delayed daw yung flight niya."

It sounded like him, pero imposible talaga.

"Baka si Manang."

"At kelan pa naging boses lalaki si Manang??"

"Malay mo ngayon lang."

Ang sama na ng tingin ko kay Kuya. Siya lang yung pwedeng mag-joke ng ganito.

"Kuya, hindi na nakakatuwa yang joke mo."

"Hindi nga ako." Sagot niya. "Magkakatabi lang tayo dito lolokohin ko pa kayo?"

He has a point. He won't be able to pull it off lalo na't magkakasama lang kami.

"Eeh sino???"

"Ako nga."

None of us moved.

"Kukulit niyong tatlo. Lumingon kaya kayo."

He talked. Again.

Sobrang lapit niya sa'min.

I even checked my pockets. Baka kasi nadala ko talaga yung phone.

But there's none.

"Uy, lingon daw." Sabi ni Kuya.

Nakangiti na siya. Nakita niya na kung sino yung nagsasalita.

"Lingon na. Ang tagal."

"Paano kung multo??"

"Tatakutin mo lang kami e!" I exclaimed.

"I'm pretty sure magugustuhan niyo yung makikita niyo." Kuya winked at us.

Baka may hunk sa may pintuan?

Theia and I slowly turned around and saw him standing by the door.

"Bessy, pakurot ako saglit." Bulong ko. "I really think I'm hallucinating."

Hindi naman siya nagdalawang isip na gawin yung sinabi ko.

"Aray!"

Ang sakit nun ah.

Parang may tinatago siyang sama ng loob sa'kin.

"O diba masakit? Edi siya talaga yan."

"Umalis lang ako ng ilang buwan, nakalimutan niyo na ko agad?"

He was frowning at first pero natawa rin siya.

It's his laugh. It's really my Lovey.

"OMAYGHAD! LOOVVVEYYY!!!"

"GAAABBBBBY!!!"

His answering smile was gorgeous.

Hunk na hunk ang dating! Hihi.

"Gabriel Sy at your service."

Naiiyak ako.

I missed him so.

He's back. Finally, we're complete.

May kakampi na ko pagdating sa pagtatanggol kay Theia.

Nathan's cousin.

My Lovey.

Gabriel Sy.

******