Chapter 17

Kinabukasan katulad ng napag usapan nag kita kami ni Jerson sa isang malapit na coffee shop.

"So how's life?" he asked as he sipped on his own coffee

"Well as I remember my life is good"

"Hmm I want to talk about the so-called-girlfriend of my brother"

I frowned "He haven't introduce his girlfriend to you yet? or should I say his soon to be fiance, soon to be wife and soon to be mother of his future children"

"sa pag kaka tanda ko kasi isang babae lang ang ipinakilala niya samin" he looked at me intently "and that's you"

impossible

I was surprise when he suddenly raised his hand and called someone behind me "Hey li'l bro!"

Nang makalapit sa aming mesa nakita ko ang unti-unting pag baling sakin ni Jonathan at pag kunot ng kanyang noo "Why are you here?"

"I invited her" si Jerson ang sumagot "And I was about to asked her if I can court her-"

"No!" parehas kaming nagulat sa biglaang pag taas ng boses ni Jonathan sabay hampas sa lamesa

Jerson smirked at his brother "Why? are you still into her?" napatingin naman ako kay Jonathan seryosong naka titig sa kanyang kuya "Oh you have a girlfriend nga pala"

"A girlfriend?"

"Yes"

"Who told you that I have a girlfriend?"

Jerson pointed at me kaya pinandilatanko siya bago tumingin kay Jonathan "I'm sorry hindi ko naman alam na sikreto mo pala na may girlfriend kana"

"What the heck baby I don't have a girlfriend!"

"Pero narinig ko! nung may tumawag sayo tinawag mo siyang love!"

he shooked his head while smirking and then he took his phone out of his pocket, nakita kong may tinawagan siya "Hello Love?"

"See he has a girlfriend!-"

"Yes sir?" nagulat ako sa sagot ng nasa kabilang linya

"Can you introduce yourself?"

"ahm... may I asked kung bakit sir?"

"Because my baby is jealous and she thought that you're my girlfriend Love"

"Oh...I'm Lovely Balicudcud but everyone calls me Love" then he hang up the phone

"See? so now don't be jealous, you're my only girl, baby"

After the embarrassing incident at the coffee shop I am here now in Jonathan's car, since I did not bring my car he insisted to take me home and I can do nothing, I can't even say a single word because of the embarrassment I received earlier. I look at him as he get in the car.

"Why?"

napa baling siya sakin, nag tataka sa biglaang pag sasalita ko "huh?"

"Why did you leave me 12 years ago?"

Jonathan's POV

"Why did you leave me 12 years ago?" as she look at me I saw pain and anger in her eyes "Bakit bigla ka nalang umalis matapos mong sabihin sakin na mahal mo ko!"

napa yuko ako ng bigla siyang sumigaw "I'm sorry"

"Jonathan, I'm not asking for your forgiveness I'm asking why! Bakit kailangan mong iparamdam sakin yung sobrang sayang sadali ng buhay ko tapos....tapos" as her tears rolled down parang dinudurog ang puso ko "tapos yung sakit...Jonathan ang sakit sakit!"

I tried to wipe her tears but she just pushed my hand away "Baby please don't cry, I will tell you everything just please... don't cry, nasasaktan ako"

"T-Tell me"

"Okay,okay. stop crying first" pinunasan niya ang kanyang mga luha at inayos ang sarili kaya nag simula na kong ag kwento "That night,that night when I confessed my feelings for you. while me and dad were on our way home we had an accident and....."

"Oh picture muna kayo!" hinawakan ko ang bewang ni Annie at hinapit siya palapit saakin kasabay ng pag click ni daddy ng camera "Grabe bagay talaga kayo! oh siya tara na nga Jonathan at gabi na baka mapagalitan tayo ng mommy mo alam mo naman yun"

I turned to Annie "Alis na kami"

"sige" she said while smiling

"Can we have a date tomorrow?"

"sige" again she smiled at me

"I love your smile, you should be always smiling huh"

"I will keep smiling if you promise me that you won't ever leave me"

I look deeply in her eyes "I promise"

"Okay! sige na umalis kana nag iintay si tito oh"

"Alright, bye"

"Bye ingat kayo!!"

before entering the car I look at her one last time "I love you"

"So kamusta ang JS niyo" dad asked me while he's driving

"Okay naman po"

"Mukang nag kaka mabutihan na kayo ni Annie ah"

napangiti ako "Well I confessed my-" I could not continue what I was saying because he suddenly coughed "Are you okay dad? ang tagal na niyang ubo mo ah"

"of course son I'm okay" he look at me and smile

mahabang katahimikan ang namutawi samin ni daddy habang pauwi, akala ko hanggang sa makarating na kami sa bahay ay walang mag sasalita pero nag kamali ako.

"Jonathan"

I'm just looking at the window when I answered him "Yes dad?"

"I-I can't b-breath"

Agad akong napa tingin sakanya and I saw that he was already holding his chest and catching his breath "Dad! what should I do?!"

"Get my m-meds at the b-back"

I did what he said but as I was looking for his medicine I heard a loud horn and saw a very dazzling light then everything went black.

nakarinig ako ng boses kaya napalidat ako, the first thing I saw was the bright ceiling light.

"Ma'am your son's condition is stable but-" napa tigil ang sa tingin ko ay isang doktor ng makitang naka dilat na ang mga mata ko

"Oh son finally you're awake!" mabilis na yumakap sakin ang isang babaeng medyo may edad na pero halata parin sa muka ang kagandahan

unti-unti kong tinanggal ang pag kakayakap niya sakin at pinakatitigan siya ng mabuti "I'm sorry ma'am but who are you?"

I saw that she was stunned by what I said "W-What happened doc?"

"As I was saying your son's condition is already stable but we found out that he has a Retrograde amnesia"

"W-What is that?"

"Retrograde amnesia is a loss of memory access to events that occurred or information that was learned in the past, in your son's case ,retrograde amnesia is the result of traumatic injury"

"oh God!" humagulgol ang babaeng nasa harapan ko

"But it's just temporary"

"How is it treated?" tanong naman ng isang lalaking sa tingin ko ay mas matanda lang sakin ng konti habang inaalo ang babae

"There are no specific medications used to treat retrograde amnesia, but I suggest that, since it's only temporary let him remember the past on his own, do not force him or you can talk about his past but once his head hurts you need to stop"

nag tagal pa ko ang ilang buwan sa hospital at sa araw-araw na pag gising ko parang pinapatay ako dahil tuwing may ala-ala na bumabalik ay sumasakit ang ulo ko.

"I am Athena Co your mother"

"At ako naman ang napaka gwapo mong kuya, Jerson Co"

"And you are Jonathan Co you're already 18 years old"

bawat sinasabi nilang impormasiyon ay tinatandaan ko natatakot na maka limutan muli

"Always remember that the more you force your brain the more you have a less chance of remembering everything again." paalala ng doktor sakin bago kami umalis ng ospital.

matapos ang ilang linggo tumungo kami sa America dahil dun daw mag papagamot ang tatay ko na kasama ko sa aksidente at sabi din ng doktor mas mabuti kung konting tao lang ang nakikita ko at mas mabuti kung ang mga taong ito ay hindi parte ng nakaraan ko.

"nakita mo toh?" ipinakita sakin ni kuya Jerson ang isang litrato, I saw myself there while holding the waist of a woman wearing a gown

"Who is she?" I asked while still looking at the picture

"She's my girlfriend, ganda noh?"

I frowned at him, for the first time I doubted what he said "Really?"

"Just kidding, she's the woman of your dreams bro"

napa tingin ulit ako sa litrato. may mga imahe na dumadaan sa utak ko, medyo sumasakit na rin ang aking ulo pero kaya ko pa naman kaya nag tanong pa ako

"W-Where is she?"

"Philippines"

"What is her name?"

"Annie Chiu"

ang salitang iyon ay para bang punyal na tumarak sa ulo

"Ahhhh!" sigaw ko habang naka hawak sa ulo,this is the first time my head hurts as if it is being torn apart

pag katapos ng insidenteng iyon paulit-ulit ko ng tinitingnan ang litrato, nag babakasakaling may maalala muli tungkol sa babaeng iyon ngunit sumasakit lamang ang ulo ko, ito ang unang beses na pinilit kong alalahanin ang isang memorya, noon sapat na sakin ang pasaglit-saglit na pag daan ng iilang memorya sa nakaraan ngunit ngayon pakiramdam ko kulang ako kapag hindi ko siya naalala.

"How is she?" tanong ko kay kuya pag ka uwi niya galing pilipinas, every time na umuuwi siya sa pilipinas upang bisitahin ang mga kaibigan niya, lagi kong pinapaalala sakanya na alamin niya kung ano ng nangyayari sa buhay ni Annie

"She's okay, she's in college now"

it's been three years and thanks God naalala ko na ang lahat pero tuloy parin ang medications ko kaya hindi pa rin ako nakaka uwi sa pilipinas, I also started studying at Harvard.

"I think she's dating Ethan" balita sakin ni kuya ng maka uwi siyang muli dito galing sa pag bisita niya sa pilipinas, ito na ang pangatlong bisita niya sa bansang iyon.

"That's impossible"

"she's a lawyer now" sabi ni kuya, pang-apat na bisita niya sa Pilipinas.

two years after, my father died. This is the worst year for me because after my father died, my mother became depressed, napagamot namin siya ngunit nag hirap kami dahil sa mahal ng kanyang medications at si kuya lang ang nag ta-trabaho para saming tatlo. nang maka graduate ako bilang doktor at nag simula ng mag trabaho sa isang hospital unti unti naming pinag tulungan ni kuya ang pag babayad sa mga utang namin hanggang sa nag karoon kami ng pondo upang mag pagawa ng sariling hospital nakakuha rin kami ng investors kaya mas napadali ang lahat.

"Where do you plan to build the hospital?" kuya asked me while we're eating

"In the Philippines"