CHAPTER 12

"Nikolai! Are

you even listening to me?", narinig niyang sabi ni Ms. Iza sa kaniya.

Nabalik ang isip niya sa nangyayari sa loob ng conference room ng Stellar.

Nakatingin sa kaniya ang lahat ng tao sa loob ng kwartong iyon kabilang na ang mga abuhing mata ng ababeng nagpapagulo sa isip niya.

How can you do that to me Kaze? Pinaglaruan mo 'ko! I thought you are such a cute and innocent lady pero mukhang palabas lang ang lahat!

"I'm sorry, I am not just myself today", hinging paumanhin niya na iniiwas ang tingin sa nobya.

"It seemed you are not yourself these past few days Nik, ilang araw ka ng ganyan. Do you want me to reschedule this meeting? Or better yet the international tour?", may himig pag-aalala sa kaniyang superior and at the same time ay kaibigan na si Iza.

He sighed before answering.

"Let's reschedule the meeting but not the tour Ize. Maybe I just need a rest for a few days, and I have to attend some few things too", at tiningnan niya ng masama si KC na tahimik lang na nakamasid sa kaniya sa gilid. Pain is evident in her eyes.

Sh*t! Ba't parang siya pa ata ang biktima dito? After what she did to me?!

Kinansela ang meeting nila at nauna na siyang lumabas ng kwartong yun. Ayaw niya munang makausap si KC, baka may masbi pa siyang hindi maganda dito.

"So you mean to say, KC and Sandy are the same person?", Dan asked him.

As usual kapag may problema siya, expected ng nasa bar siya ng malapit na kaibigang si Dan. Maging ito ay h8indi makapaniwala sa natuklasan niya ng araw na magising siya sa kama niyang ang katabi ay ang nobyang si KC at hindi ang babaeng iniisip niyang nakaniig ng nakaraang gabi—si Sandy.

HE was shocked, astonished, mad and he felt betrayed upon seeing her sleeping on his bed, in his arms.

Ang akala niya ay nananaginip lang siya ng mga oras nay un dahil natatandaan niya ng nakaraang gabi ang guilt feelings niya sa pakikipagtalik sa ibang babae habang nobya niya ito at dahil ang huling namutawi sa mga labi niya ay ang pagmamahal niya sa inosenteng babae.

Or so he thought.

Lumipas ang ilang sandali, nakapagligo na siya at hindi pa rin nagigising ang babae. Napansin niya ang blonde wig na nasa may gilid ng kama, at ang contact lens na nasa loob ng lagayan nito na nakapatong sa bedside table niya. When he opened it, he saw the green contact lens there.

He stared at the woman on her bed and realized it was really his KC, his sweet baby KC, sleeping like an angel there.

Sa sobrang galit niya ay umalis siya ng kaniyang suite ng hindi man lang kinakausap ito at nagpunta sa bar para uminom. Sa loob ng ilang araw ay ganoon lang ang kaiyang ginagawa at ngayon lang siya nagkalakas loob na sabihin sa kaibigan ang mga nangyari.

"Hindi ko na alam kung ano ang gagawin ko dude. Should I talk to her?Ipamukha sa kaniya ang panlolokong ginawa niya sa akin?", at inisang tungga ang kaniyang inumin.

"Why don't you talk to her first dude? Listen to what she have to say first before jumping into any conclusion. Para at the end of the day, wala kang mga 'what if's'", at tinapik-tapik pa nito ang balikat niya habang umiinom din ng alak.

Kahit talaga may pagka-gago itong kaibigan kong 'to, minsan ay tumatama pa rin ang mga advise niya, nasabi ng isang bahagi ng isip niya.

"How can this happen? Dual Personality? KC has this kind of disorder? Kailan pa? Alam niyo bang lahat ang tungkol doon? Ibig sabihin niloko at pinaglaruan niya ako??!", sunod-sunod niyang tanong sa kaibigan nitong si Hanna. She called him that morning and ask him to see her to talk about what is really happening.

Sinubukan niyang kausapin ang babae pero wala ni isa man ang nakakaalam ng address ng babae, maging sa record ng kompanya ay wala iyon doon. Kinailangan niyiang kausapin ang pinakamalapit sa babae.

Hindi niya napigilang magpalakad-lakad pabalik sa loob ng opisina ni Hanna, her 'other' office, kung tawagin nito.

"Nik, calm down please!", natutuliro na ding sabi nito habang nakaupo pa rin sa swivel chair nito.

"Calm down?!", pinanlakihan niya ito ng mata at huminga siya ng malalim bago umupo. "how c-can I calm down Hanna? You are telling me that my girlfriend has a mental disorder, it is not like you are telling me that I have a tour coming and that I have an album coming para kumalma ako at matuwa! My God, she's crazy! ", napapalatak niyang sabi at nakuyumos ng kamay ang mukha.

Tumayo si Hanna at umupo sa upuang kaharap ng upuan niya, she face her at ng tingnan niya ito ay nagulat siya ng isang malutong na sampal ang pinadapo nito sa mukha niya.

"D*amn! What was that for?", galit niyang baling dito habang sapo ang namumulang pisngi.

"How dare you call her crazy you moron!", galit na galit nitong saad sa kanya. Her eyes are burning with anger and distaste towards him.

"Bakit?! Ano kung gayon ang masasabi mo tungkol sa sitwasyon niya? She isn't normal, so what do you want me to call her condition??!!", mahina ngunit madiin niyang saggot dito. He maybe mad but he will never have the guts to hurt a woman kahit na nga gusting-gusto niya na itong patulan. Parang natuliglig ata ang tenga niya sa sampal nito at mukhang mamamaga ang pisngi niya sa sobrang lakas ng sampal nito sa kanya.

"She's a very special girl with a very special case! Not all people are with this kind of disorder, and just so you know they are not categorized as crazy, you idiot! Who do you think you are to call her like that?! Who gave you the right?!", humihingal ito pagkatapos magsalita dahil sa sobrang emosyon nito.

He can see a hint of tears in her eyes na nakapagpatigil sa kanya sa tangkang pagsasalita. He can see a lot of emotions in the eyes of the good editor-in-chief of MEGAPOLITAN/bestfriend of her gf, KC, who has a dual personality.

Ah! This is so complicated!, sigaw ng utak niya na nakapagpapikit sa kanya ng mariin.

"Okay, I'm so sorry Hanna. I am just so emotional and shocked and confused and—and--..", saglit siyang napatigil saka tumayo at huminga ng malakas habang nakapamaywang. "I honestly don't know what to say anymore. Paano ba to nangyari? Does she know?"

Nagpalingo-lingo ito. "No she doesn't know about her condition. All she knew is that she is having blackout everytime she has the urge to paint, dahil madalas naman ay nagpipinta ang pinakahuli niyang ginagawa bago siya bumalik sa pagiging KC", nakayuko nitong sagot. "Masyadong naging traumatic ang kanyang childhood Nik that's why her brain looked for some escape to cope up; that is, making another personality, alters or identity".

"You mean to say that the person I was making love the whole time is not her? Or the real her?", pati siya ay nalilito na rin sa kung ano ang ibig niyang sabihin.

"It is still here, of course! The problem is masyadong intense ang pakiramdam niya sa tuwing darating kayo sa 'ganoong' punto", emphasizing 'ganoong' to him. "She cannot take in an event in her life that is giving her too much happiness because she is afraid that she will lose that person or thing again. Thus, her brain has to make a solution and that is to repress that memory through using the memory of an alter ego. But technically, siya pa rin iyon, ibang katauhan nga lang niya".

Hanna told him about the traumatic incident that happened during KC's childhood, pati na rin ang dalawang taon na hindi siya makapagsalita. He can hear her but he felt like his head is going to burst any moment because of all the informations that she is feeding him about KC.

"Attorney Salvatore and Dra. Yumi Duranti are her godparents and guardians, they have been her parents since her parents were killed a long time ago"

Napaangat ang tingin niya mula sa pagkakayuko at napamulagat ang mga mata.

"How could that happen?"

"Well, KC wanted to work as a regular employee in the company first, she wants to know how to become a follower first so he can be a good leader", at napapangiti ito habang nagkukwento. "But the main reason is because of you, NIk. She had been inlove with you since we were in college. Akala ko obsession, admiration and cush lang ang nararamdaman niya sayo pero mukhang pag-ibig talaga ang nararamdaman niya para sayo because she tried to endure Kriza's crazy rants about her and her work, at kinaya niyang magpaka-empleyado kahit na nga siya ang totoong may-ari ng kompanya", she emotionally continued.

"You mean to say KC is not who she was trying to show to everybody?!?"

Marahan lang itong tumango sa kanya.

How can this day go any better? Una I've learned that my girlfriend has a mental disorder and now I'll learn she is my real boss?!

"I'm sorry na kailangan sa akin mo malaman ang tungkol sa bagay na ito Nik, but we, I and the Duranti's are hoping you can help us with KC's condition".

"And how do you think I can help wiith you? Ano bang alam ko sa mga ganyang bagay?", marahas niyang sagot dito. He's still mad about what he leqarned and he really thinks that

"You can help us na itago muna sa kanya ang tungkol kina Sandy at Tin", marahan nitong sagot sa kanya.

"F*ck! And why would I help you? Bakit kailangan ninyong itago sa kanya ang kalagayan niya? And who the f*ck is Sandy and Tin?", marahas niyang tanong sa babae. Ang daming mga isinisiwalat nito sa kanya at mukhang may bago na naman.

Shit! Sasabog na talaga ang utak ko dito!

"Sandy and Tin are KC's alter egos, they know each other and have been very concerned about her kaya itinalaga ko sila na bantayan si KC. Sandy was born out of the traumatic death of her parents na na-witness niya, that is why Sandy is very palaban and independent. Siya ang katauhan ni KC na gustong tumayong mag-isa at ipakita sa lahat na kaya niyang pangalagaan ang sarili niya. On the other hand, Tin is the person in-between KC and Sandy. She was born in France, when Duranti family together with KC and Oreo, ang nag-iisang anak ng mga Duranti went their for a vacation. Unexpectedly, inatake si Oreo sa puso because even before the child has a very weak heart dahil menopausal baby ito. Hindi nakayanan ni KC ang nasaksihan niyang pagkamatay ng pinakamamahal niyang si Oreo, that is why her brain help her cope again through making another alter ego whom wil help her accordingly to get through that very saddening situation. That is why Tin is very much into painting dahil siya ay ipinanganak sa loob ng museum sa France and while KC wants to show her skills to the world but she doesn't have any confidence to do so; kaya ang kanyang alter-ego na si Tin ang gumagawa nun", mahaba nitong paliwanag sa kanya.

"And where do I fit in the picture then?", tanong niya sa makailang saglit.

"Well, you will help us na panatilihin ang sekreto ni KC. At dahil maliban sa amin ay ikaw ang mas madalas ay kasama niya, it would be a big confusion for her kung parati mong ipagpipilitan na may nangyari na sa inyo kung sa isip ni KC ay wala pa dahil technically, si Sandy ang kasama mo".

"So you want me to join this f*cking façade?!", biglang sumambulat ang galit niya dito. "I thought you are her friend, how come nagagawa mo ang pagsinungalingan siya at lokohin ng ganito?! Hindi bat mas maganda kung malalaman niya ang totoong kalagayan niya para mas mapadali ang paggaling niya?!"

"Yes, I am her bestfriend but I am also her doctor! I am a psychiatrist by profession and took my second course in Campbridge just so mabantayan at masubaybayan ko ang kalagayan niya. It has been my ambition to be a psychiatrist pero ipinatawag ako ng mga Duranti para masubaybayan at mapag-aralan ang kalagayan ni KC".

"And you agreed to this bullshit?! Don't ever tell me you care for her, 'cause if you do, you'll know what would be best for her and that is for her to know her condition!", hindi niya mapigilan ang galit niya, they are all fooling her and that is not how to show love and compassion for someone dearest to you.

F*ck! She's not your dearest Nikolai so stop acting as if you even care! Let them be with this b*llshit façade!

"Ano bang alam mo sa sitwasyon ni KC? And for your information, she is not just a patient or anything like that! I treat her like my own sister since her biological parents were the sole reason na nakapagtapos ako ng pag-aaral sa isang pristehiyosong unibersidad sa ibang bansa! Noong una ay tumatanaw lang ako ng utang na loob sa kanila pero I have learned to love all of her, thus making me pursue this what-you-call bullshit para lang mapag-aralan kung paano ko siya mapapagaling!", sigaw nito sa kanya.

"I wouldn't be surprise at all if she doesn't even know that you are her doctor!"

Sumasakit na ang ulo niya sa sobrang dami ng rebelasyon na isinasampal sa mukha niya at hindi niya alam kung paano pa niya makakayang i-absorb ang lahat ng iyon.

Mahabang katahimikan ang namagitan sa kanila ni Hanna, or should he call her Dra. Hanna?

"I sho-should g-go", maya-maya ay saad niya na marahang tumayo sa kinauupuan at tinungo ang pinto.

"I know you are in doubt Nik, but if you realy love her.. please give me time to finish my study with regards to her condition and help her get through this", nagsusumamo ang tinig nito.

Bago niya isinara ang pinto ay narinig pa niyang pahabol nito.

"You will have to learn embracing not just a part of her, but all—--all 3 of them".