*Charm's POV*
"Aalis ka, Kuya?"
Pagkagising ko, naabutan ko siyang kumakain ng agahan. He was well dressed at nasa kabilang upuan yung suitcase niya.
It's Sunday. Wala dapat syang pasok ngayon.
"May meeting kasi kami ng 9." Sagot niya pagkatayo at pumunta sa banyo.
Buti nalang. I don't have any excuse yet para makaalis kami ni Theia.
"Anong plano niyo ngayon, Charm? Are you just going to stay here with Theia?"
"Aa.."
I automatically shut my mouth.
Charmaine!
Hindi sasabihin kay Kuya, remember??
"A-ahh.. oo dito nalang muna kami."
Is this the right thing to do?
Alam kong magagalit siya pag nalaman niya yung gagawin namin pero ito yung gusto ni Theia.
"Are you sure? Ilang araw narin siya nasa bahay." He said. "Baka gusto niyang umalis ngayong may kasama na siya."
Kaya nga pupunta kami kanila Nathan mamaya.
I thought.
Charm! Focus!
"Yes, Kuya." I slowly nodded my head. "Papasok narin naman siya bukas. Susulitin nalang namin yung pagpapahinga niya."
"If ever magbago yung isip niyo, just text me okay?" He instructed. "You can ask Kuya Rod to take you there. Bumalik na siya galing Isabela."
"Copy."
"Aalis na ko, Charm." Sabi niya pagkakuha nung suitcase. "Mag-ingat kayo ha."
"Yes, Kuya." I walked with him palabas ng bahay. "Ingat ka rin."
"Let me know if anything happens."
I nodded and waved my hand hanggang sa makaalis na siya.
Kaya ko bang panindigan yung mga mangyayari ngayon?
I looked around the house. It makes me sad.
Nakakalungkot kasi alaala nalang ang lahat.
Alaala na nga lang, hindi niya naman maalala.
Bahala na kung anong mangyari mamaya.
Basta susuportahan ko nalang si Theia.
******
*Naomi's POV*
"Are you hungry? Gusto mo na bang kumain?"
"Maybe later." He said. "Where's my phone Ate?"
"Nakay mama." Sagot ko. "The police gave it to her the day you had an accident."
"So I really had an accident huh?"
"Do you think we're lying?" I asked him. "Nakalimutan mo na lahat diba?"
Why can't he believe us?
"Kung sakali mang nagka-amnesia ako, it's still a good thing na hindi ko kayo nakalimutan or si Ivy."
"It's almost lunchtime." Sabi ko. "Tell me when you're hungry."
I've been trying to avoid any topics about her.
Pagtapos niyang makalimutan si Theia, yung ex pa talaga niya yung pag uusapan namin?
"Ilang araw na 'kong nandito?"
"A week."
"Where's Ivy?" He asked. "Bakit wala siya dito?"
Ivy nanaman.
"Is she not allowed to visit me?" Tanong niya. "Hinahayaan niyo yung Theia pero si Ivy bawal?"
Ivy. Ivy. Ivy.
Naririndi na ko.
The door opened and our parents came in with his doctor.
Finally.
Hindi na ko makahinga sa kakatanong niya.
"Nathan, are you feeling okay?"
"I guess so." He answered. "I felt better after seeing Ivy the other day."
"That's great."
"I just hoped that she's always here para mas bumilis yung pag galing ko."
Nagkatinginan lang kami nila Mama.
"I'll just check his condition." Dra. Guevarra said as she walked towards him.
"Kumain ka na ba?"
"Yes, Ma. Kayo po?"
"Kumain kami bago umalis sa bahay." Sabi ni Papa. "Yung kapatid mo?"
"Not yet." Sagot ko. "Mamaya nalang daw po sabi niya."
We were watching them nung may naalala akong sinabi ni Nathan.
"Ma, hinahanap niya pala yung phone niya."
"We need to buy him a new one if ever hanapin niya ulit. It's broken."
"Can I have it?" Tanong ko. "I'll try to recover the files there."
"Ibibigay ko sa'yo pag-uwi natin." Sabi niya. "May balita ka na ba kung kamusta na si Theia?"
"Alec said that she still needs to rest."
"Sinabi niyo na ba sa kanya?"
"Hindi pa, Ma."
How can I tell her?
Ni hindi ko nga alam kung kaya ko..
"Let's tell her soon." Sabi ni Papa. "She's part of the family afterall."
"Pero mas masasaktan lang siya kapag nalaman niya.."
I hate the idea of hurting her more.
"Can't we just keep this a secret?" I asked. "Gusto ko nang ibaon sa limot yung mga nangyari, Ma."
"No." Sagot naman ni Papa. "Kawawa naman siya kung pati yun itatago pa natin sa kanya. Kailangan niyang malaman lalo na't buhay niya yung pag-uusapan dito."
"Yung buhay niya, walang namang pakialam sa kanya." I stared at Nathan. "Hindi manlang siya maalala."
"This is very good news." Dra. Guevarra looked at us. "His vitals are good. He's recovering very fast. We don't have to worry about anything else."
"Thank you very much, Dra. Guevarra."
"Regarding the therapy that I mentioned last time..." She stopped talking nung nakita niya yung itsura ni Nathan. "Oh, did you talked about it with him?"
"No, they didn't." Tumingin siya sa'min. "What's that therapy for?"
"Go on, Dra. Guevarra." Mama said ignoring his question. "When can we start?"
"We could start it immediately. I just need to brief him about the theraphy so he knows what will happen with his body." She said. "We also have to arrange his schedule so he won't miss any classes."
"Ma, talk to me."
"How long will the process take?" Papa asked, ignoring him again.
"It depends, Mr. Go. We have to record his progress after each session to make sure na nakakatulong ito sa kanya." Sagot niya. "If not, we will conduct another therapy. We need to identify which is the most effective and continue using that."
"Paano kung ayaw ko?"
"Well, that changes things.."
"I'm sorry, Dra. Guevarra." Sabi ni Mama. "Can you please excuse us for a moment? I'll get back to you after we settle this."
Kailangan nga talaga naming mag usap.
"Of course."
Pagkalabas niya, nagsalita na ulit si Nathan.
"There won't be anything to settle."
"Nathan, stop this." Sagot ni Mama. "You need that theraphy. Bakit ba ang tigas ng ulo mo??"
"You didn't mention anything about that when I woke up." He said. "Planado na ba 'to noon pa?"
It wasn't.
Hindi namin inakala na makakalimutan mo siya..
"Don't tell me--"
When he finally realized what was happening, palipat lipat na yung tingin niya sa'min.
"Please tell me this isn't about her."
Natahimik kaming tatlo kasi tama siya.
This is for her.
Para sa kanilang dalawa ni Theia.
"My god, Ma!"
Galit na galit siya.
"It's all for you, Nathan." She said. "Kailangan mo siyang maalala."
"Naaalala ko naman kayo." Sagot niya. "Hindi pa ba sapat yun?"
His words. His actions.
He doesn't want to remember her..
"How can that be enough?" Sabi ni Mama. "She's not just a part of your life. She's everything to you. Parte siya ng memoryang nawala sa'yo."
"Then what about me?" He asked. "Don't you even care kung anong mararamdaman ko??"
"We do care." Sabi ni Papa. "Kaya nga gusto namin na maalala mo siya. You have to remember how much she means to you. You love her, son."
"No." He covered his ears. "Si Ivy lang ang mahal ko."
"Please." Mama said. "Listen to us, baby. We all know how much you love each other and now you want to throw it all away?"
"If she's really important tulad ng sinasabi niyo, why did I forget her?"
"You had an accident." I said. "Naaksidente ka kaya mo siya nakalimutan."
"That's my point, Ate. So what?" He said. "Yes, I had an accident pero limot ko na nga siya. Hindi ba ibig sabihin nun, hindi ko na siya kailangang maalala?"
What?
"Siguro hindi sya ganun kaimportante kaya nalimutan ko siya."
I can't believe this. That was the harshest thing that I've ever heard him say.
I needed to get out.
Hindi ko kayang tanggapin yung sinasabi niya.
"Theia.."
Pagkabukas ko ng pintuan, siya agad yung nakita ko. I didn't expect her to be here.
"Hi-hindi ko alam na nandyan kayo." I slowly said. "We were just talking to Nathan. Gusto niyo bang pumasok?"
"It's okay, Ate." Ngumiti siya sa'kin. "Uuwi narin naman kami ni Charm."
Narinig niya kaya?
"Hindi ba kakarating niyo lang?" Tanong ni Mama. "Don't you want to stay?"
Nathan met my eyes and looked away.
Sh*t.
He knew.
Kaya siya nakatingin sa pintuan habang nagsasalita siya. Alam niyang nasa labas lang sila Theia.
What have you done, Nathaniel?
"Pumunta lang po kami para makita kung okay siya." Sagot niya. "He seems fine kaya uuwi narin po kami."
Lalapit sana siya but Charm held her back. Inalis niya yung kamay na yun at lumapit parin kay Nathan.
"Don't move." She kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Nate.
Humalik rin siya kanila Mama tsaka lumabas ng kwarto. When I followed her outside, I heard Charm gasped.
Buti nalang nasa likod niya ko. Nahawakan ko siya bago pa siya bumagsak.
"Charm, umuwi na tayo please." She whispered. "Alisin mo na ko dito.."
"Ate.." Charm looked at me.
I nodded.
She needed to escape.
Tinayo niya si Theia at inalalayan ito palayo.
Unti unti akong lumuha, hindi ko rin napigilan. Naaawa ako ng sobra sa kanya.
******