"Sino siya?" She asked to the man standing in front of her.
"Sarah, ako to si Gerald." Pagpapakilala niya rito. He held her hands ngunit binawi ito agad ng dalaga. Nagkatinginan naman sina Kace at Anne.
"Kuya, hindi ko siya kilala." Tawag nito sa kanyang panganay na kapatid.
"You must be kidding me." Bulalas ni Gerald sa mga ito.
"Sis, kaibigan mo din siya. Remember when you run away," Saad nito at nakita niyang tumango si Sarah. "dun mo siya nakilala." Pagpapatuloy ni Anne.
"Hindi, wala akong maalala. Hindi ko siya kilala." Pagpupumilit ng dalaga pilit na nilalayo ang kamay ni Gerald sa kanya.
"No, this is just a joke right?!" Wika ng binata na halatang hindi makapaniwala sa mga nangyayari.
"Gerald, kagigising lang ni Sarah. Umalis muna tayo ng makapagpahinga siya." Sabat ni Ryan sa mga ito habang hinawakan ang kamay ni Gerald at hinila palabas ng room ni Sarah.
"Kuya, ano pong nangyari?" Tanong niya rito. "Hindi pwedeng makalimutan niya ako. Nagbibiro lang siya diba." Pangungusap nito sa kanila.
"Gerald, huminahon ka. Hindi rin namin alam kung bakit hindi ka nakilala ni Sarah." Ani nito sa binatang halatang naiiyak na.
"Bakit ako lang?! Bakit ako lang yung hindi niya naaalala." Hinanakit nito.
"We don't know yet if why. Better, sumama ka sakin. Let's talk to her doctor about this." Aya ni Ryan sa kanya and he just nods.
"Doc, why does Sarah can't remember everything?" Tanong ni Ryan sa doctor. Kasalukuyang nakaupo ang tatlo, sa office ng doctor ng dalaga upang ikunsulta ang kalagayan nito.
"One of the effects of brain surgery is memory loss. But I need to see her first before making such conclusions, just to be sure." The doctor explained.
The doctor said he needed to see Sarah before jumping into conclusions of what could be the possibility of her memory loss. We watched him questioned her about the things she barely remember and he let her recall the things happened before the accident. After an hour, we saw her doctor came out of her room. He approached us while Kace and Anne accompanied Sarah in her room.
"Doc." Ryan called.
"Okay. Based on the test, she is suffering from a selective memory loss which is a form of amnesia. The memory is either wholly or partially lost due to extent damage that was caused by the car accident to her." The doctor stated.
"Amnesia?!" Hindi makapaniwalang saad ni Gerald.
"Yes and selective amnesia is a rare side effect of head injuries which can be acquired from accidents and traumatic events. This only results when a certain part of the head is traumatized. The common things that patients mostly forgot from suffering this form of amnesia are relationships, talents, address, or a certain person who maybe had done something painful to her. The sufferer may also lose knowledge of who people are.
"Is it permanent or just temporary?" Ryan asked.
"Usually it is temporary and can be treated."
"How?"
"It can be treated by exposing them to memories from the loss. In some cases the memory loss can extend back decades, while in others the person may lose only a few months of memory. Many forms of amnesia fix themselves without being treated. However, there are a few ways to cope with memory loss if that is not the case. One of these ways is cognitive or occupational therapy. In therapy, amnesiacs will develop the memory skills they have and try to regain some they have lost by finding which techniques help retrieve memories or create new retrieval paths. While there are no medications available to treat amnesia, underlying medical conditions can be treated to improve memory. Such conditions include but are not limited to low thyroid function, liver or kidney disease, stroke, depression, bipolar disorder and blood clots in the brain. Family support is crucial in helping a patient with amnesia get better. Psychologists and psychiatrists say that reality orientation aids may help to nudge patients back into their environment if they are surrounded with familiar objects, photographs, smells, and sounds or music."
"Should we seek for psychiatrist as early as now?” He asked.
"Yes. But in her case, I would advice that it would be better kung hayaan niyo munang mag-adjust ang senses niya."
"If she would, babalik na ba ang memory niya?" Tanong nito sa doctor.
"I will not guarantee na babalik ito sa normal within or pagkatapos her season because nakadepende pa rin sa kagustuhan ng pasyente ang magiging resulta nito."
"What do you mean Doc?"
"It still depends on Sarah if she wanted to remember everything or kung ayaw na niya. The progress of the patient only depends on her." Dagdag nito.
"But why it’s just me? Doc bakit ako lang yung hindi niya naaalala?!" Na halatang may hinanakit sa boses nito.
"I don't know either. But as I said, patients who suffer from this case mostly forgot traumatic events or painful things in their life."
At first, Gerald couldn't quite get his head around what he was hearing. It was horrible, he tought the Doctor must have made it up. Pumasok ang mga ito sa kwarto ng dalaga. Naabutan nilang nagkwekwentuhan sina Kace at Anne. Napatigil naman si Sarah ng makitang hindi pa rin umaalis si Gerald. Nakaupo lang ang binata dalawang upuan ang layo nito mula kay Sarah. Hindi umiimik at panay lang ang tingin sa dalaga. Hindi naman nagtagal ay nagpaalam na si Nanay Luring para makapagpahinga ito. Ang Kuya naman nito ay kailangang bumalik na ng Singapore upang asikasuhin ang kanilang kompanya roon. Habang si Anne ay katatagpuin naman ang nobyong si Sam. Naiwan sina Kace at Gerald na magbantay sa dalaga. Ilang minuto pa ang nakalipas nang magpaalam si Kace sa kanila na bibili ng pagkain para sa mga ito. Walang imikan ang dalawa. Saktong tatalikod mula sa direksyon ng binata si Sarah ng magsalita ito.
"Hindi mo ba talaga ako naaalala?" Masuyong tanong ni Gerald sa kanya. Nakita naman niyang umiling ito senyales na hindi nga siya nito natatandaan ng dalaga. “Sigurado ka ba?” Tanong ulit nito.
“Ilang beses ko bang sasabihin na hindi.” Medyo napalakas nitong sagot.
“I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Yah, I guess.” She said, but it didn't sound like she meant it. It sounded like she just wanted to be left alone.
“Okay. Here,” Sabay abot nito ng kanyang phone at pinakita ang mga kuha nilang larawan nang nasa Baguio ang mga ito at iba pang larawan kasama ang mga kaibigan nila.
“Anong gagawin ko dito?”
“Tignan mo lang and try to see if you can remember things.”
“Seriously?! I was just like an hour awake from months of being in comma and somebody walks in, saying that I know him but actually I don’t. And now, you’re giving these things for me to remember you? That’s a lot to take in.”
“I’m sorry. You want to eat anything?” Tanong ulit nito.
“No.”
“Do you want to do anything?”
“I want to take a nap. So if it’s okay, can you just leave?” Pagsusungit nito. Naiinis ito sa pangungulit sa kanya ng taong di naman niya kilala dahil di niya ito naaalala.
“Okay. I’m sorry.
“Are you honestly not going to leave me alone?” Pasigaw nitog ani sa binata.
Tila naman nagulat ito sa tinuran ni Sarah. “I’m trying to help you Sarah. You never talked to me like this before. Never.” Napalakas na rin nitong tugon.
Hindi na napigil ni Sarah ang maiyak dahil sa halo-halong emosyon. Hindi niya alam kung umiiyak siya dahil natatakot siya sa taong sinasabing malapit sa kanya o dahil sa naaawa siya rito. Sa ganong ayos sila nang dumating si Kace na may dalang pagkain. Agad nitong nilapag ang dala at agad niyakap ang kapatid na tuloy-tuloy lang ang pag-iyak habang nakatayo naman sa gilid nito si Gerald. Paulit-ulit humingi ng tawad ang lalaki ngunit lalo lang napapalakas ang pag-iyak ni Sarah kaya’t minabuti na lang ni Kace na pauwiin na lang si Gerald. Wala namang nagawa ang binata kundi sundin ang kapatid ni Sarah.
AN : I don’t know bakit biglang naging ganito ang flow ng story. But I actually like it. Hope you guys too. I wanna hear your opinion and suggestions. Don’t forget to vote. Kindly follow @akosijenipeo on twitter. Thanku
