Each breath I take I can feel the heat going through my nose. I have turned off my AC na pero kahit anong gawin ko, malamig pa rin. I roll over my bed, to the right and stretched out ny arm, ignoring the ache. Kaagad kong hinanap ang phone ko habang hindi ko kayang ibuka ang mga mata ko.
'Yon lang ang naaalala ko at wala nang iba. Ngayon, I can hear my front door unlocked, I hold onto my blanket with hopes that whoever that is, hindi magnanakaw. I remember wanting to call Dad or even Tita pero I don't remember actually calling them. Dialing numbers or even opening my eyes.
I clear my head as silence continues, I try to observe if there's familiarity with the movements but it seems to be too quiet. Oddly quiet. I can feel my heart beat rising as I hear tingling from outside, it sounded like keys and Tita Gabriela immediately flashed in my head.
"Oh, God. Gino? How are you doing, anak?" she said when my bedroom door opened. I kept my eyes shut, hearing comfort from her voice. Such a familiar voice. I let out a groan before I felt weight on the corner of my bed, I tried to open my eyes yet a flash of light was what I met. The lights outside are on, she didn't turn on my bedroom lights. And suddenly, I felt a touch on my arm. Familiar hands. Then to my forehead as she had to slide her hand up, probably because of my hair. "Dios ko, ano bang pinaggagawa mo, ha? Ang init-init mo!"
I want warmth, I can feel warmth but I also feel shiver. The weight disappeared, I can hear footsteps fading and for a moment, I can hear the cabinets opening and closing. Tita Adriana. Right. She makes such good arozcaldo. Can she make me one right now? I feel hungry.
"Ito na nga ba ang sinasabi ko, buti na nga lang nagising ako sa tawag mo. Nasaan na ba ang daddy mo, ha?" I can hear her say, yet her voice was fading. It echoes outside. Tawag… I called her? I might have… I don't remember. "Ngayon, nasaan naman ang mga gamot mo dito? Teka baka may nadala ako."
Warmth, it enters me. It crawls, spreading inside me. I can feel it, starting from my chest. A droplet of something cold, it slides down from my eye… to my cheek. A yawn escapes from my lips, the droplet disappears as it reaches my pillow. Nasaan na ba siya? Gusto ko dito lang siya.
"Gino?" She's back. Her voice is louder and I can feel her presence closer, another yawn escapes from my lips before the weight on the corner of my bed comes back. "Nak, tayo ka muna. Kailangan mo nang gamot. Bakit wala ka bang gamot dito, ha? Talagang malalagot sa 'kin iyang Daddy mo mamaya na hinahayaan ka dito mag-isa na kahit Biogesic wala? Dios ko. Gino, tayo na."
I can feel her touch. She taps my arm a couple times as I gather energy. Gusto kong tumayo, pero parang mabigat masyado. I took a deep breath as I then used my left elbow, lifting myself up before I placed my palms on the bed as O then managed to sit. My blanket fell on the bed as I can feel the breeze crashing onto my skin, I shiver. I tried to open my eyes when I heard her hum, everything was blurry and she was in front of me. Her figure, I recognize it so much. I missed her so much.
"Ito oh, tapos magpahinga ka ulit." She hands me the pad of pills, I hear them shake as I received it. "Mind telling me what might have caused this?"
A familiar face flashes in my head. Then three more. A place, the gloomy sky. Rain. Right, we were under the rain for a moment. "We were playing sa rain."
My voice didn't sound right. It was raspy, worse than my morning voice. I cleared my throat as I looked down at the pills as I saw her nodding her head. I used my nail to dig in the foil, causing one to open before I pulled it away and opened my other palm. I dropped the pill there and placed the pad on my crossed legs.
She hands me a glass, it wasn't cold. Ininom ko na 'yung gamot bago ibinalik sa kanya ang base at gamot, at kaagad naman bumalik sa paghiga. I suddenly felt an ache in my head as it landed on my pillow, causing me to shut my eyes and froze until it disappears slowly.
