SNIPPET OF A FAIRYTALE

Of Recollections and Coldness

She sat down beside his bed.

"Hi Zo." She smiled, kahit alam nyang hindi naman sya nakikita nito. "I'm dead tired, tapos na yung recollection natin..." She told him.

"Ang saya nga eh." Then she covered her mouth as if she said something wrong. "I mean-- mas masaya syempre kung nandun ka..." She chuckled nervously. "Tapos alam mo ba, si Chino? He laughed at Andeng's joke kanina. Kase nagpicture kame, tapos we left a space for you kase i-pho-photoshop ka raw ni Andeng. That's an improvement no?" She smiled again.

"Zoey... Miss na miss ka na namin." She squeezed his hand. "Ikaw 'tong nandito sa ospital, pero parang kami yung hindi makarecover. We're never the same without you." She's fighting real hard to keep her tears from falling. She fell silent for a moment. Feeling nya kase iiyak na sya any moment, she had to compose herself first.

"I need to go home for now. But I'll be back. And... I... I... want to see you awake when I come back."

She let go of his hand, and almost ran out of the room. She couldn't hold it anymore. She sobbed silently  on a corner.

Saturday

Magkakasama silang dumalaw kay Zoey minus Arci na medyo malelate raw. Natutuwa naman kahit papano ang si Nathan na cheerful na ang mga kaibigan nya. At may surprise pa si Andeng sa kanilang lahat.

"Ano to?" Sean asked.

"Flashdrive. Bulag ka??" Andeng sneered at him.

"Alam ko. Ano ngang laman nito??" Pinandilatan rin sya ni Sean.

Nagkatinginan naman si Andeng at Chino na parang naghihintayan kung sinong unang magsasalita.

"Uh... Ano kase..." Chino stuttered.

"Well kagabe, hindi ako kagad makatulog. So pumunta ako kila Chino and we made a something." Sabi naman ni Andeng na maingat ang bawat bitaw ng salita.

"You guys made a scandal, aren't you?" Roxanne said out of nowhere.

Naibuga ni Pibi ang iniinom nyang gatorade. Si Chino naman nahulog sa kinauupuan nya, si Sean tumawa ng malakas, si Andeng mukang petrified ang itsura, at si Nathan naman NR as if nagsabi lang si Roxanne ng academic concept.

"You're delusional Rox." napapailing na sabi ni Chino.

"Yung totoo, san mo nanggagaling yang logic mo?!" Andeng scowled at her.

"Okay fine. Sorry. Just tell us na lang kung anong laman nyan. So we won't keep on guessing." Naiirita rin na sabi ni Rox.

"Compilation kase to, ng mga vids na naipon namin para sa barkada. Basta. Wala lang kaming nagawa last night." Chino explained.

"At hindi kami ulol para gawin yung sinabi mo kanina." Namumula na sabi ni Andeng.

Chino put the flashdrive at the back of the LED.
Tahimik lang silang naghintay, the he pressed play.

Random photos, videos, at nakakaiyak na music background. Kaya pagbukas ni Arci ng pinto muntikan nyang mailaglag ang dala nyang pagkain nung makita nya ang mga kaibigan na nag iiyakan lahat. Nataranta sya kagad kung anu-anong pumasok sa isip nya. Unang naglanding ang mata nya kay Zoey, he looks the same.

"Guys! What happened?! Si Zoey?! Okay lang ba??" She shouted, pero walang pumapansin sa kanya. Binalingan nya si Nathan na mag-isang hindi umiiyak at nakatingin lang sa kanya. Si Chino at Sean umiiyak rin. "Nathan! Tumawag ka nga doctor!!" Natataranta na sabi nya.

Pero tinuro lang ni Nathan yung TV screen. And she saw their pictures, at dun lang nag sink in sa kanya lahat.

Napahinga na lang sya ng malalim, and she mouthed a sorry to Nathan. He just nodded at her.