Girl of Never : Days to Love (Chat MD Series #4)

Day 02 : He

He
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"Jianna!"

Sinuklian ko ang yakap na isinalubong ni Auntie Faith sa akin. Niyakap ko rin si Uncle Martin na tahimik na nagkakape sa tabi niya.

They waited for me at the porch, habang madilim pa ang paligid. 5:40 pa lang ng umaga.

"Lalo kang gumanda," sabi ni Auntie Faith nang sipatin ako. Hawak niya 'ko sa magkabilang balikat.

"Ikaw rin, Auntie. You look younger. Walang halong bola," sabi ko sa kanya.

Auntie Faith is in her fifties by now. She used to be really skinny, with protruding cheekbones, and dark circles around her eyes. Kapag nakikita ko siya noon, halos hukot siya na parang pasan ang mundo sa balikat niya.

Pero ngayon, mas nagkalaman si Auntie. Mas maliksi rin kumilos. Perks siguro na hindi na sila nakatira sa ospital. Siguradong mas marami na siyang oras para sa sarili niya. Ang naiwan na lang na bakas ng paghihirap nila ay ang dalamhati sa mukha niya.

She looked lonely. Na hindi ko ipinagtataka kahit na two years ago na nang mamatay si Neah. I doubt if she and Uncle Martin could ever moved on from losing her. She's their only child.

Neah was born with a truncus arteriosus, a congenital heart disease (CHD). While normal people have both an aortic valve and a pulmonary valve as passageways of the blood coming and going to the heart, Neah was born with only a single common valve (or a truncal valve). She underwent a surgery ilang buwan pa lang nang ipanganak siya. She had another when she turned eight. And another when she was sixteen. Hospitals were her second home.

She still tried to live a normal life, though. Nag-aral siya kahit na maraming exceptions sa school activities. Hindi rin siya makagimik. At kapag hindi naman itinatanong, hindi niya sinasabi ang sakit niya sa iba kahit pansinin naman.

Magkalaro kami no'ng mga bata pa kami. I'm her only close friend, according to her. But when I was twelve, dinala ako sa ibang bansa. When I was fifteen, I lost all communication with Neah and the entire family.

I saw them briefly nang magpa-heart transplant si Neah sa ibang bansa. But I couldn't be with her because of my mother.

Ngayon pa lang uli ako nakabalik sa Pilipinas to remember two important people in my life—ang Mommy ko at si Neah.

"Are you going to stay, or..."

Ngumiti ako kay Auntie Faith. "I just want to check on you po and Uncle Martin. I should have visited yesterday pa kaso kahapon po dumating 'yung ibang bagahe ko from the States. I had to receive it. Then, inayos ko pa ang para sa memorial ni Mommy. I'm going to drive to Quezon."

"I'm sorry, Jia. Sa susunod na taon, pagsabayin na lang natin ang memorial nina Ludy at Neah. Wala kang makakasama ngayon."

Hinawakan ko ang kamay ni Auntie Faith at pinisil. "Okay lang po 'yun. Ngayon pa lang nakabalik si Mommy rito. I'm sure she would want us to hold her memorial in Quezon, kasama si Dad. I am sorry na hindi ko kayo masasamahan ngayon. Dumaan lang po ako para magdala ng flowers for Neah."

Bumuntonghininga si Auntie. "May kasama naman kami ngayon. Harry took care of the memorial this year, too."

Harry. Narinig ko na naman 'yung pangalan.

"He's still around?" maingat kong sabi kay Auntie.

"He is."

I couldn't help but notice kung paanong mas lumungkot pa ang mukha ni Auntie.

"Ikakasal na dapat sila ni Neah. Did you know?"

I didn't. Ang alam ko ay nanliligaw 'yun kay Neah. If I remember it correctly in her term, makulit na manliligaw.

Umakbay si Uncle Martin kay Auntie. " 'Ayan ka na naman, Faith. You're thinking too much. Harry's a good man."

"I don't know, Martin. But sometimes I think that I would be happy if he stopped seeing us."

I wanted to know why Auntie Faith said that but I couldn't ask. Mahaba pa ang kwentuhan na utang ko sa kanila para lang maging updated.

"He's just a good man. Don't be too sad," alo ni Uncle Martin kay Auntie.

"I'm really curious about him, Auntie... but I think it's going to be a long story and I have to drive." Awkward akong ngumiti.

"It's okay, Jia. You'll meet him next time," sabi ni Auntie.

Tumango ako. "I'll get the flowers po."

I went back to the car and brought the flowers Neah liked—white lilies.

Nang maibigay kina Auntie ang bulaklak, nagpaalam na 'ko. They gave me muffins and bacons to eat on the way.

I was backing my car to get back on the street to the main road when a black car approached. It stopped at Auntie's gate. Inihinto ko sandali ang kotse ko at nag-usyoso.

Bumukas ang pinto ng itim na kotse at bumaba ang isang lalaking naka-black long sleeves at black slacks. Kapuputok pa lang ng matamlay na sikat ng araw kaya hindi ko masyadong nakita ang mukha niya. Pero matikas ang tindig niya. He is tall and lean. And he moves with a catlike grace.

Isinara niya ang pinto, tumingala sandali sa langit na parang nag-check, bago pumasok sa loob ng tarangkahan.

I don't need anyone to tell me who he is. By instinct I know.

He is Harry Lastimosa. # 0138am / 10172016