marrying Mr. Stranger

Chapter 26

Andito kami sa condo ko ngayon nasa pantry ako to check something to munch. I left Kiefer sa Living room. Kiefer was right. andami ko pa ngang food stocks dito. Totoo nga siguro lahat ng mga sinabi niya sa akin kanina. He knew me like a dear friend does or maybe more than that. But i just cant connect the pieces. How come I easily got close to him for just a short period of time? 

 Hindi naman ako nagkaroon ng madaming physical na injuries just few bruises, my head was just hit hard kaya nawala ang memory ko. All i remember was I am rushing to the hospital for my dad. After that wala na akong maalala. Sabi naman ng doctor this amnesia could last for 6 months to 2 years. I just need to live my normal life para naman mas madali akong makaalala.   

I knew Kiefer had been visiting me sa bahay as I recuperate from the accident but he never bothered to get close to me. Hindi ko Alam kung bakit. All i know is he sends flowers every morning before he go to work. I didn't know exactly who he is by that time until the thanks giving party for my second life that my parents held sa bahay 3 weeks ago. I found out that he is the eldest of ninong Bong Ravena. We get along agad-agad. Maybe because we both came from ateneo and we're both athletes. We happen to cross our roads also during the Seagames kaya medyo familiar siya. But other than that he is a complete stranger to me. But surprisingly I feel comfortable with him and parang kilala ko na siya. I found out from my beshies that day about Kiefer courting me. They just told me to check my twitter account. I saw a picture of us sleeping sa lounge ng airport. I was sleeping on his shoulder. We were both in disguise but kita naman na kaming dalawa talaga ang nasa picture. Hindi ko parin maintindihan kung papaano nangyari ang agarang pagiging close namin ni Kiefer before and him besides me is like a normal thing between us. Hays.. Sumasakit na ang ulo ko kakaisip. 

Peny for your thoughts? Said Kiefer behind my back. Hindi ko na namalayan nakalapit na pala siya sa akin. Ang dami ko kasing iniisip. As much as i would want to burst out all that is in my mind, hindi ko rin kakayanin na sabihin lahat. everything is jumbled. I don't know where to start. I sighed. He sadly smiled to me. I need to break the sad tranche that is starting to creep in the air. I don't want anyone of us gets emotional again. Nakapili ka na ba ng movie na pwede nating panoorin? I changed the topic. Hindi pa eh. I'm torn between Romcom and horror. Ano gusto mo? He asked. Anong Romcom na movie ang meron? -Aly. Just the 3 of Us. Yung ky John Lloyd at Jennelyn Mercado. -Kiefer. Eh anong horror movie naman? -Aly. Conjuring 3 at lights out. -Kiefer. Unahin nalang natin ang RomCom tapos pag may time pa for another movie panoorin natin yang Lights out. Napanood ko na kasi yang conjuring 3 kasama sina den nung binisita nila ako sa bahay. Mauna ka nalang dun susunod na ako, malapit na din matapos tong popcorn. Magdala ka nalang ng mga maiinom. I watched him went to the fridge and get some cans of soda drinks and flavored beers. He was about to head back to the living room when he faced me back. He tentatively smiled to me. If you've got questions. You can ask me Ly. One at a time lang muna siguro, questions must be answerable only by 'YES' and 'NO'. Para lang makatulong ako sa mga bagay na tumatakbo sa utak mo, to confirm which are true. Napaisip ako sa sinabi niya. Wala naman sigurong mawawala sa akin kung ganon ang magiging set-up and i still have other poeple to ask para maaconfirm ang mga isasagot niya sa akin. Hindi ko namalayan na wala na pala si Kiefer sa harap ko kung di lang tumunog ang microwave hindi ako magigising mula sa malalim na pag-iisip. I brushed my thoughts away and went to the living room with the popcorn bowl in hand.  I saw Kiefer setting up the TV to play the movie we are about to watch. I observed him. He doesn't look like someone who just came to my condo for the first time. This is not the first time we spent time together in my condo? I unconsciously blurted out the question in my mind. Kiefer glanced my way and then back to what he is doing. Then the moment he finished setting up, he pick-up the remote control and went to my direction and sat beside me. Yes. This is not the first time we hanged-out here in your condo. He answered with a wide smile. As if implying that for all those times we spent here in my condo we were not just watching movie. Nakakatakot ang mga ngiti mo Ravena. Its as if we are doing more than just watching movie here. I blurted out again without me noticing what i just said. Natampal ko nalang ang noo ko sa mga pinagsasasabi ko. Yes. We did more than just watching movie here. Mas lumapad pa ang ngiti niya ngayon. That was not a question Kief, hindi mo dapat yun sinagot. I diverted my gaze to the TV para manood pero and attention koy nasa katabi ko parin na hindi mawala-wala ang ngiti. Yes. We did more than just watching movie here. Minsan, we ate breakfast together, you cooked for me sometimes, sleep over and sometimes cuddle time lang. I blushed. I managed not to glanced his way kasi mahahalata niyang namumula ang mukha ko. Wake-up dude. You're daydreaming. Sleep over and cuddle? that's not so me Kief. Tsk. Manood na nga lang tayo. Kung ano-ano na ang pinagsasabi mo diyan.  I reached out for the popcorn and focus my gaze sa TV. Tumahimik na ang katabi ko but i think he's been observing me kanina pa. Stop staring Kief. Eyes on the movie not on me. Baka matunaw ako. I saw him diverted his gaze to the movie we are watching. Tawanan lang namin ang maririning sa living room. No one attempted to make a conversation again. 

Kakatapos lang ng Just the 3 of Us na movie. Sumakit ang tyan ko kakatawa. Hays. Crush ko talaga si John Lloyd. Ang galing talaga ni Papa Lloydy. Kahit hindi xa super gwapo but his image is very attractive that any girl could fall for. I blurted out of nowhere. Mas sweet at mas pogi ako dyan noh. Tsaka acting lang naman lahat ng nakikita mo sa kanya. Sa akin natural. What you see is what you get. He then pouted. I laughed loud enough to fill my condo. At kinumpara mo talaga sarili mo kay John Lloyd? Hahahaha... It was just every fan's sentiments seeing our artistang crush on TV. Hahaha... You're very funny. He pouted more. At selos ka na nyan? I said still laughing. Yes. Selos ako na napapatawa ka niya ng ganyan at napapakilig ka niya ng ganyan. Ako lang kasi dapat eh. Bigla naman akong natahimik at napatingin sa direksyon niya. I can't deny that I am blushing right now because of his remarks. He is smiling widely looking at me. RAVENA!!!!  Binato ko sa kanya ang throw pillow na nasa tabi ko. He just laughed more. You should have seen your face M. Really that was epic M. Natahimik ako. He called me 'M' again. So yung kanina sa seven-11 eh ako talaga ang tinawag niya. That was exactly the second time you called me M. Thus that mean we already have and endearment before? I questioned him. Yes. We call each other M. He stopped laughing and looked at me in the eye. Eh ano ba ang ibig sabihin ng M? I inquired. Ooopsss... Hindi na yun answerable ng yes or no. Hahahaha..... At may pinalipad na naman akong isang pillow na sakto namang bumagsak sa mukha niya kaya ako naman ang tawa ng tawa. Tsk. Nasayo ang huling halakhak ngayon. Gutom na ako kaya magluto ka na. almost 7 pm na oh. I'm your visitor kaya ipaghanda mo na ako. Namiss ko na ang especialty mo eh. I questioningly looked at him. Yes po. Nakatikim na ako ng specialty mong adobong manok. Sige na please. At nagpuppy eyes pa talaga siya sa harap ko. Tsk. I hate to admit it pero mukhang alam niyang weaknes ko ang puppy eyes face niya kaya tumayo nalang ako at nagtungo sa kusina to check kung kompleto ang mga kakailanganing ingredients for my specialty adobo. I could feel he is following me and watching every move i make. I kept myself busy preparing the ingredients. I must make myself get used to his stares. Tsk. Mayamaya pa ay kumuha din siya ng chopping board at knife. Tinulungan niya akong maghanda ng mga ingredients. Buti naman ng hindi na siya magfocus kakatitig sa akin. 

We ate dinner. And enjoyed each others company. Strange it is for me to get along with him this quick but i felt nothing wrong for feeling and acting this way towards him. Kakauwi lang ni Kiefer and its almost 12 midnight. Pinanood pa namin ang lights out after dinner bago siya tuluyang umiwi. Thoughts came rushing to my mind, kanina pa the moment Kiefer bursted out his feelings sa akin inside his car. Questions like Kiefer being too attached to me, him being sweet and me not even bothered at my suitor's presence. Me being comfortable with Kiefer and Kiefer calling me M. Ang dami kong gustong malaman pero sadyang wala akong mahagilap na mga kasagutan. I heaved a deep breath. Kinuha ko nalang ang aking journal which happen to have no entries since i laid my foot back in the Philippines. Hobby ko talaga ang magsulat ng kung ano-ano sa journal ko but my last entry was just when I came home. Masyado nga yata akong naging busy when i got home kasi ni isang entry wala akong nagawa sa journal ko. Hays. Buti kung sana nalagyan ko para naman mabasa ko at makakuha ako ng sagot na bumabagabag sa utak ko. I skipped the blank pages and went to May 11 pages. And i wrote things or informations or clues i got today about my lost memory.

    1. Kiefer is extra sweet yet i think its normal between us?

    2. He calls me 'M' and I call him that way too before.

    3. We had been hanging here in my condo before not just for movie watching but as he said, breakfast together, I even 'cooked' for him, Sleep over? and cuddling?

   4. We spent time together more than necessary? We went out of town and out of country just the two of us. 

I think Kiefer has a big part on my lost memories.

I closed my journal and before closing the night i say a little prayer. Dear Papa God, I know you've got the best reasons behind everything that happened in my life. Papa God, guide me in connecting the all the pieces back together. My lost memory, though short, but i believe did made big impact to my life. Help me ready my heart for what seems to be a strange life to me. And by the way Papa God, tomorrows my first day on duty as Kiefer's "Assistant CEO". I hope you will help me to not mess things up at work. Good night.