A Love To Remember

Chapter 59: Eleven-eleven

Kung pwede, ako na lang sana. Sa' kin na lang sana napunta ang sakit niya. She's too young to experience this.

"A--air. I can't bre---breathe." Chiara said at animo'y hirap na hirap na nga itong huminga. Nakahawak siya sa dibdib niya habang hinahabol ang hininga niya.

Kinuha ko ang panyo sa bulsa ko at pinunasan ang mukha niyang punong-puno ng pawis kahit na malamig ngayon.

"Stay put Ate, malapit na tayo.." I told her, tumingin siya sa' kin at nahihirapan man, she smiled.

"I'm sorry.. for breaking my promise... I guess I can't.. make it." aniya, umiling lang ako.

"No, don't say that, you can make it. You can. I believe in you." sabi ko, she shook her head at hindi na sumagot pa.

After almost an hour of driving, tuluyan na kaming nakarating sa ospital dito sa Manila. Using the stretcher, kaagad na sinugod si Chiara sa ER, mabuti na lang Doc. Marga is on duty.

Ngayon, nandito kami sa labas, hoping, wishing, praying na sana... sana magiging okay lang ang lahat.

___

Aga

"Babes.." napaangat ako ng tingin when Lea spoke, "She will be okay, right?" she asked.

Of course she will be okay, she's Chiara. Leukemia lang iyan, kayang-kaya niyang labanan iyan. She's a fighter and I know she can do this.

"When you gave birth, Chiara also asked me that. She asked me kung magiging okay ka rin ba, naging maayos ang lahat so I know that she can do this, she'll continue to live." I answered.

Sa labang ito, hindi lang si Chiara ang nahihirapan, hindi lang siya ang lumalaban--- kami rin. Nakakagago man pero kanina ko pa pinipigilan ang mga luha ko, I can't cry with them watching, with Lea watching.

Hinang-hina na siya kaya kailangan kong tatagan ang loob ko, I need to be strong for them.

Bumukas ang pinto ng ER kaya sabay naman kaming napatayo ni Lea, lumabas si Doc. Marga together with some nurses at lumapit sa amin.

"She's awake. She wants to talk to the both of you." sambit nito, without saying a word, Lea immediately left and went inside, tumango lang ako at ngumiti ng matipid sa Doktor as I followed her.

Lying at the hospital bed with machines around her, we found Chiara waiting at us while smiling, sa kundisyon niya ngayon, nagagawa niya pa ring ngumiti, saludo ako sa anak kong 'to.

"He--hello.." nahihirapan man, nagawa niya pa rin kaming batiin, walang may nag-salita saming dalawa, kapwa lang kaming nakatingin sa kanya.

"I have a lot of words to say, madami pa akong gustong sabihin sa inyo but unfortunately, my time is limited." sambit nito at tumawa pa ng mahina.

"Let me start by saying thank you. Thank you for being my parents, kung hindi dahil sa inyo, wala sana ako sa mundong ito. You guys are the best and I'm so lucky to have you both, how I wish na makasama ko pa sana kayo ng matagal but sadly, I can't. Basta, thank you for everything." a tear escaped her eyes while saying those words, from my peripheral vision, kitang-kita ko rin kung paano umiyak si Lea.

Naikuyom ko ang mga kamao ko, I felt so useless, ni wala akong magawa for them to feel a lot better. Awang-awa na ako sa sitwasyon ni Chiara, hirap na hirap na siya.

"Mahal na mahal ko kayong dalawa, tandaan niyo iyan. Kung papipiliin ako kung sino ang gusto kong maging mga magulang? Hindi ako magdadalawang isip na piliin kayo." dagdag pa nito, smiling while crying.

"Chia.." I muttered.

"I'm dying today but I wish to live again in the future. I wish to be Chiara and I wish to have Daddy Aga and Mama Lea as my parents, and Lhiara as my sibling. I wish to live longer, I wish to have a better life the next time around.." umiiyak na sambit nito, hindi ko na napigilan at kusa ng tumulo ang mga luha ko.

"Hindi ako galit sa Panginoon sa kung ano man ang nangyayari sa' kin ngayon, he have plans, that's for sure. Otherwise, I'm thankful kasi he let me experience how to live, how to breathe, how to cry, how to smile, and, he also let me experienced the best feeling of all, the feeling of being loved." she said and took a glance at me.

"Daddy, I wanna sit. I don't have the strength to even move my body, help me please." she told me, I nodded my head at kaagad na lumapit sa kanya as I assisted her, she motioned me to sit beside her, so did I. Kaagad niyang sinandal ang ulo niya sa balikat ko.

"Mama, can you please sing me a song? The one you sang last night, please?" pakiusap nito kay Lea, pumiyok siya ng ilang beses bago dahang-dahang naupo sa dulo ng kama, facing us.

"Flower, gleam and glow
Let your power shine
Make the clock reverse
Bring back what once was mine
Heal what has been hurt
Change the fate's design
Save what has been lost
Bring back what once was mine
What once was mine.." umiiyak man, nagawang itapos ni Lea ang kanta.

"Thank you, please, don't leave me. Your presence is making everything lighter and easier.." mahinang sambit niya.

"We won't leave you Chia." wika ko as she smiled sweetly at us.

"I'm tired. I'm sleepy. It hurts so bad, I can't take it anymore. Can I rest now?" she asked us, napatingin ako kay Lea and again, nag-uunahan na naman sa pagpatak ang mga luha niya.

"Are you that sleepy?" tanong ko, mahina naman itong tumango.

"Then... then rest. For almost a year, wala kang ibang ginawa kundi ang lumaban, alam kong nahihirapan ka na Chia, masakit man pero I can't stand seeing you like this, crying, hurting, in pain. I guess, now, we should let you rest." Lea replied, I was surprised to hear it coming from her at first pero sa huli, I realized, she's right.

"Thank you for understanding.matutulog lang po ako ah? I love you both, always keep that in mind." she uttered, "Whatever happens, it will always be 11:11, a new hope that after a great tragedy, serenity will occur." dagdag pa nito bago tuluyan niyang ipinikit ang mga mata niya habang nakasandal pa rin sa' kin.

No one dared to talk, both of us are crying. Matutulog lang siya, matutulog lang siya.

After some moment of silence, rumehistro ang kaba sa' kin ng naramdaman ko ang unting-unting paglaylay ng ulo ni Chiara, mukhang napansin din iyon ni Lea dahil napatayo siya as she kept on calling Chiara's name, trying to wake her up.

"Ate? Ate? Wake up!" lumapit siya samin at pilit na ginigising si Chiara, kahit ako, tinatawag ko rin ang pangalan niya but she's not responding.

"Chiara, gumising ka, wake up!" she exclaimed once more, dahan-dahan kong inihiga sa kama ang natutulog na si Chiara as I ran outside to call for help.

"DOC! DOC!" I yelled, nagtakbuhan naman sila papasok sa kwarto, one of them assisted me and Lea na lumayo muna.

From here, kitang-kita ko kung paano nila suriin ang pulso at iba't-ibang parte ng katawan ng anak ko, hanggang sa napamura na lang ako ng inilabas nila ang isang defibrillator. Damn.

Kitang-kita ko kung paano gumalaw ang katawan ni Chiara ng inilapit nila sa dibdib nito ang defibrillator, they do that numerous times until they stopped as the doctor made a sign na hindi ko maintindihan. 'Di matigil-tigil sa pagkabog ang dibdib ko. Doc. Marga looked back at me and Lea, disappointment and sadness is written all over her face.

"I'm sorry." aniya, para akong naestatwa sa narinig, gano'n din si Lea na patuloy lang na umiiyak habang nakakapit ng mahigpit sa braso ko, umiiling siya ng ilang ulit habang nakatakip ang kamay nito sa bibig niya.

"Time of death, 11:11 pm."

* * * * * *