Gorgeous

Challenge # 20

Brandon

One week later...

Bruno's

I woke up. I don't know how long I was asleep but I woke up and the first person I saw was my brother, si Ruel. Beside him was his wife, Andromeda. She was sitting on that couch. Boredom was all over her face but her eyes lit up after seeing me awake. She was the first one to stand up.

"Mayor, gising na siya." Ruel looked at my direction. I saw relief in his face. Ngumiti siya pagkatapos ay lumapit sa akin. Hindi ko alam kung nasaan ako. I am disoriented. I don't even remember what happened. Basta ang huli kong naaalala ay ang mukha ni Cinderella. I don't know what happened after that. Hindi ko matandaan kung nagkausap ba kami, ang naaalala ko lang ay sinabi ko sa kanyang mahal ko siya – was that the first time I said that to her?

And then, it hit me, where is Brandon? What the hell happened to him?

"We were very worried." Sabi ni Ruel sa akin. "Everyone thought you came home in Brazil, Bruno, imagine my surprise when I received that call..."

"What c-call?" I cleared my throath. Nauuhaw ako. Andy seemed to know what I needed. She got me a glass of water. Inalalayan niya akong makaupo pagkatapos ay ibinigay niya sa akin ang baso para makainom ako. Ruel waited on me. I looked at him after thanking Andromeda. "What call?"

"That you got into an accident here in Paris. We all thought you were in Brazil. Santino wanted to fly here para siya na raw ang titingin sa'yo but he got caught in a situation in the Philippines."

"I am in Paris?" Takang – takang tanong ko. The last thing I remember was I left Paris. I left Paris because Brandon and I were captured by Cinderella's Uncles. I don't really remember much. Puro pagsabog at barilan ang natatandaan ko. "Was I alone?" Tanong ko kay Ruel.

"You are. Anong naisip mo at nagpunta ka rito nang walang paalam?" Napapailing si Ruel. "Mirasol is very much worried. Si Papa rin. They all wanted to be here. Pinauna na lang kami ni Andromeda."

"How long was I asleep?" I asked. Wala talaga akong matandaan!

"A week or so." Andy smiled. "We arrived here last Monday. Sunday na ngayon, Bruno. What happened? Who hit your head? Para kang may amnesia." Andromeda chuckled with the word amnesia. Hindi ko talaga naiintindihan ang nangyayari. Paanong nandito ako ngayon? Nasaan si Cindy? Nasaan si Brandon? Anonbg nangyari sa liga? Ano ba kasing nangyayari?

"I'll call the family in the Pinas. You two should talk more." Andy left the hospital suite. Ruel sat on the chair just beside the bed. Hindi ko maintindihan kung anong nangyayari. I wanted to ask Ruel what he knows pero magmumukha akong tanga. Ako iyong nandito, tapos ako iyong walang alam.

"Avo was so worried." Ruel was shaking his head. "Dude, our grandmother is getting old, we all need to be careful about the decisions we're making. Baka mamaya atakihin na siya sa puso."

"I know... I know... I just..." I don't know what to say to him, so I just apologized. Wala naman akong ibang masasabi talaga dahil kahit ako ay hindi ko alam kung anong nangyayari o nangyari baka ako napunta rito.

I am worried for Cinderella and her family. Hindi kami nakapag-usap nang maayos. Hindi ko alam kung galit siya sa akin – hindi pala, alam kong galit siya sa akin. She made it clear to me the last time we were together. Kahit ako naman ay nagagalit sa sarili ko. Hindi ko dapat siya sinaktan. I love her. I don't know why I didn't realize it sooner pero tama si Avo sa sinabi niya sa akin noon, a princess wil come to my life – I was expecting a real princess – a royalty, but I got Cinderella – a princess – a Disney princess. She captured my heart and now I have no idea what to do. I wanna see her but things are complicated, I made things for us complicated.