CHAPTER 19
After three years...
"LOCKETT, handa ka na ba para bukas?" Tanong ng ina niya ng pumasok ito sa kuwarto niya na hindi man lang kumakatok. Kahit papaano, sa tatlong taon na kasama niya ito, nasanay na siya sa ibang ugali nito na medyo hindi maganda. Pero kahit ganoon ang ina niya, mahal na mahal niya ito dahil ito pa rin ang nag-alaga sa kanya sa mga panahong kailangan niya ng pag-aaruga.
Naka-upo siya malapit sa binata dahil nakatingin siya sa ulan. Dito sa Arizona, dalawa o tatlong beses lang kung umulan sa isang taon kaya naman inaabangan niya iyon.
Nilingon niya ang ina mula sa pagkaka-upo malapit sa bintana. "Mommy, kailangan ba talagang umuwi tayo?"
Her mom nodded and smile. "Yes, my dear. We have to go home. Oo nga at tatlong taon na tayo rito sa Arizona pero kailangan pa rin nating bumalik sa Pilipinas. Saka panatag ang kalooban ko sa pag-uwi na’tin kasi kahit daw katiting ng meningiomas ay wala na sa utak mo at nasisiguro nilang hindi na iyon babalik pa. Ibig sabihin puwede na tayong umuwi."
She just smiled. Bakit pa sila uuwi kung wala naman siyang maalala sa pupuntahan nila? She wanted to remember what Philippines looks like but nothing. Dapat talaga naniwala siya kay Dr. Edzel. Kahit anong gawin niya, hindi na babalik ang memorya niya. Habang buhay ng wala siyang maaalala.
"Mom, what's the use of going home when I can’t even remember a thing?" Humarap siya rito. "I want to stay here in Arizona. Wala naman akong kilala roon sa Pilipinas. Kahit pa sabihin mong mga kaibigan ko sila dati, hindi rin ako maniniwala. Have you forgotten, mom? It took you half a year to make me believe that you are my mother and the man with you is my father. Ni sarili kong pamilya hindi ko maalala! Ni sarili ko nga hindi ko maalala! I don’t know my name, my age and everything about myself. Kung hindi dahil sa inyo ni Daddy wala akong kaide-ideya kung sino ako. I don’t remember my childhood, my school life and everything. So what’s the point in going home when I don’t remember what home looks like?"
Her mom walked to her to caress her face. "I'm sorry you have to go through that, but my dear, the point is, I want a change of scenery for all of us. Ang bahay na ito ang naging saksi sa sakit mo, at ayokong manatili rito ngayong magaling ka na. I want new environment for me and your dad and for you. Ayaw mo ba 'non?"
Nawalan siya ng imik. It is selfish of her to only think of herself, pero wala naman siyang babalikan sa Pilipinas.
"Okay, mom. I'll pack my things."
Her mother smiled and left her room.
After the surgery and after she realize that she doesn’t have a memory of everything that has happened in her life, naaalala pa rin niya ang naramdaman niya ng malaman niyang wala siyang memorya. She panicked and the nurse knocked her off with chloroform. And the next time she opened her eyes, people were surrounding her. People she doesn’t! She was scared. And when they introduce themselves and told her who they are in her life, she calmed down a bit. Kahit na hindi niya nakilala ang mga magulang niya, there's still this feeling inside of her who knew them.
And then the Doctor explained to her, her condition, said she have a generalize amnesia because the meningiomas spread through the limbic system on her brain. Nang operahan daw siya, sinabihan na siyang may posibilidad na ma-apektuhan ang memorya niya pero hindi raw ng mga ito inaasahan na lahat ng memorya niya ay mawawala. She won’t remember everything from the moment she was born until the operation. Hindi siya nakinig. Sinubukan niyang alalahanin ang lahat, but all she could see is blackness and then she'll pass out in exhaustion of pushing herself to remember. It was a difficult year for her, but now, she learns to accept that her memories are not coming back no matter how hard she tries to remember. She's like an infant all over again. Her mom told her to make new memories, pero hindi naman 'yon ganoon kadali.
BINABASA MO ANG
Creed's Lover (COMPLETED) - PUBLISHED under Precious Pages: LIB BARE
General FictionNOTE: SPG/R-R18 Dahil sa isang kasinungalingan, nagawang akitin ni Lockett si Creed Santillana, isang sikat na Phiotographer. At dahil din sa kasinungalingan iyon, naangkin siya ng binata. Akala ni Lockett ay walang halaga ang nangyari sa kanila ni...