EDITED
⍟HARLEY⍟
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jaypee asked me for the nth time as I wear my diving gear.
"That was the 15th time you asked her Jayp." Gemma said as she closed the hood of the car. "I just checked you hood, you need an oil change." She added.
"How did you know about those things?" Jaypee asked.
"There is such thing called experiment and observation." She retorted.
"Tulak kita sa dagat eh."
"Gusto mong itupi kita sa walo?" Banta naman ni Gemma sa kanya.
"Guys! guys! calm down okay!" Awat ko naman sa kanila. "Hindi ako marunong mag-first aid kaya walang mangyayaring sakitan." I said at saka tumayo mula sa kinauupuan ko.
Ken lifted up the oxygen and the footwear that I don't know what is called and silently followed me.
"If you need help, don't hesitate to press the smart watch." He advised.
Umupo naman ako sa dulo ng pantalan at saka isinuot ang footwear.
"Harley." Ken said and I looked up to him. "Are you sure about this? it's just been a month and you are still under therapy." He reasoned.
"Now that you mentioned therapy, I have a schedule tomorrow 3 pm." I said at saka isinuot ang oxygen tank.
"Harley, I am serious."
"I am fine Ken, it is just the water. I won't break me."
"It is the same water you told me where Jack fell."
"I know.." I answered at saka tumingin ulit sa kanya. "You're right, it's been a month and I think I need to get the justice that he deserve." I added.
Ibinaba ko naman ang goggles na suot ko at saka isinuot ang oxygen mask bago tuluyang sumisid sa tubig.
I opened my smartwatch at sinundan ang pulang dot na nandoon.
It was the indicator for the vault.
Lumangoy naman ako papunta sa direksyon na iyon at kalaunan ay nakita ko na rin ang nagbi-blink na pulang ilaw.
I looked at the vault and my forehead furrowed ng makitang may mga dugo ang bawat ginto na nandoon.
Then I remembered something I read from Felix's journal.
As the key to the memory finally gathered. A blood will be a requirement.
Kaagad ko namang kinuha ang isignia na nasa bulsa malapit sa dibdib ko at saka inilagay iyon sa dapat na lalagyan.
The water around me vibrated at the vault slighlt opened. Hinawakan ko naman ang handle na nandoon at buong lakas na hinila iyon.
Nang makapasok ako sa loob ng vault, inalis ko naman ang goggles at ang oxygen ko since wala namang tubig sa loob.
I don't know who build this vault but it was really amazing.
Naagaw naman ng isang maliit na pillar ang atensyon ko. Nasa gitna iyon at sa taas noon ay may isang box na maliit na nakapatong.
"Woah, this is amazing." I got into my fighting stance as I looked back. Only to find Gemma, Jaypee and Ken entered the vault also.
"Okay in my defense, your boyfriend insisted that we should follow you." Jaypee said at tumango naman so Gemma.
I looked at Ken and he just gave me a sheepish smile.
"Wait a minute, is that you Harley?" Gemma asked at saka nilagpasan ako at nilapitan ang mga pictures na naka-display doon.
Ngayon ko lang napansin iyon.
Sumunod naman ako sa kanila and I found out that it was my baby pictures.
"Bakit puro baby pictures mo lang ang nandito? wala man lang ang sa parents mo?" Jaypee asked.
"Yeah...he has a point." Ken agreed.
"I don't care, I have my father now." I said pertaining to Felix. "And besided hindi naman iyan ang ipinunta ko dito." I added at saka lumapit doon sa pillar na nasa gitna.
Kinuha ko naman ang maliit na box at binuksan iyon.
It was the memory card.
"That's it, that's the memory card you've been looking for." Jaypee said nang mapansin ang hawak ko.
"It looks like a normal phone memory card, maliban sa kulay." Ken commented.
"Are we going to look at it?" Jaypee asked.
"Actually...." I trailed off at saka isinara ang box na hawak ko then ibinigay ito kay Gemma.
"What?" She asked in confusion.
"I know you will handle that better than me. Besides, nasa iyo na rin ang memory card na nakay Jack diba?" I asked.
"Are you...sure about this? Ayaw mo bang malaman kung sino ka talaga?" Gemma asked quitely.
I smiled at them.
"Malaman ko man o hindi, ako pa rin naman si Harley. The one and only Combat of Falcon's Army." I declared.
Gemma smiled at me then pat my back as she walked back to where my baby pictures are displayed.
"Oh come on! leave that thing alone!"
///
Ken pulled me up nang makabalik kami sa pantalan then he assisted me while I'm removing the oxygen tank in my back.
"What's the real reason why you didn't looked at that memory card?" Ken asked as I removed my footwear.
"Real reason?" I asked.
"I know you have something else on your mind kaya hindi mo tinignan ang memory card na iyon." He said.
Ilang segundo ko naman siya tinitigan bago nagsalita.
"Hindi talaga ako makakatakas sayo no?"
He smiled at saka ginulo ang basa kong buhok.
"You're my girl and I know you." He said and winked at me. "So, ano nga?" He asked nang lagpasan ko siya at nagsimula nang lumakad pabalik sa kotse.
"Give me a reason kung bakit dapat sagutin ko yan." I demanded and he groaned.
"Because you're beautiful and I'm handsome. Bagay tayo." He argued.
I chuckled at saka huminto sa paglalakad then tumingin sa kanya.
"You know, the day you found me sleeping at Jack's bed...." I trailed off.
Lumakad naman ito palapit sa akin.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Jack wants me to be happy kahit na wala na siya." I admitted and later on, a small smile crept into my lips. "And I promised that I will be happy as he wish...at feeling ko hindi ako magiging masaya once na malaman ko kung ano ang nilalaman ng memory card na iyon." I said.
Ken looked at me for solid two seconds before he smiled at saka niyakap ako.
"This is why I love you." He mumbled.
"Hindi pa tayo, tandaan mo." Natatawang turan ko.
"I know, but atleast someday you will be mine." He answered.
"Hey love birds, get in! nagugutom na si Madam. Ayokong maging hapunan niya!" Sigaw naman ni Jaypee di kalayuan sa amin.
"As if ikaw ang kakainin ko dzuh." Gemma argued.
Napa-iling iling naman ako as they start to argue.
I let out a sigh at saka tumingin sa langit and I noticed that the stars are starting to come out kahit na papalubog pa lang ang araw.
I hope I did the right thing.
///
Harley opened the sliding door of her newly built house and that sliding door will lead you to the garden.
She carefully bring out two pots and a pound of seeds.
Nang makakita naman ito ng magandang pwesto, naupo naman ito sa damuhan and she started to dig some soil then she transferred it to the two pots.
A soft music was playing on the background as the memory of her conversation with Jack came back into her mind.
"What is your favorite flower?" Jack asked.
Harley chuckled then took a sip from her beer again. "What is this, pre-school sharing?" She asked then laughed lightly.
"I'm serious okay." The man said and also laughs at the silliness of his question.
"Well, I really like a lot of flowers but I guess sunflower is my favorite." Harley said and grinned.
"I like sunflowers too." He commented.
"You know what, after we are done in our mission....we can plant some of those and watch them grow." The woman offered.
"Really? Saan naman natin itatanim?" He asked.
"For sure after we are done here, my house is also done...I specifically requested for a big garden." She said.
"Sure, I'm in." He said. "That's a promise?" He asked and offered her his pinky finger.
She laughed lightly again then wrapped her pinky finger around his.
"I promise."
"I guess I fulfilled one of my promises to you Jack." She mumbled as she watered the pots where she plant the seeds. "Months from now there will be a two sunflower in this garden...sayang lang at di mo na makikita." Harley said at saka umupo ulit sa damuha then she let out a sigh.
"Right, I should bring some to your grave." She declared.
"And why are you talking to the plants...again?" Tumingin naman ang dalaga sa likod niya and she laughed when she saw her boyfriend.
"It's normal." She said.
"Well not for me." Ken said at napakunot naman ang noo nito nang makita ang maduming damit ng dalaga.
"What are you doing? you we need to leave in 30 minutes." He said and realisation hit the woman.
"Oh shit, give me a minute...or two." She said as she dashed inside the house.
Ken shakes his head at siya na ang nagligpit ng mga ginamit nito sa pagtanim.
Napansin naman niya ang dalawang paso na nandoon at sa bawat paso ay nandoon ang pangalan ng dalaga at ni Jack.
"I am glad that she is not crying about you now..." Ken said at saka itinabi ang mga paso na iyon sa kung saan tingin niya ay maarawan. "She's just...smiling whenever she mentions your name." He added and chuckled to what he said.
"Kung hindi lang kita kilala magseselos na sana ako." He said at daka tumingin sa paso. "Aaand I am talking to a plant now." He realised at saka tuluyang tumayo at inilagay ang mga naiwang gamit ni Harley sa isang tabi bago tuluyang pumasok sa loob ng bahay.
And just like what Harley told him, she is done preparing for two minutes.
"Ready to go?" He asked as he grab his keys from the table.
"Yup." She said.
"This is your final one and I'm proud of you Harley." Ken said at saka hinalikan ito sa noo.
"Thank you." She said and they both walked towards the door.
///
Harley silently sat down at the familiar chair and in front of her is a familiar table and a familiar person.
"Hi." The therapist greeted her.
"Hi." Harley greeted back.
"How are you? I haven't seen you for...weeks?" The therapist, who's name is Alyssa, asked.
"I'm good...especially right now is the final one...right?" She said and the therapist nodded.
"So...are you ready to tell me what happened?" Alyssa asked.
Harley took a deep breath and started to tell her about how she met Jack and he died.
It was hard for her but she knew that she needed to tell what happened because it was for her own peace.
"So, what did you do today?" The therapist asked.
"I...actually fulfilled one of my promises to him." She said.
"Hm? what is it?" Alyssa asked.
"I planted a flower...sunflower to be exact...it was his favourite flower by the way." Harley informed at tumango-tango naman ang therapist. "And I promised that after we are done in that mission, we will both going to plant and grow a lot of them in my garden." She added.
Again, the therapist nodded, urging her to keep going.
"But I guess planting with him won't ever happen...again." Harley said and pursed his lips.
"You did a great job Harley." Alyssa praised.
"Thank you."
"So, how are your relationship with Ken?" Alyssa asked.
"We are...good, we are still figuring things out since it's been too damn long since we have our last relationship." Harley answered.
"And your friends?"
"They are...really supportive about my healing and my relationship with him."
"That's good, that's good." Alyssa said and wrote down on her clipboard. "By the way, this is more than a personal question since I was really curious about you and Jack."
"What is it?"
"You told me awhile ago that you fulfilled one of your promises to him, what are the other promises?" Alyssa asked.
"Oh..." Harley muttered.
She really doesn't mind her asking that since she also became one of her close friend at parang nakaka-tandang kapatid na ang turing nito kay Alyssa.
"I promised him that I will be happy." Harley said.
"Really?"
"Yes, and I think I also fulfilled that one."
///
A few months passed and Harley found herself standing in front of Jack's grave, she smiled a little and placed the flower that she holds in front of it.
As she stared at the lifeless stone with his name etched on it, she can feel a dull ache creeping into her chest but she chose to ignore it.
"Things are good, everything is fine Jack." Harley said, breaking the silence. She sighed and glanced at her smartwatch.
"I will be quick and I guess I won't be able to visit more often cause..." she said and absentmindedly hold the ring that is sitting on his finger. "Ken and I are engaged and we are planning our wedding but I can assure you it won't happen anytime soon." she added.
A smile crept into her lips when she remembered something. "I remember, the day before we are...ambushed, you asked me if the moon is beautiful...well, indeed the moon that night is beautiful." She said then let out a sigh again then looked away from his gravestone.
"The sunset is beautiful, aren't they?"
End of Bonus Chapter