Limit Thirty Seven: The Only Thing That’s True
(9th Force – Skylar)
Tumingala ako just to see the same signage over and over again. “Gaano ba kalaki ang facilities ng Hernandez Medical at lahat na lang ata ng doktor eh d’yan nagta-trabaho?”
“Can you blame them?” Leila shrugged her shoulders. “Iyan na nga ata ang isa sa mga pinaka-kilalang ospital sa buong Metro. Lahat ng magagaling nilang doktor eh d’yan naka-base ang clinic. Isa pa, mataas naman ang building.”
“Ang gara.” <- Si Amber po ‘yan. Opo, sumama po siya. = o =
“Paano kung hindi tayo pahintulutang pumasok?” tanong ko na nakatitig pa rin sa pagkataas na signage ng ospital.
“Sabi kasi senyo magpagawa na tayo ng papel eh. At least madali na ‘yon. Sa ayaw niya’t sa hindi magsasalita siya.” sabi ni Amber.
“Di na kailangan.” Kontra naman ni Leila. “May badge tayo. First class kayo. Hindi naman siguro magiging gano’n kahirap.”
Come what may, here we go.
Diretso pasok kami ng ospital. Tumingin kami doon sa may bulletin board nila para hanapin kung saang floor nakalagay ang clinic ni Ana Rayven. She’s on the fifth floor so kinailangan naming gumamit ng elevator.
Pagdating sa fifth floor, hinanap namin yung clinic number 538. Parang hotel room din pala yung mga ganito. Ang ipinagkaiba, mas magara lang ang ayos. May desk sa labas tas andu’n yung secretary nila. Secretary ba tawag du’n o assistant?
“Eto na ata ‘yun.” @.@ sabay turo ni Amber sa room number.
“Yes, Ma’am? Ano pong kailangan nila?” tanong nung magandang babae kaso medyo may crisis sa height na nakatayo sa may desk sa labas ng kwarto.
“Hello, I’m Skylar Harcourt. Nandy’an ba si Doctor Ana Rayven sa loob?”
“May appointment po kayo?”
“Ah no, wala eh. Taga-ZAFT kasi kami, I’m a ZAFT first class. May itatanong lang sana kami sa kanya.”
“ZAFT? 0___0 Baket? Anong ginawa ni Ana?” 0___0
Hala. ("__ _) “Wala siyang ginawa, Miss. May itatanong lang talaga kami.”
“Oh. Teka lang, ipapaalam ko lang sa kanya.” Sabay pasok niya sa loob ng silid. “Hoy bruha!” toinks naririnig namin. =___= “May mga taga-ZAFT sa labas, may itatanong raw sa’yo.”
“ZAFT? Sino?”
“Skylar Harcourt daw eh. Ano ba kasing ginawa mo?”
“Teka, Jam… Harcourt? Sinabi mo bang Harcourt?”
“Anla oo nga. Harcourt nga. Skylar Harcourt.”
“Papasukin mo.”
Tumingin sina Amber at Leila sa akin na nagtataka. Nagkibit lang ako ng balikat. Malay ko bang tanda niya ako. Akala ko kasi hindi na since saglit lang talaga kami no’n nagkita. Ni hindi nga kami nagkaroon ng matinong pag-uusap.
Pinapasok kami ng assistant niya sa loob. Tas sinarado niya yung pintuan. Agad na tumayo si Ana at ngumiti sa amin. Naglakad ako to give her a hug and kissed her cheek. “I’m glad to see you again, Sky.”
“Me, too, Ana. By the way, here’s Leila Ark and Amber Williams, my co-leagues.”
They nod at each other bago maupo si Ana sa swivel niya. Naupo naman kami sa silyang katapat lang ng desk niya. “So to what do I owe your visit, cousin?”
“Actually… this is for business. Complicated matter I’d say.”
“Tungkol sa’n?”
Tinignan ko si Leila. Tumango siya then bumaling kay Ana. “It’s about Rey Ashton. We heard he’s your patient. We just want to squeeze out some informations regarding the man.”
Kumunot ang noo niya. Bullcrap. Nakaka-guilty. TT0TT “I’m sorry but… it’s in our ethics to protect our patients and informations revolving around them. Doktor ako. Hindi ko pwedeng gawin ‘yan.”
Ugh. Tumayo na’ko. I looked at Ana sympathetically, wanting to send out my apologies. “Pasensya na, pasensya na talaga. Perhaps… nagiging makasarili na’ko masyado. I have involved my personal wanting of finding things out about Rey and so… this leads to you. Pasensya na talaga, Ana. We better go.”
“T-Teka lang, sandali. God… uhm… will you promise to go easy and hear me out first? Kasi hindi kakayanin ng kunsensya ko kung may masamang kahihinatnan ang pagsasalita ko.”
Nagkatinginan kaming tatlo. Nakikita ko yung awa nila tsaka pag-aalala nila sa’kin. If anyone will be so much concerned about this matter, it would be me. I love Rey more than I ever knew I do. Kung may isa mang maaapektuhan dito, ako ‘yon. Dahil hindi ko alam ang gagawin ko kung sakaling may malaman akong hindi maganda.
“Sit down. What do you guys wanna know?”
Amber took the pleasure of asking habang lumulunok akong naupo pabalik sa silya ko. “It says here that you’re a psychologist. Bakit sa’yo nagpapa-check up si Rey? Is something the matter?”
“Actually… there is a matter. He have this doctor back in the years na humahawak sa kanya. He’s been travelling on and off to Carribean just to consult this doctor and check on his state every year. Once or twice I assumed. He’s off the pot actually. He’s stable, he’s doing good. He wasn’t bothered even nang mamatay ang doktor na ‘yon three years ago because he’s already stable. But six months ago, he had this huge dilemma. I just happen to be close to the Ashton’s because Zone is my childhood best friend, I mentored Erinne and Rey was my guardian back in the University six years ago so he came to me one day prob’ly after winning the elections.”
“I’m not catching up. What is the problem with Rey na kailangan niyang mag-consult sa psychologists like you and like the doctor who died in Carribean?”
“Thing here, Sky, is that… he has an eidetic memory. It triggers him to remember every bits of information he have. And to top it all, he has this compulsive disorder na pilit bumabalik ng bumabalik sa kanya and I believe he had the same problem six months ago that re-occurs while the election is taking place.”
Napakunot ako ng noo. “What’s the disorder about?”
Tumingin siya sa akin. Her eyes were stern. It made my whole body glued to the chair. Kinabahan ako bigla. “I’m so sorry that I have to drop this. But Rey is obsessed with you.”
XxxxX
♪I won’t talk, I won’t breathe
I won’t move ‘till you finally see that you belong with me♪
Natagpuan ko na lang ang sarili ko sa harapan ng gate ng Ashtonville at pinagbubuksan ng guard ng gate. Humigpit ang hawak ko sa steering wheel habang ipinapasok ang kotse ko do’n.
“Oh it’s Sky.” Maryan muttered nang pumasok ako ng mansyon na naging sanhi para tumingin sila sa’kin.
Hinanap ng mata ko si Rey. He’s nowhere in the living room. “He here?”
“Upstairs.” Nakangiting sagot ni Erinne.
Malamang nagtataka na sila sa ayos ng mukha ko ngayon. Magagawa ko bang ngumiti? Hindi pa po ako baliw para ngumiti sa ganitong sitwasyon samantalang kanina eh nagpasabog si Ana ng pagkalakas na bomba na halos mawindang ang buong sistema ko.
“Rey—”
Bullcrap.
Dapat galit ako sa kanya. O kaya dapat natatakot ako tas tumatakbo o sumisigaw. Whatever it is na reaksyon ng mga babaeng nalaman na may isang lalaking obsessed sa’yo. But the moment his eyes met mine and he smiled, all thoughts of rage flew away from my system. I just want to hug him right there.
“Hey…”
“Hey.”
He stood up from the bed pagkatapos ay nilapitan ako. “You shouldn’t of have come here. Papunta na sana ako sa bahay mo.”
Umiling ako saka sinalubong siya ng yakap. I felt safe when he enclosed his arms to my waist. How am I supposed to fear this man? “I’m around the area, dito na lang ako matutulog.”
“Sounds like a plan. What do you wanna do? Have you eaten?”
“No plan, nothing to do. You have to sleep. It’s past ten now, babe. Kailangan mo nang magpahinga.”
Kumalas siya. Kumunot ang noo niya then his lips were pursed together and he pouted. “No, I won’t. Minsan na lang kitang makasama then you’ll just simply order me to sleep. Ayoko.” = 3=
“Ang kyuuuuuuttt! :D Pout ka nga ulit.” XD
“H’wag mo’kong pagtawanan.” -___-
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” :D
“Reverse psychology ka ba? Kapag sinabing h’wag pagtawanan, tumatawa ka?”
I pursed my lips in a zipping way para pigilan ang tawa ko. Kaso napapangiti pa rin ako kaya walang saysay. Nag-chuckle na lang siya then he pulled me to him again, showering my neck with kisses. “Let’s go do something, baby.”
♪You might think I don’t look
But deep inside in the corner of my mind I’m attached to you♪
“What do you have in mind?”
Naupo ako sa couch. May sine-setup siya sa may component sa harapan ko. “Hime got a stack of DVD movies in here na pinalipat niya dito nung isang araw. Here, pick what you wanna watch, magpapahatid ako ng food dito. What do you wanna eat, babe?”
Nag-isip ako saglit habang tinitignan ang mga DVD na nilagay niya sa mesa. “I’ll settle with tacos. What do ya’ think?”
Ngumiti siya saka tumango. “Good enough.”
Tumayo siya at kinuha ang cell phone niya. Palagay ko tatawagan niya si Eric. Si Eric kasi ang all time yaya niya eh. XD Anyway pumili ako ng DVD. Nakita ko yung Jennifer’s Body kaya iyon na ang pinili ko.
Hindi ko alam kung bakit suddenly ay bumabalik sa isipan ko ang ilan sa mga napag-usapan kanina sa clinic ni Ana.
*Flashback*
Nakarinig ako ng mura galing kay Amber. Nakatitig lang ako kay Ana at hindi makapagsalita. She just sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. “May iba-ibang klase at lebel ang pagiging obsessed, guys. Hindi porke sinabi kong obsessed eh dapat katakutan n’yo na ‘yon. Rey fears the thing himself. But we, doctors and friends, have to assure him that nothing is to be feared.”
“Hindi kita naiintindihan. Paanong obsessed siya sa’kin? The first time we met is at a casino. We had a drunken sex and that’s it. We met the second time at Ashtonville nang mapili ako ni Grey Velasco bilang Ninth Force ng panel nila.”
“Apparently that wasn’t the first time. His eidetic memory is inborn, Sky. Since birth ay taglay na niya ang kakayahang makaalala ng mga bagay na naririnig, nakikita, at nararamdaman niya. But the compulsive disorder only started when he was seventeen years old. Matalino si Rey, Sky. Alam niya kung anong mali at tama. But if you’re in his shoes and you feel your heart beating and you feel it right, malalaman mo pa ba kung nasa boundary ka pa rin ng tama at mali?”
Hindi ko naiintindihan. Paano nangyari lahat ng ‘yon?
*Flashback ends*
The movie started. Napa-smirk siya nang makita yung eksena ni Amanda Seyfried na naninipa ng isang babae sa loob ng solitary confinement. Saktong hinatid nung maid yung tacos tsaka sodas sa table namin. “Thank you.” ^0^
Umalis siya. Kakain sana ako ng tacos nang makuha ni Megan Fox ang atensyon ko. Tumingin ako kay Rey. Tumingin siya sa akin. “What?”
“Nothing.” Pinilit ko siyang nginitian.
Pero sabi nga ni Ana, matalino si Rey. “You suck at lying, you know that?”
“And how would you know I’m lying?” =___=
“Malikot ang mga mata mo kapag nagsisinungaling ka. Even if you tried to steady your eyes on me, your lens moves.”
Natigilan ako. One thing entered my mind: eidetic memory. Kung totoo nga ang sinasabi ni Ana, if Rey is really obsessed with me, he’ll know every bits of stuffs about me. But the question is why me? Walang pinipiling alalahanin ang utak niya dahil lahat ng iyon ay naaalala niya. That’s why maybe he always chooses the silence and the darkness to reduce events in his life so his brain won’t be too loaded with memories unnecessarry to remember.
Pero bakit sa akin lang siya na-obsessed when in reality lahat naman ng bagay ay pwede niyang maalala. Like halimbawa si Megan Fox. One look at the girl and her body, Rey will remember that for all his life. Eh ba’t sa akin lang siya na-obsessed kung pwede naman maalala niya rin si Megan Fox sa gano’ng punto?
♪I’m weak, it’s true
Cause I’m afraid to know the answer♪
Sumiksik ako kay Rey while nagpe-play sa screen ang make out scene nina Megan Fox at Amanda Seyfried. Gusto ko sana humagikgik but instead napatingin ako kay Rey na tahimik na nanonood. “Aren’t they just hot?”
Tumingin siya sa akin before snaking his hand around my waist. “You’re hotter than them, babe.”
“Ha-ha, funny.” =___=
“Think I’m kidding? Want me to show you how hot you are?” then he grinned.
“Don’t. Rey.” -___-++
Wala na akong nagawa when he leaned down and enclosed his lips around mine. Automatic na napapikit ako just feeling the warmth his lips sends through me. He’s practically shoving his mouth to me that I had to put my hands on either of his face to stop him from advancing. It felt to me like he can’t get enough of my lips.
♪Do you want me too?
Cause my heart keeps falling faster♪
“I love you. So much.” he whispered before proceeding to nip on my lower lip then down to my chin.
Kumakabog ng sobrang lakas ang dibdib ko. Nag-e-echo pa hanggang ngayon sa utak ko ang mga sinabi ni Ana sa akin kanina.
*Flashback*
“Then… then bakit nag-occur ulit ang obsession niya or kung anumang tawag mo do’n sa disorder na ‘yon? Bakit at paano niya nalamang bumabalik yung disorder and he’s not yet off the hook?”
“Remember that he broke up with you six months ago before he won the elections? One month more and you’re gonna be celebrating your anniversary. It totally triggers his intrusive thoughts that slowly leads to another case of obsession.”
“Elaborate.” Said Amber. “Bobo ako sa medical terms.”
“Ganito ‘yon. Let’s say… ikaw, Amber. Ilagay mo ang sarili mo sa lugar ni Rey. You have an eidetic memory which causes you to remember every detail of your memories plus you are obsessed with Sky for over the years. You went to rehabilitation, control the obsession, created a coping method for your eidetic ability. And then here you meet Sky again, you were in a relationship for almost a year and then you’re forced to broke up with her. What would you think might happen to you?”
Napaisip si Amber. Sa kanya kami nakatingin, waiting for her answer. “Well… common sense dre, I’ll probably fidget with the event. Syempre iisipin ko kung tama ba yung nangyari. Kung dapat kong balikan si Sky, kung tama yung ginawa ko.”
Tumango si Ana. “D’yan papasok ang compulsive disorder. Compulsive disorders are often characterized by… doing things habitually and uncontrollably. Kumbaga kapag nag-iisip siya ng mga bagay na ganyan, though he knows it’s beyond rational, he thinks of that over and over and over and over again. You may ask why. It is the cause of him having an eidetic memory that’s why compulsive disorder took place. And I said he is obsessed with Sky because all he does from time to time is think about you and want you so badly that if not controlled, it might cost him so much.”
“At alam niyang bumabalik yung obsession niya kaya inagapan niya at lumapit siya sa’yo.” Dagdag ni Leila.
“Before he actually did that, he uhm… attempted suicide.”
Napatayo ako sa kinauupuan ko only to be caught by Amber and Leila dahil muntikan akong matumba. Ilang beses akong lumunok hoping that I heard it all wrong but I did not. “How come? Why suicide?”
“He’s frustrated, Sky. Depressed, stressed out. Kahit sino naman eh. He’s lucky enough na nasa tamang pag-iisip siya at naiwasan niyang masaksak ang delicate organs niya when he stabbed himself with a knife. Rey is clever. Kahit noon pa man, he had always struggled to keep himself in check all the time. He don’t want to lose his control in front of you. So he does everything to be as normal as possible.”
But he’s normal for me.
*Flashback ends*
“I love you more, Rey.”
♪I’ve waited all my life to cross this line
To the only thing that’s true
So I will not hide, it’s time to try anything to be with you
All my lfe I’ve waited… this is true♪
The clock in his bedside table states 1:30AM. Tinignan ko siya. He’s fast asleep. God, he’s gorgeous. What did I do for You to give me a blessing like Rey? I can be real creepy sometimes. Malamang kung yung iba siguro ang nasa posisyon ko, matatakot na silang lumapit sa taong mapag-aalaman nilang obsessed sa kanila. Me? I even made love with him tonight.
Bumangon ako mula sa kama but not before placing a kiss in his forehead. Pinatay ko ang TV at ang DVD na naiwanan naming bukas kanina. Pinulot ko ang damit ni Rey na nakakalat sa sahig pati ang pantalon ko. I wore his shirt and I wore my pants. Napatitig ulit ako sa kanya.
Everytime I ask kung saan galing lahat ng mga scars sa katawan niya, idadahilan niya ang pagiging Mafia assassin niya. Hindi naman malayo sa katotohanan. But the scars in his back were just too deep that I won’t believe he’ll be getting that by the way they all describe him as a top class Mafia agent in his days.
♪You don’t know what you do
Everytime you walk into the room I’m afraid to move♪
Naglakad ako papunta sa isang silid na nakita ko dati sa mansyon. The room which states ‘Out Of Order’ na pinagtakhan ko pa dati. Malakas ang kutob ko na doon ako makakahanap ng mga sagot sa tanong namin.
The room was dark. As expected with Rey Ashton’s rooms. It’s always dark and silent. For a brief moment ay natakot ako sa makikita ko. But it’s now or never. Kinapa-kapa ko ang switch ng ilaw. When I found it, I pressed it down. Pero imbis na isang puting ilaw ang sumindi, a series of funny and cute blue, green and purple lights danced around the room. Napatanga ako in disbelief.
Right to the opposite of where I was standing, a big painting that almost occupied the whole wall in front of me was placed. And the painting was me. I clutched my heart as it race so fast. Sa painting na ‘yon, I was sitting on top of the railing sa may Water Bridge while my hair was being blown away, I was watching the sunset then. I was smiling.
A stray tear escapes my eye as I look around the room. There were different painting canvas. Lahat ng naka-paint doon ay ako. There were sketches too of my picture when I was younger. Prob’ly when I was eight or seven years old. In three of his paintings, I was even wearing my princess dress as I am next to be Wales’ Countess nang mga panahong ‘yon.
♪I’m weak, it’s true
I’m just scared to know the ending
Do you see me too?
Do you even know you met me?♪
I can admit that I have always been a little childish. I love lights like this. I love Christmas because I get to watch different kind of lights played after my eyes. While Rey… Rey was always in the dark. And I love showing him to places where there is light.
“You’re not even supposed to be here, Sky.” a familliar deep voice broke out from my behind.
Lumingon ako and I saw Eric leaning against the closed door behind him. Hindi ko na kinaya and I burst out crying. He hugged me while I wipe my tears desperately trying to calm down. “I… I don’t know how… how I can face him… I… I just…” and then I cried and sobbed.
“Sshhh. It’s not your fault that you don’t remember anything, Sky. You’re a kid, your grandfather tried everything to block Rey out of your memory and since you were just a seven year old kid then, it was so easy.”
“I love him, Eric. I love him!”
He pulled out and stepped back. He kept me at arms reach saka tumingin ng seryoso sa akin. “Kahit pa lahat ng tungkol sa kanya ay puro kasinungalingan lang at gawa-gawa ng iba? Kahit pa hindi mo talaga siya lubusang kilala? Mahal mo siya?”
♪I know when I go, I’ll be on my way to you
The way that’s true
I’ve waited all my life to cross this line
To the only thing that’s true
So I will not hide, it’s time to try anything to be with you
All my lfe I’ve waited… this is true♪
“You might say I don’t know him. You might say everything that revolves around Rey Ashton is a lie. But this…” I stepped back, nilibot muli ng mga mata ko ang mga painting na pumupuno sa loob ng silid habang nagsasayaw ang tatlong klase ng kulay sa sahig, sa ceiling, at sa mga pader. “… this explains everything about him, Eric. What I know is true. He loves me. And that will be the only thing that matters. That’s the only thing that’s true to me.”
Dear Sasame,
I told Eric we have to talk. Because we got lots to talk about.
I fin’lly knew what’s true,
Fallen
***
Whoo intense! Na-shock ba kayo? Who expected this kind of twist? Ano sa tingin n'yo ang sumunod na nangyari sa past nina Sky at Rey? Gimme a wild guess, caras. :D
Anyway, we're down to four updates including the epilogue. So lots of votes and comments! Tell me what y'all think! :D
-HR
P.S.
Cena should win this time around!!!