A.C.H
I see no one around the park, it's just me.
The person who gave me this didn't talk, therefore, I completely have no idea who that is.
Paano ko ibabalik 'to? I thought. Well, atleast medyo maayos na pakiramdam ko. I might aswell go back inside, baka kailangan ako ni Mom.
While walking through the entrance of the Hospital, nakita ko may batang umiiyak sa gilid, pinuntahan ko siya, he was on the floor sitting while hugging his knees, puro dugo ang damit niya kaya nagalala ako.
"Hi kiddo, ano nangyari sayo?" I asked with concern. I noticed there were a few bandages on his right arm and left knee, and a small scratch on his left cheek.
The emergency room kung saan dinala si Mom was fully equipped, there were there ambulances outside, doon nakatingin yung batang lalake, I think he's around seven years old.
"Mummy," he pointed there as he cried, "I wanna go inside." He was sobbing.
"Where's your dad? Why are you alone here? Umupo ka muna, samahan kita." I led out my hand helping him to stand up. As I let him sat down on a chair, I asked him again, "sino kasama mo nagpunta dito?" I brushed his hair away with my fingers to move it away from his eyes.
The little guy was about to answer when someone answered for him.
"He's with me. Brent, let's go." The guy with a navy blue hoodie and a white Nike cap appeared infront of me, I assume he was around my age but taller, I didn't see his face as his cap was covering it, he bent down to meet boy's level. "Kuya, uuwi na tayo? Paano si Mummy?" Then the poor kid started to cry again.
His assumed 'brother' wiped his tears away and stood up, "Let's go." The little kid looked at me with tearful eyes as he waved at me, I waved back. Then they left.
I decided to take the elevator, as I arrived on the floor where my Mom's room is, I saw a nurse coming out of her room.
"Nurse, gising na po yung patient sa loob?" Tanong ko, sumagot din siya kaagad, "Yes ma'am, kakagising lang po, binigyan ko po siya ng gamot, tatawagin ko narin si Doc. Ronquillo para macheck kung may improvements." She said that as she smiled. "Sige, thank you po."
Pumasok narin ako sa loob agad, nakita ko na nakaupo sa higaan si Mom. Nakita niya agad ako kaya ngumiti siya.
"Ma, musta na po kayo? Okay lang po ba kayo?" I sat beside her bed as I looked at her, she seems fine, she doesn't look pale anymore.
"Okay lang ako 'nak. Sorry, naabala nanaman kita." She smiled weakly, I answered, "wala yun ma." I assured her. "Tawagan ko na po ba sila ate Gwen at Papa?"
I noticed her smiled faded when I mentioned Papa. So I decided to ask her, "May nangyari po ba?"
"Wala," she denied, I decided not to ask more, baka lumala kalagayan niya. "Hayaan mo na, nagpapahinga siguro mga iyon, bukas nalang siguro ng umaga, matulog ka na." Ganyan lagi si Mom, she's too understanding.
She patted on the space beside her bed, gesturing me to sleep beside her.
I laid beside her while my head is resting on her right arm, her left arm hugged me so I hugged her with my free arm. I missed cuddling with her.
"Matulog ka na," I closed my eyes. "Naalala mo pa ba na kinakantahan kita noong bata ka pa bago matulog kasi takot ka na baka masama panaginip mo?" I nodded, I feel sleepy.
"A dream is a wish, you heart makes," she started. "When you're fast asleep," she continues.
In dreams you will lose your heartaches,
Whatever you wish for, you keep,
Have faith in your dreams and someday,
Your rainbow will come smiling through,
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing,
That dream that you wish,
Will come true~
Then I fell into a deep sleep.
**
The next day, I went to school, I was forced to, Mom said she's fine and that the doctors will take care of her, I promised I'll come home as soon as possible.
I feel weak.
As I arrived in the classroom, Alina bombarded me with questions, I couldn't answer any of them.
"Girl, ano nangyari sayo? Hindi ka sumasagot sa tawag ko? Kamusta na nga pala si tita? Okay na ba siya? By the way, you've got dark circles underneath your eyes!" She exclaimed like she was shocked. "Natutulog ka pa ba? Gosh, should I make an appointment between you and my personal dermatologist? Sis, you need it." She suggested.
"Okay lang ako, thanks." I slightly smiled.
A few minutes later the teacher entered, she started with the lessons which will be appearing on our finals. I couldn't concentrate well, I was partly thinking of our family's financial issues and my mom.
"Miss Montenegro?" The teacher called out, I see the whole class looking at me. "Are you listening?"
"Yes ma'am." I answered.
"If so, stand up and state out the answer to the whole class, please answer the equation, find the value of 'x' for the given equation 12+2x+18=10" She strictly said.
I find the equation really easy, so I answered it in no time, "The value of 'x' is negative ten." I answered.
"oohhh~" I heard one student said.
"Next time, stop day dreaming in my class, sit down."
I just sighed.
**
"Natalia, sama ka saamin mamaya? Birthday kasi ng boyfriend ni Jane, inaaya niya tayo, yung kaibigan ba yun ni Dwayne? Basta yun HAHA!"
"I can't, uuwi ako kaagad, pupunta ako sa Hospital." I apologetically said.
"Ayan ka nanaman, kalian ka ba makakasama? Uuwi ka rin naman, hindi mo ba pwede iwan Mommy mo? Surely the doctors are taking good care of her."
Medyo naiirita na ako pero hindi ko pinahalata, masyado rin kasi demanding si Alina, hindi niya ako naiintindihan. "Next time nalang, pag maayos na lahat."
"Edi bahala ka." She rolled her eyes.
"Tsk," I said. We were about to go to our school's cafeteria when my class adviser called me, "Natalia Shay?"
I questionedly looked back at her and said, "Yes ma'am?"
"I excused you from your last subject, please come with me to my office." Then she started to walk, nagpaalam muna ako kay Alina, sasama nalang daw siya kanila Jana, then I followed my adviser.
We are finally in her office, we sat down infront of each other, "Natalia, is there something going on? I saw you bothered the past few hours." She started.
"Well ma'am, unfortunately my Mom has been admitted to the Hospital due to a heart condition last Saturday and things are getting too tough." I explained.
"Oh, I see, if you need help, please don't hesitate to approach me, and another reason why I called is that we, the faculty teachers in your grade level, chose you to represent our school for a debate, you will be competing with the other schools, and there's a chance you could win, actually, it has a benefit, you'll see. And also, the competition will be aired globally. You will be attending practices in the weekends."
"Ma'am? Bakit ako? I am not that confident to speak in public." I suddenly got nervous at the thought of me imagining myself infront of hundreds of people.
"Natalia, come to think of it, if you win this competition, you could help your Mom for her medical bills, don't worry, kakayanin mo iyan, you'll be practiced."
"Pag-iisipan ko pa ma'am."
"Alright, you may go."
**
Nakalabas na ako ng school, balak ko dumaan muna sa bahay, tinawagan ko narin si Doc. para sabihin kay Mom na uuwi ako saglit. I was about to turn to the right side of the road papunta sa bahay namin nang may tumawag saakin.
"Psstt! Hoyy!" Tawag nung mga lalaki. They were drinking alcohol, I noticed they were drunk, kinabahan tuloy ako.
I decided to ignore them and walk faster, I held the strap of my bag tightly as I walked.
"Hoy! Kinakausap ka namin!" Sigaw nung matandang lalaki, they got up and chased me.
And then I ran.
Pumasok ako sa isang eskinita, I ducked and hid but it was too late, they saw me.
I ran as fast as I could but suddenly, a hand harshly grabbed the back of my hair.
"Akala mo makakatakas ka saamin ha, sumama ka muna kasi saamin, saglit lang." His voice was scary, he was completely drunk, I saw his other guy friends approaching us.
"Chicks." One of them whispered.
Natatakot na ako, hindi ko alam gagawin ko.
"TULONG! TULUNGAN NI-" I tried to scream but the old man covered my mouth. I was trying to free myself but he was too strong.
"HEY!"
A guy shouted not far away, he was in a hoodie and a black mask, he seems familiar to me.
"Ano?! Wag ka makikielam dito ha!" The old man shouted, "hoy, paalisin niyo nga 'yon!" The old man said to his other friends.
May naglabas nang pocket knife isa sa kanila nung papalapit na sila sa kanya.
I muffled screams trying to tell him that the guy has a knife.
The three old men were about to throw a punch at the guy kaso nailagan nung binatang lalaki, akma nang sasaksakin nung isa siya kaso masyadong mabilis yung kamay niya, instead the other old man got stabbed and fell to the ground.
Two of the old men were left, one tried to grab both of his arms but he jumped and high-kicked the one grabbing him, he held the old man's arm, and twisted it, the man groaned in pain. The other guy got a pole in his hand, he was about to get hit but he dodged it, he kicked it out of the guy's hand, right after he grabbed the old man's collar, made him bend down and hit his old face with his knee.
Masyadong mabilis ang pangyayari, I heard police sirens nearby, the guy was approaching, nilabas ng matandang lalaki na may hawak sakin ang isang kutsilyo.
"Wag kang lalapit o sasaksakin ko ang babaeng 'to." He warned him as he had his knife pointed at me.
"Help," I was crying in fear, I tried to remove his arm around me but the more I move, the more his grip gets tighter.
"Sir, please let go of the knife, nasasaktan siya." He was taking little steps forward, nilalayo naman ako nunng matanda.
"Dyan ka lang, wag kang lalapit, gagawin ko talaga!" He shouted.
I saw police officers approaching us telling the old man to let go of his weapon, there were armed police surrounding us now.
"IBABA NIYO LAHAT NG BARIL! KUNG HINDI MAMATAY 'TO!" He put the knife closer to my neck, I couldn't breathe, I was being strangled. "SABING IBABA!" He screamed once more.
"Tulong," I whispered crying.
"Sir, ibaba niyo po yung kutsilyo, then pakawalan niyo siya, or else we will be forced to shoot." An officer said.
"ABA MAKULIT KAYO AH! OH ETO, TIGNAN NIYO!"
He lifted his hand with the knife to stab me but the police immediately shot his hand; in result, he let is grip off the knife, I took the opportunity to free myself so I bit his arm and ran towards the guy with a black hoodie infront of me, the police was about to fire another shot so he pulled me into his arms to be safe.
I fell into his embrace as we both fell on the ground and the last thing I heard was gunshots.
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