“Marriane, anak. Hanggang kelan pa ba kayo rito ha?” Mamu asked as she was cooking and I was helping her cutting the other ingredients. “Oo nga ate. Baka nakakalimutan mo, nandun pa rin kayo sa kwarto ko.” He said sarcastically as he was playing with Camille. Oo, alam ko.
“Di ko alam. Tapos na ko.” I washed my hands. “Dun muna ko sa taas.” I said as mamu responded with her hand over the air and I proceed to my brother’s room. My body loosen up the the bed.
I looked at the Christmas lights blinking hanging at the window. Yeah. Christmas na bukas. 2 weeks na kaming nandito, pero hindi pa rin tumatawag si Rex. Ayoko namang tawagan sya. Baka sabihin nyang di ko sya matiis. Mabuti na yung mautak ka, nang hindi ka naiisahan.
My phone rang. Nung mapatingin ako sa screen, Craulo calling…
I slowly answered the phone in a small voice. “He-hello?”
“Hello, Marriane?”
“Rex? Anong nangyari sa boses mo?”
“Hindi si Rex to. Si Russel Mace to. Remember sa Hongkong?”
“Ah.. naalala ko na. Bakit ikaw ang tumawag?”
“Si Rex kasi… naconfine sa ospital.”
ANO?!
“Saan sya sinugod?!”
***
Hindi na ko nagsayang ng oras. Pumunta agad ako dun sa ospital at naabutan ko si Russel sa Room 213 kausap ang doctor na sumuri sa kanya. Sinilip ko yung nakahiga sa kama. It was Rex.
“Ano po bang nangyari sa kanya?!”
“Calm down iha. Boyfriend mo ba sya?” Boyfriend? Kelan ko sya naging boyfriend? Napaisip rin ako. Nakasal kami nang walang relasyon. Hay naku. Kaya nga arranged marriage eh. Toinks.
“Hindi po. Asawa po.” Nagtaka yung doctor. “Alam ko po, nagulat kayo. But it’s the truth.” I showed him my wedding ring. “Ulcer. Hindi sya kumakain ng sapat that’s why he suffered that. He suffered dehydration too. But he’s safe now.”
Napansin ko rin sa mukha nya na parang namumutla sya habang asikaso sya nung nurse. Why’d he do that?! Sira talaga ulo nun. “Maiwan ko na muna kayo.” And the doctor walked away.
“Ano bang nangyari sa kanya?”
“Hindi ko rin alam. Basta pagkadating ko rito, tinawagan nya ko at puntahan ko raw sya sa bahay nyo. And I saw hhim dying. Napansin ko ring wala ka sa bahay nyong dalawa. What happened?”
I shook my head. “Kung di ba naman sya siraulo, matagal ko na syang pinatay.”
“Ganyan talaga ‘yang kaibigan ko. Napakaarte. Tinawagan na lang kita rito sa cellphone nya kasi alam ko kailangan ka talaga nya ngayon. Pano, ikaw na bahala sa kanya ha? Uwi muna ako sa condo ni Jenny. Sige.” And he left. Jenny? His girlfriend, remember? Buti sila pa rin hanggang ngayon.
As I entered the room, I saw the nurse. Nakakainis. She’s admiring my hubby! “Umm.. nurse?” She looked at me. “Ako nang bahala sa kanya. Tatawagin na lang kita.” Yah, taken na yan noh!
As she turned around to the door, she whispered. “Damot naman nito. Hmp.” She closed the door. Eh sorry talaga. He is actually taken na.
I walked towards him and sat at the chair beside the bed. “Nakakainis ka naman eh.” I complained. I think I’m going to cry of so much worry. “Ikaw nga ‘tong nakakainis eh. Ayaw mo kong sagutin. Kasalanan mo to eh.” His eyes suddenly opened. “Nanisi ka pa.” I rolled my eyes. “Syempre noh. Sino pa bang sisisihin ko kundi ikaw lang?”
I sighed. “Bakit mo ba to ginagawa? You made me worried.” I asked him. There was a pause and at any other point in time, his response would have shocked me to the point of melting. However, the current situation was really different.
“Kasi naman, iniwan mo ko eh.”
We pause there for a long time as I registered his words in my mind. He decided to break the ice. “Tsk. Eto lang pala ang gagawin ko para balikan mo ko.”
Napaupo sya sa kama and I looked up at him whose gaze was on me intensely. I felt my heart skip a beat. “You responded well.” With that, he pulled my arm and he wrapped me in his embrace. “I missed you so much.” He whispered into my ear. That’s when I started to hug him too. My final answer? No. I don’t like him.
I love him. I wonder if he feel the same way too.
