Officially Meeting You

Chapter 29: Sisters And Warning

I can hear some voices and footsteps around me. Ilang segundo ang lumipas bago ko nagawang imulat ang mga mata ko. My vision was blurry at first but it immediately went normal.

There's white wall in front of me. Wait, is it a wall or a ceiling?

Napadaing naman ako nang makaramdam nang pananakit ng katawan, especially my head and back. But when I remembered what happened, wala pang isang segundo ay nakaupo na ako.

Michael. Bar. Alcohol. Drug. Car accident. Ate Ria.

My hands trembled. "A-ate Ria..."

I looked around. I'm sitting in a hospital bed and two white curtains are beside my bed and one in front.

May humawi naman bigla nang kurtina sa harapan ng kama ko. Tumambad sa akin si Anna na muntik pang mabitawan iyong water bottle na hawak niya.

"Cleo..."

Zeus and the siblings immediately appeared beside her when she said my name. Para silang nakahinga nang maluwag nang makitang gising na ako.

"S-si Ate...nasaan si Ate Ria?"

"Cleo, rest for now—"

"I said, where is my sister?!"

They were stunned when I shouted and some people behind them looked at our direction. But I am so worried right now and they are the least of my concern.

"Sabihin niyo sa akin kung nasaan siya!"

Zeus softly looked at me and held my shoulders. "Ayos lang siya kaya kumal—"

"Paano ako kakalma kung ayaw niyong sabihin kung nasaan siya?"

"Cleo—"

"Nasaan nga siya?!"

Zeus sighed as I intently look at him, almost glaring. Nanunubig na ang mga mata ko dahil sa sobrang bigat ng loob ko.

I just woke up and they are not telling me anything about Ate Ria. I don't even know how many hours I slept or what happened to my sister or to that pervert.

I badly want to know and they are not telling me a damn thing.

Magsasalita pa sana ako nang biglang nahawi iyong kurtina sa left side ng kama ko. I looked at that direction and saw my sister also sitting on a hospital bed.

She weakly smiled. "I'm fine. Kumalma ka, okay? Ayos lang ako, Cleo."

Mahina kong tinulak si Zeus at umalis sa kama ko. Kusa din naman siyang tumabi at kaagad akong lumapit kay Ate.

I stared at her with tears in my eyes. I cupped her face.

"A-ayos ka lang ba, Ate? May masakit ba sayo? Are you—"

"I'm okay. I'm perfectly fine. Wala nga akong sugat oh," she said and showed me her arms, head, and even her neck. "Mas malala pa 'yang mga sugat mo."

Hindi na lang ako nagsalita at niyakap na lang siya. Tumulo na ang mga luha ko habang mahigpit ko siyang yakap, never wanting to let her go.

"How about you? Are you okay?"

Tumango na lang ako at hindi pa din bumitaw sa kanya. She started caressing my hair and tapping my back. I am totally acting like a crybaby who looks like a lost kid.

"Sshh...it's okay. It's okay," she said. "It's fine now, Cleo."

Pumikit ako habang sumisinghot-singhot. She was saying those words as if nothing happened to her, and that broke my heart.