See You Tomorrow, Yuki (EDITING)

SIX

Sitting on her bed. Waiting for Aciel to arrive. The Yuki that crumpled the yellow note last night is the same Yuki that stuck it back on the fridge door and waited for him to arrive the next morning.

"THERE ARE SO MANY DUMB PEOPLE."

Kausap niya lang ang sarili niya habang nauupo. Suot niya ang isang plain white shirt at pang-pasyente niyang pajama.

"I told him to get out of my life, but he used it as an excuse to stay? He asked if that's what I really wanted and I said yes, but he took it the other way around?"

So what if I cried? So what if I held onto his shirt? Or if I had sad eyes?

Sinubukan niyang tumayo, pero agad siyang natumba at tumama sa gild ng kama ang kanang braso't nagkapasa. Nananakit din ang mga buto.

"Yuki... anong ginagawa mo?"

May dalang wheelchair si Aciel. 'Yun pa nga ang mas naunang nakita ni Yuki bago ang mukha ni Aciel.

"Oh? Nothing. I'm looking for... my handkerchief..." she sounded uncomfortable.

"It's on your wrist."

"Hmm? Ah, right..."

Tinulungan siya ni Aciel na maupo pabalik sa kama. He pushed the wheelchair towards Yuki.

"Sit on this, Yuki. I'll take you outside."

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP TREATING ME LIKE A DISABLED PERSON." Tumaray siya. "Kaya kong maglakad."

"And stop bringing disabled people into the argument like they're in any way below you," seryosong tugon ni Aciel. "Masakit ang buong katawan mo kahapon. And you fell just now, didn't you? Your bones are getting weak. That's why."

"Who said I fell?"

"May pasa ka sa braso."

Maingat siyang binuhat ni Aciel at iniupo siya sa wheelchair. Kumuha si Aciel ng jacket sa closet ni Yuki at pinasuot 'yyn sa huli. Inayos niya rin ang pagkakatali ng panyo ni Yuki bago sila lumabas ng kwarto.

- - -

Sa malawak na garden ng ospital sila pumunta. Tinulak siya ni Aciel hanggang sa bench. Doon silang dalawa naupo.

"Ito na 'yun? When you said you're gonna take me out of the hospital, you literally meant just outside the building?"

"Inisip mo bang ilalayo kita mula rito? Maybe next time."

"Then let's go to Boracay. The old man next to my room always bragged about how he used to go there with his entire family before he fell sick."

"Kapag magaling ka na."

"Hindi na ako ga—"

Aciel took some steps away from Yuki. He picked up two small pots under the tall tree he used to hide from when he eavesdropped on Yuki and Hakim's conversation.

"Yuki!" Tumakbo siya pabalik sa bench. "Here."

Binuhat ni Yuki sa magkabila niyang kamay ang mga inabot ni Aciel. May tig-isang maliit na buto sa bawat paso.

"Are you confessing your love? Instead of flowers, you're giving me these stupid pots?"

"You seriously call everything stupid. Tsk. Those seeds will become flowers kung aalagaan mo. Tapos ililipat natin dito sa garden ng ospital kasama ng iba pang mga bulaklak."