president ' ep.1 || EDITING

045.

3 R D . P E R S O N ' S .

"W-what? Brielle hindi magandang biro 'yan," sabi niya at hinawakan ang balikat ng dalaga. Ryu isn't fond with these kind of phrases kaya hindi maiwasan ang napakalaking kabang namumuo sa kaniya. Ngunit mas lalo itong naguluhan nang bigla siyang bigyan ng maliit na ngiti ng dalaga.

"Don't worry too much. Didn't you heard what I just said? Aria just thinks she's dying, Ryu. May chance na gumaling siya, pinipigilan niya lang ang sarili niya na maniwala. She doesn't trust anybody in this matter kaya kung ano-ano ang tumatakbo sa isip niya."

Tila nabunutan ng tinik ang binata sa narinig mula sa dalaga. Hindi niya maipaliwanag ang pamilyar na biglaang paghigpit ng dibdib niya. Ilang minuto silang natahimik bago siya magkaroon ng lakas ng loob na tanungin ang nararapat na makakasagot sa kaguluhan sa isip nito.

"A-anong sakit niya?"

"Bata palang kami, mga 8 years old, marami na kaming napapansin sa kaniya sa tuwing kumakain kami. Hanggang sa pinacheck-up siya nila Tita Alfea, mom niya, and nalaman nalang namin 'yung sudden relaxation of her valves. Kaya sa tuwing kumakain kami noon eh sumasakit ang puso niya na cause pala ng pagflow ng stomach acids pataas sa esophagus."

"Wait. May acid reflux siya at the early age?"

"Oo, tama ka. According kay tita, hindi naman daw gano'n kasevere kaya madalian lang nila pinagaling. Which actually worked kahit papaano."

"Wait. Kung nacure na pala noon eh anong nararamdaman niya ngayon?"

Ryu suddenly noticed Brielle's shaking hands so, following his guts, he held it. Brielle looked at him with a more calm expression and continued what she's talking about.

"Graduating na kami noon pero bigla nalang namin nalaman na bumalik pala 'yung acid reflux niya. Pero ang mas hindi namin inexpect ay 'yung part na... mas m-malala pa ito. The doctor confirmed that she doesn't have a normal acid reflux. She have-"

"Gastroesophageal reflux disease, the chronic and most severe form of acid reflux. The same as my mom's," natahimik ang dalaga sa kaniyang nalaman niya, not expecting the boy's reason of the sudden understanding of her cousin's condition.

"I-I'm sorry-"

"Anong stage niya na?" he cut her to avoid the sudden change of conversation and just focused on Aria's.

"Nung araw na 'yon, she had stage one- which is mild and minsan niya lang nararanasan. Pero almost a year later, naging stage 2 bigla."

"Bakit parang ang bilis naman?"

"Hindi rin namin alam. And two years ago, grade 9 kami... nasa stage t-three na s-siya." hindi na mapigilan ni Brielle ang namumuong luha sa mga mata niya na lumabas. She used both of her hands to cover her face and let the tears flow. Ryu just rubbed her back and let the girl cry all she wanted because he understood her.

"I-I always... I always hear her p-painful cries and u-up until now, it s-still haunts me. Her agony, her anguishes, t-the torture she's going through... all of it and I only did n-nothing but watch her s-suffer. W-Wala akong magawa n-nung mga time na 'yan Ryu, walang wala."

"I understand you Brielle," because I know the feeling. "We really can't avoid such points in life that we can do nothing at times when we feel it is a huge obligation for us. And knowing Aria, she wouldn't want you to feel that way, Brielle. She wouldn't want to let you feel the guilt because of her."

And I know deep down Aria's heart and mind, she knows that she can survive this suffering. Why? Because there are many people who are waiting for her, believing in her.

'Cause I do too...