One Night, Unexpectedly

64

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"Julia—"

"Jia na lang nga para hindi ka mahirapan." Sabi ko kasi ang hilig niya akong tawagin sa buo kong pangalan.

"Mas maganda kasi 'yung buo." Bea said in a low tone.

"Fine, ikaw na bahala kung ano ang gusto mo." I said while playfully rolling my eyes on her. "Bakit mo nga pala ako sinolo?"

Bea stopped walking and looked at me, "Ayaw mo ba?"

Mahina ko siyang tinulak sa braso and then we resumed walking, "Nagtatanong lang ako."

"I needed somebody to talk to and you are the first person who came into my mind." Bea said and deeply sighed. Pinagmasdan ko siya at parang malalim ang kanyang iniisip. "Ang daming sumasagi sa isipan ko ngayon. Things that I can't divulge."

"Like what?" I asked while not looking at her. Nakakita ako ng bench at nagpasyang ayain siya na umupo doon, "Upo muna tayo dito. Kanina pa tayo naglalakad."

We sat right next to each other with shoulders nearly stuck together. This is the closest we've ever been since that fateful day. Pinipigilan kong hawakan ang kanyang kamay kahit gusto ko. I'm afraid of losing control of my feelings once we touch.

Ilang segundo kaming nanatiling tahimik bago siya nagsalita muli, "Jho and then this..." She shows me the engagement ring, "Hindi ko pa rin masabi kung sino nagbigay nito."

"Sino sa tingin mo nagbigay niyan?" I asked.

"I can't tell." Bea frowned and looked at ahead. "Hindi si Jho ang nagbigay nito. Oo, hindi nga siya."

Hindi ko alam ang sasabihin sa kanya. Hindi ko alam kung manenerbyos ba ako o mananatiling kalmado.

"Julia, something must have happened after the accident." She said and I see her breathing in and out. Tila nahihirapan siyang i-process ang mga gumugulo sa isipan niya. "6 years and a half na since the accident. I wonder what I did after. Sabi nila na hindi ko maalala si Jho after getting out of coma. She had repeated attempts of making me remember but she failed that's why she left for good. Meaning, she regretted leaving me and tried taking me back but I had amnesia already."

"Was it because of trauma?"

"Yes, sabi nila and my life went normally. 'Yun ang kwento nila sa akin." Bea sighed and peeks at my ring finger, "We have the same ring. Weird."

"Nagkataon lang siguro na pareho tayo." Palusot ko at ngumiti. "Baka naman binili mo 'yan somewhere tapos hindi mo maalala?"

Bea chuckled and scratched her nape, "Possible."

"It's Christmas tomorrow." I changed the topic to lighten up our atmosphere, "What are you planning to get? Like, for yourself?"

"I don't know yet." Bea answered and looked at her necklace. She noticed mine was the same as hers, "Pati sa necklace magkapareho tayo. Haha! Okay, this is getting funny."

"Weird isn't it?" I showed my necklace, "My fiancée gave me this on NYE last year in New York. We weren't together pa no'n tapos doon kami tumira for six months dahil sa trabaho."