I sat on my bed. It was past 10 o'clock in the evening. I moved to the window and stood there just admiring the dark, starry sky. The breeze was still, silent.
Later on, a strong gust of wind filled my room leaving some of my things in a mess. I placed the things back to where they were from. There was something that caught my eye when I placed back an old notebook. Scanning through its pages, I found an old photograph of me and Veronica pasted on a page with a "Sept. 17. 21:30 pm" written on the bottom.
I started to gather memories of that night. It was her birthday. The party ended. We stayed up late and hung out in her backyard. We usually did that... just lay down on the green grass, stare up at the evening sky, and forget that problems existed. We would talk about everything.
Veronica was my childhood bestfriend. And as we grew up, I developed stong feelings for her. I love her more than a best friend. Our bonds couldn't be severed easily. However, one tragic event ruined it all.
~
It was 2 years ago. Veronica, Owy, and I were playing video games at home.
"Owy!!! Andaya mo!" Veronica exclaimed when Owy, my brother, pressed random buttons from her controller.
"Owy..." I said to him as well. He laughed.
I gave him an icy stare.
"Sorry na!" He said.
"Bakit sa akin ka nag-sosorry?" I said with sarcasm.
He turned to Veronica. He tried to say sorry but she was giving him the cold shoulder.
"Ate Ver..." He said. Still, no reply from Veronica. "Ah.. ganon? Sige."
He tickled Veronica's sides making her let out a cute squeal. She then laughed.
"Sorry na!!!" Owy said with a pout.
"I forgive you." Pinching his cheeks, she replied.
We continued on playing video games.
"I have to go." Looking at her wristwatch, Veronica said.
"It's only 3 o'clock. Kailangan mo na bang umalis ?" I asked.
"Kasasabi lang diba? Basta... aalis na ako." She replied while standing up.
I stood as well and grabbed her wrist, pulling her close to me. We stayed in that position for a few moments which felt like hours. We dared not to say a word-- we just lingered there.
"I have to go." She said, pushing me lightly. "Kailangan ako ni mommy sa office niya. She needs help in stacking some files."
"Sige." Letting her go, I said. "Tawagan mo ako pagdating mo sa office niya... okay?"
"Sure... Bye!"
After a few hours, I haven't received a call from her. Not even a single text. I started to worry. She has always been true to her words.
A faint crying caught my attention. It was just my brother. He ran up to me. I then caught a look in his eyes-- it was filled with sheer sadness.
"Kuya..."
"Ano, Owy?"
"Si... Si Ate..." He started to stammer could it be that something happened to her? No. I don't think so.
"Anong nangyari kay Veronica?" I asked sounding concerned.
"She's confined in the hospital. She ---"
I didn't let him continue. The thought of her neing in the hospital was too much to bear. I felt adrenaline surged in my body. I started to run towards the garage. I ordered our driver to take me to the hospital.
As I arrived, I asked the lady in the front desk where Veronica's room was. She said that Ver was still in the Emergency Room. I immediately ran onto the ER. Seeing Ver's mother cry was a painful sight to see. I hugged her and comforted her--telling her that everything will be alright.
We waited outside.
"Tita, ano nga ba ang nangyari?" Respectfully, I asked her.
She took a deep breath.
"She was about to cross the street when a speeding car ran her over." She tried to contain her tears.
From the outside, we watched the surgeons operate on Veronica. After quite some time, the doctors stopped the process. I took a glimpse at the machine where you could tell if the person's alive or not through their heartbeats. There was a straight line. The doctors shook their heads in disappointment.
I knew what's gonna happen next. She'll be gone.
I started to walk around. I punched walls, cursed, and of course...cried.
"Bakit siya pa? Bakit ngayon pa? Ako nalang sana ang nawala!"
I saw Ver's mom crying while talking to the doctor. The doctor did his best to comfort tita.
"I never got the chance to say goodbye. I never got the chance to tell her that I love her." I said to myself.
~
Going back to reality, a tear started to form in my eyes. I wiped it away. I placed back the photograph in the old notebook then went to bed.
Indeed, it was a lonely night.
