See You Tomorrow, Yuki (EDITING)

TWENTY-THREE

Pilit idinidilat ni Yuki ang mga mata habang inuunat ang mga braso't binti niya. Tamad siyang naupo saka pumikit ulit nang ilang segundo. Sumingit pa siya ng hikab bago tuluyang tumayo para hawiin ang kurtina.

"What the... what's this? Did I drool?!" pasigaw niyang tanong nang masalamin ang sarili sa bintana, saka pinunasan ang mukha gamit ang puting damit na suot. Ipinahid niya pa sa short ang kamay pagkatapos.

Sa tunog ng phone niya, mabilis na nagtungo pabalik si Yuki sa kama. Sa gilid ng unan niya nakalagay ang phone. Naubos na ang battery nito kahit pa pinatay niya ito mula pa kagabi.

"Yuki," bungad ni Hakim matapos kumatok.

"Hmm?" sagot naman ni Yuki habang chinacharge ang phone.

"Wala kang sched ngayong araw?"

"For at least three months, yes. Bali by February next year pa ang resume ng rehearsal namin," sagot niyang muli at lumabas na mula sa kwarto. "To work?"

"Hindi. Dadalawin ko ang parents namin ng mama mo. Isang buwan pa bago ako makauuwi."

"Ah, that's why you asked for my schedule? You can go, I can manage here alone. It's not like you're always here anyway."

Sumunod si Hakim kay Yuki pababa sa first floor. Doon, sinalubong ni Aki ang amo niya nang malambing na tahol at tumakbo para yumakap kay Yuki.

"My love... nakatulog ka ba nang maayos?" Yuki asked in a sweet tone. "Ah, pano 'yung ospital?"

"I've taken care of everything. Yuki, gusto mo bang sumama? It's about time you met them again, diba?" seryosong tanong ni Hakim na iniwasan ni Yuki.

She hurried to the fridge and grabbed some water to drink. Halos maubos niya ang isang litrong tubig habang namumula ang mukha. Nang mabuhos sa kaniya ang tubig, hinagis niya sa salamin ng kusina ang plastic bottle na may kaunti pang laman. It was hard enough to break it.

"That just ruined my morning," she told him, followed by heavy breathing.

Hakim sat her down quite aggressively. Hindi natuwa rito si Aki at tinahulan siya. Binuhat naman ni Yuki ang alaga habang inaayos ang upo. Sa tapat niya pumwesto si Hakim.

"Forgive them already. Namatayan sila ng anak kaya nila nagawa 'yun sa'yo."

"How about me then? Namatayan at nawalan din ako. Did you ever hear me curse at them? Sinisi ko ba sila? Did I call them a bitch in front of everyone in the hospital? You know I endured their ill treatment towards me, Tito. Hindi pa ba sapat 'yun? Kailangan ko pang pilitin 'yung sarili ko na magpatawad?"

"I'm not trying to invalidate your feelings—"

"YOU ARE!" she yelled, gazing at him angrily. "That reporter who exposed my illness to the public, I know it's them who gave him the information. There's no way a doctor like you would disclose a patient's records after all. Lalo na't pamilya mo ako. Hindi ba?"

"Pero hindi nila pinaalam ang nangyari sa parents mo."

Nagpakawala ng tawa si Yuki. She was just testing him, but he's caught in the trap. Pinunasan pa ng dalaga ang gilid ng kanan niyang mata at inalis ang kaunting luha mula rito.

"So, you really knew about it?"

"Ano?" alangang tanong ni Hakim.

"When that reporter was trying to get my story, you told me that you banned him from the hospital at wala siyang nalaman na kahit ano. But I woke up the next day to the article he made about me. Alam mo kung anong unang pumasok sa isip ko no'n? You wouldn't betray me, so your parents probably told him. And you just confirmed it."