Ci Vediamo

06

C H A P T E R  6

CAVI FOCUSED ON his work, typing away on his laptop when his phone rang. He recognized his sister Stacy's number and answered, expecting the usual chit-chat. But the words that came out of Stacy's mouth sent chills down his spine.

"Kuya, it's Mom. She had a stroke and she's been rushed to the hospital," Stacy blurted out in a panic.

Cavi's heart skipped a beat. He could feel his palms getting clammy as he tried to process the news. "What? Is she okay? Where is she?" he asked frantically.

"I'm on my way to the hospital now. I'll send you the location. Can you come?" Stacy's voice trembled.

"Of course, I'll be there as soon as I can," Cavi replied before hanging up, leaving his work unfinished. He didn't even bother to say goodbye to his boss. His mind was racing with worry and fear as he rushed out of the office.

When he arrived at the hospital, he saw Stacy and Jiro waiting outside their mother's room. His heart sank at the sight of his little brother Jiro, who looked like a complete wreck.

Cavi rushed towards them, and Stacy quickly hugged him.

"Where's Mom?" Cavi asked, freaking out.

"Kuya, you can't go in there," Stacy said, blocking his path when Cavi tried to enter the room where their mother was.

"What do you mean, I can't go in there? What happened?!" Cavi demanded, getting heated.

Jiro was bawling his eyes out, and he clung to Cavi like a lifeline. "I….I didn't mean to push Mom, and I didn't know it would make her fall down the stairs," Jiro wailed. "And I didn't mean to be a jerk to her, I swear."

Cavi saw red. "You've gotta be freaking kidding me, Jiro?! You pushed Mom down the stairs?!" he roared, feeling like he was about to lose it.

"But she's partly to blame, bro. She's always riding me like I can't do anything right," Jiro shot back, defending himself. Cavi couldn't believe what he was hearing. He pushed Jiro away, giving him a look that could kill. How could Jiro still blame Mom for this?

"Oh anong problema don? Totoo naman diba?!" Cavi's anger not cooling down.

Jiro's face changed right away, replaced by annoyance. He smirked before responding. "Pati ba naman ikaw? Lumayo ka lang ang lakas na ng loob mong magyabang. E halos wala naman tayong pinagkaiba. We both wanna get out of this crappy life! You left for the same reason, didn't you?"

"And ain't you ashamed of yourself? Your boyfriend's a freakin' homo-" he didn't finish his sentence because Cavi smacked him hard across the cheek, causing him to stumble. 

Stacy stepped in, trying to calm things down. "Guys, please. Can we just take a breath and talk this out?"

"Don't you ever bring Matt into this, Jiro. And don't forget, we're nothing alike. I didn't move in with Matt just to kick it. I work my butt off to make Mom proud of me. Eh ikaw? You're nothing but a leech. And all the money that you waste sa mga babae at bisyo mo, where's it coming from? Mom and Dad's bank account, right? So tell us, who's the one who should be ashamed?" Cavi shouted, seething with anger. Jiro looked at him with fury in his eyes before storming off.

"ENOUGH, YOU GUYS! MOM'S ALREADY BEEN HURT, AND YOU'RE STILL ACTING LIKE A COUPLE OF IDIOTS?!" Stacy yelled, fed up with their behavior. And Jiro glared at Cavi before walking away.

THE ONCE BUSTLING waiting room fell silent as Cavi and Stacy anxiously awaited news about their mother's condition. After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor emerged from the room and delivered a devastating update - their mother had suffered a heart attack due to extreme stress, compounded by a fall down the stairs. The doctor was unable to provide a prognosis, and it was unclear if their mother would ever regain consciousness.

Cavi and Stacy made their way to their mother's room, where Cavi settled in for a vigil by her bedside, holding her hand and willing her to pull through. But before he could even get comfortable, Stacy spoke up.

"Kuya, kuya Matt has been trying to get in touch with you. He's been calling and texting me non-stop."

Cavi, his mind consumed with worry, barely registered her words. He absently nodded and stepped outside to call Matt. But as he fished his phone out of his pocket, he was bombarded with a flurry of missed calls and frantic texts.

"Where are you, Cav? What's going on? Are you okay?" Matt's voice was laced with concern.

"I'm at the hospital," Cavi replied, his tone flat.

"What? Why? What happened? Are you hurt?" Matt's voice rose in panic.

Cavi sighed, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. "I'll send you the location," he said before ending the call and forwarding the hospital's address.

With a heavy heart, Cavi made his way back to his mother's room, where he settled in for the long, uncertain wait ahead.

An hour had passed since Stacy had requested food, and Cavi knew that he had to leave the hospital to get some for her. As he walked out, he noticed Matt, and the thought of embracing him filled him with warmth until Denice came into view. His heart sank at the sight of the two of them together. 

Cavi couldn't help but overthink the situation. Why was Matt with Denice? His mind raced with possibilities, and he couldn't shake off the feeling of hurt and loneliness. He wanted Matt by his side, but he knew he couldn't force him to stay. 

He called Matt, hoping to hear his voice, and Matt answered quickly. "Where are you?"

Matt took a while to answer. He was eager to visit Cavi, but he was concerned because he was still required at work. He attempted to request a leave from his boss and even made an effort to leave the office. He was almost successful in reaching the hospital, but Denice followed him and caught him. As a result, he had no choice but to remain at work. 

"I'll be waiting for you at home." Matt responded with a tinge of guilt.

And Cavi hung up, feeling a sharp pain in his chest. He didn't want to think about what was going on between Matt and Denice, but he couldn't help it. 

Cavi returned to the room with the food, and he and Stacy ate in silence. As they finished, Stacy noticed the exhaustion etched on Cavi's face and suggested he go home and rest. Cavi tried to stay, but Stacy insisted, and he eventually gave in, feeling defeated. 

As he walked, Cavi couldn't help but feel like he was losing the person he loved. He knew he had to focus on her mother, but the ache in his heart wouldn't go away. Matt was the one person he wanted to lean on, but he couldn't. He was alone, and hurt. The agony he felt was almost too much to bear.