Ci Vediamo

07

C H A P T E R 7

CAVI STUMBLED INTO his apartment, barely able to keep his eyes open. He collapsed onto the couch, feeling completely drained. The only thing on his mind was sleep, but then his phone rang, jolting him awake.

He squinted at the screen, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw it was his sister Stacy. But the look on her face when she appeared on the screen was even more unsettling.

"Kuya..." she said, her voice shaking. "Mom's gone."

Cavi felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "What? What do you mean she's gone?"

Stacy's words came in a flood, and Cavi struggled to keep up. Their mother had been sick, but nobody had expected her to die so suddenly. Cavi's mind raced as he tried to comprehend what had happened.

"Why didn't anyone tell me she was getting worse?" he demanded, feeling a surge of anger mixed with his grief.

Stacy's face crumpled, and her voice broke. "I didn't want to worry you, kuya. I didn't think it would happen so fast."

Cavi's fists clenched, and he fought to hold back tears. "How could you keep this from me Stacy?"

The conversation continued, each sibling's emotions rising and falling like a tumultuous wave. Cavi couldn't believe his mother was gone, and he couldn't believe that Stacy had kept the truth from him. In that moment, he felt utterly alone in the world.

As he hung up the phone, he realized that his life would never be the same. The loss of his mother was a devastating blow, one that he would never fully recover from. But in that moment, all he could do was sit in the dark and mourn, his heart heavy with the weight of a world that would never be quite as bright or as beautiful again.

As he wept heavily, Matt approached and saw the tears streaming down his face. Without hesitation, Matt gently took hold of Cavi's face and pulled him close. Overwhelmed with emotion, Cavi embraced Matt tightly, and his tears continued to flow.

"What's wrong? I thought you were in the hospital?" Matt asked, concerned. "I'm sorry for not being with you, I tried to come but Denice followed me so I had no choice but to go with her," he explained.

"DENICE AGAIN?" Cavi yelled, pulling away from Matt's embrace. "You always have an excuse to be with her!"

"That's not true, Cav. I have work, and Denice is my colleague. You know that," Matt replied, trying to calm Cavi down.

"Are you kidding me? Bakit hindi mo nalang ako diretsuhin, sabihin mo nalang na gusto mong makasama si Denice."

"Cav. I had to go with Denice because we had an important project to discuss, not because I want to be with her." Matt explained.

Cavi was hurt and angry. "Important project, my ass! You could've told her no, Matt. You could've chosen me! kahit ngayon lang."

"You know what, Cavi? I'm tired of explaining myself to you. I'm tired of always having to defend myself against your accusations," Matt snapped back.

"Defend yourself? You're the one who's always making excuses for your actions!" Cavi retorted.

"Excuses? What excuses?"

"You always have a reason for being with Denice. You always have a justification for not being with me. And it hurts, Matt. It hurts so much," Cavi said, tears streaming down his face again.

"Of course it hurts, Cavi. But can't you see that I'm trying? I'm trying to make this work between us, but you always seem to find fault with everything I do," Matt said, frustration evident in his voice.

"Trying? Trying? Is that what you call it? You call leaving me in the hospital trying?" Cavi shouted.

"I didn't leave you, Cavi. I wanted to be there with you, but I had to go with Denice," Matt replied.

"I'm sick and tired of all your excuses. I need someone who will have my back, not someone who always has a reason for everything."

Matt felt the sting of Cavi's words. Hurt and angry, he lashed back, "Fine then! Maybe you're right. We're just not meant to be together." Matt's voice trembled as he spoke, and he couldn't hide the tears that welled up in his eyes. "I'm sorry that I'm not good enough for you, that I can't give you everything you want like your money can. I'm sorry for always prioritizing my work over you. And I'm sorry, kasi kailangan kong magtrabaho para mabigay ko yung mga pangangailangan ko."

With that, Matt stormed out of the room, feeling wounded and crushed..

As Matt walked out the door, Cavi collapsed onto the couch, his body racked with sobs. The pain of losing his mother had been unbearable enough, but now the love of his life had left him too. It felt like the universe was conspiring against him, like he was destined to suffer for eternity. He clutched his chest, trying to will the ache away, but it only intensified with each passing moment.

' How could he abandon me when I needed him the most? How could he leave me alone with grief and despair? '

As he sat there in the darkness, tears streaming down his face, Cavi realized that he had lost everything that had ever mattered to him. His mother, his lover, his sense of self - they were all gone, leaving him adrift in a sea of anguish. He wondered if he would ever be able to find his way back to shore, if he would ever be able to heal the wounds that had been inflicted upon him. But for now, all he could do was cry and pray that someday the pain would lessen and he would find a reason to go on.