Almost Isolated

Chapter 37 - Remembering and Forgetting

The office of the acting CEO of the Aquino Group of Companies was on the fifth floor of the Golden Lotus Mall. Robbie told Neri, he will guide her to his father. But as she waited in line along with the other consumers at the main entrance of the mall, a sleek, black Ford came rolling from the parking area.

"That's his car," Robbie said. "We should follow -!"

A tricycle was passing through, Neri immediately raised her hand to hail it. Soon, she and her invisible companion was tailing the black car.

"Where could he be going?" Robbie muttered then his forehead creased. "Is today the seventh of May?"

"Yes, today is May seven." Neri had put on her earphones to make herself appear... at least to the tricycle driver, that she was talking to someone over her phone.

"Mom's birthday. I know where dad's going."

"You are really starting to remember, Robbie."

They tailed Marcelo Aquino's Ford as it drove outside Lucena city proper. When the car finally entered Serenity Cemetery, Robbie told Neri that they should walk from the gate.

There were some wild flowers and a red rose's bed along the cemetery gate. Neri picked a few, thinking she could put it on the grave of Robbie's mother.

Besides the security guard and a caretaker, the whole place was almost empty. Neri's ghost companion had suddenly disappeared; fortunately, Neri saw Marcelo Aquino ahead, walking between white tombs as Robbie's father carried a bouquet of flowers.

"I miss you, I miss him too." Marcelo had almost the same, deep baritone voice like Robbie but a lot rusty.

The man was in his senior years, over sixty. He had the same built as Robbie - tall and lean, but a lot sophisticated, looking much like a gentleman in his white long sleeves, rolled up to his elbows and beige trousers. His hair was white and thinning. He had a stern face. Neri guessed Robbie got his gentle looks from his late mother.

Marcelo seemed engrossed talking to his wife's marbled tomb; he didn't notice Neri walked to a grave opposite him. They stood back to back, almost five meters apart. She could hear him perfectly.

"My private investigator has still no lead. I'm thinking of hiring a new one." As Neri held on to her flowers, Robbie's father placed his bouquet on top of the vault. "I don't think that our son killed his friend. He had no reason to do it and he wasn't capable. Our Tobias is a good man.

Even after, I'd shamed him countlessly, to be a better business man, ruthless and bold to our employees and competitors, he couldn't have the heart of a tyrant... least a murderer."

Marcelo barked a lonesome laughed. "He was like his great grandfather John. You know I heard so much about grandfather's friend Julian, as well. His guts during World War 1. I wanted Tobias to know more about Julian. To learn something from his great grandfather's bestfriend -"

Julian? World War 1?

"Yes, he is the same Julian we know," Robbie said.

Neri almost jumped. She didn't realize that he was standing beside her.

Robbie was facing Marcelo Aquino whose back still turned from them.

"My grandfather and I was named after my great grandfather, Tobias. But I remember now that 'John' was my great grandfather's nick name."

He continued, "My father was a hard man. He was a perfectionist. He saw my compassion and my fair decisions as cowardice and weakness. He'd known about Julian Jones,  how he survived the war. He thought Julian was more courageous and daring unlike great grandfather."

After Marcelo left, Neri had managed to place her flowers on the tomb. She read her name on the tombstone: Theresa Aquino.

"Your mom is definitely proud of you in heaven," Neri said. "Your father too. I think he just doesn't want to admit it."

Robbie seemed not interested. He had a scowl on his face as if concentrating with something else. "Neri, I think that's the reason I ended up in Julian's house. To meet him."

"But you didn't see him straight away in that house, the first time we met, correct?"

Robbie's brows met. Puzzled. "We met in Julian's house?"

"Sure, don't you remember? I just came in from the store. It was raining when I heard you from inside the house. You sounded terrified -"

The ghost looking confused as ever, shook his head. "I - I don't remember..."

~oOo~

Nimfa called Neri that evening, checking on her. Her sister didn't mention about Jade. Neri figured her sister finally gave up bringing them back together. After talking about her nephews, Nimfa bid her a great day, forgetting that it was nighttime in the Philippines.

Neri thought she would call it a day when Robbie suddenly showed up with a request.

"You want me to write you a letter?"

Robbie nodded; his dark eyes gloomy as his gaze dropped on the sheet of paper in front of Neri. Since her ghost boyfriend began to remember things, his smiles had become scant like the world was going to end.

"What's going on -?"

"Dear Tobias," he told her.

"If you'd received this letter, I'm happy that you'd awaken, alive and well -"

Robbie had that annoying, offending tone; Neri gave out a sigh, keeping her own irritation to herself. She jot Robbie's dictation hurriedly before he could continue.

"This is not your handwriting because I had someone to write it for you. You were incapacitated. You had been attacked that brought you into a coma."

Robbie's next words had clung to Neri's heart that her eyes began to sting.

"I wrote to you, to tell you that you'd been in love during your sleep. You may think of her as a dream but she's real. And she's still here for you. Her name is Mary Nerisse Beltran. You call her Neri and she calls you Robbie.

You love her very much and she's in love with you. Don't keep her waiting. I am actually you, Toby."

Neri met Robbie's eyes as she wrote his final words. His deep sincerity and the aching in his tone was evident; she casually wiped her tears.

"I'll look for an envelope. Where do I address this letter?"

"To my office at..." Robbie hesitated. "I'm not sure where... Let's send it to my father's office at the Golden Lotus Mall."

Neri felt her heart heavy. Why would Robbie write himself a letter? Was he going to forget her?

"I visited my body the other night while you were sleeping," Robbie said. "Nurse Marlyn was there, talking to my comatose body. She told me that my vitals are getting better and any moment, I'll wake up soon."

"That... That's good news -"

"She also told me that whatever I'm dreaming or wherever I am, I'll come back to the real world and woke up from my dream." Robbie's lips twitch into a little smile, his dark eyes still sad. "After that conversation of ours... about our first meeting, I began to realize that I'm starting to forget some other details, too. All those encounters in the Jones' house, our adventures in the city are starting to blur... Like they had only been part of a dream. I am becoming anxious that you'll turn as a dream as well."

Robbie's hand moved over hers and Neri felt a gentle breeze. "If I'm going to wake up soon, I don't want to ever forget you and my feelings for you."

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A few more chapters to go. Please, click on the star and don't forget to leave comments, thank you :)

- Maylen