A Presidential Affair [feat. LNRS]

(Ch 9) Fixing A Broken Heart

After a month of physiotherapy and through her resilience, Luchie was able to mobilize as normal once again. She's been allowed to go home apart from she had to go to the hospital for bi-monthly check-ups to make sure she was on track to getting better.

Before they were discharged, Dra Valderama spoke to the youngest of the Raymundo children, "Miss Fiore, baka pwede kitang makausap sandali?"

"Sure, doc. What is it? Ayos lang naman ang results ng lab ni mama di ba?"

"Yes. In fact, they are the best I've seen during her stay here at the hospital, which brings me to my topic of concern. Miss Fiore, your mother is fine. She's in the best shape possible. And I don't know how to explain to you what happened in the past months, but her heart is doing well now. The last resort I can come up with may sound a bit ridiculous to you, but she may have had suffered through what we call a 'broken-heart syndrome'."

"Doc, is that even possible? And is it a real diagnosis? Because yes, I mean, yes, it definitely sounds absurd."

"Let me explain, the medical term for it Takotsubo cardiomyopathy wherein the muscle of the heart becomes suddenly stunned or weakened. It mostly occurs following severe emotional or physical stress. Honestly, it's not unusual, we've seen this a lot with older people, especially for those with spouses or partners who've suddenly passed na matagal nilang nakarelasyon or nakasama sa buhay. May nangyari ba prior to her accident na you think might have triggered it?"

"Sa totoo lang po, doc, hindi ko rin kasi alam at hindi ko alam if masasagot din ba 'yan ni mama sa ngayon. Pero salamat naman at ayos naman na siya. If anything, ano bang pwede naming gawin para hindi na po maulit 'yun?"

"Less stress, less emotional strain. Iiwas n'yo lang muna siya from feeling intense emotions. Matatag naman ang mama mo, Miss Fiore. Sana lang malaman n'yo rin siguro 'yung trigger n'ya so that you can avoid it. Plus, knowing what triggered her might be the key to finding out why the accident took place to begin with. Sorry ha? My colleagues and I have talked about this and have kind of concluded na baka mas nauna munang naexperience ni madam Luchie 'yung symptoms ng BHS leading to the accident. The symptoms are very similar to what a heart attack could be like, hindi malabong nagpanic s'ya while driving."

"Thank you, doc. Thank you for telling me this. At least we have a start on as to how we could help mama. Maraming salamat," Fiore said as she held the doctor's hand.

The doctor squeezed hers in return, "my pleasure. By the way, I have to go. I have to see other patients."

"Sige po. Salamat ulit."

•••

"Tita A, can we please talk po?" Fiore said as she approached the older lady who was folding some of her mother's clothes in the latter's bedroom. Luchie was downstairs watching news on the television.

"Yes, anak, ano iyon? Inaayos ko lang itong mga damit ng mama mo from her stay at the hospital. I've washed them and put them through the dryer earlier while you were out."

"Alam ko pong sa inyo galing si mama nu'ng araw ng aksidente n'ya. Ano po bang nangyari nu'ng araw na 'yon? Sabi po kasi ni Dra. Valderama nu'ng isang araw na madischarge si mama, she might've suffered from Takotsubo cardiomyopathy leading to the accident, or what they call a broken heart syndrome. Tita A, you're the only one who could answer my questions. Hindi naaalala ni mama kung anuman po ang mga nangyari prior to the accident. Sabi pa ni doktora, the symptoms of what mama might have gone through could've been similar to that of a heart attack kaya po baka nagpanic din si mama."

Drey stopped folding and sat on the bed and asked Fiore to take the space beside her, "Fiore, anak, I am so sorry. I am so sorry na I might have been the reason why you almost lost your mom. Anak, I immediately regretted my decision of asking her na h'wag na ulit magpapakita sa farm nu'ng tawagan mo ako. I still blame myself for it everyday. I wish I could've just told her na mahal ko pa rin siya," Drey sobbed, "that I wish maibalik pa namin ang lahat sa dati. Kasalanan ko dahil nagmatigas ako. Mas pinili kong paalisin siya. Napag-usapan namin ang tungkol kay Arlo and she was more than happy to accept him. She was eager to make things right by him, by me. She wanted for us, for Arlo to have a complete family. She wanted to start over again. Mahal na mahal ko pa rin ang mama mo, Fiore. Sobra. At nagsisisi akong hindi ko sinabi lahat ng ito sa kanya."

Fiore gave the older lady a hug. She felt sorry for her. She couldn't blame her for whatever happened. She didn't want the accident to happen to Lucianne either.

Unbeknownst to them, Luchie heard the whole conversation and was confused as all hell. Suddenly, she had instant flashbacks, jumbled flashbacks of different occasions and scenarios that gave her a massive headache. She decided to shake it off to no avail then decided to quietly head downstairs and grabbed herself some Ibuprofen and a tall glass of water.

In her mind, questions ran at eighty miles per hour.

What was her relationship with Adrianne? What transpired for her to have a relationship with Adrianne?

Arlo's also her son? Does Arlo even know she's his mother? How in the world was that even possible?

She fell in love with someone else other than her husband? What was she thinking?

Has she always been gay? Is she even really gay?

What did the Buenavista kids think? What did her children think?

What did people say about it?

What would have been Bok's reaction? What would have been Frank's?

With all these questions in mind, Luchie absentmindedly smacked the glass she was holding onto the kitchen counter. It shattered, with one piece of the broken glass cutting open her palm.

The commotion downstairs startled Fiore and Drey, they rushed to get to Luchie. As they got to the scene, there's blood everywhere and Luchie was stunned staring at the broken glass that she has in hand.

"Ga, are you okay? My goodness, what happened?" Drey worriedly asked Luchie as she held the latter's hand.

"It's fine, Addie. Maliit na sugat lang. Medyo naging clumsy lang ako," Luchie replied coldly as she took her hand back, "malayo sa bituka. Hugasan ko na lang. And Fiore, can you please bandage it for me?"

"Of course, ma," Fiore replied, also worried about her mother, "ayos ka lang ba talaga, ma?"

"No, I've got this massive headache from jumbled events flashing in front of me moments ago. Wala pa rin akong maalala ng maayos. Sumakit lang ang ulo ko."

"Ma, let's not force it, okay? Your memories will come back. Perhaps, when you're ready and healed," Fiore said as she cleaned and gauzed her mother's hand, "there. All patched up."

"Salamat, anak," Luchie smiled at Fiore before facing Drey who was behind them cleaning the mess in the kitchen, "pasensya ka na, Addie. Hayaan mong si manang na ang maglinis d'yan, baka mapaano ka pa."

"It's alright, Lucianne. I got it. I'm almost done here naman na," as she said this, Drey nicked herself with a small piece of glass causing her to wince in pain.

Luchie immediately stood up and aided her, "ang kulit mo naman kasi. Halika, gamutin natin ang sugat mo."

"Thank you, 'ga and sorry," Drey said as she followed Luchie.

To Luchie it relayed as if Drey was sorry for not listening to her, but it didn't escape Fiore that Drey's apology was more sincere and in depth than it may have seemed.