Short Stories

ALWAYS REMEMBER ME, OKAY?

"Goodmorning, Daddy!" Pagbati ko kay Dad as I sat in the chair beside him.

"Goodmorning, Zeina." Tipid na sagot nito while working on his laptop.

Busy nanaman si Daddy...

Habang kumakain ng almusal, I can't shrug-off the feeling that Daddy was worried about something. He's usually very lively during mornings, especially if nakainom na siya ng kape niya. Pero iba siya ngayon, he's really tense.

"Ummm... Daddy, okay lang po ba kayo?" Diretsong tanong ko sa kanya. I'm not the type of person who doesn't like knowing.

"I'm okay, anak. I'm just stressed with work."

"Don't lie to me, Dad. Why do you look worried today?" Pangungulit ko sa kanya.

I don't like it when Dad keeps secrets.

"Fine..." He sighed, giving in.

"Mr. Vergara... he called me a while ago, about your—" Panimula niyang sinabi, but before he can even continue what he was going to say, alam ko na what it's about.

"Anong balita niya about Mom? Did he find her? Nakita na ba niya si Mommy?" Sunod-sunod kong tanong as I got more eager to know kung ano nang balita sa Mommy ko.

"He did..."

As he said those words, I felt my world stop.

Finally.

Finally, nahanap na namin si Mommy. I will have a Mom again.

And just like that, I felt my life was complete.

Pero kung gaano kabilis nabuo ang buhay ko ulit, ganoon rin kabilis nawasak ito dahil sa mga susunod na sinabi sa akin ni Daddy.

"Mr. Vergara did find her, Zeina. But the thing is, she's in the hospital." What? Anong ibig sabihin nito? "She doesn't..."

"She doesn't what? Daddy, she doesn't what?"

"She doesn't remember anything. Base daw sa mga sinabi ng mga doktor, may amnesia daw siya."

Walang maalala Mommy ko? Does this mean na hindi niya ko maalala? No... no... hindi pwede, my Mom will always remember me, pinangako niya sa'kin 'yon.

"Let's go, Dad."

"What do you mean, anak?" Tanong ni Daddy sa akin.

"Puntahan natin siya. I need to see her. I need to confirm if totoo yung sinasabi ni Mr. Vergara." I replied, whilst standing up to get ready.

~*~

This is it.

Five years, five years that I haven't seen my Mom. Finally, makikita ko na siya. I should be happy, right? Dapat masaya ako, 'di ba? But the knowledge of her possibly not remembering me anymore, makes me sad, makes me regret everything I told her when she left.

As I was in deep thought, 'di ko napansin that I was crying na pala. Kung hindi lang ako niyakap ni Daddy, I would still be oblivious with my state.

"Daddy, maaalala naman ako siguro ni Mommy, 'di ba? She'll still remember me, right?" I asked Dad. I need the assurance na may posibelidad na maaalala pa rin ako ng Mommy ko. But with his silence, alam ko na kung anong iniisip niya.

"I shouldn't have said those things to her, Dad. I shouldn't have pushed her away..."

"Look, Zeina," tawag niya kaya naman napalingon ako. "It's not your fault, anak. 'Di mo rin naman gusto na mangyari 'toh..."