As The Sun Rises

Chapter 6 - The Foreigner

Seeing the foreigner sad, I felt pity. 'Bat nga ba? I mean, i-imagine mo, may childhood friend ka na matagal mo nang gusto makita tas biglang hindi ka na pala niya naaalala. 'Di ba masakit? I can feel that pain.

I moved my attention to Sunshine's face.

Upon seeing her expression, she was so obvious that you could instantly tell that she's having a memory crisis inside her brain, like she's trying to find even just a single memory she had with this foreigner.

I then looked at that foreigner again. I could see her lips slightly smile.

"I'm your cousin that moved to Canada 'cause of your tita Angie-my mom's work. Does that ring a bell?"

Sabi nung foreigner with a soft tone while she was smiling slightly and you could see care in her cold green eyes.

Shine had a meron-ba-'kong-pinsan-na-ganun look, na pati ako napaisip din kung sino talaga siya. I mean... I've been with Shine since forever, so sure ako na baka kilala ko rin siya.

I also tried to think if nakilala ko na siya before, kaso wala talaga akong memory na may nakasama na 'kong batang foreigner na kamukha niya.

"I visited you a lot nung na-admit ka sa hospital when we were kids."

The foreigner added, still having the same expression.

Oh... Oo nga pala. Na-ospital nga pala siya dati. Kaya naman pala 'di ko rin kilala. Naka ilang dalaw lang ako nu'n kasi I had school that time.

"Hmm..."

Mukhang ang lalim na talaga nang iniisip ni Shine, ah?

"....Do you still not remember?"

Tanong nung foreigner as she tilted her head and her smile also faded.

"Yeah... Well... I remember someone who always played with me there, but... she doesn't look like you...maybe you've mistaken me for someone else..?"

Sunshine said with a sorry face. But the foreigner suddenly laughed. Is she okay? Nababaliw na ba siya? Nagulat ako dun ah.

She laughed for a few seconds, and then finally stopped.

"Haha... sorry... ha...whoo!"

She had a tear on her face dahil sa kakatawa. She wiped it and gazed at Shine, while Shine was dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't help it."

She exclaimed.

"No, no, it's fine..."

Ang sagot na lang ni Shine sa gulat and confusion niya sa biglang pagtawa nung babae.

"Well, you see... You wouldn't really recognize me since I've changed a lot. In your memory, is there a chubby child playing with you?"

Tanong ng babae after she finally caught her breath.

"Well... Yeah... I remember her having blue eyes, dark brown hair and she's also chubby..."

Sagot ni Sunshine with a pano-mo-nalaman-look.

A sudden thought came into my mind that that chubby girl was this foreigner. I mean, halata naman na sa sinasabi niya.

"Yeah, that chubby girl. That was my sister. She's dead now."

The foreigner suddenly gave such news, that it brought shock to not just Sunshine, but to me as well.

"Wait... Really?"

Sunshine said with eyes full of sorrow. While the foreigner just smiled.

"Sorry. That was a joke. It was me, that chubby girl."