Forgotten Heartstrings

Chapter 25

Play the song 'Superflower Market' by Ed Sheeran for this part.

•••

After feeling the searing pain in my chest, both physical and emotional  Eris's words echoed in my mind.  His accusation was like a knife, slicing through my already fragile heart. Tears blurred my vision, and I stumbled backward, trying to make sense of his betrayal.

As I emerged from the room, the chaos of the hospital engulfed me. A stretcher rushed past, and I caught a glimpse of the patient. My heart nearly stopped when I recognized my mom, unconscious and pale, being wheeled towards the emergency room.

No...

"No, no, no!" I shouted  running towards the stretcher. "Mom!" My voice cracked with desperation.

Hindi maaari 'to!

I tried to follow the stretcher into the emergency room, but a doctor stopped me. "You can't go in there," he said firmly, blocking my path.

"Please, nanay ko po 'yan!" I begged, tears streaming down my face. "I need to be with her!"

The doctor's expression softened, but he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but it's forbidden. The surgeons need space to work."

"Let me in!" I shouted, my voice breaking. "I need to see her!"

The doctor gently but firmly pushed me back. "I understand, but you have to wait here."

I stood there, helpless and heartbroken, as the doors to the emergency room closed. Through the small window, I could see the medical team working frantically to save my mom. The image of her fragile body, bruised and broken from the earthquake, was seared into my mind.

"MA!" Halos namamaos na ang aking boses kakaiyak at kakasigaw.

Hindi ko kayang makita ang sarili kong ina sa loob ng emergency room at nag aagaw buhay. Hindi ko alam bakit sinapit niya ito kaya hindi ako matahimik. Patuloy kong pinaghahampas ang pinto at ang glass window ng room pero hindi nila talaga ako pinapapasok.

The weight of everything—Eris's accusations, my mom's condition—pressed down on me, suffocating me. I sank to the floor, burying my face in my hands, and cried harder than I ever had before.

Wala akong matakbuhan, wala akong kasama, wala si papa, wala ang mga kaibigan ko. Nag aagaw ang aking ina pero wala akong magawa, subrang bigat at sakit ng aking nararadaman.

"Lord please, not my mom..." Paos kong dasal.

Hindi ko na alintana ang sakit ng aking nararamdaman kasi tanging kaligtasan na lang ni mama ang aking hiling sa mga oras na ito. Hindi ko kaya. Ayaw ko pa, hindi ako papayag.

My tears flowed unchecked, staining the sterile floor beneath me while sitting at the corner of the hospital, waiting for news that felt like it would never come.

Ramdam ko na ang mugto ng aking mga mata at lagkit ng paulit ulit na pagbuhos ng aking luha. Halos natanggal na rin ang gauze ko sa aking mga sugat at pasa dahilan para dumaloy ang dugo mula sa aking sugat sa noo at kamay.

Hindi ko na alam ang gagawin, naghihintay na rin ako ng balita kay papa kasi posibleng gumuho rin ang building na pinagtayrabahoan niya.

The air was heavy with the smell of antiseptic and the low hum of medical machinery. My eyes were swollen, my throat raw from crying. I tried to muster some hope, but it felt like trying to grasp smoke.