Illicit Sky [✓]

Epilogue (Third Part)

I don’t know what happened, but I woke up in a hospital bed feeling cold and experiencing a sharp headache. I examined my body and saw no wounds, so it’s clear I wasn’t involved in any accident.

The room has no one aside from me. I feel so dizzy, and I can't call for anyone. My feet and hands are weak, and my chest is kind of hurting, too. But overall, I feel completely fine. 

I surveyed the large, empty room with a keen eye. It has a sofa and a two-seater table, adorned with a fruit basket, a pot of water, and a glass.

What am I doing here? Did something happen to me?

I pinched the bridge of my nose to ease the throbbing in my head. My throat feels dry, and while I want to get up, I can feel that my body needs to regain its strength first.

Kunot-noo kong nilingon ang pintuan at nagtama ang mga mata namin ni Mama. Namilog ang kaniyang mga mata at nabitiwan ang hawak na duffel bag bago ako takbuhin. 

"Ari!" She sobbed as she hugged me tightly, her body shaking. 

Natulala ako sa inakto niya at hindi nakagalaw. Halos humagulhol siya sa aking balikat habang humihigpit ang mga braso sa akin. A girl with curly hair entered the room, and I saw how the relief crossed her eyes when our eyes met. 

"I was so worried! I was worried, Farida!" Lumuluha akong hinarap ni Mama, hawak ang aking mga braso. "I thought I lost you! Akala ko iniwan mo na ako!" may panunumbat sa kaniyang tinig.

What is she talking about? 

Muling lumihis ang tingin ko sa babaeng kasama niya nang maglakad ito ngunit hindi lumapit sa amin. Mama hugged me again, still crying so hard. I don't know what I did, but I still hug her to comfort her.

"Why'd you always do this? Please... stop it already, Ari."

I sighed. "I... I don't know what I did," I said, completely lost.

For some reason, it feels like my memories are missing something. Though I can't remember what it is, I feel that there's a gap. It's so hard to explain. It's as if... I jumped on something and reached here. Which was odd. I can't remember what I did.

"What do you mean?" She faced me while wiping her tears. "A—Are you playing with me again? Do you think I'll answer your whims after doing that?"

Maagap akong umiling, seryoso at naguguluhan. "No, Mama! I don't... know why you're crying right now. I don't even know why I'm here!" 

Hindi siya nagsalita at saglit na tumitig sa akin bago mariing pumikit at sinapo ang kaniyang noo. I gulped nervously. She looked mad for a moment there, but when she sighed, her countenance calmed. Pinawi niya ang mga luha sa kaniyang mukha.

"You should be going through assessments because of that, Farida. Even if you don't remember it right now, I'm still mad at you for doing that. D—Do you know how hard it was for me to see you drown?" Nangilid ang kaniyang mga luha. "I thought I was going to lose my only daughter for real!"