Kidnapped (A Romance Story for Filipino Wattpadders)

106: Hiding True Feelings

Jeremy

"Don't you ever scare me like that again. Subukan mo lang ma-comatose ulit, ako na papatay sayo." This is what I heard when I walked towards Casper's hospital room.

It was Amber... Yes, Amber said that...

Hindi ko alam kung bakit, but I feel really pissed off— and... I feel a little hurt.

I turned the knob and opened the door as quietly as possible. Pagpasok ko, I saw Amber sitting on Casper's bed, hugging him.

I felt a sudden pang of pain... and the worse thing is I don't even know why.

Hindi man lang nila ko napansin when I walked inside the room. It was an awkward situation. I just stood there, staring at them, not knowing what to do.

After a few moments, I cleard my throat and said, "How sweet... Mas matamis pa sa cake na dala ko." I joked. It was probably one of the most painful jokes I have ever made.

Amber let go of Casper and faced me. "Jeremy, you're here." She said casually.

"Anong ginagawa mo dito?" Casper asked with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Just paying a visit to a hospitalized friend." I said sarcastically. I put the cake that I brought on a table near Casper's bed. I took all of the objects on the chair beside his bed and put them on top of the same table.

"So, kamusta ka na?" I asked as I take a seat on the chair that I emptied.

"Buhay pa naman." Casper joked.

"Sayang..." I told him. Amber laughed and Casper glared at me.

"Siguro may lason yang cake na dala mo 'no? Nanghinayang ka kasi na hindi ako natuluyan." Sabi niya.

"How did you find out?" I said with a sarcastic grin. That's right, Jeremy. Smile. Just smile and hide it all. Don't let them know how you really feel.

"Kamusta yung bakeshop niyo?" He asked. Siguro sinabi na sa kaniya ni Amber yung tungkol sa shop.

"It's doing fine. Oh, that reminds me. Amber, here's your pay for this week." I took a wrinkled envelope out of my pocket and handed it to Amber.

"Sabi ko 'wag mo lulukutin e. I like crisp bills." She complained as she counted the bills.

"Para namang kakainin mo yan. Just take it." I told her.

"Ano yan? Sweldo mo?" Tanong ni Casper.

"Yup. I get paid every week. Isn't that cool? Tita Eli's really great." She replied.

"And this is for this month's rent." I took another envelope out of my pocket.

"Hey, this is perfect. Kailangan ko kasi talaga ng pera ngayon e." Amber said.

"Ayan kasi, bili ng bili ng lotion na amoy fruit salad." Casper teased.

"Hoy. Sa tingin mo, para san yung pera? Para sa hospital bills niyo! And you needed a regular massage so your muscles won't get tensed. So don't blame me kung nag-amoy fruit salad ka. Nakakapagod kaya i-massage yung hands mo. Your palms were so rough. Buti nga nag-improve pa dahil sa 'kin." Amber snapped.

"E di sana di mo ginawa kung magrereklamo ka lang pala ngayon." Casper snapped back.

I just watched them argue. We're in the same room but it feels like they're a thousand miles away from me. Sobrang layo nila...

They're in a world na sa kanila lang at sila lang ang makakaintindi. And that made me feel even more hurt. Because no matter what I do and no matter how fast I ran, I will never catch up to them. Hindi ko sila maaabutan...

Gabby

For two months, I have managed to fool Mom. May binabayaran siyang nurse sa hospital to spy on Casper and to report all major happenings. I paid that nurse to give Mom the wrong information. The nurse agreed— mautak din kasi siya e. She'll get paid by me and my Mom. E di nadoble pa yung kinikita niya.

I always check on Mom kapag pumupunta yung nurse sa office niya kaya alam ko kung sumusunod ba siya sa 'kin o hindi. Well, through her I managed to make Mom believe that Casper is already dead. Last month pa nga yun e. So now I'm allowed to wander around. Nakakalabas na din ako ng bahay.

I had to act depressed so I stayed in my room for more than two weeks. I also skipped some of my meals to make it seem like I lost my appetite.

"Gabrielle, I'm so disappointed in you. You're ruining yourself just for some guy." I remembered what my Mom said in those two weeks of fake agony.

"Just because you were not affected when Dad left you, doesn't mean I won't be affected by Casper's death. Hindi lahat ng tao, kagaya mo mom. Hindi kami bato." I told her.

She was a little hurt by what I had said and to be perfectly honest, I felt a little guilty. Pero everytime kasi na naaalala ko yung ginawa niya kay Casper, nawawala lahat ng guilt ko. Parang kulang na kulang pa nga 'to sa pain na dine-deserve niya.

"Ma'am Gabby!" Leah yelled as she walk into my room.

Sa sobrang gulat ko, I almost rolled off the bed.

"Ano ba? Ang ingay-ingay mo." I told her. I sat up and put a pillow on my lap. "What is it?" Tanong ko.

Leah and I are actually pretty close now. She's very nice and I like bullying her. In a good way, syempre... It's not that I'm mean, I just don't know how to act like a girlfriend. Dahil nga boyish ako dati, all my friends were guys. I never had any real girlfriends before. They were all back-stabbing bitches.

"Nabalitaan niyo na po ba?" She asked.

"Ang alin?" I asked back.

"Sinabi po ni Martha—"

"Who the heck is that?" I interrupted.

"Yung nurse po na inuutusan niyo." She explained.

"A... Siya ba? So anong sinabi niya?" Tanong ko.

"Nagising na daw po si Casper!" Sigaw niya.

"What?" I couldn't believe it... Casper's conscious now. Oh my...

"Talaga? Are you sure?" I asked her. Oh gosh... This is the greatest news I have ever heard.

"Opo. Kahapon pa daw po pero ngayon lang niya ko na-inform. Busy daw kasi siya sa—"

"Oh, I don't care. I just want to see Casper." I got up from my bed and opened my closet to pick out some clothes. Gising na si Casper... Gising na si Casper! Oh gosh...

Wait... Kung aalis ako, pwedeng malaman ni Mom. Pa 'no kung pasundan niya ko? She'll know that Casper is alive.

"Bakit po?" Leah asked.

I threw myself on the bed and buried my face in a pillow.

I want to see Casper... I really, really do... I really, really miss him.

But I can't go to him now. Hindi pwede. Hindi pa pwede. Oh darn! This sucks...

"Okay lang po ba kayo?" Tanong ni Leah.

I'm not okay at all. I miss him a lot... But even though I really want to see him, I have to hold it in for Casper's safety. Kahit mahirap...

Makakahanap din ako ng tamang tyempo. Casper, please wait for me...