One of the Boys 1 & 2 (Published by Pop Fiction)

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Three

Present

Kismet

These past few days, gulung gulo utak ko. 4 days ago, I was talking to a nurse. Sa likod niya, may nakita akong sobrang pamilyar na tao. At first, I thought it was Marcus, pero sobrang imposible. The guy I saw was a patient. I wanted to make sure so I asked Sean about it.

"Ready ka na makipag-usap ng matino?" He asked jokingly.

I snorted. "Ikaw lang naman ang hindi matino kausap."

Tumawa siya at tinanong kung anong gusto kong pag-usapan kaya diniretso ko siya at tinanong ko kung alam niya kung nasaan si Marcus. Hindi rin daw niya alam, pero alam niyang nasa malayong lugar siya. Matagal na raw silang hindi nag-uusap at matagal na rin niyang hindi nakikita si Marcus.

"Since when?"

He gave me a sad smile before saying, "Since you started avoiding me."

I stopped breathing for a second. I felt guilty. I was so mad at Marcus then that anything or anyone connected to him would automatically become my adversary. I let go of the thought that Marcus was here, but still, it couldn't get out of my mind. Ngayon naman, iba ang iniisip ko.

"H'wag ka ngang kabahan," sabi sa'kin ni Apa kahit obviously, mas kinakabahan pa siya sa'kin. Nasa loob na ng operating room si Czarina at inooperahan na siya sa puso.

His hands were clasped in between his lap. They were trembling so I held them tightly and told him everything would be fine. "Sometimes, you have to be the queen," I told him.

He smiled. "You remembered." How could I forget? It was his own story about a queen who started building walls around herself when she got hurt by his husband and bestfriend.

"Of course." I smiled. "Hindi naman masamang maging attached, pero minsan, you have to build walls para protektahan sarili mo. Hindi ka pa ba nagsasawang masaktan?"

"Everytime I get hurt, I learn. Besides, I don't get hurt on purpose. It's just that I find it more fun to open up than surround myself with useless blocks. Hindi naman natin maiiwasan masaktan. It's inevitable. Pero hindi rin tayo mauubusan ng natututunan."

"Fine." I surrendered. "You win!"

He scoffed, but he was smirking. "I'm not even competing."

Katabi namin parents ni Cza. Kinakausap namin sila ni Apa para hindi sila kabahan kahit kinakabahan din kami. Syempre, hindi namin sila binibigyan ng false hope. We just wanted to be there for them.

Habang naghihintay, kinuha ko sa bulsa ko yung note ni Apa na pinabigay niya kila Bri bago siya umalis papuntang Canada at binigay sa kanya. "Life is too short to be anything, but happy. Always remember to smile." He read loudly. "You still keep this?"

I shrugged. "Parang ganun na nga. Pag malungkot ako o kinakabahan, binabasa ko lang 'yan ng paulit-ulit kahit memorized ko naman. It's my lucky note, pero kasi ngayon, you need it more than I do."

Ngumiti siya. Lumapit siya sa tenga ko at bumulong, "Stop being amazing."

I whispered, "Stop flirting with me, then."

After blank hours, lumabas na yung surgeon at sinabing successful yung operation. Naluha yung parents ni Cza sa binalita ng doktor at yinakap kami ng mahigpit. Pag-alis namin, nagtatalon kami ni Apa sa tuwa.

He even hugged me without thinking we were still in the hospital. Pinagtitinginan na naman kami. "She's safe."

I smiled. "Yes, she is. Do you want to celebrate?" Parehas ng tapos yung duty naming kaya pwede na namin gawin kahit anong gusto naming gawin.