She's My Angel (revised)

Epilogue (Part 2)

Epilogue part 2: Remember Me

-Zareena's POV-

"R-Really?! I slept that long?"

This is unbelievable. Five months?! I was stuck in this bed, this room, this place for five long months?! For sure, I missed a lot of things!!

"Yeah! Minsan nga, when we're so bored, dino-drawingan namin yang face mo. Pinicturan pa nga namin once eh. Wanna see?" Pang-aasar ng MABUBUTI kong friends.

"Don't even dare!" And I glared at them. . At mukhang natakot sila. Haha! Eh kung yung mga priceless faces kaya nila picturan ko? Kaya, I laughed afterwards. Nashock sila pero nakitawa din.

Five months?? That was long. Honestly, I'm not the kind of peson who likes staying at home and will do nothing but sleep. Pero, I don't know. I feel so fresh, so lively.

I feel like I am someone new.

And it feels like, sobrang daming nangyari when I was asleep. Parang ang daming nabago. .sa akin. .sa buhay ko. .sa pamilya ko.

"At sobra ka naming na-miss, anak."

"Yes, baby. You don't know how worried we were."

Lumapit sa akin si Mommy at si. . . Daddy?? Mom hugged me and Dad hugged Mom. They smiled at me na para bang sinasabing 'Yeah. We're back together and we're so happy with that.'

"Wow! Sana pala dati pa ako naaksidente," pabiro kong sabi. Sinamaan tuloy nila ako ng tingin. "Kidding! I'm just happy the war is over, really!"

I don't understand myself. Dapat, by now nagmamaldita na ako eh. Sa dami ba namang pain at tears na naranasan ko dahil sa kanila. Pero. . Kahit na ang dming pagkukulang ni Mommy at kasalanan ni Daddy sa amin. . Pakiramdam ko, matagal ko na silang napatawad. Parang ang lahat nabaon ko na sa limot. At ganun din sila sakin.

"Mom, Dad, one more hug, please?" Nag-puppy eyes pa ako at nag-giggle sila.

"Halaaa! Sinasapian si Zaaaar. . .ng daga! Ang cheesy!!" Side comments ng mga kaibigan ko.

"A-Ate?"

Napalingon ako bigla. I missed that voice. I missed the owner of that voice.

"Zia!"

And I hugged her. I know marami akong kasalanan sa knya. She's blind because of me. But I wish, this hug would let her feel how sorry I was.

"Sorry, Zia! Sorry!"

Bigla siyang bumitiw at inilayo ako. So? H-Hindi pa rin pala. .

Malayo ang tingin niya, hindi nakatingin sa akin.. tulad ng normal na di nakakakita. "And what made you think I would forgive you?!" sigaw niya. Napaatras ako.

"Z-Zia?"

Tumingin siya sa akin, sa aking mga mata. "How would I forgive you . . . If I am not mad at you to begin with?"

Then she smiled at tumalon para yakapin ako. "I missed you so much, evil sissy!!"

T-Teka? Ibig sabihin. .

"Ate! I can now SEE you! Hindi na ako bulag!"

Hinawakan ko siya sa balikat at chineck. Naka-smile lang siya sakin. "Is that true?"

Tumango ang lahat ng tao sa kwarto. Unbelievable! No, MIRACLE is the most appropriate word. Miracle!

"Oo Ate! Last week, may natanggap kming letter. Meron dawng gustong magdonate ng eyes for me. When we checked kung compatible, it was positive. And now, here I am and my 20/20 vision."

"Wow! God is really good!" I exclaimed. Lahat naman sila parang nagulat sa reaction ko. Is it because I was so ecstatic or because I said God?

"What?!" Hindi ko na lng sila pinansin. "So Zia sis, sino? Who's the good-hearted donor?"

"Ahm. . Actually we don't know who exactly he is Ate eh. Ang nakasulat lang sa letter ay yung initials niya which is. . Uhm. . 'LM.'"

LM???

Oh? Why it sound so familiar??

"Well, at least, we know that he is a 'He.' Wait, can we see him? Is he here in the hospital?" I asked innocently.

They just stared at me.

"He is. . . . Dead."

"Aah. . Oh--" Dahil siguro sa shock, natabig ko ung baso na nasa side table. Nahulog ito at nabasag. Dead? Bakit parng masyado akong affected. "Hala sorry. Aww!"

Sinubukan kong pulutin yung baso pero nasugatan ako. Nagdugo tuloy yung hintuturo ko sa kaliwang kamay.

"Oh anak, ayos ka lang?" Tumango lang ako.

"Uy, Zar!" Tawag sakin ni Maj. "Ano yang nasa ring finger mo? Hala, ang cute ng white lace oh.. It looks like a ring."

"Oo nga. Kelan pa napunta yan dyan?" Tanong naman ni Yana tapos tiningnan niya isa-isa lahat ng tao sa room ko. "Sino sa inyo ang naglagay sa kanya niyan?"

Umiling-iling silang lahat.

"Teka, ano ba yang mga sinasabi nyo---"

Tiningnan ko yung kaliwang kamay, particularly yung ring finger at oo nga, may nakataling puting laso! Puting laso??

*knock knock knock*

Lahat kami napalingon sa pintuan. Bumukas iyon.

"Ah. Hello po. I'm Nurse Eris. Hi Zareena, can I come in?" Sabi niya sabay ngiti. As in super ngiti. Wow! Ang ganda niyang nurse. Para siyang angel.

"O-Opo.." bulong ko. Ewan. Parang bigla akong kinabahan. Weird. Lalo pa nang makita ko yung box na dala-dala niya.

"Hi Zar!" Kung magsalita siya, parang kilalang-kilala niya ko. Or personality niya lang talaga? "I have something for you.. A gift."

She was smiling sweetly at me as she approached me. She placed the box on my lap. I stared at it and felt something weird on my stomach. My heart twitched at the look of it.

Bakit ganito ang feeling ko? Yung parang may missing piece, na dhil doon di mabuo-buo yung puzzle. Yung parang may butas sa puso ko na naghihintay na mapunan. Yung parang, may kulang na pilit kong inaalala at hinahanap. .

"Search and you will find. Ask and it shall be given to you." She said. "You suffered enough, Zar. This is just a little gift compared to all you've experienced."

She tapped my shoulders and enclosed me in an embrace as she whispered something on my ears.

"Everything happens for a reason. Think deeply and you shall remember. Ask your heart, not your mind. Because even though the mind forgets, what's engraved in the heart never perishes."

And she left.

Binuksan ko yung box, habang nanginginig ang mga kamay. Inisa-isa ko ang laman nun habang nag-uunahan sa pagtulo ang mga luhang matagal ko nang ikinulong sa mga mata ko.

. . Hanggang sa nakita ko na lang ang sarili kong tumatakbo sa kwarto katabi ng akin.

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May pahabol pa pala na one last part :)