The MISCHIEVOUS Virgin (The Virgin Series 1) °[KathNiel] ✓COMPLETE

Chapter 58

Zylanne Cher's Point of View:

Lulan ako ng ambulansiyang sinasakyan ngayon ni Damon. I'm holding his hand tightly but he's not holding me back.

"Damon, I will hate you to death if you will leave me again this time..."pananakot ko sa kanya. Hindi siya sumasagot.

Gusto kong pumasok hanggang sa operating room pero pinigilan ako ng mga nurses kahit nang hindi pa ako makaabot sa doorway.

"Cher... Magiging okay siya. Magtiwala ka lang."Fear said as he embraced me.

Una ng nakaalis sina daddy kanina at dinala nila si mommy sa hospital. Just right after we arrived here, he called Fear to inform me that mom is stable and that he's on his way papunta rito sa hospital na dinalhan namin kay Damon.

Hindi ako bumitiw kay Fear. Nakayakap lang ako sa kanya habang hindi ko mapigilan ang sarili kong umiyak. Natatakot ako. Hanggang ngayon ay kinukumbinsi ko parin ang sarili ko na panaginip lang ang lahat... na walang nangyaring masama kay mommy at kay Damon... na buhay pa si Dyll.

"Fear... panaginip lang ang lahat ng 'to diba?"

Hindi siya sumagot bagkos ay hinigpitan lang niya ang pagyakap sa'kin.

"Wala na si Dyll... Iniwan na tayo ni Dyll. Fear... sabihin mo panaginip lang ang lahat ng 'to..."Nasambit ko nalang.

"Cher!"I heard the voices of my girlfriends.

I stood up and ran to them. Niyakap agad nila ako.

"Miah, Ember..."

"God... Thanks God. You're fine."Miah exclaimed.

"Wala na si Dyll... Miah, Ember... wala na si Dyll. Iniwan na niya tayo..."I told them and sobbed.

"Oh God..."mahinang utal ni Ember. "Parang hindi kapani-paniwala ang nangyari."

"Ang hirap paniwalaan... kanina lang... Inaway ko pa siya. Inakusahan ko siya... Tapos... ako dapat ýong natamaan eh. Hindi niya dapat sinalo ýon para sa'kin. And Damon—he's still inside..."I paused and sniffed. "I was supposed to be the one in there. He did the same as Dyll. They all took the bullet that was for me."

"Oh Cher..."

WHEN THE DOCTOR DECLARED that Damon is in comatose because of the great blood loss which compromised his brain function, I lost my power and will to go on living normally. Hindi ako pumapasok, hindi ako kumakain... Minsan, hindi rin ako natutulog. Magdamag na binabantayan ko si Damon. Baka kasi sakaling magising siya, gusto ko ako ang unang makakausap niya.

"Anak... matulog ka na muna."Dad said from behind.

"Hindi po ako inaantok, dad."

He took a chair and sat beside me. Kinuha niya ang kamay ko kaya't napaangat ako ng ulo para tingnan siya.

"I'm sorry, princess."he began saying. "Natakot lang ang daddy. Hindi ko sinusumbat sa kanya... but I used to believe that he lost his sister because of his own fault. He has this gang... which you have known already after that last incident. I don't want to see your life at risk because I thought he might not be able to protect you. But he proved me wrong that night. He risked his life for me. And now his life's at risk protecting you."

"I'm sorry, babygirl. Mahal mo parin naman ang daddy diba?"

Napangiti ako sa tanong niya. Niyakap ko siya bilang tugon.

---

In three days' time, burol na ni Dyll. Hanggang ngayon, hindi  parin ako makapaniwala ng lubos na wala na talaga siya. Kaya minsan, binabalikan ko ang huling gabi na nakausap ko siya. At sa tuwing naaalala ko lahat, dinudurog ýong puso ko.

"You're the most beautiful thing that has ever happened to me, Cher. For a moment, I learned how to live. Thank you for being my world for that short length of time. Thank you for being my life..."

Michael was confined in a mental hospital as it was proven that he has a psychological disorder. Kaya ang nangyari, si mommy ang nag-ayos ng burol ni Dyll. Tutal, parang anak narin ang turing niya rito. Mom experienced a miracle. Ang akala naming napuruhan siya ng gabing ýon ay daplis lang pala.

THE CEREMONY WAS OVER. The people have gone home. Pinili kong manatili sa memorial park. Ember and Miah didn't leave though. Hinintay nila ako sa kotse. Narinig ko pa nga sila habang kinakausap nila si daddy at mommy na hayaan na muna akong mag-isa.

"Dyll... Siguro. Kailangan ko na ngang tanggapin na... iniwan mo na nga talaga ako."umiiyak na sabi ko sa harap ng puntod niya. "Ang daya. Ikaw 'tong laging sinasabihan akong 'wag kang iwan pero ikaw naman 'tong umalis. Ikaw ang nang-iwan."

Maghapon na kinausap ko siya do'n sa puntod niya. Parang nasisiraan lang eh. Gusto ko kasing marinig na sumagot siya kung kaya hindi pa ako umaalis. Gusto kong marinig ang boses niya sa huling pagkakataon.

"Cher... gumagabi na. Kailangan na nating umalis."tawag ni Ember sa'kin.

Hindi ako umimik. Ayaw ko pa kasing umalis. Hindi pa siya sumasagot eh. Napapikit nalang ako nang marealize ang katangahan ko.

Wala na talaga siya Cher. Tanggapin mo ng hindi na siya babalik. Hindi mo na siya makakausap. Wala na siya. Isipin mo nalang na kaya siya nawala dahil pinoprotektahan ka niya. Hangga't humihinga ka Cher, maaalala mo siya dahil ngayon... after what he's done... he's always with you.

"Thank you, Dyll. I will never forget the memories we've created together. I will always cherish them... Thank you, babe."I whispered before I took Ember's waiting hand.

For a few weeks that had passed after the burial, I still kept on crying because Damon is still not getting any better. He has undergone a lot of tests and therapies but they all said he's not getting any better. Last two weeks, Miah and Ember have convinced me to go back to school. Chiefly now, my routine became, school-hospital, hospital-school. Hindi na ako umuuwi ng bahay.

One day, I was crying silently as I get to realize that he's been bedridden and unconscious for almost three months already.

"He will be okay."a woman said from behind me as she offered me her handkerchief.

I turned to see who it is.

"Hi. You must be the beautiful Cher. I'm Dillenna."nakangiting bati niya. "I'm Damon's friend."

Damon's past love. Shit. Hindi ko mapigilang 'wag mainsecure. Ang ganda-ganda niya. Dahil natameme ako, nginitian niya nalang ako at saka bumaling kay Damon.

"Demon... Akala ko ba, ayaw mo ng nakikitang umiiyak ang mga babae."saad niya kay Damon na para ba'ng gising lang 'to. "Kung sabagay, hindi mo naman pala makikitang may pinapaiyak ka na dahil nagtutulog-tulogan ka diyan. Gumising ka na nga. Ipapakasal ko si Theia kapag hindi ka gigising."sabi nito at saka tumawa.

To my astonishment, nakita kong gumalaw ang kamay ni Damon. A spate of joy surged through my veins. He moved his finger... Then, I suddenly felt sad and angry and... jealous.

Araw-araw... Gabi-gabi... kinakausap ko siya tapos... ngayon lang siya kinausap ni Dillenna, nagrespond agad siya. I got out to consult his doctors. They tried a few more tests because of that slight moving of his finger. However, in the end, it was stated that it's a normal sign that the patient is starting to recover but the possibility of a full recovery is still very slim—the doctors emphasized.

"Nakakainis ka ah. Ba't sa kanya nagre-respond ka? Tapos, sa'kin hindi?"maktol ko ng gabing ýon. "Hoy Demon! Umamin ka nga, mahal mo pa ba 'yon!?"

As usual, hindi na naman siya sumagot. Tss.

For few days, he had shown more signs of improvement. I was there myself when the therapist asked him to move his fingers and he did. Sana sa susunod, maidilat na niya ang mga mata niya.

From school, I excitedly went to see him. Bago pa ako makapasok sa room niya, napagtanto kong may tao sa loob.

"Get up there, Jed. It's too long already. I can't let you keep her crying this much. Wake up now, son. I swear... I really swear, I'll arrange her marriage right now with anyone who likes to marry her... if you don't fcking wake up."

Shit. It's dad. What is he talking about? I was about to chuckle but what I heard next stopped me. I was stunned and for a moment, my heart stopped beating.

"Let me marry her, dad."