Whisper of the Heart (COMPLETED)

CHAPTER XXVII

Present.

It was days. But he could still see clearly the woman, dressed in faded jeans, facing him. He took a deep breath.

"That's the weirdest feeling i've ever felt, Marco. You know, seeing a girl's face and.. I can't even explain."

Edward get up from his seat and went to the window glass. His head still full of the face of that girl he saw. He was thankfull Marco was finally home, just in time, for the past days were very chaotic for him, and he could not tell a single soul about it. Well, except Gwen, to whom he was able to confide a little touch of what he's been going through.

Marco was just watching his friend, his arms akimbo, almost stoic, unsmiling.

"Ok, you know the feeling when you met someone you know from your childhood, it's like techinically you forgot the face, you forgot the name, you forgot even the memory you had with that person, but you felt, you knew that person, you just couldn't name her face. "

"So you felt like you knew that girl?"

"i don't know. Part of me says no, part of me says yes. And besides, her face is a total stranger to me. And that's why i said it was weird, very weird. You understand bro?"

"I think i do." Marco

"and.. It's like pieces of a puzzle coming together. When i woke up from the accident, i lost some of my memories. And as i told you, i've been experiencing some sort of flight amnesia or whatever you call it, going somewhere i don't know, twice. And this time, i saw this girl's face that i think triggered some lost memories to come back. I even blurted out a name, Marco."

"And.. What's the name?"

Edward paused.

"Urghh. Now that we're talking, i can't remember it."

"Maybe, you can stalk her."

"Stalk her?"

"or better yet, approach and ask her."

"Ask her?"

"For me, the latter is much better. There is no harm in trying."

"Yes, let's say that's a good idea. But how? I just saw a random face in the street. How could i even know where to find her in the first place? My goodness."

"Simple. You go sit at the coffee shop where you told me you saw her. If its her regular routine passing by there, i mean, maybe if she works nearby and would always pass by that coffee shop for work, you'd see her. Well who knows, the reason why you even went at that coffee shop in the first place was because it has something to do with your memory with her."

"You got a point there. But it wouldn't work, unless i go sit there for 12 hours. A day. "

Marco paused.

"Ahm.. Edward."

"Ow?"

Marco's face softened for seconds. Edward couldn't read his expression. But it seemed like Marco wants to say something.

"Ah, never mind. I have to go."

Then Marco's gone.

It wasn't friday yet but Edward came home to Antipolo that night. After dinner, he went to his father's office, adjacent to his room. His father was out of the country. But the room was locked. As he expected. He remembered the day he woke up, there were pictures that were shown to him, and that he was able to recognize everything except one, the photograph of a woman. And though his mind is concluding that the woman in the picture and the one he saw that day is the same person, but he can't really be sure until he sees the photo again. But his father's study was locked, and that could only be the place in the house where it might be kept.

So he went back to his room, a little frustrated. And lay back on his bed.

His mind was crowding with ideas, assumptions. The girl he saw crossing the street. He didn't see her face clearly that time, her long hair was covering her face. But her built. It resembles that of the woman she saw at the coffee shop. Tall. Petite. So they could be the same person. But still, he wasn't sure.

He remembered he felt fondness back then. He raised his right hand to his chest. Because alongside with the fondness, he remembered feeling hurt. An unrecognizable pain. It felt real.

Edward took a deep breath.

He was, currently looking at the painting hanging on the wall facing his bed. It was a painting of a flower garden, and a girl in it carrying a basket in her right hand. The flower plants around her stood as high as her shoulders. The sunlight is radiating so much joy in the picture, giving everything a golden glow. And how it was painted was very effective it makes him feel calm and peace just by looking at it. Well perhaps because we was aesthete. But that peace didn't last.

For now that he was looking at it. He couldn't remember himself buying it. Was it a gift then? Or his mom bought it for him? Or was it one of the memories erased from him?

He grunted out of frustration. He brushed his hair with both hands. Too many unanswered questions, and they're driving him mad. He buried himself in pillows and closed his eyes. His head felt like it's going to explode.

He almost had no sleep at all, but as usual he gets up early. He did his morning jog, and prepared himself early for work, but he stayed to join his Mom at breakfast.

But seeing her so happy eating breakfast with him, he felt guilty. They seldom talk, and now that he was finally able to join her to breakfast, all he could think of was ask her about the photos, the painting on his bedroom wall.. the stuffs he had been worrying about. He wasnt actually avoiding his Mom, it was her pushing him to Gwen that he was avoiding. But it cost him his quality time with her. So maybe not now, Edward thought, i can always ask her anytime.

"Mom?"

"Yes, anak?" Her facial expression oozes with tenderness.

"Do you really want me to marry Gwen?"

Maybe that was the question she never expected hearing from Edward,  because seemed surprise.

"Hmmm.. You can say that. Why do you ask? Don't tell me, you finally changed your mind?"

"Not really. I.. I just think, i ought to give it a thought."

"Well, anak. I think Gwen really suits you. But don't get me wrong, because to be honest, i'd hate it if you'd marry her without love. To be caught in a loveless marriage, it would feel more like a prison than a haven. I want you to marry someone you'd always look forward going home to. Someone you would call your home. So i am not pushing you to Gwen in a way you thought i was. No, anak. What i want is that you give yourself and Gwen a chance. I always think you feel lonely. And maybe..  malay mo, diba."

Edward smiled. But wasn't isn't easy as it sounds.

Yes. He always felt lonely.

And while his head wanted to listen to his Mom and give it a try, something, deep down in his heart, something rebels. Like an echo of a voice, indistinct, telling him to just hold on.

Hold on to what? He didn't know.