Until Love Fades

21 - Linger.

DAMON remembered. It might just be one memory of us, BUT HE REMEMBERED.

"W-wait, what else do you remember?" nauutal kong tanong sa kanya. He was looking at me, confused. Hindi rin siguro niya alam kung saan at paano niya naalala 'yun.

"Uh, nothing else, I think," he replied. Tinitigan ko siya, at alam kong pinipilit niyang alalahanin ang iba pa pero wala nang nangyayari.

I touched his arm. "Ayos lang. 'Wag mong pilitin, baka sumakit bigla 'yung ulo mo, mahirap na."

He smiled sadly. Alam kong nahihirapan na rin siya. Alam kong gusto ni Damon na maalala na rin ang lahat. Alam kong napapagod na rin siya sa'kin, kakahintay na maalala niya lahat ng mga nawalang alaala sa kanya dahil sa aksidente.

I sighed. "Look, Damon... alam kong nakukulitan ka na rin sa akin dahil atat na akong maalala mo lahat, so I'm sorry. I just... I just miss the old you. Syempre wala kang maalala, so parang hindi genuine 'yung presence mo kasi andito ka nga, but without your memories, it's like I'm force feeding you this," sabi ko. He nodded and held my hands.

"Serena, there is no need for you to say sorry. I understand," Damon said. "I'd do the same thing if I were you. Pero habang wala pang usad 'to, can we settle with this 'new Damon' for now?"

"I might not be as... uh, cool and hot as him before, but I think I can be as good as him, whether as a father or as a husband," He continued.

I can't help myself not to hug him tightly. Hindi man niya alam, pero kahit wala siyang natatandaan, I still love him the way he is. I am loving this 'innocent' Damon, kahit wala siyang memories kung paano kaming dalawa nagsimula.

"Yes, yes it's fine with me," sagot ko. "We just have to wait. We just have to be patient."

LUMIPAS ang mga araw at linggo, at dumating na kami sa araw ng scheduled check-up ni Damon kay Dr. Miguel. Kailangang mino-monitor siya syempre, kahit na ba magaling na siya. Also, the doctor is monitoring his progress on recalling his missing memories.

"Were you able to remember?" Dr. Miguel asked.

"Yes, a few memories here and there," Damon replied. I was just listening to their conversation. The doctor turned to face me.

"Are the memories he was able to recall were important events in his life?" he asked, in which I nodded. Wala naman siyang naalala na irrelevant sa buhay niya at buhay naming dalawa. Every single memory he was able to recall was precious to the both of us.

"He remembers most events that are related to the two of us, but aside from that, he remembers nothing about his work, family, friends," I explained. Dr. Miguel was looking at the CT scan result of Damon's brain.

"To be honest, there really is no problem at all with Damon's brain. It's normal and healthy," he explained. "However, that doesn't automatically mean he's going to easily remember."

I sighed. Damon suddenly held my hand and intertwined our fingers together. I looked at him and he was smiling at me, sweetly. Every time na naiisip kong sumuko na lang sa pag-alala ni Damon ng mga alaala niya, na hayaan na lang kung ano siya ngayon, hindi ko magawa. Sa tuwing naiisip ko kasi 'yun, hinahawakan at nginingitian niya ako na para bang nababasa niya ang nasa isip ko kaya sinusubukan ni Damon na i-assure ako na magiging maayos din ang lahat.

I looked at the doctor and asked, "Doc, ano pa bang pwedeng makatulong sa kanya? I told him stories already pero mukhang small progress lang ang naidudulot noon."

Dr. Miguel looked at the two of us then shrugged. "Pwede niyong puntahan 'yung mga lugar kung saan kayo gumawa ng mga memories together. Habang naroon kayo, ikwento mo ang nangyari."