Lacuna • Book 2 of Change [Ricci Rivero]

prologue

7 years ago, I left the Philippines for New York to study. Along with me, I brought my bestfriend Donny, leaving our special someones in the Philippines.

I'd be lying if sasabihin kong smooth ang pitong taon na yon. MD na ako and I'm only 27. Babalik na ako ng Pilipinas para dun na ako magspecialize since sabi ko sa tatay ko, sapat na ang oras na ginugol ko dito para sa medisina. I can spend the rest of my years studying in the Philippines so that Donny can continue life and makawala na sakin.

Babalik kami ng Pilipinas,

pero wala na kaming babalikan. Bakit, you ask?
Kasi wala na sila.

Ricci cheated. Elliana said its better that they go their seperate ways after spending almost all their times for the long distance relationship. Maybe she broke under pressure. Hindi narin kinaya.

Wala na yung mga taong iniwan namin sa Pinas before we left for New York. Wala nang maghihintay samin. Elliana leaving Donny over a text message with no face to face conversation was the most painful thing, ever, in the world. Halos tumakas kami sa commitments at umuwi si Donny sa Pilipinas when he knew about that noon eh, pero hindi niya nagawa kasi hindi niya kaya. Di pa namin afford since baguhan kami sa New York. We needed to work for our own money. Although we had savings, hindi namin nagawang galawin. Kahit may allowances kami from Dad every week, hindi namin napakialaman kasi we both know Elliana would get mad at us. She knows how every cent of our money was planned and she wouldn't be pleased kapag ginastos namin yon. Kaya Donny weeped in New York. Sinamahan ko si Donny as he mourned in New York. Halos masiraan kami ng bait. Donny was so broken and inom siya ng inom sa bahay namin lung saan magkakasama kaming tatlo nila Dad. We couldn't do anything. It was so painful. Sobrang bilis ng mga pangyayari.

Akala ko, yun na ang pinakamasakit na bagay na pwedeng mangyari sakin. But when I remember na Ricci cheated, nababaliktad parin ang mundo. Diba, bago palang ako umalis eh alam ko na? Umiyak pa nga sa airport diba? Pero malalaman laman ko, he got back with that girl.

Nadurog ako ulit. Nasira ako ulit nang malaman ko yun kasi akala ko naman, magiintay siya? Alam kong hindi dapat na ako nagexpect from someone who cheated but nagawa ko parin kasi sabi niya mahal niya ako. Naniwala ata puso kong sabik sa kanya nung araw na yon na umalis ako sa Pilipinas.

I resented the whole world. I hated everything. Ang dating bubbly at happy go lucky na si Alex, kinain ng galit niya sa ex-boyfriend niya. Kasi wala akong nagawa. Nasa New York ako, nasa Pilipinas siya. We're a million miles away from each other and all I have ever done was to get mad at him for what he did.

M.D by 28, the world thinks I have everything already. The money, the brain, the talent to help people heal pero yung sarili ko ang hindi ko mapagaling-galing. The happiness na hinanap at inangkin ko from the very moment na nahanap ko ito dito sa New York, nasakin din. Nasa amin din ni Donny nang makamit na namin ang pangarap namin dito after many years of waiting.

Masaya kami.

Masaya kami, pero alam mo yun? May kulang parin talaga.

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Hi! Welcome sa Book 2 ng Change! Enjoy!