About You

XXII.

"Mmmn... sarap di ba?"

"Ang i-init *hoo*! Ang *hoo* Ba-d mo!"

"Anong mainit ka jan? Hinipan ko kaya yan bago isubo sayo!" Tuloy lang sa pagpaypay si Heart sa bibig nya. Tumusok sya ng isang kwek-kwek sabay subo din sa akin.

"Ah ganon. Oh.."

"Mmm... Mmm.. Ehem ehem." I almost choked. Shit maininit nga!

"Di pala mainit ha haha. Kuya pabili nga pong dalawang scramble." Manong immediately prepare our scramble and my brows unconsciously arched when I saw the color of the scramble.

"Wow, orange colored scramble? How unusual."

Nakita kong Heart smiled a bit. Siguro kanina nya pa din napapansin, orange is all over us. Mula dun sa mga lobo kanina na nagpangiti kay Heart ng sobra, sa mga bulaklak na nadaanan namin na gusto nya sanang pitasin kaso may signage na nakalagay na 'do not pick the flowers', hanggang sa damit nung batang nakabunggo sa kanya kanina na sa tingin ko nagka-crush pa ata kay Heart. Psh. Hanggang sa kwek-kwek na kinakain namin ngayon, lahat sila kulay Kahel.

"Really manong? Color orange na scramble, anong flavor po yan? Ang cute naman po." Heart seems so happy when she reached for her scramble.

"Melon flavor ho yan Miss Ganda. Paborito po kasi yan ng anak ko kaya yaan ang tinitinda ko." Inabot ko din yung scramble ko.

"Masarap naman kaya to manong?"

"Ay oo naman ho sir, naku pag natikman nyo yan baka makalimutan nyong girlfriend nyo si Miss Ganda. Hahaha" Biglang naubo si Heart, loko tong si manong.

"Naku manong malabo ho ata yan. Hahaha hinding hindi ko ho makakalimutan tong girlfriend ko." Tatawa-tawa kong inakbayan si Heart. Her composure became stiff at pinanlakihan ako ng mata.

She then elbowed me and get her wallet. Dali-dali syang nagbayad kay manong.

"Manong, salamat po. Keep the change na lang." One last awkward smile to the vendor and a glare for me, Heart walked out of the scene. Kita mo yon, iniwan ako.

"Napikon ho ata girlfriend nyo sir. Pasensya na ho." Tinapik ko ang balikat ni Manong.

"Sus wala yon Manong, ganun talaga yon. Sige ho una na ako. Salamat sa masarap na miryenda."

I run to where Heart is at sinabayan sya sa paglalakad. Hindi nya ako pinapansin at diretso lang talaga ang tingin nya.

"Heart." No response.

"Uyy Heart." Ay putek, dejavu lang? I grabbed her wrist to stopped her on her tracks.

"Ano ba?!"

"Sorry na." I said full of sincerity and I gladly saw how her expression soften. Huminga sya ng malalim at dahan-dahang tinanggal ang hawak ko sa kanya.

"Hatid mo na ako sa amin Leoel, pagod na ako." Tumango na lang ako. She started to walked passed me pabalik ng sasakyan. Nasira ko ata talaga yung mood nya.

Sinundan ko lang sya. Habang naglalakad kami I saw a cotton candy stand, and look may color orange din. I side-stepped and silently run towards the stall and bought some cotton candy. I hope a lil' sweet can make her mood lighter.

Naabutan ko syang may tinatawagan sa phone nya and on cue my phone rang. Sus miss naman agad ako nitong si Heart. I ended the call and hide the cotton candy behind my back.

"Gosh Leoel san ka ba galing?"

"May binili lang ako."

"Ugh whatever. Sabagay, jan ka naman magaling e, mang-iwan ng walang paalam-" I put the cotton candy in front of her face and said,

"Sorry."

She's a bit stunned, nakita ko din kung paanong namula ang pisngi nya. After 100 years, tsaka nya palang tinanggap yung cotton candy. Joke.

"Orange na naman." I just shrugged, nagsimula na syang maglakad papuntang shotgun seat when she suddenly stopped half way.

She looked up at the sky and whispered, "Even the sunset reminds me of you. Damn Cahel."

"Heart..."

Umupo sya sa hood ng kotse ko and inhale deep, she exhaled and took a portion of the cotton candy.

"Even the sunrise reminds me of you, hays kaya may times talaga na ayaw kong makikita ang twilight at dawn."

I sat beside her, ready to hear what she has to say.

"I used to cry everytime na nakakakita ako ng kahit anong nakakapagpaalala sayo. I admit, I really gone crazy nung iniwan mo ako."

"I'm sorry, Heart." Nilingon nya ako, her soft gaze bore mine.

"No Leoel, I understand. Isa pa, like what I've said nakamove on na ako. And, to be honest napatawad na kita because I know what you did is because of me." she finished her cotton candy and massaged her chest a bit.

Hindi ko maiwasang tumitig sa kanya. I swallow the lump on my throat, this is the right time para magtanong. Kung totoong napatawad na nya ko, then why does she want me to stay away from her?

"Heart. Bakit?"

"Anong bakit?"

Huminga ako ng malalim at hinawakan ang kamay ni Heart. Ito na...

"Bakit mo ko pinapalayo sayo? Sabi mo napatawad mo na ako, sabi mo okay na tayo, kaya hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit? Bakit Heart? I understand na baka galit ka pa sa akin but Heart I'm more than willing na bumawi sayo. I understand na I'm not worthy of your trust again but I'm more than willing to do everything just to be deserving of it again. Pero paano ko gagawin ang lahat ng yon kung pinapalayo mo ako sayo? Kung ni anino ko iniiwasan mo? Please Heart. Please give me another chance to prove myself again."

"Bakit? Hmm... Just think of it this way, you left me before for my own sake and now, me asking you to stay away from me is for your own good too. I'm just returning the favor Leoel so please, just please makinig ka na lang sakin."

I went in front of her and held her shoulders, I need a concrete answer. Hindi nya na ako makukuha sa mga paligoy-ligoy nya."Heart, please answer me properly. Please Love, I've been frustrated for so long. I'm still in love with you, I always do. And I know deep in you, you still love me too. Kaya bakit parang tinutuldukan mo na talaga yung tayo? Wala na ba talagang pag asa? Please accept me again Heart."

"I can't."

"Heart!"

"I'm sick Leoel and I'm close to dying."

Shit. Nabingi ata ako. She's sick? She's close to dying? What the hell! I felt my body froze, biglang bumigat ang pakiramdam ko at nabitawan ko ang balikat nya.

"I have Dilated Cardiomyophaty. When I attempted to kill myself, dun nila nadiscover yung sakit ko. My stupidity triggered my DCM. Sabi ng doctor ko, I have a lil complication before pero dahil healthy living ako, naprevent ko yung sakit ko pero nung iniwan mo ko, I started to drink a lot. Nagtry pa ako mag smoke non. I also took huge amount of anti-depressants, lahat na ginawa ko para maging okay and when I decided to take away my life and fortunately survived, karma haunted me as soon as I opened my eyes from a short coma."

"At first I was so scared pero sabi ng doctor, with proper medication I'll be just fine. The enlargement of my heart will be prevented. And to be honest, that became an eye opener for me. I need to live my life to the fullest. And that's actually the real story behind 'Hurtless Heart.' I was living just fine for almost two years until the symptoms suddenly occurred. Remember my fansigning event in Batangas? A few days before that I fainted and was hospitalized for a week. I almost couldn't make to that event pero pinilit ko. And I am so happy that I do so." she gently touched my face.

"Because that day, I saw you again. I saw my happypill again. My source of everything. I missed you my lil' orangie."

Kasabay ng mga salitang sinabi nya ay pagtulo ng mga luha ko. Wala na akong sinayang na segundo, niyakap ko sya ng napakahigpit.

"God I'm so sorry Heart. I'm here Love."

***
Medyo sabaw 😅
Thank you for reading my story! 💜