Unwritten (Summer Of Taking Chances Sequel)

Last Memory

DOMINIQUE

APRIL 2018

When Dominique woke up, the first thing she saw was a pair of warm brown eyes. It belonged to a girl with a gorgeous heart shaped face, high nose and a prominent cleft chin. She was looking down at her. Happiness radiated on her face. Na para bang masayang- masaya itong nagising na sya. Who's this stranger? She wondered. This stranger's eyes were like magnets. Dominique couldn't take her eyes away from them.

"Who are you?" Dominique asked. She couldn't understand why her heart started beating fast just by staring at this stranger's eyes.

Confusion registered on the stranger's face. She was unable to answer Dominique. She was just looking at her strangely and studying her face if she was joking.

"Nasaan ako?" Tanong muli ni Dominique nang hindi makasagot ang babae. Doon nya napansing nasa hospital bed sya at may dextrose na nakatusok sa kanya. She felt a sudden headache. Napahawak sya sa ulo nya.

"Call the doctor." Dominique heard the slightly husky voice of the stranger. Nakita nyang kausap nito ang pinsan nyang si Mary, na agad lumabas ng hospital room. Lumapit sa kabilang bedside nya si Kristine, na noon lang nya napansin.

"Kris, anong nangyari? Bakit ako nasa hospital?" She turned to Kristine.

Kristine looked worried. "What do you remember?"

"I remember being drunk. We had a lot of drink. We were drunk," Dominique answered.

"We were drunk?" Kristine looked confused.

"Yes. We were noisy while walking back to our transient house. And I didn't bother to change clothes before going to bed because I was so dizzy and I passed out. That's the last thing I remember."

"Transient house?" Kristine asked softly more to herself than Dominique. "And where is this transient house?"

It was Dominique's turn to get confused. "Sagada of course! I mean, nasa Sagada pa tayo right? Hindi naman siguro tayo bumiyahe pabalik ng Manila without me knowing? Or without you waking me up?"

The stranger and Kristine looked at each other. There was fear on their faces.

"Do you really not know me?" The stranger asked her.

"No. Who are you anyway?" Dominique asked her again.

Shocked registered in her brown eyes. She opened her mouth to answer but closed it again. She stared at Dominique a little sad. "I'm...I'm..." Hindi na nito naituloy ang sasabihin dahil may pumasok na doctor kasama ni Mary at ng Mama nya.

Kristine and the stranger scooted out of her bedside so the doctor could examine her. Then he asked her name and the last thing she remembered. The doctor seemed to be in his early fifties and he asked her very gently. He's Dr. Henry Samson, according to his nameplate. His voice was very soothing. She got confused though when he asked if she knew the date and the year.

"I'm not sure of the date. But its May 2015," she confidently answered. There was silence. "Isn't it?" She asked for confirmation. No one answered. Her mother was shocked. The stranger's eyes were downcast. Dominique could see tears forming in Mary and Kristine's eyes. "Ano ba talagang nangyayari?" She demanded and started to get scared. "Bakit hindi kayo sumasagot?!" She didn't mean to shout.

"I will explain, iha. But please calm down. Don't strain yourself," Doctor Samson said gently.

Dominique didn't speak but deep down, she couldn't calm down. By just looking at their faces, she knew something's terribly wrong. What's happening? She wanted to scream. Panicking, she turned to the stranger, who was staring at her too. Their eyes locked and for some reason, Dominique felt suddenly calmed. Her warm brown eyes seemed to say, "I'm here. Everything will be alright."

She remembered her dream. Was it a dream? Was it real? She saw those same eyes before falling asleep when she was in Sagada. Was she there too?

Nang makita ng doctor na kumalma na sya, pinalabas muna nito sina Mary, Kristine at ang babaing hindi nya kilala. Parang ayaw nitong iwan sya. Tumitig muna ito sa kanya saka lumabas ng kwarto. Naiwan ang Mama nya at ang doktor.

The doctor asked more questions which she answered patiently. Dr. Samson gently explained her situation and she understood why everyone was shocked. Even Dominique couldn't believe what she heard. Tears started falling down her face.

This couldn't be happening. She lost almost three years of her memory!