Remember (MaiDen Fanfiction) | Wattys 2019 Winner

Chapter XIV

NAGULAT si Meng nang may dumamping tissue sa pisngi niya. Agad na napatingin siya kay RJ na nakaupo sa tabi niya habang patuloy na pinupunasan ang mga pumapatak niyang luha.

She got distracted because of it. Nakalimutan niya na nandoon pa nga pala ito. She was too preoccupied with her writing.

"It's fine," pigil niya dito. She wiped the remaining teardrops on her cheeks.

Sumagap siya ng hangin dahil naging mahirap para sa kanya ang paghinga. It always happen everytime she cries. Nasanay na siya doon.

"Ganito talaga ako kapag nagsusulat," paliwanag pa niya.

She looked at her reflection on the laptop. Namumula ang mga mata niya pati na rin ang ilong.

RJ sighed. Hindi na siya nag-abalang lumingon pa dito. Siguro nagtaka rin ito kung bakit siya umiiyak kaya ginawa nito iyon. She couldn't blame him. Wala naman itong ginawang masama. It is just too bad that she got distracted. Matitigil siya sa pagsusulat.

"Why did you cry?" he asked.

"I'm writing the saddest story. That's why." Mabilis na sagot niya. Pinasadahan niya ng tingin ang sinusulat. Nakailang page pa lang pala siya.

"You're a writer?" paniniguro nito.

She just nod as an answer. Wala rin naman kasi siyang ibang sasabihin. Sinubukan niyang magsulat muli ngunit hindi na siya makapag-focus.

"That explains the numerous novels in your shelf."

Napatingin siya sa shelf. May ilang istorya doon na hindi niya maalalang ginawa niya. She didn't tried reading it. She never tried reading any of it. Natatakot kasi siya sa kung anong laman niyon. It may be a part of the past that she didn't remember. Not that she don't want to remember, she's afraid of the people and things that she might remember.

"Yeah..." mahinang sagot niya.

"You've written all of that?"

Umiling siya. "I don't know. Maybe." She shrugged it off.

"How come you don't know?" tanong nitong muli.

Nilingon niya ang binata bago pilit na ngumiti dito. She saw the concern in his eyes. He look confused too. Wala naman kasi itong alam tungkol sa kanya. That's normal.

Opening up won't kill her, right? And this will be the first time that she'll gonna tell someone about her condition. Kaya na naman niyang pag-usapan ang bagay na 'yon. Two years na rin naman.

Talking to strangers help. Well, that's according to some people. Baka rin kahit papaano gumaan ang loob niya. Baka kahit papaano may maalala siya.

Sana.

"I have amnesia." She said that casually. Na parang hindi iyon malaking problema. Na parang wala lang iyon sa kanya. Nilingon niya ang binata.

But those memories she can't remember holds her life. Kung bakit natatakot pa rin siyang makahanap ng taong mamahalin niya na kayang tanggapin kung ano ang nangyari sa kanya. Natatakot siya na baka kung kailan may mahal na siya saka bumalik ang lahat at masaktan lang silang dalawa. Natatakot siyang nagmahal siya ng husto noon at hindi niya 'yon matatanggap sa oras na maalala niya ang lahat.

RJ shifted on his seat. He looks uncomfortable. Hindi nga naman kasi basta-basta lang ang amnesia. Marahil ay naiilang ito na magtanong tungkol sa bagay na iyon.

"Gaano na katagal?" He inquired. There's this glint of hurt in his eyes. Naaawa siguro ito sa kanya. But he should not feel that way.

"Two years na. But it's fine. I can talk about it. Too bad that not all of my memory hasn't back yet." She save the file and closed it. She put the laptop back to sleep. Muli niya iyong ibinalik sa ibabaw ng lamesita at umayos na ng upo.