TAMING THE LIONESS °[KathNiel] ✓COMPLETE

30. Home

It's a joke, isn't it? Tres didn't just blow right in front of me a 'who-you' question? My tears automatically rolled down my cheeks when I heard those words from him.

"Tres, ako 'to."

As if confused, his brows furrowed. Hindi nga niya ako maalala. The scar... Oh. Could it be...? Did he...? I couldn't even complete my own questions because while staring at his dark eyes, I already got the answer to all of those.

"Si Maddy 'to." Pagpapakilala ko, umaasang maaalala niya. Kinuha ko ang mga kamay niya para hawakan 'yon. "Sobra kaming nag-alala sa'yo." Hindi ko mabigkas-bigkas ng maayos ang mga salita dahil hindi ko mapigilang humikbi—dahil sa saya na nandito siya at sa lungkot na hindi niya naman ako maalala. My heart twinged in pain when Tres pulled his hands away from me.

"I don't think I know you."

"You will..." I desperately said. "You will remember me. Diba? You're here. Nandito ka. I mean, why are you here? Tayong dalawa lang naman ang pumupunta dito e."

"Yeah? I remember myself being in this place." Pag-amin niya, blanko parin ang mga mata. "But I don't remember you with me. I'm sorry." That sounded so sincere and it broke my heart. Totoo bang hindi niya talaga ako maalala? "You should stop coming here. It's a dangerous place."

I was about to say otherwise but then I remembered the guy who's still knocked down from the distance.

"Then, why are you here?" I asked.

"I need to remember everything. Right now, this is the only place that I remember. Maybe it'll help."

"I can help you." Mabilis na sagot ko sabay hawak ulit ng kamay niya. Binawi niya rin kaagad 'yon. "Tutulungan kitang maalala lahat. Naghihintay sa'yo ang pamilya mo. Kailangan mong umuwi."

"Can you stop crying for a moment? It makes me uncomfortable." Wika niyang nagpatawa sa'kin ng mapakla. Gayunpaman, pinunasan ko ang mukha ko pero ayaw paawat ng mga luha ko sa pagtulo. Kaya tumalikod na lamang ako sa kanya at tahimik na humikbi.

"Tres!" Isang boses ng babae ang tumawag sa kanya na nagpalingon rin sa'kin. The woman was in white long dress that reaches her ankles. She was smiling from ear to ear until she saw me. "Who are you?" She has an accent and I can tell from the color of her eyes that she's not a Filipino. Maybe, she is but she must have foreign blood too. And the hell, she was gorgeous.

"Who are you?" I returned the question. She raised her eyebrow at me. Oh. I don't like her already. What's to like anyway?

"I'm the one asking you."

"I'm Madellaine." I answered appropriately. "Kilala ko si Tres. Hinahanap siya ng pamilya niya. I need to take him back to his family."

"Stop right there. If Tres doesn't remember you, we cannot trust you." Oh. She must not be that bad. Maybe, she's just thinking what's best for him.

"Ah. Here." After panicking on how to prove them that Tres and I know each other, I took my phone out and showed our picture together. Tumingin ang babae kay Tres, naghihintay ng reaction mula rito.

"That could be photoshopped." The girl muttered afterwards so I swiped next and showed the rest of our photos taken mostly when we were in America. "Tres?"

"I still don't remember her." He said, breaking my heart to tiny pieces. "But she's not lying. We must have really known each other, Cami." He added afterwards. "I wanted to see my family. Cami, she knows them."

Nagtataka ako kung bakit hindi ipinaalam ng babae sa otoridad ang tungkol kay Tres. Imposibleng hindi niya alam gawin 'yon o kaya ay ang malamang hinahanap si Tres ng pamilya niya.