Forgotten (NNS #1) (EDITING)

Kabanata 16

Kabanata 16

Ruin

"Kailangan naming umalis. Tangina, ano bang mahirap intindihin do'n? Ayoko rin naman kasi, eh. Ayoko siyang iwan dito, kayo! Pero kailangan namin," patuloy na pagsasalaysay ni Ariadne.

She's stressing about their unexpected leave next month. Pagkabalik kasi namin galing Siargao last week, we received a call from her saying that she need to leave the country, with her family, immediately.

Her mother was diagnosed with glaucoma. It is an eye disease which can be treated with corneal transplantation, or an eye transplant for faster recovery. Fortunately, they found a donor, but the donor is out of the country. They can't risk to travel the donor, so they decided to go there instead. Mas advance rin ang technology sa bansang pupuntahan nila, more chances of successful surgery.

As far as I remember, corneal transplant is done by removing the damaged cornea and replacing it with a donated corneal tissue. I heard that in her mother's condition, the entire cornea needs to be replaced, changing the name of the procedure to Penetrating Keratoplasty.

One more thing about it, they need to wait for the donor to die because that's how the field works.

"Akala ko maiintindihan niya, kasi siya 'yon eh. Pero bakit parang nagkamali ako?" saad niya at muli ay inilabas ang sama ng loob.

Simply because she never cries in front of us. She's the toughest yet when she's alone, we know that that was when she breaks down.

"Pinanghawakan ko kasi yung sinabi niya na iintindihin niya ako, lalo pag hindi ko pa kayang sabihin sa kanya. Nangako kasi siya sakin na hahayaan niya ako, hanggang sa masabi ko na sa kanya yung rason," saad niya at uminom sa hawak niyang baso ng wine.

Umiling ako at nagsalin sa baso ko bago umupo at sumandal sa sofa nina Tracy. No Name is here together with Winona, Madeline, and Alec. Kasabay namin silang dumating last week, and ngayon lang namin sila nakasama after our vacations.

"'Teh, pa'no kung may tinatago rin siya na hindi niya masabi sa'yo? Pa'no kung parehas lang pala kayo na may sikreto sa isa't-isa?" tanong ni Winona pagkatapos ng ilang segundong katahimikan.

"Bakit hindi niya sabihin, kung gano'n? Well, atleast ako, sinabi ko sa kanya na meron akong hindi pa kayang sabihin. Atleast siya, alam na may gusto akong ibalita pero hindi ko magawa," she backfired.

Tumango si Win at ngumuso, "Oo nga naman."

"Pero paano naman kung pati 'yong pagsabi na may tinatago siya ay hindi niya magawa kasi nasasaktan siya sa pag-iisip pa lang no'n?" I asked out of the blue. I just want to give a hint.

Yesterday, I talked to Vladimir. I asked his reasons for not accepting Ari's leave. Sinabi niya na may sakit ang lola niya, na pinakamamahal niya sa lahat, kung kaya't kailangan niya si Ariadne bilang suporta. Alam na niya ito bago pa ang pagtulak namin sa Siargao, dahilan para maging moody siya na nagdulot ng pag-aaway nila. I also told him that everything will be alright. Before we bid goodbye, he told me na I shouldn't mention anything to Ari. I agreed because it's their issue and Vlad, opening up to me is enough.