HIM
"He suffered from coma due to a hypoxia or lack of oxygen, your son was diagnosed to have a heart attack and according to the results before he passed out, he was feeling so weak and dizzy. Including some pain on his neck and jaw. But everything's going well now, of course because he finally woke up, that means his body is responding normally na. But we can't be so sure because there are some cases na when the patient woke up from a long period of coma, pwedeng nags-shutdown sila ulit due to a major shock, so medyo critical yung nangyari kanina dahil nga nagpa-panic yung patient so for now I'll just be advising you to just keep him calm. As much as possible we should really avoid the things that would make him feel shocked, nervous, or yung panic." narinig kong sabi ng doctor.
Gising na ako pero nanatili akong nakapikit.
"Okay, Doc. Thank you so much po." sabi ni Mom.
Nung marinig kong sumara ang pinto, hudyat na lumabas na yung doctor, doon ko minulat ang mga mata ko.
"Kief, anak..." sabi ni Mom na agarang lumapit sakin nang makita akong gising.
Hinahaplos niya ang buhok ko.
"Mom, I need her," sabi ko na parang nagmamakaawa.
Napapikit siya ng mariin at lumapit naman ang Dad ko na inakbayan siya.
"Okay, son. Look for her if you must," sabi ni Dad na ikinagulat ko. Napatingin sakanya si Mom.
"Really, Dad???" nabuhayan ng loob kong sabi.
"Yes. But you need to get well first, of course. Fix yourself, son. And when you're ready, you may go." sabi ni Dad.
"Thanks, Dad." I said happily.
Time has passed, a few weeks after I woke up, I was able to get discharged from the hospital.
I rested myself, I bonded with my family, reunited with friends, met some old folks.
And today, is a big day for me.
Today is my comeback game at PBA, it took me almost a year of putting myself back into shape again. Luckily, I suited up again from my old team, my family.
NLEX Road Warriors.
I'm inside the dugout while looking at my phone.
I still have her pictures, our pictures.
She has always been my inspiration, my motivation, and everything that keeps me going.
I failed.
I lost.
I fell.
I gave up.
For millions of times.
But she was there.
She has always been there.
Never gone.
Even in the times that she's really not, I can still feel her heart.
And that's more than enough for me.
I can always hear her voice, God that voice.
If I could only make a playlist of the lines that she always say.
I'd die listening to it.
"Kief! Tara na!" I saw Kuya JR smiling at me while assisting me towards the exit.
I took a one last look at her picture, the photo was took during my first PBA game. She was praying together with the crowd, standing, while looking at me.
I was about to take a three point shot.
It made a history.
We won.
Champion.
God knows how much I wanna see her in the crowd again, watching me, cheering for me.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAKE SOME NOISE FOR THE COMEBACK OF THE PHENOM, KIEFERRR RAVENAAA!!!" sigaw noong commentator at muntikan na ako maluha sa nakikita ko.
I missed this.
My fans.
My family.
My friends.
Siya nalang ang kulang.
Everyone's cheering, kahit yung kabilang team.
There are some fans na maluha luha pa.
Nakita ko si Thirdy na tuwang tuwa buhat buhat si Forth na pumapalakpak rin, yung baby nila ni Bea.
Si Dani naman kasama si Gian, going strong naman yung relationship nila.
I smiled at them.
HER
I just got inside the hospital at nasa office ko ako nang lapitan na ako ni Mikki, assistant ko.
"Good morning po, doc. Remind ko lang po kayo. You're scheduled to visit Nico, your 7 year old patient with leukemia, at room 945." sabi niya.
Wala naman talaga akong rounds ngayon. I really asked Mikki to note my visit for Nico because he's one of my patients here in the hospital. I love being with him because he's fun to be with and I really love talking with him.
He's indeed special.
"Okay, Mikki. Thank you. Nagbreakfast ka na ba?" tanong ko sakanya at ngumiti.
"Yes po, doc. Just call me if you need me po. Have a nice day," sabi nito at ngumiti.
I nodded at umalis na siya sa office ko.
Nag-ayos lang ako ng konti and I checked on Andi at sinabi sakin ni Nina na gising na daw at pinapakain niya na ng breakfast.
I smiled at the picture that Nina sent me.
It was Andi, eating her baby soup, ang kalat kalat ng mukha niya pero ngiting ngiti at halatang nag enjoy siya.
I put my phone in my pocket at nagproceed na sa elevator papunta sa 9th floor for Nico.
Maraming bumabati sakin na nurses and doctors dito sa hospital at binabati ko rin sila pabalik.
This has been my home already.
Nang makarating ako sa room. I knocked before I entered and as soon as I got in, nakita ko si Nico na nakaupo sa bed niya habang nanonood ng TV.
Agad siyang tumingin sakin at ngumiti.
"Ate Aly!!!" he said cheerfully.
I immediately approached him and gave him a kiss on the forehead.
"How's my baby warrior going?" I asked.
He smiled at me naman.
It made my heart melt kasi nakangiti siya sakin despite na may oxygen na nakakabit sa ilong niya and halos bald na yung ulo niya because of cancer.
"I'm so happy today," he said.
"Why?" I asked.
Bigla niyang hinawakan ang kamay ko and pointed at something.
"Look, that's Kiefer Ravena, he's a basketball player, my idol. I wanna be like him someday," he said at nagulat ako habang nakatingin sa TV.
***
