1971 {Rodrigo Duterte x Leni Robredo}

16 Here

Past

Wedding bells rang.

Even from where she was sitting, she could hear the clear sound from the church which stood a few blocks away. She opted not to attend the wedding. It was Rodrigo and Elizabeth's time together, their moment, their love story. As for her, she had yet to see for herself. She hasn't gone back to the present. She was still here - still in the past.

Leni was at the bus stop since she had been told that her "parents" would be picking her up and taking her back to her home town. She had no idea who they were or where they would be taking her, but she did not want to make up more lies when she sees them. If only she could go back to the present at that instant, it would spare her from all the trouble. 

As she sat there waiting, she reminisced all the events that had happened since she was transported back to this era. How it made her realize what truly mattered for her. She decided that when the time came for her to go back to the present, she won't hold back any longer. She knew what she wanted, and even though it would not be an easy road to take, she will still take it. Because she knew  it would all be worth it. If that was the only way to steer away from regrets. If that was the only way for her to be with him. 

She wondered when she was going to get picked up. Maybe it was naturally like this in this era, transportation may be a bit slower. She was getting sleepy now. Her eyes closed and she leaned her head on the steel post of the shed.

She didn't know for how long she was asleep, but it felt like a very long time. It was a dreamless sleep where there was only darkness and nothing else.

Suddenly she was hearing beeping noises. Her eyelids felt like lead and she couldn't move her body as freely as she wanted to.

It was then that she realized that she had come back to the...

Present

"Doc! Nagising na po si ma'am!" She could clearly hear a woman say.

There was a bang, clanging of metal against metal and a flurry of footsteps. The entire room seemed like it was filled with people. 

She could smell the distinct scent of disinfectant, clearly she was inside a hospital.

She tried to turn her head to the side and opened her eyes - but her vision was a bit blurry. She blinked a few times before her eyesight became clearer.

"Ma'am if you can hear me po, please try to move your forefinger," a man said. He was probably the doctor, she presumed.

She did as she was told and heard gasps.

"Thank you, ma'am," the doctor said before he left her side and turned the people beside her bed.

"Icheck niyo kung normal ba 'yung vital signs ni ma'am. We have to know if her brain functions are back to normal, or if she will be needing therapy," the doctor said to his team.

"I will have to inform her family and the president," he said before rushing out of the room.

The president.

Her eyes stung as a sudden wave of emotions hit her. Her throat ached. She swallowed and held back her tears. 

Kamusta na kaya siya? Ayos lang kaya siya? Sana hindi niya sinisisi ang sarili niya. Nasaan na kaya siya ngayon? Kailangan ko siyang makita.

They asked her questions and performed tests on her. She complied with all of their request without much choice, until they were satisfied that she was in full health.

"A little bit dehydrated lang si ma'am and needing more nourishment, which is normal naman knowing more than one month din si ma'am na-comatose. But so far her vital signs and brain functions are normal," she heard one of the nurses say.