A Game of Luck//Kobe Paras FF

Chapter 21

"Do I know you?"

Nagulat siya sa tanong ko. Inayos ko muna ang pagkakalagay ng ice pack at nang hindi pa rin siya sumasagot ay nilingon ko na siya.

He looked so confused right now. I couldn't help but remember his hug kanina. It felt so comfortable kasi even though this man had muscles. Napailing na lang ako sa naisip.

"Know what? Scratch that. Wag mo na lang iyong sagutin, baka mas lalo pang sumakit ang ulo ko." I said at nag focus na sa ulo niya. But the silence became too overwhelming kaya hindi ko na talaga napigilang magsalita. "Theo told me you played for UP noon?" I started.

He moved his head para maayos akong matingnan pero I held his head still using my other hand. "Theo?" mababang tanong niya.

Kumunot ang noo ko dahil sa sinabi niya. You weren't supposed to answer a question with another question! "Yung classmate ko dati, kasali siya rito. So?" I asked dismissively.

"Yes, I did." Tumaas ang dalawang kilay ko nang sumagot siya. At least he's answering now and not just giving me heavy looks.

"And I assume that you know me then? No one ever really calls me Cieraphine anymore. It's Ara now, short for Aragon," pagpapatuloy ko.

"Why are you acting like hindi mo ako kilala? Cie, it wasn't me okay? You got it wrong." I touched the part where I've been applying cold compress to at nang maramdamang masyado pa iyong malamig ay inilayo muna ang hawak ko.

Kara was also like this when she first visited me a couple of days after I woke up. Na-frustrate rin siya dahil hindi ko siya naalala but looking at how frustrated Kobe is right now parang gusto ko na ring i-pressure ang sarili kong makaalala.

I sighed. "It's because I don't." Umayos siya sa pagkakaupo at hinarap ako. In no time, I was already trapped between his thighs. Kahit na nakaupo siya ay pantay pa rin ang height namin.

I was surprised with myself dahil hindi ko man lang sinubukan makawala. It just felt right. Everything about him did. I looked at anywhere but his eyes, knowing that there was no way na makakawala pa ako kung titingnan ko ang kanyang mga mata. I didn't know why but I started to explain.

"I was in a coma for two years at nagising akong walang naaalala. I've been gradually gaining my memories back but I don't know the extent of my brain. It's been years now at sabi ng doctor ko na there's a possibility na tuluyan ko na ngang makalilimutan ang iilang mga bagay lalo na ang mga nangyari a few months before the accident. So I'm sorry if I can't remember you okay? I'm trying to but I just can't. Pasensiya na rin kung tuluyan na kitang nakalimutan."

I was already crying by the end of my explanation. Sadness overwhelmed me at hindi ko na iyon nakayanan.

Pinunasan niya ang aking mga luha as he tried to calm me down. Bahagya niya akong kinabig kaya ngayo'y nakayakap na siya sa akin. "I'm sorry for pressuring you. I didn't know." He took a deep breath bago siya kumalas sa yakap namin.

He tucked a stray hair at the back of my ear at seryoso akong tinitigan. He was about to say something when nag ring ang cellphone ko.

Agad ko naman iyong sinagot nang makitang si Dad iyon. "Hello Tita?" Medyo nalito pa nga ako nang ang anak ni ate Vanessa ang tumawag pero sinagot ko naman iyon.

"Yes baby?" I cleared my throat at bahagyang tinulak ang hita ni Kobe na iniipit pa rin ang legs ko. I saw his gaze darken bago mas lalong hinigpitan ang pagkakaipit ko.

"Hinahanap ka na ni Lolo, what should I tell him?" I can imagine him holding the phone with his chubby hands at nanggigil tuloy ako. Any visible trace of sadness left my face.

Bumalik ang aking atensyon kay Kobe na inilagay na ang dalawang kamay sa aking bewang. Masama na ang timpla ng mukha niya ngayon. Mukha siyang naiinis na nagagalit.

"Tell him na pauwi na ako, okay?" I said habang iniiwas ang tingin kay Kobe na parang puputok na na bulkan.

I dropped the call at nilingon na si Kobe. He still refused to let me go kaya sinamaan ko na siya ng tingin. "Pakawalan mo na ako," seryoso kong sabi sa kanya.

"Ngayon pa ba kita pakakawalan? After all that we've been through?" Kahit hindi ako sigurado kung ano ang isa pang ibig sabihin niya ay alam kung mayroon. My heart slightly fluttered at that pero hindi ako nagpatinag.

"I need to go home. Let me go." Hindi pa rin siya kumikibo. His eyes never left mine. "You do know na you're still a stranger to me hanggang bumalik nang tuluyan ang mga alaala ko, right?"

With that binitawan niya nga ako. He sighed before saying, "Soon we won't be."

Hindi ko na pinansin ang huling sinabi niya. "If it's meant to be, babalik talaga ang alaala ko sa'yo but for the meantime, I'm sorry." sabi ko at naglakad na paalis.

"I'm winning you back with or without your memories, Cieraphine." bulong niya na hindi ko na maayos na narinig dahil sa layo na namin.

Mabilis akong nakasakay sa pedicab and in no time, I was already back home. Dad bombarded me questions about my day at kung bakit matagal akong nakauwi.

I've never been a fan of lying pero something kept me from telling him about what happened in the covered court. I just told him na hindi ko namalayan ang oras sa loob ng library na totoo rin naman.

Now, I was alone back here in my room. Kinuha ko ang aking cellphone at tinawagan si Kara. I silently prayed na gising pa siya, hoping na may makakausap pa ako ngayong gabi.

She answered on the third ring with a very energetic "Hello!"

I lied on my back facing the ceiling. My legs were leaning on the wall as I also greeted her. Hindi na rin ako nagpaligoy ligoy pa. I directly asked her, "Did I know a Kobe Paras back then?"

A booming sound answered me from the other line which was followed by silence after. "Kara?" I called.

"B-bakit ka napatanong?" She answered, habang medyo umuubo pa. "Teka lang, let me finish my water first. Ang hilig mong manggulat! Nahulog ako sa kama ko tapos nabilaukan pa!"

So I did know him back then. Base palang sa reaction ni Kara, obvious na obvious na. But why did they hide him from me kung ganoon? They told me na pinakilala na nila lahat ng dapat kong makilala so why didn't they introduce Kobe?

"Nakilala natin siya as well as the whole UPMBT, we watched all their games kasi at namumukhaan na nila tayo," Kara answered.

Kung ganoo'y bakit parang ang lalim ng pinaghuhugutan ni Kobe kanina? Why was he so determined to make me remember him if that's the case?

"Nagkita kasi kami kanina, he—uhm told me na we know each other kaya ganoon." I answered at ibinaba na ang paa para maayos na akong makahiga.

"NANDIYAN SIYA?!" I had to pull my phone away from my ear dahil sa lakas ng boses niya. Kara is overacting naman but she's never overacted this much for some small reason.

Something smells fishy. I never liked being the last person to know about something kaya tutol na tutol ako sa anuman ang tinatago nina Kara. I bet even Mom has something to do with this!

"Promise me that you won't tell anyone?" I said.

"Pero Cie—"

"No, Kara! Something's wrong at alam kong may kinalaman ito sa nawawalang alaala ko. And I feel like kapag nalaman ni Mom ay may gagawin siya so can you please let me figure this out alone?"

I still didn't know where all of this is coming from. I always trust my instincts because they always turn out to be true. Kaya lang, I just never expected na dadating ang panahong gagamitin ko ito laban sa sariling ina ko.

I heard her sigh from the other line. "But if things start to go wrong, Ciera, hindi ako magdadalawang isip na sabihan si Tita," tanging sabi niya.