The Dreamers

XXVIII

I woke up from a bad dream.

Valerie has left again. 

In the dream, I was running after her but everytime I'm close to reaching her, she'll disappear. It seemed so real. Mabilis pa din ang tibok ng puso ko pagkagising.

"Jav, there is—" I hear Kuya Kelvin but I brush him off, trying to stand up.

Val.

Upon my insistence, she stayed with me in the hospital only every night. She wanted to stay with me all day, even if just from the waiting room. 

Siyempre kinilig ako, pero di ako pumayag. I asked Jess to drive her home and then back. It has been 3 days, and I will be discharged the day after next.

After the talk I had with Val pagkagising ko, I didn't see the fear and doubt in her eyes again. Not until last night.

We were talking about what happened 5 years ago. Somehow, she found out what I did to Connor. My guess is Jess or Rom or Christian. Or yung pakialamero kong Tito.

When I found out from the private investigator my dad hired to track Val's location na nasa London siya, I wanted to fly there. I wanted to give up running for governor and try to win her back instead. 

But Tito Anton stopped me. He told me that Val isn't the woman for me because of her past. I had never been so mad at him. I knew then na may kinalaman siya kung bakit pumasok sa isip ni Val na hindi siya worthy. Na hindi siya karapat-dapat sakin.

I wanted to rush to her but I remembered her letter. 

This is the demon she was talking about. 

As much as I wanted to comfort her, I knew she needed to fight her demon. And I had to fight the devil incarnate who gave it to her in the first place.

Kaya nagdesisyon akong ituloy ang pagkandidato. And right after I won, I went after that asshole. 

Campaign period pa lang, I was hatching a plan to make him pay. So when I did, everything was righted. He was arrested, deported, and incarcerated in his own country.

I wanted then to fly to London but I had another responsibility. My country. So I vowed to myself that after my term as governor, tsaka ako lilipad papunta kay Val. To be with my dream.

Pero saktong umuwi naman siya kaya parang si tadhana na ang gumawa ng paraan. Naks.

When I looked at her, she was deep in thought kahit na nagkukwento ako.

"I'm thinking of shaving all my hair off." I say.

She nods absent-mindedly. "That's good."

"Tapos magpapatattoo ako ng replica ng mukha ko sa likod ng ulo ko, para kahit saan sila tumingin makikita nila akong nakatingin sa kanila." I add.

Tumango siya uli. "Okay."

"Okay lang sayo magpakasal sa lalaking dalawa ang mukha?" I ask, stifling a laugh.

She nods again. "Okay lang."

I laugh. She breaks off from her trance and frowns. "Anong nakakatawa?"

"Ikaw. You just agreed to marry me." I smile.

She blushed. I always loved that she blush easily. "What? I didn't!"