A freak accident.
That was how Ate Ruby described what happened to Emerald.
Sumama siya with her friends to go hiking tapos nagkayayaan na magbungee jumping.
Emerald was the last to jump.
The reason being ayaw daw talaga nito pumayag na magbungee jump.
She only with with them to hike pero sa kakapilit ng mga kasama, pumayag na din siya.
"Her head hit a rock when she came down." Sabi ni Ate Ruby.
"Hindi nila alam kung paano nangyari dahil all seven of them did the same thing but none of them hit that rock." Naluluhang kwento niya.
It took a while for the ambulance to get to Emerald.
By the time na nadala siya sa hospital, she lost a lot of blood.
Walang pagdadalawang-isip na nagbook ako ng flight papunta sa Victoria.
I called my mom to let her know where I'm going.
Nagtataka man siya dahil sa biglaan kong pag-alis, sinabi ko na saka na ako magpapaliwanag.
Tinawagan ko din si Vanessa at sinabi sa kanya ang nangyari.
Siya na daw ang bahalang magsabi sa boss namin.
I said I will come back.
Hindi ko nga lang alam kung kelan.
Pagdating ko sa ospital, umiiyak na lumapit sa akin si Ate Ruby.
Nandoon din ang magulang niya pati si Kuya Jett.
Emerald is in a coma.
Only she can tell when and if she wants to wake up.
Nadurog ang puso ko sa narinig.
All of a sudden, I felt regret.
Regret that I intentionally ignored her because I was so mad with what she said.
Regret that the last time she saw me, I was so drunk and made a fool of myself.
Regret that I didn't get to even say goodbye when she left the next morning.
What do I do with all the things I may not be able to say?
It was my first time to formally meet Treena.
She was standing in front of the room where Emerald was.
Tears were streaming down her face and she wiped it with her finger when she saw us approaching.
Blonde, green-eyed, ridiculously skinny and frail looking.
Yan ang first impression ko sa kanya.
Pero sinabi sa akin ni Emerald na I shouldn't be fooled.
"Treena is the strongest woman I know."
Gusto niyang makilala ko ang kaibigan niya pero we never got the chance dahil papunta ito sa Thailand for a vacation.
Pagbalik naman sa Calgary, we were all busy with work at hindi magpanagpo ang mga schedule namin.
Treena is a vet and she runs her own clinic.
"What a bad time to meet eh?" She gave me a sad smile.
"Better this than nothing." Sagot ko.
Sinilip ko si Emerald.
Maraming tubes ang nakakabit sa katawan niya.
There was a breathing apparatus and the odd feeling I get when I hear Darth Vader in every Star Wars movie I've seen, returned.
I do not want to remember Emerald like that.
Nagpaalam si Treena sa amin.
Pupunta daw ito sa cafeteria to get coffee.
Tinanong ko siya kung pwede akong sumama.
Aside from kailangan ko ng caffeine, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread ng makita ko si Emerald.
Tahimik kaming dalawa habang naglalakad.
Malayo ang iniisip ko at mukhang ganun din siya.
Bukod sa nangyari, ngayon ko lang din nakilala ang magulang ni Emerald.
When her mother asked Ate Ruby kung sino ako, I saw the confused look in her eyes kaya ako na ang nagsabi na magkaibigan kami.
Nakahinga ng maluwag si Ate sa sagot ko.
Bago kami bumaba ni Treena papunta sa cafeteria, naalala ko ang dahilan kung bakit pumunta dito si Emerald.
"Congratulations. I heard you got married."
Tumigil siya sa paglalakad.
"I didn't get married."
"What?" Naguluhan ako sa sagot niya.
"Isn't it the reason why she came here?"
"Oh, Em. Ever the secretive one." Napailing si Treena habang tumatawa.
"I don't understand."
Bumaba na kaming dalawa at kumaliwa papunta sa cafeteria.
Naghihintay pa din ako sa sagot ni Treena.
Binuksan ko ang pinto at una siyang pinapasok.
Konti lang ang tao sa cafeteria at pumila kami sa likod ng isang lalake na naka-light blue scrubs.
"Is that what she told you?" Sinalubong ni Treena ang tingin ko.
It was like seeing at my reflection in the mirror dahil pareho kami ng kulay ng mata.
"To be honest, she didn't tell me anything. She just left."
"I see."
"So, you were the one she was telling me about."
"What did she say about me?"
"How she may have finally met the one who would stay."
Nasundot ang konsensiya ko.
Kung alam lang ni Emerald kung ano ang mga bagay na pumapasok sa isip ko, baka magbago ang tingin niya sa akin.
Lumakad ang lalake sa harap namin at sumunod kami ni Treena.
"What happened?"
"What do you mean?" Tumingala ako dahil sa di hamak na mas matangkad siya.
Well, lahat naman matangkad sa akin dahil maliit ako.
"You said you didn't get married."
Matamang nag-isip si Treena.
May lumapit na isa pang cashier at tinawag kaming dalawa.
Umorder siya ng Earl Grey tea with two milks at small black coffee naman para sa akin.
I cannot risk having an acid reflux right now.
Siya ang nagbayad kahit pa I insisted na ako na ang bahala.
Nagpasalamat kami sa cashier at lumakad papunta sa isang bakanteng lamesa.
Nauna siyang umupo.
Hinila ko ang upuan sa harapan niya.
"How well do you know Em?" Biglang tanong niya.
"We just started dating."
Natahimik siya ulit habang pinipitik ang nakalaylay na label ng tsaa.
"You still haven't answered my question." Paalala ko sa kanya.
"Do you really want to know the answer?"
"Yes."
Sumandal si Treena sa upuan at tinitigan akong mabuti.
Parang pinag-aaralan niya ako.
It made me uneasy.
"She didn't come here for the wedding."
"Why did she come then?"
Dumiretso ng upo si Treena.
"She came to stop me from getting married."
BINABASA MO ANG
Forever Live & Die
General FictionThe only thing that Emerald wanted was to die. TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains depictions of suicide. *** All rights reserved. No part of this work may be published, distributed, extracted, re-utilized, or reproduced in any material form, incl...
