Night and Day

12 - Night and Day

The club room that day was empty as Tom had remembered, until when Shin-ae appeared and started to cry in his arms. The air was filled with her distress, as Tom called her by the name repeatedly to calm her down. He waited for her to calm down as he hears his own heart pounding. Eventually, her voice cracked, revealing the story of the man which he was not prepared to hear.

"I'm sorry, Tom. Si Gio..."

The name was hard on his ears. She released herself from him and tried to wipe her tears. Tom was still in need for answers as he looks at her swollen eyes. He thought that she might had been crying already before they met.

"Shi, anong nangyari kay- Please tell me," he was unable to say his name.

Shin-ae passed the letter in her hands to Tom. She was still shaking as she tries to collect herself.

"I don't know if it's the right time, but I was scared that I might be too late."

"He was almost gone Tom, A-Alcohol Poisoning," she added in a hushed tone as she continues to sob, "If I... If I hadn't checked on him baka... Baka, hindi ko pa nalaman."

Tom looked at her in shock. He never expected that this is the kind of news that he will hear of the old lover. He wanted to run that moment, to find him again, and to save him again. He looked at the letter and shrugged off his thoughts. I can't. He won't let me, he told himself.

"I reminded him Tom," she continued, "He always had that problem."

"He tried to end it, did he?" there was guilt on his mind, but he imagined what could he have done.

Shin-ae shakes her head, "I don't know, he's still too pained to tell, maybe or maybe not."

Tom remembered the nights they spent without sharing a drink. The old lover was always careful with his body. The reason which pushed him to the edge might be in the letter on his hands, or something he may never understand at all.

He held her in the shoulders as she continues to find her calm.

"I don't know what's happened Shi, pero magiging okay din s'ya. He's a strong guy."

"I'm sorry for keeping a lot to you about him."

He shook his head and forced a smile. He might had already accepted that he is not coming back, but not death, never because of death. It will feel very sudden. You ended us na ganun nalang kadali, hindi ka ganito ka-tanga Gio, he thought.

"'Di kita naisip Tom. I thought you've been okay na after a year. 'Di ko naisip na baka may mga tanong ka pa."

Tom's waning anger turned into clouds forming in his eyes from the feeling of deep gratitude that she also has thought of him.

"It's not your fault, Shi. I'm sorry, nakadagdag pa kami sa'yo. Don't worry about me. I'm okay I suppose. Na-natanggap ko na. I'm just shocked."

It was the best he can come up to assure her. He started to feel the heat from his head, a fever awaits him due to the stress of the day, first was from the news of Robbie leaving, and now to Gio's condition.

"Thank you, Tom."

He wiped the sweat in his forehead and kept the letter in his pocket. He could not imagine the burden this young lady in front of him was bearing for the longest time, and receiving the letter might be the only way to ease that stress, but the anticipation of hearing the old lover's last words for him has sent a great tremor down on his gut.

"I should be thanking you for doing this for us. You never left us. Hindi ko alam if I would be this relieved for him right now kung wala ka. You've been the living connection not many of us suffering the same is privileged to have. He'll be okay, Shi. We all promised."