Hidden Desire

29th Desire - GOODBYE

29th Desire - GOODBYE

WHO ARE YOU?

WHO ARE YOU? WHO ARE YOU? WHO ARE YOU? WHO ARE YOU?

question that kept ringing into my ear.

Bumalik ako sa katawang lupa ko ng marinig ko ang isang tinig ng isang batang lalaki calling out from inside the room. "Papa! Papa!" Nabuksan pabahagya ang pinto at isang batang lalaki na may dark brown na buhok ang nagtatakbo papunta kay Dylan na agad naman kinarga nya.

Papa? What? Nahihilo na ako sa mga pangyayari. Totoo ba ito o isang panaginip lamang.

I looked at Dylan and the kid back and fort. Trying to figure out what is really going on.

Dylan looked at me smiling then to the keys I'm holding, "I guess you live here. It's so rude of me. My name is Bryan... I mean is Dylan..." he slapped his forehead with his palm, as if making a major mistake. "I guess my sister, Lea, lives here too. And this kid is Dustin my son. So what's your name?" He said it as if he doesn't know that Lea is his one and only sister. And being Dustin kid is his son made my whole world crumbled into pieces.

"Oh my... Leslie." Lea called out from inside the apartment and opened the door wide. I looked at her with the mix of frustration, confusion, disdain and alertness -- demanding an instant explanation.

"Oh..." Dylan reacted as if realized from a briefing that I was the girl he was supposed to marry one year ago who goes by the name Leslie.

"Leslie why don't you just come in and we'll talk about this." Lea took my hand na parang inaakay nya ako papunta sa sofa. I'm so thankful for it kasi feeling ko matutuba ako with my legs turned jelly.

Umupo na nga ako. Nakita kong umupo si Dylan sa malayong single seat sofa. Ibinaba ang bata at sinabihang magpunta muna sa kwarto at maglaro ng kanyang legos.

Inabutan agad ako ni Lea ng malamig natubig na agad ko namang inubos. At naupo sa tabi ko na nasa gitna namin ni Dylan.

"Start." I said as I lay the glass on the center table.

I tried to focus para wala akong mamisout sa kanilang explanation.

Lea did all the talking.

She told me Dylan had an accident bago sya makaabot sa city to take his plane. And had this amnesia.

Pero Dylan chose to remain the last year a secret and never to be questioned again.

I felt so angry, i deserve a clear explanation nang nangyari sa isang taon na nawala sya sa akin. Bakit kailangang itago?

"I think it's just hard for Dylan to share." Sabi ni Lea looking all pleading -- as if asking me to calm down. Tumingin ako kay Dylan pero nakatungo sya na parang down na down sya.

"And who is that kid? Kanya ba un all along?" Getting all furious na ako kasi ang dami kong gustong itanong bago sya dumating pero ngaun para lahat nagbblockout na.

"Dustin is Dylan's adopted kid. The kid is an orphan." Lea told me.

That's a relief at least. Nabura na ang doubt ko na nagkaanak sya kaya ayaw nya umuwi. Pero it's still so unfair. I want to know what is he hiding.

"Leslie can we talk na tayo lang.?" Mukhang seryoso paguusapan namin. Kaya pumayag ako, tumango lang si Lea kay Dylan. At pumasok kami sa kwarto ko na dating kwarto ni Dylan. She closed the door.

Hinawakan ako ni Lea as if humuhugot sya ng lakas sa akin. O kaya ipinapasa nya sa akin ang lakas ng loob nya.

"Leslie you must be strong on this. Alam kong mahirap paniwalaan. Everything looked so messed up. Pero kailangan mong maintindihan. Ito na si Dylan ngaun." Hinigpitan nya ang hawak sa akin. "And I'm asking a crucial request to you."