Chapter 33:

After Ruby went home, hindi kami kaagad nagkita. She spent all of her time with her Lola that one whole day. Hindi ko nga rin nakausap dahil ibinigay ko na sa kan'ya ang buong oras na 'yun na kasama niya ang buong pamilya niya.

Isa pa... I promised that I'll always be here for her. Hindi na ako kailanman mawawala at lalayo kahit na anong gawin niya. I'll always stay with her no matter what, that's why I am so confident to give all of her time with her Lola.

Hindi ko naman alam na kinabukasan lang din, mababalitaan kong wala na sila. I should've visited her. Sana, kahit isang beses, binigyan ko siya ng oras para dalawin. I regret all of it. I regret not visiting her.

It breaks my heart, but it breaks Anna and Ruby's heart even more.

Anna broke down the moment I told her about the news. She resorted to talking with Ruby. It made me happy but it hurts that someone has to die for this moment to happen.

Why?

"Hindi talaga ako sanay sa Architect Ria," Ruby said while I was driving her home after talking to Anna. She chuckled. "I like Ria but I like Anna more. Feeling ko kasi, ibang tao siya kapag Ria ang itatawag ko sa kan'ya."

I shrugged. "She's still the same. Ginawa niya lang 'yun to hide her identity to George."

She sighed. "Gusto kong magkita na talaga sila. Kaso, ayaw ko namang pangunahan 'yung dalawang 'yun. Bahala na nga sila."

I laughed. "Oo. Hayaan mo sila. Tayong dalawa ang isipin mo."

I glanced at her when she laughed. I saw her glaring at me. "After all of this shit, we'll talk about it."

Nang makarating kami sa harap ng gate ng compound nila, huminto na ako sa pagdi-drive. She looked at me as she removed her seatbelt.

"C-Can I come?" I asked.

She laughed. "Oo naman. Walang babaril sa 'yo d'yan at wala namang nagalit sa 'yo."

I smiled as I sighed. "Okay."

Lumabas na kami ng sasakyan. Umikot ako nang makarating sa kan'ya. Tumingin ako sa kan'ya at nakitang nakatingin siya sa akin habang nakangiti.

"Tara na."

Tumango ako bago sumunod sa kan'ya sa loob. Sa unang bahay pa lang, bakas na bakas na ang kalungkutan dahil doon nakaburol si Lola. There was a big photo of Lola Theresa smiling at the front porch, together with the flowers beside it. Nakita ko ang mga pinsan niya ro'n na nakangiti sa akin. Lumapit ako sa mga ito at nakipag-beso.

Ruby's mom came to me to greet me. "It's been a while. Kumusta ka na?"

Ngumiti ako sa kan'ya. "Okay lang po. I'm sorry, ngayon lang ako nakapunta."

Umiling siya bago ngumiti. "We understand. Okay lang. Ang mahalaga, nandito ka ulit," ngumiti ako bilang tugon. "Bukod kay Nanay Theresa, mahal mo pa naman ang anak ko, 'di ba?"

"Ma, 'yan ka na naman!" rinig kong reklamo ni Ruby. Bahagyang nagtawanan ang mga pinsan niya.

"Oo naman po. Hindi naman po nawala ang pagmamahal ko."

Yumakap siya sa akin matapos kong sabihin 'yun. "Ikaw lang talaga ang gusto ko para sa anak ko. Sana, ikaw na talaga."

Bahagya akong yumakap pabalik bago niya ako binitiwan. Ilang sandali lang din, nag-usap usap na kami ng mgabagay na nangyari sa amin the past years na wala kaming balita sa isa't-isa. I'm happy how they do well on their own field and how they became successful now.

After more than an hour of stay, Ruby whispered something to me. "Anna's almost here."

Tumango ako. "Then, I think I should go? Para solo kayo ni Anna. I can come back some other time."

Ruby nodded. "Okay, then."

Tumayo ako at nagpaalam na sa mga pinsan niya, pati sa parents ni Ruby at sa mga Tito at Tita niya. I told them that I'll come back soon at mayroon lang akong gagawin. They let me go but they expect me to come back here.

When Ruby and I were already outside, she smiled at me. "See you."

Tumango ako bago binuksan ang pintuan ng sasakyan. "We will."

Tumawa siya bago tumango. "Oo. Ingat sa pagdi-drive!"

She waved her hands at me before I entered the driver's seat. I started the engine and drive a little. I stopped in front of her and opened the window.

"I love you," I said.

She chuckled before leaning forward to plant a kiss on my lips. After that, she told me to go home already. Napagpasyahan kong umalis na rin dahil baka mamaya, isakay ko siya bigla sa sasakyan ko kapag hindi ko napigilan ang sarili ko.

I drove away from her home with a wide smile on my lips.

The following weeks, hindi ko na nagawa pang makadalaw kay Lola Theresa. Ruby told me not to. Ayaw niya pa yatang ipaalam kay George dahil bukod sa kilala nga ako ni George, siguradong aatakihin ako no'n ng mga tanong sa kung bakit nandito ako at kung alam ko ba kung nasaan si Anna.

Sinabihan na lang daw niya ang mga pinsan niyang hindi na ako makakadalaw. Alam na rin naman ng mga pinsan niya ang tungkol kay Anna at pumayag naman ang mga ito na isikreto na muna na nandito siya. Kahit na anong desisyo nila, bahala na sila. Sa ngayon kasi, si Ruby na lang ang importante sa akin at ang mga desisyon niya.

After almost a month, Anna went on a one week vacation leave. Kahit papaano, nakahinga ako nang maluwag dahil hindi na ako matatakot na makita siya ni George. Ruby said that he's staying the whole month here, hanggang sa 40days ni Lola Theresa.

"So, George cheated?!" Ruby shouted at me while we're drinking beer.

Tulad ng dati, nasa Mount Cabuyao kami ngayon, umiinom ng beer habang nakaupo sa hood ng bago kong kotse. Ikinwento ko na kay Ruby ang lahat since feeling ko, may clue na siya after her talk with Anna. Pero ngayon ko lang naikwento sa kan'ya nang ganito dahil ilang araw na siyang curious.

"Uhm, well, technically yes. But he didn't commit—"

"Kahit anong sabihin niya, cheating pa rin 'yon! You dared to kiss someone else tapos pumasok pa sa loob ng hotel room. Tangina, anong iisipin ko?!" galit na galit na sabi niya bago ininom nang straight ang laman ng bote tsaka itinapon iyon sa ibaba. "Tanginang George 'yan! Dapat lang sa kan'yang i-ghost!"

I laughed at her reaction. "Hindi naman natin alam ano nangyari sa loob—"

Tumingin siya nang masama sa akin matapos kong sabihin 'yon. "'Yun na nga, hindi natin alam! Kaya hindi natin masisisi si Anna kung sakaling isipin niya nga ang mga iniisip ngayon kasi ganoon na rin ang iniisip ko!"

Kumuha siya ng panibagong bote sa paper bag at pinabuksan sa akin 'yon. I opened it with my bottle opener and give it to her. I watched her drink her beer with her forehead creased as her hair danced because of the wind that's blowing. I smiled at the beautiful sight beside me.

"I'll never do that to you. I won't let you ask the same thing."

She stopped drinking as soon as she heard me talked. She looked at me and smiled. "You actually did, 'no. Before, I asked myself repeatedly, what happened in London that you had to ask, who I am," she sighed as she look at what's in front of her. "But you came to explain everything. At first, hindi ko kayang maniwala. And then I've done my research and talked to some Psychiatrist I know. They told me that it can happen to someone."

Napabuntonghininga ako nang muli kong maalala ang mga pangyayaring 'yon. Those were the worst things that happened to me while being in love with her. I will never let that to happen again.

"Some of the doctors I consulted, they said that it was a paramnesia which is a disorder of memory characterized by the illusion that the familiar is being encountered for the first time. Some says it is a temporal lobe epilepsy," she looked at me, worried. "Nangyayari pa rin ba sa 'yo 'yun?"

I drank my beer straight with the nervousness I felt. Damn, what the hell? I didn't know that Ruby will spent time to research about Jamais Vu personally. Talagang nag-consult pa siya ng Psychiatrist para lang mapatunayan kung anong nangyayari sa akin.

"Oo naman," I chuckled as I looked down. "Lalo na kapag pagod na pagod ako at kulang o walang tulog," I looked at her. "Pero mas madalang na. Siguro, nangyari lang 'yun kapag hindi talaga sapat 'yung tulog at pagod. Pero nagiging maayos naman na. Hindi na katulad ng dati."

Tumango siya bago uminom sa bote ng beer. Pagkatapos no'n, tumingin ulit siya sa akin. "I won't leave your side again if that thing happened again."

I smiled at her. "Thank you."

"Did you consider..." she looked away. "Going to Psychiatrist? Baka lang may sagot sila," she drank from her bottle of beer again.

"Hindi na. Okay lang naman ako. Madalang lang naman 'yun, eh. Siguro, sa three years, limang beses pa lang ulit nangyari nang umaabot ng ilang minuto. Pero mga ilang beses naman nangyari 'yung ilang segundo lang. Okay lang naman ako. 'Yung tropa ko na ikinasal last year, may nangyayari rin sa kan'yang gano'n. Dumalang din nang dumalang as the year goes by, hanggang sa hindi na nangyayari."

Tumango ulit siya nang ilang beses bago isinandal ang ulo sa balikat ko.

"Basta. Hindi na ulit ako aalis sa 'yo kung mangyari 'yon. Mananatili ako sa tabi mo, at aalagaan kita. Hanggang sa... dumating 'yung time na... talagang okay ka na," she chuckled. "I will not leave you for the same reason anymore."

She looked at me and leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on my lips. And then, I wondered, what are we? Kami na ba ulit? Ang hirap kasing isipin dahil noong hindi pa naman kami, ginagawa na rin talaga namin 'to.

"Ruby..."

She looked at me the moment I called her name.

"Hmm?"

I stared at her slightly tipsy eyes. "Ano ba tayo?"

Matagal siyang natahimik matapos kong itanong 'yon. Nakita ko na namula ang mukha niya bago nag-iwas ng tingin at inialis ang pagkakasandal ng ulo sa akin.

"Uhm... a-ano ba?" naiilang niyang tanong bago uminom sa bote ng beer. "H-Hindi pa ba... t-tayo?"

Napaawang ang bibig ko sa sinabi niya dahil doon.

Ibig bang sabihin... kami na?

Ibig bang sabihin... okay na ulit kami?

Ibig bang sabihin... hindi ko na kailangang isipin nang isipin kung paano ko ulit siya makukuha kasi... sa akin na ulit siya?

"Huh?" I asked for her to make it clear.

"Uhm, ano, n-naisip ko lang, p'wede namang ano..." she said, stuttering, unable to look at me. "Ayaw mo ba?"

"What?!" I said before going down from the hood of my car. Nagpunta ako sa harap niya at sinubukan siyang iharap sa akin. Kitang-kita ko ang ilang sa kan'ya bago tuluyang tumingin sa akian. "What do you mean? Of course, gusto ko pero gusto ko ng mas malinaw."

She sighed. "Well... naisip ko lang, hindi naman na tayo mga bata para sa... l-ligawan. Magkakilala naman na tayo noon," she looked away. "Nagpunta ka pa ng Qatar para sa akin. Ano pa bang... hihilingin ko?" muli siyang uminom sa bote ng beer matapos sabihin 'yon.

My heart started beating so fast. I am so happy that I can't help but to smile. I pulled her closer to hug her tight.

"Girlfriend na ulit kita..." I sighed in relief before chuckling. "Does this thing starts the moment we kissed in Qatar?"

She laughed before pushing me away slightly. "No way! This whole thing starts today, okay?"

I chuckled as I nodded. I'm so happy that I couldn't help myself but to kiss her. I carried her and made her legs wrapped around my waist. I sat on the hood and pulled her closer to kiss her more. I felt her hands play with my hair as I heard her moan slightly as we kissed.

"I love you... so much," I whispered in between our kiss.

She broke the kiss but our faces are just an inch apart. She smiled at me before she talked.

"I'll never leave... again."

___

This story is taking so long for the ending! Hahahaha sorry na kaagad. But here's another update! I hope you enjoyed! <3