BRANDEN

EVERYTHING JUST turned normal on the next day. As if walang nangyari kahapon at hindi na rin namin in-open up ng mom ko ang lahat ng mga pangyayari. Maayos din namang nakauwi 'yong Kevin na bumisita sa amin.

I was busy watching some cartoon at the living room on a Sunday morning when mom called me.

"Anak, pakisuyong padala mo 'tong fresh fruits sa katapat na unit natin," she requested after I saw her arranging some fruits in a basket. 

I stood up and scratched my head following her request. It's just weird that she have sort-of powers to made me follow every time she asks for request. "Yes, Mom," I answered while getting the stuff I need to bring.

I go to the unit adjacent to ours carrying the basket of fruits. Pinindot ko ang doorbell katabi ng pinto na may nakapaskil na F13-U772. I stood up and waited for the door to open.

"Hey, good morning Bran—" the lady exclaimed after opening the door. She, who called herself Remiliza wears a bunny hairband while her hair was tied into a bun. "Hala, nakakahiya naman," she continued with an awkward smile after accepting my mom's offerings.

"Pero thank you..." 

But suddenly, her mood shifted. "Anyway, gusto mong pumasok sa loob?"

Nabigla ako sa tanong niya habang nasa labas pa ako ng pintuan ng unit. "Hala, huwag na... mukha kasing busy ka," I simply said while scratching my shaggy hair.

"Hindi, okay lang 'yon, hindi pa naman. You're very much welcome here." She even insisted with such energy. Napa-oo naman ako sa pamimilit niya kaya pumasok na ako sa loob ng unit niya.

Honestly speaking, ngayon lang ako nakapasok sa ibang unit, and napansin ko na magkapareho lang ng lawak ang unit nila at 'yong sa amin.

Pagpasok, bumungad sa akin 'yong mga nakakalat na mga kung ano-ano: mga bag, pati 'yong ibang fixtures na hindi pa naaayos hanggang ngayon. There are even some paper scattered on her table.

"Sorry for the mess, medyo magulo lang talaga rito sa mini-workplace ko," the lady apologized while grabbing some papers. Pansin kong dinala niya ito sa may desk sa tabi ng sala.

I also noticed some papers posted on the walls. Paglapit ko, nakita ko 'yong iba't ibang random sketches and paintings sa papel. Some of them were probably done using watercolor.

"Nice drawings, huh?" I commented after focusing my eye on one of the illustrations. Naka-drawing kasi roon 'yong isang figure ng tao na nagba-bike habang papalubog ang araw.

May iba pa nga na illustrations ng cup of coffee. Napansin ko rin 'yong isang drawing ng isang lunar eclipse. I find these illustrations weirdly fascinating. Ewan ko lang, pero naka-feel ako ng certain connections sa mga 'yon.

"Thank you. Feel free to view my crappy artworks." Hindi ko alam kung ano ba ang gusto niyang iparating sa salitang "crappy". Ang alam ko, maganda ang pagkakagawa ng artworks niya. "Graphic artist din kasi ako and I draw for a living. Freelance ang ginagawa ko, so mostly sa bahay lang ako nagwo-work."  I just nod and fell silent while continuing to roam my eyes around the area.

"Sorry talaga kung medyo makalat pa 'yong buong unit, hindi pa kasi ako nakapag-aayos since lumipat ako." Why does she keep on apologizing? Is it her habit?

"Saan ka ba dati nakatira?" Humarap ako at tinanong 'yon sa kaniya. Wait, why did I just started to become curious?

"Oh, sa Ortigas ako dati, then I decided na maging independent kaya heto, bumili ng sariling unit." She then grabbed a piece of mandarin orange on the table and peeled it.

"Ortigas? Saan iyon?" I was puzzled. Wala akong idea kung ano 'yong lugar na 'yon.

"Ortigas? Hindi mo alam kung saan ang Ortigas? Are you sort-of-neanderthal or what?" Hindi ko alam kung nagbibiro ba siya sa sinabi kong 'yon o ano?

"No, sorry if I can't recall."  I became serious. "You see... I have amnesia..."

"May amnesia ka, seriously?" she blurted out in disbelief while muching the last bite of her mandarin orange. "Parang hindi halata, a?"

"Selective amnesia raw," I clarified while sitting at the sofa.

"Oh, I see." She just rolled her head and grabbed another piece of mandarin orange while standing up near the table.

"My mom said that I met a fateful accident months ago... but I survived."  The only thing I remember is that I woke up in a hospital and then, the doctors explained that the car I'm driving was hit by a 10-wheeler truck which also a factor of my memory loss.

Despite having amnesia, I still remember some important stuff in my life like my name and my birthday. Hindi rin daw maipaliwanag ng mga doktor 'yong condition ko kaya napag-alaman nilang special case ito ng selective amnesia.

Nagsalita naman ulit 'yong babae, "At least, it's a miracle na buhay ka pa rin ngayon." 

Regardless if I'm amnesiac or what, I'm still useless. I feel restricted in the four corners of our condo unit.

"Speaking of, masarap talagang magluto mom mo, 'no? Naalaala ko tuloy 'yong mango float niya kahapon. Parang 'yon din kasi 'yong ginagawa ng mom ko sa amin." Well, Mom's cooking taste great, and hindi ko naman maide-deny 'yon.

"Mahirap ba ang may amnesia?"

I shrugged to her answer. "Ewan? Wala rin kasi akong matandaan. Feeling ko, parang bago lahat ng nakikita ko." 

"Oh, okay..." "Akala ko, sa mga teleserye lang may ganitong cases. Pero alam mo 'yon, fascinated ako sa mga nangyayari sa utak natin."

In the middle of her blabbers, nagpaalam muna siya sa akin para pumunta sa may CR. While I wander my eyes, I just saw a thick blue hardcover notebook beside me in her sofa. I grabbed it and opened to see what's inside.

I scanned the pages and some of them are still empty.

"100 Things I Already Did..." I focused on the first page which has a beautiful lettering in the title. Below that, there are bullets, and the first bullet has words scribbled beside it.

"Hey, give me that!" Paglabas ni Remiliza sa CR, nagulat na lang siya sa nakita at saka kaagad na hinablot ang notebook na binabasa ko.

"Sandali, binabasa ko pa, e," I exclaimed in such dismay.

"Huwag nga iyan, sabi!" Inilayo pa nga niya 'yong notebook at inilagay sa may desk.

"Parang babasahin lang." Napatingin pa ako sa kaniya at napatayo. "Kumusta feeling na kumain ng ice cream?" I jokingly asked her.

"Nakakainis ka!" Inirapan lang niya ako.

"'Yon ang sabi sa notes, nabasa ko lang naman," ang sabi ko kasabay ng pag-upo ulit sa may sofa.

"Ano ba kasi 'yon?"

"Oo na..." She then sighed. "I'm listing down things na nagagawa ko. Parang nire-record ko, ganoon."

Wait, ano raw? But she continued explaining. "It's like I'm making a bucketlist, pero instead na mag-list ng mga bagay na gusto kong gawin, nilista ko 'yong mga bagay na nagawa ko."

"Medyo weird lang kasi... feeling ko, may mga bagay akong naalala na nagawa ko in the past, pero alam mo 'yon, may doubts pa rin ako kung nagawa ko ba talaga 'yon. May tawag do'n, e... Mandela effect." Natigilan ulit siya at napatingin sa akin. "Gets mo ba?"

"Nope." I just shrugged. I really don't have any idea what she's talking about.

"A, basta, gusto ko lang i-double check kaya nire-record ko rin ang bawat ginagawa ko para maalala ko." 

"100 talaga? Ang dami no'n, a?" I asked with such curiosity. Seryoso, possible kaya 'yon?

"Well, small steps pa lang 'yan. Malay naman natin, i-exceed ko pa siya sa 100. Nothing is impossible," she just answered with such enigma, then she felt silent.

"Wait..." She blurted out of nowhere.

"Ano na naman?" I groaned. 

"May naiisip ako." Inalog pa nga niya ang balikat ko, pagkatapos, nagpatuloy pa siya sa paglalakad-lakad na kaunti na lang, ikahihilo kom na.

"There's you na walang maalala, then there's me who is doubting my past deeds. What if..." She paused and exclaimed again. "Let's make new memories then?"

"New memories?" Hindi ko alam kung ano ang pumapasok sa isip ng babaeng 'to.

"Oo, do you like to replenish those forgotten memories with new ones?" Seriously, hindi ko alam ang isasagot ko sa kung ano mang trip ng babaeng ito na kaharap ko.

Hindi ko alam kung alin ang mas weird, ito bang amnesia ko o ang babaeng 'yon?

---

Habang pabalik pa nga sa unit namin, patuloy na nag-e-echo 'yong mga sinabi niya sa akin as if she's tempting me with her offer.

"We must don't care about the past anymore. Ang importante, 'yong present natin, 'di ba? Tulungan mo akong punuin ang list ko habang ikaw, nadadagdagan ang new memories mo. It's a win-win situation."

"Kasi sayang naman. Binigyan ka ulit ng isa pang chance para mabuhay. So bakit mo pa sasayangin? Life is worth living nga naman."

I don't know if she's a witch that can manipulate other people's thoughts, but I don't know... I just feel something about her.

"Is it a deal?" 

-O-