"MAHIGIT tatlong buwan kang nanatiling naka coma state," the man said. I can't still believe that the suicidal accident was happened 3 months ago, it still feels like it was yesterday.

"The Doctor said that your condition is now good and your life was saved but due to that accident your brain had been affected that leads to coma." Dagdag nyang sabi— I refer to the man who is sitting in a chair beside me.

Nanatili akong tahimik, I don't want to chat. Naguguluhan at in a shock pace pa rin ako, Three months akong na confined dito sa hospital and coma? I'm still confused!

"I'm glad that your awake now." Napatingin ako sa lalaking katabi ko at parang nabigla rin sya sa ginawa ko, his face I can see it now clearly.

The face of someone who saved my life and gave me the hope to live.

"Why?" I wanted to thank him for saving me but instead of saying 'thank you' that's what I said. Kita sa mukha nya ang confusion pero agad itong nawala nang na gets nya ang punto ko.

"I just wanted to." He directly said to me while looking to me straight in the eye. He just want to? I'm not convince.

"You know that I did it purposely, so why save me?" Diretso ko ring tanong sa kanya while looking straight to his eyes.

"You know miss you have no right to finish your life, because you are no God." Tumayo sya nang matapos nyang sabihin sakin yun, leaving me dumbfounded.

Inayos nya pa ang kumot ko at binigyan nya ako ng isang normal na ngiti bago nya ako tinalikuran at naglakad papunta sa pintuan para lumabas, pero he stopped when I ask.

"Your name, w-what is your name?" Lumingon naman sya sakin and our eyes meet pero inilihis ko ang aking mata at napunta ulit sa red strings na naka connect-ta saming dalawa.

"Oh yes, how rude of me to forgot to introduce myself," he whispered pero narinig ko naman. "Ahem I'm Jerome Fernando Chan, the one who accidentally bumped you with my car 3 months ago." He stated.

He gives me a warm smile before he left the room, while me can't uttered a word. That man— no Jerome, he's such an efficient person.

Napatingin ako sa pinky finger ko, the red string is still there. How come na di ata nakikita ni Jerome ang red strings? Or am I the weird one?

Napatitig ulit ako sa red string na nakatali sa pinky finger ko, this string helped me out. Kung di ko sinunod ang desisyon ko malamang I'm still unconscious and still in deep sleep right?

I removed all of my thoughts in my head at napag desisyon-nan na matulog ulit, I feel tired. Nakakapagod rin palang humiga ng matagal, and when was the last time that I had a good sleep?

Hanggang sa nakatulog ako ng mahimbing.

MY SLEEP lasted for an hour dahil nagising ako sa pag pasok ng nurse na nag che-check sa lagay ko— I'm a sensitive person, nakuha ko ito due to the trauma that happened in my childhood.

Habang abala ang nurse sa chini-check nya I suddenly ask her,
"Nurse, ikaw ba ang laging naka-assign sa pagsusuri sakin?" She nod her head as an answer.

"Nurse for the past 3 months... Wala bang bumibisita sakin? I mean besides that man—Jerome, Wala bang ibang tao na bumisita sakin?" I asked her again.

Napaisip naman ang nurse pero sa huli sinabi nya sakin na walang ibang tao daw ang bumisita sakin for the past 3 months except sa lalaking nag dala sakin sa ospital,ng matapos ang nurse ay lumabas na sya sa kwarto.

I let out a heavy sigh, what do I expect? Hahanapin nila ako? Like they care, kung sa una palang gusto na nila akong mawala. My family doesn't care a single thing about their middle daughter, tanggap ko naman na wala silang pakialam sakin pero may kung anong kirot parin akong naramdaman sa sulok ng aking puso.

Feeling ko iiyak na naman ako kaya nilibang ko muna ang sarili hanggang sa tinamaan ako ng antok at nakatulog ulit.

"It was a miracle na nagising sya," naalimpungatan ako sa narinig kong pag-uusap sa loob ng kwarto—teka sino tong nasa loob ng kwarto?unti kong minulat ang aking mga mata at bumungad sakin ang isang middle–age man at si Jerome.

"It's also shocking how she recovers so fast and it's been 3 months! Mostly other patients wakes up from coma ay umaabot ng ilang years so it was really a miracle!" The middle–age man added his statement, I think he's the doctor.

"That's a good thing doc," sagot ni Jerome. Nagitla ako ng magtagpo ang aming paningin, he only smiled at me.
"Doc, she's awake." He said at napatingin naman sa gawi ko ang doctor na kausap ni Jerome.

"Oh nagising ka ba namin hija? Oh, ako si Doc Martin Arlington. Ako ang doctor na nagsusuri sa kalagayan mo, and hija here's some good news! Your recovery is marvelous, in a weeks pwede ka nang ma discharge pero mag ta-take samples muna tayo para masigurado na okay ka na at walang impeksyon sa brain mo." Doc Martin gladly said, I'm somehow feel happy that I get better and also guilty.

For some reason ako may gustong kumitil sa own life ko and here I am inside of the hospital at nagpapagaling. Maraming information ang sinabi sakin ng doctor na di ko naman masyadong pinagtuunan ng pansin dahil napadpad ang atensyon ko sa red strings na naka attached sa pinky finger nito.

"Doc are you married?" Out of nowhere bigla ko iyon natanong—isang malaking kahihiyan!
Napatigil rin sa pagsasalita si Doc Martin at parang di nya inaasahan iyong tinanong ko, maging si Jerome nagulat rin at parang naiinis ako sa pagmumukha nya ngayon. He's holding himself not to laugh.

"Oh, ah.. well it's kind of confidential hija but still I will give you a tiny bit of hint." Lumapit sakin ng kaunti si Doc Martin, and he whispered his answer na kinagulat ko naman— I didn't know na close pala kami ni Doc, mukhang wala atang personal boundaries and space na nalalaman si Doc.

Ng matapos nya ito sabihin sakin ay nag ayos rin ito ng tayo at nag-wink pa muna sakin, may dinagdag rin syang information na sinabi sakin before he bid his farewell and left the room. Somehow I feel alone again—

"Hey," napalingon ako sa right side ko at nakita ko si Jerome na kinuha ang isang upuan at inilapit ito sa hospital bed ko bago sya umupo, akala ko umalis na sya kasama ni Doc Martin.

"Ano yung secret nyo ni doc?" He asked with matching curious face—he looks like a puppy sa pinag-gagawa nya.

"Why would I tell you a secret when it's a secret?" pilosopo kong tanong na ikinawala ng curious face nya at may pa roll eyes pa syang nalalaman.

"Hmph! Killjoy mo naman, tsaka nga pala can I call you by your name?" Tanong nya sakin, well di pa pala ako nag pakilala sa kanya pero I know he knows my name.

"Ahm yes you can call Jasmine or Jas for short," he smiled at me while looking at me straight in the eye.
"And your Jerome... Right?" He nod his head at inilahad nya sakin ang kamay.

Napatingin ako sa right hand nya na inilahad sakin and looks like he wants a hand shake, kaya inabot ko rin ang aking left hand para makipag–shake hands sa kanya. His hands are warmer than mine, then I saw again the red strings. His strings were attached in his left pinky finger while mine is the opposite, it gives me a weird feeling.

The hand shake didn't last long, since ako ang unang naglayo saking kamay.
Napatikhim naman si Jerome dahil dun and then he began to talk, tamang  sagot lang ako sa mga questions nya kasi I'm not a talkative person—I only speak with my mind.

Di rin nagtagal si Jerome at nagpaaalam na aalis muna sya dahil daw may aasikasuhin lang sya, I only gave him my normal smile before he completely left the room.

Then here goes my mind wondering again. Bakit ko nga ba nakikita ang red strings? What's the reason? Dahil ba yun sa aksidente? Or guni-guni ko lang yun?

I check my hands again and there's the red string. I think it's really real—I mean the strings are real!

I can really see the red strings, so does that means Jerome is my soulmate? Does that means I can see and know people who are destined to each other?

There's so much questions that made my head hurts, Ugh. I think stop muna ako sa pag sa pag-think, di pa ako fully recover baka mabinat pako.

Can't believe na habang pinapakalma ang sarili ko ay tinamaan uli ako ng antok at nakatulog ulit.

—

Author: 🧵🤭