Song: Stars- Alessia Cara

Trust

Napaayos ako ng tayo. A shocked look is evident on my face. With eyes wide open, I marched towards her bed and waited for her fingers to move again.

"What's happening?" my sister asked. Napaayos ng tayo si Mommy at nagtatakang tumingin sa akin. Her eyes went to what I was looking at.

Hindi ako nag-salita at hinintay na gumalaw muli ang mga daliri niya, pero hindi na nangyari pang muli iyon. I swear, for a brief moment, I saw her fingers moved! Hindi ako pupwedeng magkamali.

I payed so much attention that my eyes didn't miss it.

"Her fingers just moved." Sabi ko. Agad na nanlaki ang mga mata ni Mommy.

"What?"

Ganoon rin ang ginawa niya. Hinintay naming gumalaw muli ang daliri niya habang si Daddy naman ay tinatawag ang doctor. We waited but it never happened again.

Hindi pwedeng namalikmata lang ako. I know what I saw!

Dumating ang doctor pagkatapos siyang ipatawag ni Daddy. He immediately went to me and ask what happened.

"Her fingers just moved." Sabi ko.

The doctor is quite surprised so he proceeded to take a look on Sam. He used his medical pen to check if Sam's eyes will respond to the light but it didn't.

My forehead creased. Dismayado naman siyang lumapit sa akin.

"There are still no responses. I wonder how her fingers moved." The doctor said. I sighed frustratingly.

I couldn't be mistaken! Hindi ko naman sasabihin 'to kung hindi ako sigurado na nakita kong gumalaw nga ang daliri niya.

"But I swear she did-"

"Zach..." mahinahong tawag sa akin ni Mommy. Nilingon ko siya. She gave me a look that says that I have to keep it down. That I have to be calm.

But how? I saw her fingers moved but the doctor said that she's still not responding! What is this? A joke?!

"I understand that you really want her to wake up. But I think it's best if we'll wait much longer-"

"Wait?! How many times have you said that to me? I've been waiting for eight months but there are still no changes! How long are you going to keep me waiting?!"

The doctor pursed his lips. Inilagay niya ang kanyang medical pen sa kanyang bulsa at tsaka tumango. Hindi ko naman gusto na magalit, sadyang ang gulo lang talaga ng nangyayari.

"Is there any chance that she's gonna wake up?" I asked calmly this time. I didn't let anger get the best of me because I know my mother wouldn't like that.

Naramdaman ko ang pag-hawak ni Daddy sa balikat ko. Hindi ko siya nilingon at mas itinuon lang ang pansin sa doctor na nasa harap namin.

"Tell me... So that we wouldn't let our hopes up and expect her to wake up when she couldn't."

"Sir, we are doing anything we can for her to wake up from coma. But it takes time. If it's true that her fingers moved, that only means that she's on her way to recovery. You just need to be patient, sir."

I shut my eyes and tried my best to nod my head to show him that I understand. But the truth is I don't. I've been waiting for eight months, iilang buwan nalang isang taon na. Habang tumatagal mas nauubos na ang pag-asa kong gigising pa siya.

The doctor left us after that. I sat down and held my head. Why is this so frustrating? I ran my fingers through my hair at tiningnan muli si Sam. Umiling ako.

You're a fighter, right? I know you can do this, Sam. I know you can. You're strong... you're the strongest person I know. So, please... I'm asking you this again... please live...

Please live for me...

Please, please, please.

Handa akong magmakaawa sakanya kahit ilang beses pa, basta imulat niya lang ang mga mata niya. Sapat na sapat na ako. Makita ko lang siya muli, aayos na ulit ang mundo ko.

"It's going to be alright, anak." Sabi sa akin ni Mommy.

Ipinikit ko ang aking mga mata at mas piniling wag nalang magsalita pa. I thought seeing her fingers move means she will wake up. But it turns the other way around. I let my hopes up and now it hurts.

I immediately called Sam's father and told him what happened.

"Are you really sure about that, hijo?" tanong niya sa kabilang linya.

"I couldn't be mistaken, tito. Hinding hindi ko po kayang magsinungaling sa ganitong bagay."

Matagal bago siyang mag-salita muli. I patiently waited for him to speak again.

"If that's the case then... I'll try and book my flight tonight to come there and see."

Tumango ako kahit na hindi niya kita. Sa gilid naman ng mga mata ko ay kita ko ang paninitig sa akin ni Mommy, naghihintay na matapos ang usapan naming ni Tito Anthony.

"Okay, tito. Just tell me if you need someone to pick you up at the airport."

"It's okay, Zach. I can manage. Mas mabuti pang nandyan ka sa tabi ni Sam."

"Okay, po... just let me know if you already landed."

"Sige, hijo. Maraming Salamat."

Binaba ko rin ang tawag matapos iyon. I turned to look at my mother at sinabi kung sino iyong kausap ko. Katarina and my father went to get some food. My mother insists on staying here with me.

"Pupunta rin si Anthony dito?"

"Susubukan daw po niya."

My mother nodded. "I'm glad that he's making things up for Sam."

"He's making things up to her secretly, mom."

Nagugulohang lumingon sa akin si Mommy. I remember Sam telling me this before. Kagaya ng ekspresyon ni Mommy ang ekpresyon ko noong kinuwento niya sa akin ito. Kahit ako hindi makapaniwala. I thought that he really despises Sam as his daughter because she didn't follow what he wants.

But I didn't know that it was his way to protect her. It's cruel, I know. But there is no other way. Lalo na't taling-tali siya kay Calliope. Calliope is a threat to Sam's life and so is Isabella. Ang sabi ni Sam sa akin noon, mas pinili daw ni Tito Anthony sila Calliope para hindi na magkagulo pa.

She also told me that her father explained why he did that. Kung mas pipiliin pa daw kasi siya ni Tito Anthony, gugulohin lang daw ni Calliope ang buhay niya. I always knew that there's a side of Calliope Enriquez that can be crazy sometimes. Hindi na ako nagtaka pa kung saan nagmana si Isabella.

"How?" my mother asked.

"Samantha managed to pay for her condo unit completely because of him."

Nakita ko ang pagkamangha ni Mommy sa sinabi ko. She did not expect that, neither did I noong nalaman ko. Slowly, her lips turned into a smile.

"Really? That's great! Sigurado akong tuwang-tuwa si Sam nang malaman niya 'yan." 

Tumango ako at sumangayon sa sinabi niya. Napangiti pa ako dahil naalala ko kung paano niya ikinuwento sa akin ang nangyari nung araw na iyon.

Apparently, her father told her everything on the day she left our house.

"Sorry ah? But I was supposed to be super sad that day because I left you and our house. Pero kasi... sobrang masaya ako ng araw na 'yon? There are so many things that happened that day and I don't know what to feel. Siguro mas nangibabaw lang ang kasiyahan ko noon kaya-"

"You don't need to explain." Sabi ko sakanya. She pouted at nilingon ako.

"But I feel bad! You told me you were a wreck that day tapos ako ito na masaya ng araw na 'yon."

"I don't really mind, though. Your happiness is all that matters. Tsaka saglit na panahon lang din naman akong ganon. Okay rin naman ako agad kinabukasan."

"Wow! You moved on from me that fast, huh?"

I scoffed and tried to laugh at her ridiculous joke. Kumunot ang noo niya sa akin.

"You have no idea..."

"Siguro... pumupunta ka sa mga bar ng di ko alam!"

Kumunot ang noo ko sakanya. I can't help but smirk at her accusation. Hay! Girls and their theories. Kahit hindi naman totoo, pinipilit na totoo.

"What are you even talking about? I won't do that!"

Niliitan niya ako ng mata. Parang hindi naniniwala. Umiling ako at tumawa ng bahagya.

"Stop accusing me, Sam." Ngumuso siya. "I'm serious."

"I have trust issues. You can't blame me." she pouted more.

Iniharap ko ang sarili ko sakanya at tiningnan siya ng mabuti. Kinuha ko ang pisngi niya at banayad kong hinaplos ito. She leaned in on my hand at tiningnan rin o sa mata.

"I'm not Xander, okay? I wouldn't cheat on you. I wouldn't look for someone else other than you. And just because we broke up doesn't mean I'm allowed to look for someone else. I made a promise, remember? I promise to wait for you until you finally heal yourself. And I'm here... I came back for you. I came back because I love you."

Ngumiti siya sa akin at tumango. "I love you."

Oh, how I miss those words from her. I wish I can still hear those from her.

Medyo nagulat ako at napaayos ng upo nang maramdaman ko ang paglapat ng isang kamay sa aking balikat. Hindi ko namalayan na nakatulog na pala ako habang kausap ko si Mommy kanina.

"Oh! I didn't mean to startle you, anak. But... your Tito Anthony is already here."

Inikot ko ang tingin ko sa buong silid at nakitang nandito na ang daddy ni Sam. Kahit sila Tony at Ryan ay nandidito rin. Tumayo ako upang salubungin si Tito Anthony.

"Kanina pa po kayo dito?" tanong ko sakanya matapos ko siyang yakapin.

"Halos kararating ko lang, hijo." Ngumiti siya sa akin at binalik muli ang tingin kay Sam. "She looks well. Wala na ang mga sugat niya sa mukha."

Tumango ako at tiningnan rin si Sam.

The last time Tito Anthony went here, Sam's bruises are still visible. At sa mga oras na iyon ay ilang beses ring hindi umayos ang kalagayan niya. He's here to witness that and I saw how worried he was for Sam, too.

"Is she still crashing?" tanong niya. Umiling ako.

"The last time she had seizures was five months ago. Hindi na po nasundan iyon."

He sighed in relief. Hinawakan niya naman ako sa balikat.

"I was supposed to bring Caitlyn with me. Pero biglang dumating si Isabella sa bahay kaya ako nalang itong pumunta."

Kumunot ang noo ko.

"Nasaan na po ba si Isabella?"

"Oh, she separated from us a month ago. Sumama na kay Timothy."

Sila parin pala nung kapatid ni Alisha. Buti at napapagtyagaan siya nun. I can't even stand Isabella's behavior. It's really a shock to me that Timothy can still stand her.

"Can I... talk to you in private, hijo?"

"Okay po."

Lumabas kami ng kwarto ni Sam at doon nag-usap. Hinayaan naming sila Ryan muna ang magbantay kay sakanya. I waited for Tito Anthony to start.

"I was thinking... since maayos na naman ang kalagayan niya ngayon at hinihintay nalang natin siyang magising. I think it's time to bring her back to Manila."

I was taken a back with that. As much as possible I don't want to transfer her to a different hospital, hanggang hindi pa siya nagigising. But it's her father now who's aking me this. I don't know how to contradict him like what I did to Ryan.

"I... Tito, paano nalang po-" Sa tingin ko ay agad niya ring naintindihan kung ano ang nais kong iparating. He patted me on my shoulder.

"I'll take care of it. I'll make sure she won't know anything about it."

Hindi ako makapagsalita. Hindi ko rin alam ang sasabihin.

"But I think it's best if we'll let her stay here until she wakes up. And I-"

"I also wanted to keep an eye on her, Zach. But I just can't keep on going back and forth here. Magtataka na sila Calliope. Kapag nandoon si Sam sa Manila, kayang-kaya ko siyang bisitahin ng patago. Hindi katulad nito."

Ang hirap sumangayon. Magkaibang magkaiba sa gusto kong mangyari. I have high respect for her father but I just can't agree with what he's suggesting to me now.

"But, Tito Anthony-"

"Please, Zach... ilang taon akong nawalay sa anak ko. I also wanted to be there when she wakes up."

Pinikit ko ang mga mata ako. I ran my fingers through my hair, nag-iisip kung sasaangayon ba o hindi.

"How sure are you that Isabella won't know about this?"

"Ako ang bahala, Zach. Magtiwala ka lang."