My AI Romance

Episode 20

First Love

Maski ako naguguluhan na rin. I wrote everything happened with complete details in my journal. That day when I saw his lips bleeding was still a mystery for me. Nikkolas had been absent for four days. I keep on calling Mr. Parker but he's not also responding or even replying to my text messages.

Yesterday, I went to their house pero wala din naman akong napala. I have no other option here. I'm down to my last choice now.

Nakita kong bumaba si Edward mula sa hagdan nila. I am here in the sofa while pretending to be busy on my laptop. Denise told me that she had to buy something so I waited for her.

Nag angat naman ako ng tingin kay Edward at nakita kong papalapit ito sa akin. He sat beside me observing what I am typing. Dahil hindi ako komportable na binabasa n'ya iyong mga sinusulat ko, sinarado ko na yung laptop ko.

"You're still mad at me?" he asked. Noong araw na pagkatapos ng insidente sa rooftop, hindi ko na s'ya inimikan pa. I know I also had mistakes back then and I forgot to apologize to him.

"Sorry about last time," wika ko. One thing that made me uncomfortable with his presence is everytime that he looks at me directly. Pakiramdam ko tuloy ay nasasaulo na n'ya ang bawat detalye ng mukha ko.

I looked at my watch. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa din malinaw sa akin kung anong meron dito. Maybe it's just a normal watch dahil katulad ng kulay kapag kasama ko si Denise, ganoon din ang kulay nito kapag kasama ko naman si Edward.

"That robot should apologize to me, not you. " he seriously exclaimed. I wont let go of him this time. Kung kinakailangan kong maya't maya ay makipag usap sa kanya hanggang masabi n'ya sa akin yung totoo, gagawin ko.

"Do you know Nikkolas Parker before I met him?" I asked, hoping that he will give me an answer.

"No. We didn't know each other. I told you, I'm the one who stole your journal," sagot naman n'ya pero hindi ko pa rin magawang maniwala. He already returned my lost journal but I have still questions on my mind.

I can sense that he's mad right now.

"Are you sure you didn't—

"Let's end this conversation if we will talk about him. I'm just wasting my time.".

He seems very frustrated when he left me. Sa puntong ito ay hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko. I just realized that meeting Edward has a purpose. There are so many things that I couldn't remember. Hindi ko na alam kung paano ba masasagot lahat ng mga katanungang gumugulo sa isipan ko.

I was the only one left here. Hindi pa rinn bumabalik ngayon si Dennise. Natigil ako sa pag iisip ng mahagip ng mga mata ko yung mga picture frames na nakapatong sa table.

Nilapitan ko iyon. I heard from Denise that Edward is an only child kaya't siguro ay s'ya itong nasa larawan. Maybe his age is ranging from 7-12 here. I also saw his parents. When I'm done looking at those photos, my phone vibrated.

Denise texted me that she's on her way here kaya't sa halip na magtingin ng mga lumang litrato ay ipinagpatuloy ko na lang ang pagtatype sa laptop ko.

It was the Monday when Nikkolas went to school again. I haven't saw him for 6 days at palaisipan pa din sa akin kung bakit ngayon lang s'ya nagpakita. Because of that, I wasn't able to listen to the one discussing infront. My full attention was on him.

"Ms. Levithan?" Natauhan lang ako dahil sa tapik sa akin ni Denise. Mrs Jimenez gave me the white board marker. Mabuti na lang at madali lang iyong topic namin ngayon sa calculus kaya't nainitindihan ko kahit na hindi naman ako nakikinig.

When our class ended, I told Denise that I can't go with her for our lunchbreak and she told me na kay Edward na lang s'ya sasabay. I stayed in our room while waiting all my other classmates to leave aside from Nikkolas.

When I already made sure that it's only the two of us who are left here, inipon ko lahat ng lakas ng loob ko para lapitan s'ya.

I noticed that he's also about to leave that's why I blocked his way. Nakasukbit sa kaliwang balikat n'ya yung bag n'ya. There's also a high difference in terms of our height kaya't kapag tumingin ako ng derecho ng hindi man lang tumitingala ay dibdib n'ya 'yong makikita ko.

"W-we need to talk." I said directly to the point while looking at him. Sinubukan ko lahat ng makakaya ko para labanan yung mga titig n'ya. We're like that for a couple of seconds hanggang sa lumihis na ako ng tingin. I don't know why he's not saying something.

"N-Nikkolas, are you—

Hindi ko magawang maituloy yung sasabihin ko. Napatungo ako at nag ipon ulit ng lakas ng loob para magsalita. Maya maya pa ay nagulat ako ng may nag angat ng kamay ko.

Nikkolas held my hand and put it in his chest. I can feel his heartbeat and at that point, I can't help myself but to feel too emotional.

"Did I answer your question now?" after he said those, dahan dahan n'yang binitawan yung kamay ko. I was left in silence when he turned his back on me.

He's really human.

And I've been deceived since from the very start. That day when he saved me, I can surely say that he's a robot. My two eyes were the living proof because I'm the one who witnessed

that scenario.

Sunod sunod na pumatak yung mga luha ko habang binabasa ko iyong mga nangyari na nasakasulat sa journ ko. Is it possible that I've been with the two Nikkolas without noticing their differences? He already knew what I am talking about. He's also pretending that he forgot about me. Kung totoong nabura na lahat ng memories n'ya, he will not know that I already knew his secret.

Why does I feel that he's hiding so many things? Why does he became very mysterious to me now?

It suddenly have a headache while still thinking about those questions that had been bothering my mind. Pagkatapos ng aming klase ay nagpaalam ako na hindi muna ako makakapunta ng Charleston.

I immediately went home to rest when I saw a car parked infront of our gate. Nang makalapit ako doon ay agad akong sinalubong ni mommy. She's beside with an unfamiliar guy that was almost in similar height with Nikkolas but a little bit ahead when it comes to his skin complexion. Masyado itong maputi at halatang laking ibang bansa.

"Anak, si Levi nga pala. Anak s'ya nung napangasawa ko," wika ni mommy. That guy smiled at me and even gave me a handshake but I just chose to ignore it. Instead, I faced my mom. Napansin kong medyo lumalaki na din ang tyan nito.

Mommy told me that she will stay here for few hours that's why we headed our way inside. Pagkapasok ko sa loob ay naghanda agad ako ng pwedeng makain o mainom. There's nothing on my fridge at nahihiya akong sabihin iyon kay mommy. Maya maya pa ay may biglang nagsalita sa likod ko. He was the guy earlier. Pinaglalaruan n'ya yung susing hawak n'ya sa kamay.

"It seems like you have nothing here. Leave it to me. Tell your mom that I will go on a grocery,"

Hindi na ako nagreklamo hindi dahil sa wala akong pambili. I just want him out dahil sa hindi ko alam na dahilan.

My mom is holding something and if I'm not mistaken, it was a photo album. Lumapit ito sa akin para ibigay iyon.

"Pasensya na kung ngayon ko lang naibigay, anak."

Looking at the front page where our complete family was displayed make me emotional. Nanginginig pa ako ng buklatin ko yung mga sumunod na pahina.

I can't help myself but to miss the old days. I miss those times when I felt protected knowing that the two of them were beside me. There are also pictures of me when I was still a baby.

"Sa tuwing namimiss kita, 'yan palagi ang hinahawakan ko," dugtong pa ni mommy. Mabilis kong pinahid yung mga luhang nagbabadyang pumatak mula sa mga mata ko.

I felt a little bit happy seeing the old me. Yung pakiramdam na hindi pilit at peke ang ngiti ko dito. I was browsing the following pages when a picture caught my attention. It was me and a little boy.

Pilit kong inalala kung sino iyong nasa litrato pero hindi ko matandaan. He seems very familiar at parang nakita ko na ito sa hindi ko matandaang lugar.

"M-Mommy, sino po ito?" turo ko doon sa batang lalaki. Nakita ko namang sumilay ang ngiti sa labi ng aking ina.

"Kababata mo 'yan anak. He was also your first love."