Prologue: BEFORE YOU AND I BECOME "WE" (II)
1703 Words
Nakatingin sa labas si Liam habang nakaupo sa conference room. Earlier, he received a text from Zoey informing that Isaac will meet the team here. Knowing Avery's struggle these past months, he took the liberty of texting her.
She deserves to know and to hear from Isaac.
Dahil nasa buiding siya nang mag-text si Zoey, minabuti nalang niya mauna sa venue.
Alone in the conference room, he weighs things of how will his and Isaac's relationship affects things. Hindi na kasi niya ito nakita matapos linawin ni Avery na magkarelasyon na ang dalawa.
Napalingon siya sa pintuan nang may pumasok sa opisina. Hindi agad siya nakahuma nang ngumiti si Isaac sa kaniya. "Hey."
Agad nagkasalubong ang kilay ni Liam sa inasta nito. The last encounter Liam remembers with him was that they nearly had an encounter the day before the fashion show. Kaya nakakapagtaka kung bakit magaan ang aura nito sa kaniya. 'W-What the h-hell is going on?' Liam returns the courtesy. "How are you?"
"I.....uh...." Namulsa ito at nagkamot sa noo. "I'm good. How about you?"
'W-Wait... what's happening?' Nakalimutan ba nitong hindi maganda ang relasyon nila? Bukod sa kaalamang naging nobya nito si Avery, ay andoon pa rin ang hindi nila pagkakaunawaan sa paging dugong Miller ni Liam --- sa paging bastardo niya sa yumaong ama nitong si Elijah.
"You sure?" Liam stares weirdly at Isaac.
Isaac smirks. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Though I'm still suffering episodes from time to time." He adjusted his business suit and half-sits at the glass table.
"E-Episodes? What episodes?" Mas lalong nagtaka si Liam nang nag-iwas ng tingin ito. "What are you talking about?"
Tumingin ito sa kaniya. "You don't know? Thought Zoey informed you about what happened to me."
"Why? Did something happen to you?"
"I was... involved in a car accident." He shrugs as if it's nothing. "Leaving me amnesiac when I woke up four months after --- "
Literal na napaawang ang bibig ni Liam. "WHAT THE f**k---"
"S-Sir Isaac!"
Napalingon silang dalawa sa mga bagong dating.
Mabilis na tumakbo si Chesca at niyakap ang amo. "Sir~!"
"Y-You must be C-Chesca?" Alanganing ngiti ni Isaac sa babae.
Naalala ni Chesca ang sinabi ni Zoey rito tungkol sa kondisyon ng amo. "Hala!" Humiwalay agad ito sa pagkayakap kay Isaac. "S-Sorry po. N-Nakalimutan ko." Pinahid nito ang namumuong luha sa mga mata. "Sir, na-miss ko kayo." Suminghot ito.
Isaac patted her head like a dog as if he knows what he usually does to Chesca. "I-I don't know what to say but I think this is what I used to do to you?"
Nagulat si Chesca at masayang tumango. "O-Opo."
Liam looked at the newly arrived Avery who is catching her breath while staring at Isaac.
Time stops for Avery as she was staring at the man she's yearning all these time. Nakatalikod man ito sa kaniya ay alam na alam niyang siya ito. His deep laugh, his dark hair she loves to bury her hands on.
'Isaac...'
She walks slowly towards him, still catching her breath from running.
'I miss you. Every minute. Every hour.... Every day. D-Do you even miss me too?'
Nawala ang ngiti ni Chesca at napalitan nang pag-aalala nang makita si Avery. Isaac, aware of Chesca's change of mood, slowly turns to look at the direction she's staring.
And now Avery is face to face with him after four agonizing months of waiting and thinking. "I-Isaac."
Isaac stood straight as he recognized her. The woman in the airport poster. The woman in the magazine cover. "Hi." 'Di nito magawang ngumiti nang biglang bumigat ang pakiramdam nito. He looks at her big eyes to find answer of why he's feeling that way.
Lumunok si Avery para pigilan ang sariling humagulhol. Seeing him again is too much for her heart to handle. Knowing him not remembering her is too painful for her heart to handle.
She just stood there, staring at him. Naalala niya ang huli nilang pagkikita sa dressing room niya. Every movement of his muscles, his smile-lines on the side of his eyes, that scar on his thick eyebrow... His thin lips... His long lashes...
'Lord, a-ang sakit po.'
Nilahad ni Isaac ang kamay niya. "Hi, Avery." Also intently gazing at her. "I'm Isaac."
Without looking down and still staring at him, Avery holds his hand with a heavy heart as she answers, "H-Hi Isaac." Never in her wildest dream did she ever imagine they'll return to strangers, learning each other's names.
Yumuko si Chesca at tumingin sa malayo. Liam looks painfully at his bestfriend.
"You okay?" Tanong ni Isaac nang hindi binitawan ng babae ang kamay niya. Deep inside, he also doesn't want to let go of her hand.
Natauhan si Avery. "H-Huh?"
"You're crying."
Doon lang naramdaman ni Avery na umiiyak na pala siya. She was about to wipe it when Isaac crosses their distance and wipes them with the back of his fingers.
"What's wrong?"
'Oh, I wanted to run to you and hug you so tight, Isaac.' "I-I just miss you so much."
Natigilan si Isaac. "What?"
Zoey then enters the room. Nagulat pa ito at pinaglilipat ang tingin sa dalawang magkaharap. "Avery? I-Isaac?"
Napaangat ng tingin ni Isaac sa bagong dating. "Zoey, you're here—what's wrong with your cheek?" Binaba nito ang kamay at nilagpasan si Avery para lumapit sa babaeng naka-crutches.
Sabay nilingon ni Ava, Chesca at Liam ang dalawa sa may b****a ng conference room.
"What happened to your cheek?" He holds Zoey's face to check the wound closely.
"I-It's just a scratch." Nagdadalawang-isip na tumingin si Zoey kay Avery na nakatitig sa kanila.
"No, it's not." Bahagyang may inis sa boses ng lalakeng makitang band-aid lang ang nakatakip sa sugat.
'My heart is broken too, Isaac.' Masakit na tiningnan ni Avery ang pag-aalala ni Isaac kay Zoey.
Nilingon ni Isaac si Chesca. "Chesca, can you come and take us to the clinic? Sorry, I can't remember the way."
"N-No, Isaac." Pigil ni Zoey. "Andito lang naman tayo, let's talk---"
"No." Matigas na tutol ni Isaac. "It's swelling. Chesca, lead the way."
Nagdadalawang-isip na sumunod si Chesca sa amo. Tumingin muna ito kay Avery at yumuko bilang paghingi ng paumanhin tsaka nagpatiunang lumabas.
Pinigilan ni Zoey si Isaac. "Isaac---"
Nilingon ni Isaac si Liam at Avery. "Nice meeting you. Sasamahan ko lang si Zoey. Wish we could talk more though." Inalalayan na nitong maglakad si Zoey palabas sa opisina.
Nahihiyang nag-iwas ng tingin si Zoey. Kumapit nalang ito sa braso ni Isaac sabay kinuha ang crutches.
After the pair left, Liam turns to Avery. "You knew?"
Tumango si Avery na nakatingin pa rin sa pintuan ng conference room kahit ilang minuto na ang nakalipas na umalis ang dalawa. She silently hopes that Isaac would run back and hugs her --- telling her these were all some part of a big joke.
Liam... kung nakalimutan ka ng mahal mo, anong gagawin mo?
Liam mutters a curse underneath his breath as he remembers their conversation last night. "Avery, why are you keeping it to yourself----"
"K-Kung naging honest lang ako sa sarili ko, Liam. Kung sana s-sinabi ko sa k-kaniya agad na 'w-wag umalis... K-Kung sana napigilan k-ko siya..." She covers her mouth to hide her sobs. Parang pinupunit ang puso niya nang maalala ang mga bagay na hindi niya nagawa noong umalis ang nobyo. "'D-Di sana'y a-andito siya sa t-tabi ko..."
"Avery...."
Lumingon si Avery sa kababata. Her tears are like waterfall dripping from her sad eyes. "B-But... I'm not going to give up. I-I'm going to make him fall in love with me again." Pilit niyang ngiti. "Yes, the mind f-forgets but the heart won't, r-right?"
Malungkot na tumango si Liam.
"T-Tama." Huminga ng malalim si Avery at pinahid ang mga luha.
"Stop acting like you're not hurting Avery."
Kinagat ni Avery ang ibabang labi.
"He doesn't remember you. Don't act as if it's not a big deal!" He's getting frustrated with this façade she's putting up.
"I-it hurts." Saad ni Avery na yumuko. "But I'll keep fighting." Tumingin siya kay Liam. "Because I know... I-Isaac would do the same thing for me."
She should be happy, right? Because God gave Isaac back to her. Pero bakit gano'n? Ang sakit makitang tumalikod ito sa kaniya na para bang estranghero talaga siya.
Liam turns to her and pulls her softly for a tight hug. He holds her head closer to his chest. "You're not being honest again, Avery."
Her eyes then betrays her as tears are racing down her cheeks again. "L-Liam..." Humikbi siya at yumakap sa lalake para humugot ng lakas. "I-It hurts and I-I'm so s-sad..." She clutches on his shirt. "I am so sa-sad... and I-I'm scared that I might not m-make him remember me again."
Ramdam na ramdam ni Liam ang sakit sa boses ng kaibigan. If only he could take away her pain.
"H-Help me, L-Liam. I-I don't know where to start..." She buries her face on his chest, muffling her sobs.
[Next Chapter Preview:]
Dahan-dahang umakyat si Avery sa puno habang may dalang stick.
Nasa baba naman ang mga bata at nag-aalalang nakatingala sa guro sa taas.
"Teacher Ava, nasa kanan ninyo po ang saranggola!" Sigaw ng batang si Troy.
Nakayakap na si Avery sa katawan ng puno. She nervously raises the stick she's holding to poke at the kite to dislodge it from being stuck at the tree's branches. "S-Sabihin ninyo k-kung malapit ko nang maabot, ah." Dahil sa makakapal na dahon na tumatakip sa pwesto ng saranggola, 'di niya ito makita mula sa kinatatayuan.
"MORE!" sabay sigaw ng mga bata. "LEFT, TEACHER AVA! LEFT!"
Dahan-dahan siyang lumayo sa katawan ng puno at naglakad sa isang makapal na sanga ng mangga.
"What are you doing up there?"
Napatingin si Avery sa baba. Napalingon rin ang mga bata sa lalakeng nakatayo sa tabi nila.
"I-Isaac! A-Anong ginagawa mo rito?" Gulat niyang tanong.
"Ikaw, anong ginagawa mo diyan sa taas?"
"A-Ano..." Mabilis siyang yumakap uli sa katawan ng puno. "K-Kunin ko lang k-kasi yung—"
Napapikit uli sila nang muling malakas na umihip ang hangin.
"I can see your undies from here, you know." prenteng sabi ni Isaac.
- END -
- Writer
