Please, Forget me Not

CHAPTER 34

“Kuya got into a… c-car accident.”

What? Did I hear it right?

“What did you say?” halos mawalan ng hiningang tanong ko. Sana mali lang ang pandinig ko.

“Naaksidente si kuya, Sariah…” Nanlambot ang tuhod ko dahil sa sinabi niya. Agad akong hinawakan ni Aly para hindi ako matumba.

Ramdam ko ang pagbigat ng dibdib ko at ang unti-unting paglabo ng paningin ko dahil sa pamumuo ng luha sa aking mga mata.

“Are you p-pranking me?” mahinang tanong ko sa kan’ya. Kahit na alam kong malabong magbiro siya ng ganoong bagay, I was still expecting him to laugh at me and tell me he was just pranking me, but the sad look on his face told me he wasn’t. Tumulo ang luha ko dahil doon.

“Where is he? I need to see him, Aly. Bring me to him, please.” Tumango siya at inalalayan akong maglakad papunta sa kotse niya.

Hindi ako mapakali habang nagmamaneho siya papuntang ospital sa Laguna kung saan isinugod si Zach. Ang dalawang oras papunta roon na yata ang pinakamahabang oras sa buhay ko. Kada segundong lumilipas ay mas bumibigat ang dibdib ko. Kung anu-anong senaryo ang pumapasok sa utak ko kahit anong iwas kong isipin ang mga iyon.

Aly held my cold and shaking hand to calm me down. “Don’t worry, kuya’s gonna be okay.” He gave me a small smile. I know he’s also scared right now, pero hindi niya lang pinapahalata sa akin.

I forced a smile and nodded at him.

“Yeah, he will,” bulong ko sa sarili ko. I closed my eyes and prayed to God for his safety. Na sana minor injury lang ang nakuha niya at walang malalang nangyari sa kaniya kasi kung meron, hindi ko alam kung paano ko ‘yon tatanggapin o kung matatanggap ko ba iyon.

Nang makarating kami sa ospital, dumiretso kami sa emergency area. Nakita ko si tita na nakaupo at umiiyak habang yakap ni tito. Para akong mauubusan ng hininga habang naglalakad kami palapit sa kanila.

“Mom…” Aly tried to get her attention. “How’s kuya?”

Tita didn’t answer him. Umiiling lang siya at patuloy pa rin sa paghagulgol. Ramdam ko ang biglaang pag-init sa gilid ng aking mga mata dahil sa pangingilid na naman ng aking mga luha.

Sa reaksiyon pa lang ni tita, alam ko nang hindi maganda ang kalagayan ngayon ni Zach.

“We don’t know yet. He’s still inside the operating room. All we know is he was badly injured.”

Nanlamig ang buong katawan ko at para akong binawian ng lakas nang marinig ko ang mga sinabi ni tito. Napaupo ako sa sahig ng ospital at tuluyan nang napahagulgol. I shook my head continuously, refusing to accept that he was in there, fighting for his life.

I felt someone hugged me and rubbed my back trying to console me. Napahawak ako sa dibdib ko nang bigla akong mahirapang huminga dahil sa labis na pag-iyak.

The fact that he was in critical condition inside the operating room broke my heart and was suffocating me to death. I cannot imagine how much pain he is in right now.

“Sariah…”

Kumalas ako sa yakap niya at hinawakan ko ang kaniyang magkabilang balikat.

“Aly… please tell me he’s going to be fine. He… he will not l-leave me, right? He p-promised to marry me, he can’t do this to me.” I shook my head as another bucket of tears streamed down my face.

I was asking him for assurance. But I know in myself that no comforting words could ever make me feel better unless it was Zach who would assure me that he’s alright.

He nodded at me. Pero kita ko sa ekspresyon ng mukha niya na maging siya ay hindi na rin sigurado sa mangyayari sa mga susunod pang mga sandal.

Umiwas siya ng tingin at inalalayan ako patayo mula sa sahig at iniupo sa tabi ni tita. Wala na akong ibang nagawa kun’di ang umiyak habang naghihintay sa paglabas ng doctor mula sa operating room.

Hindi na ako mapakali sa bawat oras na lumilipas. Halos gusto ko nang pasukin ang operating room sa sobrang tagal lumabas ng doctor. Hindi ko alam kung kakayanin ko pang maghintay sa mga susunod na oras dahil baka atakihin na ako sa sobrang kaba at bigat ng dibdib ko.

Agad kaming napatayo nang biglang bumukas ang pinto ng operating room at iniluwa noon ang doctor ni Zach. Tinanggal niya ang suot na facemask at humarap sa amin.

“The operation is done, but the patient remains critical. He did not suffer serious external injuries but many of his bones were fractured. His rib cage pierced his lungs, and his brain suffered a hard blow. We will only know the effect only if he wakes up.”

“O-only If he wakes up? W-what do you mean by that?” I asked kahit mukhang alam ko na ang ibig sabihin noon.

“Ibig mo bang sabihin, there’s a chance na hindi na magising ang anak ko?” Tita said, voicing out my thoughts.

“Yes, but there’s also a chance that he’ll wake up, and once that happens, I can’t guarantee you that he’ll be the same again. His brain was badly affected. You know how important our brain is. Waking up, he’s already lucky. If he is still the same as before the accident, it is a miracle. I’m telling you this for you to be prepared for the worst. All we can do right now is wait for him to wake up.”

“How long do you think will take him to regain his consciousness?” I asked because I know he won’t leave me this soon. Magigising pa siya at magpapakasal pa kami. Bubuo pa kami ng sarili naming pamilya, hindi niya hahayaang maiwan akong mag-isa. I just need to be patient.

“It’s case to case basis. Some coma patients wake up after a few weeks, some are after a few months and the longest are after a decade. There’s no way I can tell how long,” he answered.

I bit my lips to stop myself from crying. Naghari ang katahimikan sa mga sandaling iyon kaya naman nagsalitang muli ang doktor.

“He will stay in the ICU because we still need to closely monitor his condition. No visitation allowed for five days. If you don’t have any more questions, I’ll take my leave.”

Akala ko naubusan na ako ng luhang iluluha pero hindi pa pala. Dahil pagtalikod pa lang ng doctor ay tuluyan ko nang hindi napigilan ang muling pag-iyak. Just the thought of Zach not waking up anymore was scaring me to death. Hindi ko kakayanin ‘pag tuluyan niya akong iniwan. I already planned how I am going to spend the rest of my life with him. He was my life, my everything. I can accept if he’s going to leave me for someone else, but him leaving this lifetime would be the death of me.

“Sariah, please, calm down. You’re crying too much, baka kung ano ang mangyari sa’yo.” Those were the last words I heard before everything around me went black.