Chapter 29
Love is Patient"Kim anak, when are you going back to work?"
"Ma, kararating ko pa lang po so baka after a month."
"Good! Dad and I planned this vacation for so long, now that you're here, it'll push through."
"Vacation?"
"Yes baby, how about a week vacation to Boracay?"
"I'd love that Mommy, pero baka honeymoon niyo yan ni dad tapos isasama niyo pa ako."
"Anak, this is a family outing! Do you remember when was our last?"
"hmmmm, when I was five?"
Mommy Elena laughed. "See? that was ages ago. We also have to bond together as family."
"Sige po, sasama na. Namiss ko kayo ni daddy, sobra!"
"Sa tuwing iniiwan mo kami, hindi mo alam kung gaano kasakit sa isang ina na umalis ang anak niya."
"Ma.. Huwag na kayong madrama. I am here! I won't be going anywhere."
she hugged her mom.
"Baby, stay with us here! Hindi ako napapanatag na mag-isa ka."
"Mom, I will stay with you and dad, until I start with work again."
"Hindi ba pwedeng sa amin ka na ulit tumira, para may mag-alaga sa'yo."
"Mommy, I am not your little girl anymore. Syempre kailangan ko din na maging independent. I can take care of myself. I promise to visit you here when I get my offs from work."
"I will stick to that promise anak. Sige na, pack your things. We'll leave early tomorrow."
Kim kissed her mom and went to her room.
Their third day in Boracay, they enjoyed every single day of being together as family.
"Baby, Vangie is trying to call you but you aren't answering."
"Naiwan ko po ang phone ko sa kwarto."
"I will tell her to call you after our lunch then."
When Mommy Vangie received Mommy Elena's message, she immediately called.
"Elena, can I talk to Kimmy please."
"Hey, why are you in a rush? Is everything okay?
Mommy Vangie sighed. "Gerald got into a car accident in California just an hour ago."
"Whaaaaaaat?" she looked at Kim.
"Bakit ma?"
"Come on here anak, you talk to your mom."
Kim got the phone from her mom.
"Mom, what happened?"
"Anak, Ge's at the hospital right now!"
"Ha? bakit po?"
"Car accident anak."
"Oh my God!" Kim doesn't know what to say or what to react. "How is he?"
"He's still unconscious and I heard they took him at the operating room for a minor operation."
"How did it happen?"
"I don't know exactly anak, but there's this big truck that hit and bumped into his car,he's on his way home when it happened."
"Ma, sino pong kasama niya doon."
"Anak, wala siyang kasama. That's why they have to call us back here, the surgeon signed the consent for the operation. I just thought, you needed to know."
"Mom thanks for calling. We may not be together now, but I will always care for him."
"Thank you Kimmy, okay, sorry for disturbing you. We have to fix everything to get there, as soon as possible."
"Mom, can I come with you?"
Mommy Vangie got into tears. "Gerald would love to see you when he wakes up, anak."
"I'd love to personally take care of him too."
"Okay, dad will book us a flight to California now and I will call you again if it gets final."
"That sounds great mom.." then the call ended.
"Ma, dad, my husband needs me."
"Don't cry baby, he's going to be well soon. Lalo na ikaw mismo ang mag-aalaga sa kanya." Mommy Elena's trying to make her smile.
"Ma, I'm sorry to spoil this vacation but I need to go ahead. Enjoy kayo ni daddy dito. Babalitaan ko po kayo."
"Anak, we support you in whatever you think is best."
"Thanks daddy!"
She hugged her parents, started packing her things up and booked the next flight to Manila.
Three of them got the flight early next day. When they landed to California, went straight to the hospital.
"Nurse, where is Gerald Anderson's room?"
The triage nurse on duty recognized Kim. "Doctor Anderson, he is transferred this morning at room
308. "
"Okay thank you. Can we go straight to his room now?"
"Yes doc."
When they saw Gerald laying down on bed, unconscious, left arm with a cast, bruises in his right arm up to his face, hematomas on his torso.
"Oh my!" Mommy Vangie cried as soon as she saw her son.
"Sweetheart, Gerald wouldn't like that. Don't cry." Daddy Randy went near her and hugged her.
Kim on the other hand, went towards the bed and checked every tube connected to her husband. She sat on the chair on the right side of the bed and held his hand.
"Please wake up soon." she kissed his forehead.
"Mom, dad, nakakapagod ang byahe, magpahinga po muna kayo. You can go home and I will take care of everything here."
"Hija, pagod ka din. Why don't we go home all together. Rest and get some good sleep then we go back here tomorrow."
"Dad, okay lang po ako. They need someone to ask, sign the waiver etc."
"Anak, please stay with us. Gerald's townhouse has 3 rooms, kasya tayo doon kahit hanggang sa makauwi na si Ge."
"Mom, I still have my flat here. I can stay there."
"Oh no Kimmy, hindi ako papayag. We went here together, we'll live together and you can say no to Mommy."
She sighed and smiled. "I got no choice then."
Mommy Vangie hugged her before they left. Kim stayed with Gerald, made herself comfortable on the sofa.
They stayed with Gerald all through out. Kim talks to the doctors about his condition. Maya who is also part of the team handling Gerald's case, would visit them on the room every after doctors' and nurses' rounds.
"Kim, it would take time until he wakes up."
"Why? is there any head injury?"
"None, but with the effects of medications and the impact of what happened, it would take him time."
"Don't you have an idea of how long?"
"Kim alam mo yan, we can never be sure when is he going to open his eyes. Siguro pag nararamdaman niyang nandito ka, nag-aantay, Mas mabilis."
Kim smiled. "thank you Maya."
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Kim was talking to the ortho team who did the cast on Gerald's left arm, a week after, when she heard her phone rang.
"Dad? may problema po ba?"
"Kimmy, gising na si Ge."
"That's a good news dad, will be there in 10 minutes."
Kim entered the room and saw him with his eyes open. Gerald smiled at her.
"I heard from Mom, you joined the trip going here just to see me."
Kim smiled and nodded.
"Thanks Kim."
"That's not a problem, magpagaling ka agad."
Gerald tried moving his legs, trying to flex his knees but can't do it.
"What happened? why the hell can't I feel anything on my legs. I can hardly move!"
Kim checked his tactile response.
"Can't you feel anthing?"
"Damn no!"
"Hey, relax! it won't help you. I will call the doctor. Wait a minute."
"I can't be useless as hell. What the hell is happening with my feet?"
The doctor came in and checked his concerns.
"Obviously, you can't feel anything even when a stimuli is introduced. This will disappear after a couple of days. I will give you a medication to take for this."
"Doctor, thank you!" Kim accompanied the doctor on her way out.
Gerald is disappointed of what the accident has given him. He feels useless right now.
"Ge, don't be too depressed. For now, we will do things you can't, for you."
"You know I am not comfortable with that!"
Kim would agree to that, way back then, Gerald always have to make sure, he'll do everything for her.
"Ge, this won't take too long! We will help you get through this...I will help you."
Gerald saw her sincerity and love for him in her eyes, right there and then he wanted to just hug her. But hell! he can't, to be able to do that he has to get away from that cast on his arm, and get well from those bruises.
Instead, he stretched out his right arm to her. Kim held it as soon as she got the idea that he wanted to hold her hand. He intertwined his to hers like the old times, Kim felt ecstatic with that simple gesture and smiled at him. "Sige na, magpahinga ka na."
She fixed him on bed and not too long when he went to sleep.
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