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“Lois Lane. . . .

 

“. . . . . Clark Kent. . . .”

 

A buzz in his head was annoying him. He closed his eyes, trying to let the sleepiness take over the annoying sound pounding on his ears. He can hear voices too but he can’t understand the words. Then, he felt someone shaking him. It should annoy him but the hands shaking him felt gentle and light that it somehow comforted him. Someone was talking – a girl. Her voice was soft and soothing that it somehow lessened the buzz in his head.

 

He felt his head slid sideward. He murmured upon smelling something very pleasant. He smiled and buried his nose at the source of the pleasant smell. A set of arms enveloped him. His smile grew wider at the feel of the warm arms hugging him. Then, he started singing.

 

- - -

 

“Eh? Why did we stop?” he groggily asked, blinking around. “Where are we?” he added.

 

“At a friend’s place,” someone answered. “He’s authorized to wed you.”

 

“Ooooh, I’m getting married!” a female voice cheered. “Come on, come on! Let’s do it already!”

 

“I can’t wait for the honeymoon,” he grinned.

 

“Me too! Hahaha!” the female laughed. “Err, would that be fun?”

 

- - -

 

“. . . . I promise to cherish and love. . . .”

 

“. . . . .to be loyal, loving, patient and faithful. . . .”

 

“I will stay beside you no matter what. . . .”

 

“’Til death do us part,” they chorused.

 

The next events were blurry. He could only glimpse himself and his bride laughing while heading back to the cab. He can’t vividly remember how they ended up in a motel but he remembered seeing her cry. He went to hug her and comfort her. Somewhere in between, he started kissing her hair, her temple, her cheek, her nose and then her lips.

 

“Please don’t hurt me,” she pleaded.

 

“I won’t,” he promised.

 

“I’m scared,” she confessed.

 

“Don’t be,” he told her. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

 

“You won’t?” she whispered.

 

“No, I won’t,” he smiled. “Trust me. I’m Clark Kent, remember?”

 

She smiled back. That was enough for him to kiss her again and take her beyond that.

 

He felt heavy, like an elephant was on top of him. His head was pounding and he can feel something pricking somewhere he can’t describe. He wanted to move but he can’t feel any of his limbs. He wanted to open his mouth and talk but somehow, his throat felt dry. His mind was in chaos – like an abstract of different bright colors was thrown at it. He can’t pick out a thought, only colors. He wondered for a moment what’s going on or what’s wrong with him. He forced himself to concentrate, to remember what happened. But the more he tried to remember, the more chaotic the colors went. It was making him more frustrated that he just wanted to give up. The thing is, he can’t seem to give up. There’s this nagging pain somewhere in his head that’s urging him to remember. It was telling him, no, ORDERING him to remember what happened. He redirected his strength to that particular nagging pain and concentrated on it. His skull felt like bursting open at the effort but the desperation of knowing overwhelmed the pain.

 

The colors in his mind suddenly disappeared, only darkness was left. As the colors faded, a static began. He wanted to cover his ears and scream but he can’t pull off the strength to do so. The nagging pain was slowly slipping as the static sound started to grow. For some unknown reasons, he felt fear. He used that feeling to wade through the static sound and concentrate on the nagging pain. It suddenly went silent. His mind went silent. Even the nagging pain disappeared. There was nothing but darkness and blankness. Somehow, it comforted him, made him feel at ease and peaceful that he chose to forget what it is that is ought to be remembered.

 

For a moment, he relaxed and just drifted along with the peacefulness. Slowly, a distant voice, sort of an echo, started screaming. But he can’t figure the word or words out. The sound was scattered in every part of his head that all he could make out of it was a buzz. It wasn’t painful but it wasn’t comfortable either. Then he felt the sound being to the center, making one concentrated noise. As the sound started peeling off the edges of his mind, his body became alert. He could just make something out of the sound but he doesn’t know what it means.  As the sound gathered up at the center, he finally realized that the sound from somewhere in his mind was screaming a name. A part of him was screaming a name: Sandara.

 

SANDARA!

 

His mind went wild once again as flashes of what happened came back to him. But the chaos in his mind went pale next to the crushing pain his heart felt. He gasped as his heart gave a tight squeeze. It felt like his own heart was trying to kill him that he just wanted to rip it off from his chest and throw it away. Just as he thought he was going to die; his rational mind came to the rescue. There was still hope! Sandara can still be alive.

 

She should be alive.

 

She’d BETTER be alive.

 

With that thought, all sensations finally came back to him. He can feel his arms, his legs, everything. He swallowed to wet his dry throat and ran his tongue along his parched lips.

 

“He’s coming back!” someone whispered. “I think he’s gaining consciousness.”

 

Slowly, Kwon Jiyong blinked his eyes open. “Sandara,” he croaked.

 

“Oh, thank goodness!”

 

“Dara,” he croaked again.

 

“Son, how are-”

 

“Where is she?” he whispered, glancing sideways at his father.

 

“You’re in a hospital right now. You were hit pretty hard in the head. You do know who I am, do you?”

 

“Dad,” he stressed. “Where’s my wife?”

 

“I should call the doctor,” a female voice came. The voice belonged to his stepmother.

 

“Dad, I need to see Dara. I want to see MY wife.”

 

“Jiyong. . . you should rest first. You-”

 

“DAD!” he cut off, almost screaming. “Where’s my wife?”

 

“Son, I’m sorry but the yacht was too burned out. I’m afraid she’s-”

 

“No. Don’t tell me that! I WANT to see her!”

 

“The rescue team wasn’t able to retrieve any body from the wreck. They said she’s either burned to ashes or her body’s been washed away by the water. We searched for three days but. . . .”

 

“SHE’S NOT DEAD!” Jiyong gritted. “SHE CAN’T BE DEAD, DAD! She can’t, you heard that?”

 

“Jiyong, we searched for-”

 

“Well, you must’ve not searched thoroughly!” he angrily snapped. “I need to get out of here. I need to find her. I-”

 

“Jiyong, it’s-”

 

“I WILL find her, Dad!” he declared fiercely as he started pulling out the tubes connected to him. His father grabbed his wrists and tried to restrain him down. He fought of course and he was pretty surprised with how strong his father was considering his age. But then, maybe he was just too weak what’s with him being bedridden and all. Maybe he hasn’t fully recovered yet. But he just didn’t care anymore.

 

Dara’s still alive, he thought. And he NEEDS to find her. She might be in trouble right now. He heard footsteps and frantic voices. He wasn’t able to hear what they were saying for he was too busy screaming, pleading and crying for his wife. His father was then pushed away as four people in white restrained each of his limbs down. He thrashed wildly upon glimpsing a syringe at the corner of his eye. He quickly searched for his father. When he saw him, he started tearing up.

 

“Dad, please. . . I need to see my wife!” he pleaded. “I need to find her. I will find her. . . she needs me right now. . . Dad, please. . .”

 

He felt the needle somewhere in his limbs and it only made him more desperate.

 

“DAD!” he screamed. “Please. . . my wife. . . . Dara. . . she’s still alive! She has to be. . . find. . .”

 

He was slowly losing his consciousness. He FOUGHT against it but he was already fading out.

 

“My wife. . . my. . . please. . . Dara. . . plea. . .”

 

- - -

 

“Honey, we-”

 

“Leave me alone for a while,” Mister Kwon sighed, waving his wife away.

 

“But-”

 

“I need and want to be alone for a while,” he cut off again. “Please,” he added.

 

When his young wife left, he leaned forward and buried his face in his palms. Seeing his first wife slowly dying from her illness made a big impact on him but seeing and hearing his son with so much desperation and agony was too much for him too bear. It was more painful seeing Jiyong like that. He had known Jiyong as the stubborn, carefree, irresponsible but caring son. He felt emotionally raw, like he was grated over and over and over again. He regretted telling him about Dara when the latter was so emotionally vulnerable and physically unwell. But he can’t lie to his son about the condition of Dara. Once he wakes up and found out his own father lied to him, that would only make everything worse.

 

And he can’t possibly tell Jiyong that the Parks already gave up on finding Sandara. They’re even going to hold a press conference later regarding the family’s farewell messages to the girl. While he, the less powerful Mister Kwon hasn’t given up on finding his son’s wife. He’s been pushing everyone who works for him to search thoroughly day and night. He even joined them in searching for the past three days but the doctors advised him to take a rest since he’s not that young himself.

 

It’d be inappropriate for him to hope for it or even think of it but right now, he’d rather Jiyong stays asleep because once he wakes up, there’s nothing he can’t do to protect his son from the nightmares of the recent events anymore. And Jiyong’s pain will be thrice his pain. Every child’s pain comes thrice to the parents. It has always been like that.

 

It will always be like that.

 

- - -

 

“Give me an update.”

 

“Nothing new sir,” the person on the other line answered. “I think she-”

 

“I didn’t pay you so you can give me your damn opinion!” he snapped. “Keep searching and don’t stop until you find the body of my son’s wife!”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

Mister Kwon massaged his temples after ending the call. He wanted to join the search again, to hell with his health. But he was more worried for Jiyong. He wanted to be present when he wakes up again.

 

After a while, he made a call again. “Any progress?” he asked.

 

“Nothing sir,” the other answered. “But I came upon something else that might interest you.”

 

“I don’t have time for-”

 

“It involves the Parks sir.”

 

There was a pause. “The Parks?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

“Okay, I’ll hear it out but not on the phone. Let’s meet up.”

 

“I’ll head there right away, sir.”

 

Mister Kwon glanced at his sleeping son and hoped that he’ll remain asleep for a while.