The next day….Kim didn’t want to get up in bed….she heard a knock on her door….but she didn’t move…. “Auntie…masakit po ulo ko… di muna ako papasok ngayon…”…wala siyang ganang pumasok…. She still covered by her blanket…. When she felt her bed moved…..

“Kim?”…..

Napabalikwas siya sa higaan… It was Gerald… She didn’t expect him to be there…after what happened last night between his mom and her…. “Anong ginagawa mo dito?”….she asked….

Hinipo ni Gerald ang noo niya…..”wala ka namang lagnat ah…. Pero masakit ba talaga ang ulo mo?”….tanong nito…

“TEka…anong ginagawa mo dito?”…she asked again…

Gerald frowned…. “Diba sabi ko sayo….pupunta ako dito…. Here…I make a breakfast in bed…”

She look at the tray laying on the other side of the bed….. Kim’s heart melted… Kaya niya bang mawala ito sa buhay niya….. Stop it na Gerald… please… wag mo na akong pahirapan!! She wanted to yell at him….to tell him na layuan na siya…. Pero she couldn’t do it…. Hindi kaya ng puso niyang makitang masaktan ito…. Her eyes moistened…..

“Hey…what’s wrong… masakit ba talaga ang ulo mo?”…he asked….

“m-medyo…”…pagsisinungaling niya…

“Okay…just stay in bed my princess…. I’ll feed you ok!!”….he fix the food in front of her…and start feeding her… Wala siyang malasahan sa kinakain niya…pero hindi niya pwedeng ipakita yon kay Gerald…. “Hey guess what…. My mom arrived last night…. Nakita niya ako sa emo look ko…. Nakakatawa…para siyang magkakaheart attack!!.. I was supposed to fix her dinner…pero umalis siya…I didn’t know where she went…. So I just went to bed…. Didn’t got a chance to talk to her again…kasi maaga akong umalis kanina…”… kwento nito…

That explain why Gerald have no Idea what’s going on with her… pero hindi niya kayang masira ang paggalang nito sa magulang….she would rather sacrifice herself…than see him hating his mom… She knows how that feels….

Last night….she already made a decision… ginising niya si Auntie Pokie to tell her about the decision… She never saw her Aunt cried that hard….only last night… she explained everything….and told her about the conversation between Geralds mom and her…. Her Aunt finally accepted her decision…..

And now…. Kahit gusto niyang sabihin kay Gerald ang plano niya….hindi niya kaya….. Dahil kapag ito ang pumigil sa kanya…..alam niyang hindi siya makakahindi………. Alam niyang hindi niya makakayang lumayo dito…kapag ito ang nakiusap…….

“Gerald… will you give me a favor…”…

“Anything for my emo girl…”..he said…mixing the protein drink…

“Can you just stay with me today?”…lambing niya dito……

Gerald look at her….. “Are you okay? May masakit ba sayo?”… nagaalalang tanong nito…

“No…I’m okay… Gusto lang kitang makasama ngayon araw na ito!!”….she said….

Gerald smiled….”Asus…. Ayaw mo pa kasing aminin na patay na patay ka sa akin!!”….he winked at her….

Kim smiled….. Pullled his head….and kiss him on his lips….Kung alam mo lang!! kung alam mo lang!!

Kahit hirap na hirap si Kim itago ang totoong nararamdaman…… she still pretended to be happy…….kahit parang hinihiwa ang puso niya…. This is the only way para makagawa siya ng good memories before she leave him……

They spend their day just talking….hugging…kissing….. Anything that will make everything better….she showed her how much he meant for her….

Auntie Pokie was standing by the door watching her….while she’s massaging Geralds head…nakatulog ito sa lap niya habang minamasahe niya…….

“Anak?”…gumaralgal ang boses nito…..

“Auntie….Huwag!! “…Pigil niya dito…. “happy memories…. Happy memories lang….”….

Her Aunt couldn’t take it anymore…..umalis ito ng walang paalam… she knows na magpapalamig lang ito…. Pinigilan niyang mapaiyak…. She decided to leave tomorrow…. As soon as she get out of this mess….the better….. Kaya nakiusap siyang hingin ang oras ni Gerald….even just for today he was hers….

She lift his head up…and stood up… she lay down beside him….hugging him tightly…. For the last time… for the last time…. I know…you are mine………. She dozed off…..

She woke up with a kiss on the lips…. “Wake up sleeping beauty!!”….namulatan niya si Gerald sa harapan niya… She reached for his cheeks…. “I have to go…. My Mom’s been calling!”… he said….

She closed her eyes….this is it Kim…. This is the goodbye……

“Hey…I’ll be back tomorrow?…”…he said….giving her a kiss on the forehead….

She open her eyes….”yes…. You’ll be back tomorrow!!”… she put her hands around his neck and hugged him real tight…..

“Hey….kung yakapin mo ako…para naman akong mawawala…… does this mean…. sinasagot mo na ako? Eh kung Pagnasaan mo ako…ganon-ganon na lang….eh di pa naman tayo?”….he chuckled….

Neither did he know….na Kim’s heart is bleeding right now…. She tried to laugh…but never reach her eyes….. “Tomorrow….pagbalik mo…. Makukuha mo ang sagot…”.. she whispered….

Gerald face lightened….. “Talaga?”…he asked….

She nodded….

“okay….I’m going now…para bukas maaga akong makabalik dito….” he gave him a kissed on her lips…. “I love you Ms. Kimberly Chiu!”…and stood up….. Walking out the door…”I’ll see you tomorrow!”…and then he was gone……

Kim stayed on her position…. Next thing she knows……her eyes were blurry with tears…. Hanggang sa humagulgol na siya……. It’s going to be okay….. It’s going to be okay…….. “I love you too…Mr. Gerald Randolph Anderson…”…

Auntie Pokie arrive and saw Kim….

“Anak….bakit ba pinahihirapan mo ang sarili mo? Bakit hindi mo sabihin sa kanya ang totoo.?” Lumapit ito sa kanya….

“Auntie…baka hindi ako makaalis…kapag pinakiusapan niya ako….”….she said…in between her sobbed…

“Eh kung ako ba ang makiusap…… hindi ka rin makakaalis?”…tanong nito…

“Auntie naman eh….lalo niyo naman akong pinahihirapan!!”…. she complained….

“Naku kunwari ka pa….siyempre alam ko namang aalis ka pa rin…….. Eh sino ba naman ako…Auntie mo lang naman diba?”…tampo nito…

“Auntie…alam mong mahal na mahal kita………kung pwede nga lang kitang isama….talagang isasama kita!!”….

“Anak…ayaw ko don…dito ang buhay ko…. Saka di yata kasya ang beauty ko sa kahon no!!”…biro nito….

She smiled….”Auntie……mamimiss talaga kita….. Promise….. Babalikan kita!!”…

“Ikaw….napakashowbiz mo talaga…. Puro ako ng ako ang sinasabi mo….eh alam ko namang si Gerald talaga ang babalikan mo!!”

Kim’s face become serious…. “Pero Auntie…mangako kayo….wala kayong sasabihin kay Gerald… o kahit kay Matt…. “…

“OO na…. may pa promise-promise pang nalalaman…..”…

“saka…”…..hirit niya…

“O….abuso na yan!!”……

“Auntie…. Seryoso ako…. Si Gerald… wag niyo siyang pababayaan…. Please!”…she held her hand…

“O sige….pero wag kang magugulat kung mabalitaan mong…ikakasal na kami ha?”….

“Thank you Auntie…”…she hugged her real tight…..

That night…she talk to Mel… Nagulat ito sa plano niya……… nagalit ito…..

“Mel please…intindihin mo naman ako….”she said..

“Intindihin? Ikaw ang takot na takot maiwan…. Pero ikaw pala ang mangiiwan!!”…Mel said…turning her back….

She cried…. “Mel please…….”….

-------------------

Next morning…Gerald knocking at the door…..

“Kim!! Auntie!”…he called….

Auntie Pokie open the door…she still crying… her eyes were all red….

“Auntie? Bakit po?”….he asked… biglang kinabahan…baka may nangyari kay Kim…

Iiling-iling lang si Auntie Pokie….

Gerald on instance ran in Kims room…. He knock….no one answered…. He open the door……it was empty….walang Kim….

He went down….”Auntie…nasan si Kim?”….. hindi mawala ang kaba sa dibdib niya… nasan si kim…yun lang ang paulit-ulit na tumatakbo sa isipan niya…….

Mel was on the door…. Her eyes were also red…..”Wala na siya!”…she said…

Gerald frowned….”Wala….anong wala….saan pupunta yun?”….he asked….

Auntie Pokie gave him Kims’ skateboard…. May nakasulat sa harapan nito…..

“Gerald,

I’m sorry…. But sometimes wishing is not enough to fulfilled a dream….

I’m sorry….

Kim…”

“hindi….hindi totoo ito…. Nasan si kim….nasan si kim?…. “… he dropped the skateboard…. Nanghihinang umupo sa upuan…. “What went wrong?……what went wrong?”….tears fell on his cheeks………..