Gerald was mad at himself…..What a big jerk…hindi siya makapaniwala na nasabi niya lahat iyon kay Kim… Galit siya sa sarili niya…. What a big bastard you are Gerald…. HE was driving really…fast….dun niya ibinunton ang galit niya…….. His emotions got on to him….he could have handle it better….than hurting her physically and emotionally… Damn!!

Nakauwi siya ng bahay….straight to his room…. To his surprise….may naka-ready ng damit niyang pantulog laying on his bed…. There’s note on it….

“Sometimes….it takes forever before we believe there is hope…. But the sad thing is when you start believing that there’s no hope….when in fact… You are hoping everyday to make your burden easier for you each day…… hope you gave a good night!!”..-----Kim….

HE look at the note….. Kim’s trying to put back his hopes na ninakaw nito when she left…… Damn her!! She should know better that it’s not that easy….

Pumasok siya sa shower…….another surprise…. His shaver is ready….with his shower stuff…. And another note……

“Trusting someone is hard…..breaking your trust is more harder……but never to trust again…is the most hardest….. Shave good.!!”---…Kim!!

Hope….Trust….what does she knows about those words….. Nothing!!!

He throw the notes to the waste basket…… …

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Next morning….he didn’t expect her to come back…. Pero nagulat siya ng makita ito sa kitchen nila….fixing food….

He look at her….she didn’t know na he was staring at her ….nakatagilid ito…at busy sa ginagawa…

His heart wanted to jump in joy…kasi she didn’t gave up…. But his mind was telling him….let her suffer more…… she’s so stupid for coming back…. Diba binalaan na niya ito…..

Then the doorbell rang…. Kim lift her head…and was surprise to see Gerald watching her moves…. Her heart skips……. He was looking good…compare to the first day she arrive from US…. She heard the doorbell again….

“Ako na!”…she said… passing by him…. Hmmnn… Smelling Good na rin…wala na ang amoy chico!! She smiled… that’s good… She open the door…. It was Fred….and a pretty girl on his side….

Nagulat ito ng makita siya…. “Kim?….is that you?”…

“Hi Fred… pasok ka!”…she said….

“Kailan ka pa bumalik?….ang ganda mo ah!!”…he said…still couldn’t believe it’s her in front of him….

“DI ka talaga nagbabago….bolero ka pa rin!”….She was wearing a floral printed dress na umabot lang sa taas ng tuhod niya….. She look fresh and lovely with the dress showing her curves….

“Halika…pasok kayo!! “….she said……

“Anong ginagawa mo dito?”….Gerald asked…..he didn’t like the way Fred is looking at Kim…. May karapatan ka ba Gerald?……

“Bro…..look….”….pointing at the girl beside him… “Mitch here wants to talk to….bakit daw bigla kang nawala kagabi?”…..

Nagpabalik-balik ang tingin ni Kim sa girl and Gerald…. So doon pala siya nanggaling kagabi…..Her heart was sinking…. Eh ano pa nga ba Kim…..what do you expect…. Ang tagal mong nawala diba?? You should be ready with this…. “e-excuse me…. Tatapusin ko lang ang ginagawa ko!!”…she said….

Gerald watch her as she walk back in the kitchen….. He knows that she’s affected by the situation…. He smiled…. “Mitch…halika… let’s eat breakfast!!’….he guided her in the kitchen…where Kim can see clearly………

Fred followed them…but went straight to the kitchen….where Kim is….While Gerald and the girl sat in the dining table….

Gerald gave Fred a warning look……

“Kakausapin ko lang bro!!”…Fred said…

“So kim….kamusta ka na?”…Fred ask her while watching her cutting some vegetables..

“I’m okay…..ikaw kamusta na?”….

“HEto…gwapo pa rin!!”….

“Lakas ng hangin dito!!”…she chuckled….

“So babalik ka ba ng school?”….

“Late na ako this semester eh….Sabi ng Mom ni Gerald… She will help me next semester na makapagenroll… kaya….baka next semester na lang!…” she answered….

“aah… Well I really hope na makapasok ka na….para magkita tayo ng madalas!!”….Fred winked at her…

Kim smiled…. “Wala kang ipinagbago….chickboy ka pa rin!!”….

Naririnig lahat ni Gerald ang pinaguusapan ng dalawa….and he didn’t like it…. He wanted to throw Fred out of his house this instance… He was trying to focus on what Mitch is telling him…pero his mind is in the kitchen ……… ng bigla siyang sumigaw!!

“Matagal pa ba iyang pagkain?”….he yelled…

Nagulat ang lahat…. Mitch was looking at him na parang nawi-wierduhan…. And then he heard Kim …”Aray!!”…. he ran in the kitchen… blood gushing in her fingers…

“What the hell happen?”…tanong niya kay Fred….

“EH kasi naman bro…. Why did you yell…. Nagulat tuloy si Kim…”…hahawakan sana nito si Kim….pero tinabig niya….”Get out of the way….

Hinatak niya si Kim sa may sink….wash her fingers…. Tinignan niya kung gaano kalalim ang sugat……”Get me a freaking cotton….gauze….kahit ano!!”…sigaw nito kay Fred….

“Calm down bro!!…hindi naman mamamatay si Kim…..ang layo niyan sa bituka!!”…hirit nito..

Gerald gave him a deadly stare…….

Itinaas nito ang kamay….”OO na!! OO na!! “…

Si Kim naman ang pinagbalingan niya ng galit… “How clumsy can you get….gusto mo ba talagang maputol lahat ng daliri mo!! “…he look at her…..then napansin niya ang putok sa labi nito….namamaga iyon……. “Damn!! Damn!”…mura niya….he was raging mad…..galit siya sa lahat…. Lalong-lalo na sa sarili…. Pakiramdam niya eh para siyang abusive husband to a loving wife…….

Kim look at Gerald…. Kulang na lang umusok ang bumbunan nito sa galit…. Bakit kaya galit na naman ito?…”Dejavu!” she said…ng maalala na this actually happen before…. She flinched…”Aray!!”… she look at her wounded finger… malaki ang sugat… Nagulat kasi siya sa pagsigaw ni Gerald….kanina, matigas pa naman yung hinihiwa niya…….kaya tuloy….the knife ended on her finger….

“Ngayon….aaray-aray ka dyan!!”….parang batang bulyaw ni Gerald…

“Alam mo ikaw…. Magenroll ka nga sa anger management class… kasi mukhang masyado kang nagiging magagalitin!! Pumapangit ka!! Hindi ka na mukhang gwapo!!”….she said trying to smile….kahit kumikirot ang daliri….

Gerald neared himself to her…too near…na halos maduling si Kim sa pagtingin sa mukha nito…. “I don’t care what you think of me anymore……..this is me….. So deal with it…. You can go and never come back!! Walang pumipigil sayo!!”….

“Bro….heto na yung……..”… Fred stop in the door…. Look at both of them…. And smiled…. Now he knows kung bakit galit na galit si Gerald….

“Akin na yan!!”….inagaw nito kay Fred ang gauze….and wrap in her fingers…. He grab her other hands….”Lagyan mo ng pressure…para hindi dumugo… I need to bring you in the hospital… masyadong malaki yang sugat mo…. Kailangang tahiin!”…. binalingan nito si Fred…. “Bring Pitch home!”….he said….

“Mitch!!”…Pagtatama ni Kim…..

“What?”…. na confuse si Gerald…

“Mitch ang pangalan nung babae mo!!”….she said…

“Whatever her name is……send her home!”…pulling Kim… “We need to go!!”…. naiwang nakatulala si Fred…..

“Fred…what happen?”…the Mitch girl ask…

“Wala….let me bring you home…. And I’ll give you a copy of other guy names na available for you!”….he said…

“How about Gerald?”…she asked..

“Yun…. Matagal ng unavailable yun!! Denial king lang!! let’s go!!”….he said na iiling-iling…. He should have known…na hindi pa rin nakakapagmove on ang kaibigan niya…. Ang knowing that Kim is around … He doesn’t have to take care of his friend anymore…. Nandyan na si Kim!!