The next day…. Gerald woke up….feeling different… After the talk she had with his Mom last night….parang gumaan ang lahat… Mas masarap palang gumising na walang dinadala……He remembered Kim’s note…. He stood up…and look at the waste basket na pinagtapunan niya dito….thank God..it’s still there….

He read it again……….

““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….

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

She is right…… Hope…Trust….. What’s next?….love?… He is slowly hoping…and trusting again……… pero loving again?? Hindi niya pa yata kaya!….

OO nga pala…. He have to bring Kim in the doctor today…. He took a shower….paglabas niya sa shower…..he look at his bed…..it was empty… namiss niya yung pagre-ready ni Kim ng damit niya……

When he went downstairs….nakita niya ang Mom niyang nagpreprepare ng breakfast….. He hugged her tightly from the back… “I miss you Mom!!”….he said…

“I miss you too…son… !! Anyway… I know na pupuntahan mo si Kim today…here…bring this to her… para may alibi ka!!”…she winked at him….

Gerald chuckled….. “You’re the best Mom!!”….he kissed her goodbye and left…

Her Mom was left with teary eyed…. My son is back…. Sana lang….magkaayos na ito at si Kim…para bumalik na ang dating Gerald…

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Kim is still having an on and off fever….. Right now medyo tumaas ang lagnat niya…. Auntie Pokie put a wet towel on her forehead…..

“Anak kasi eh….wag mong masyadong pinagiisip si Gerald…. Tignan mo nga… tumataas lalo yang lagnat mo… Sigurado ka bang hindi kumikirot yang sugat mo?”…

“Auntie Okay lang po ako……Medyo maginaw lang po!!”…sagot nito…habang nangingiki sa lamig….

Ng dumating si Gerald…dire-diretso ito sa kusina…. “Oh…pinabibigay ni Mommy!”…sabi nitong hindi tumitingin sa kanya…..

“Gerald..buti dumating ka…. Ang taas ng lagnat niyang batang iyan!!”…sumbong ni Auntie Pokie….

Nilapitan siya ni Gerald….hinipo ang ulo niya….mainit…. “Pupunta tayo sa doctor…. Hihintayin kita sa kotse!”…at lumabas na!!

Nagkatinginan sila ni Auntie Pokie…. “Grabe ang taong iyon…. Parang hari!! Opo kamahalan…. Time space warp….ngayon din!!”….sabi ni Auntie Pokie habang ginagaya ang sayaw ng mga taga shaider……

“Auntie…..napaghahalatang matanda na kayo….. Pinaglumaan na yan sa baul!”…hirit niya….

“Hoy…sinong matanda… Tumayo ka na diyan….at baka mainip ang kamahalan…..sige na…magbibihis ka pa ba?”…..tanong nito…

Tinignan niya ang suot niya…jogging pants at tshirt….”Wag na po Auntie…okay na po ito…” sagot niya habang papalabas ng pintuan…. Kinuha ang bag niya …….itinali lang ang buhok…..at umalis na….

She saw Gerald waiting in the car….. He used to open the door for her…. Used to…. Ibig sabihin…dati…. Kaya Kim…wag ka ng umasa…

She fix herself in the car…. Wore the seatbelt…baka nga mamaya ipulupot nito sa kanya yon…. At saka…di niya pa talaga gustong mamatay…. Alam niyang kaskasero ito…..

Pero mas maingat itong magdrive ngayon…. There is something new about him…. She tried to read his face….pero nahihirapan siya… Hindi ito nakasimangot… yun lang ang alam niya….pero seryoso ito…. Para siyang may katabing robot….walang expression ang mukha….

Here comes traffic…… bakit ba pag di kita kailangang traffic ka…..nandito ka!! Buntong hininga niya….. Naiinip na siya…. Nakita niya ang stereo… Pinindot niya ang play ……to her surprise…..alam niya ang kantang ito……..

““I'd rather have bad times with you, than good times with someone else
I'd rather be beside you in a storm, than safe and warm by myself
I'd rather have hard times together, than to have it easy apart
I'd rather have the one who holds my heart”…

She look at Gerald…… so he’s still listening to this song….

Gerald acted na parang balewala lang ang kanta……… Sh**….he forgot to take the damn CD out of his car…. Stupid!! Ngayon alam na ni Kim na pinakikinggan niya pa rin ang kantang ito….. Well…mostly when he’ s drunk….and wanted to cry his guts out……

Kim was all smiled…when they reach the hospital….

“Mam….do you have an appointment?”…tanong ng frontdesk clerk…

“Wala…”sagot niya…

“Meron!”…biglang sagot ni Gerald…”Kim Chiu!”….

“Ay…kayo pala si Ms. Kim Chiu…” ..

Nagtatakang tumingin si Kim kay Gerald….

“Eh Mr. Anderson….we apologize for the inconvenient yesterday……nung tumawag po kasi kayo…. Tapos na po ang office hours namin!!” the frontdesk clerk explained….

“That’s okay….sana next time wag ng mauulit…”…he said…

“ay…naku…hindi na po…. Kasi mahirap po palang halos every minute may nangungulit sa inyo para lang magpaappointment….. Kundi ako nagkakamali…mga 10 times yata kayong tumawag!!”….sabi ng matabil na clerk…”Sige po…upo na kayo…tatawagin na lang kayo kapag ready na si Doc…”..

Gerald sits down and start reading the magazine….

Kim was left still standing by the desk…..

“Miss Chiu… boyfriend nyo?”…tanong nito…”Grabe….ang swerte nyo…. Mahal na mahal kayo… late na yang tumawag kagabi…para lang magpaappointment…. Tapos di kami tinantanan hanggat di kayo nalalagay sa schedule!!”….

Kim sat beside Gerald…. “Thank you!!”… she said…

Gerald just nodded…but didn’t bother to look at her…

…sige Kim…pwede ka na ulit kiligin!! Kahit konti lang… pwede na ulit… she smiled……

Ng tawagin sila ng Doctor…. Nag order ito ng kung ano-anong test…and also to change her dressing….

Nakabantay lang si Gerald the whole time…. Kaya ng may pumasok na gwapong lalakeng naka nursing Uniform…. Ay bigla itong tumayo….

“Hi…… my name is Kim…I’m a volunteer student….. They asked me kung pwede kong palitan yang dressing mo… and you are Kim……… uuuy…ang galing….Katukayo!!”… gave her a sweet smile….

“hi… okay lang..go ahead……”…sagot niya….

Gerald is not enjoying the site at all…. Gusto niyang ibato ang lalake sa labas……. Ang lakas talaga ng kamandag ni Kim…kahit sa ospital……..

Nagulat ang dalawa ng biglang magtawag ng Nurse ito…… “Nurse…..Nurse…” sigaw nito….

“Hoy…bakit ba sigaw ka ng sigaw!!”…Asked Kim….

“Ikaw… you are not going to lay your hands on her!! “ ..turo nito sa volunteer student….“Nurse!!”…tawag ulit nito….

“Sir?”… tanong ng isang nurse….

“We need a real nurse…. Hindi student… I want you to change her dressing now!! Ikaw…at hindi iba!”… utos nito….

The volunteer student went out the room as quick as he can…..

Kim just look at Gerald…. Bumalik ito sa inuupuan nito na parang walang nangyari…

“Grabe namang boyfriend yan….. Sobra naman yatang alagaan iyang pasyente… “…. Narinig ni Kim na sabi ng isang Nurse na dumaan….

“alam mo….may psychiatrist sa itaas….gusto mong dumaan mamaya?”….tanong ni Kim kay Gerald….”Inquire tayo ng Anger management class…”

“deal with your own problem!!”….. sabi nito…

“I am dealing with it!!”…she said looking straight in his eyes….

Gerald look away…. Hindi niya matagalan ang tingin ni Kim…. He felt uneasy…..kaya tumayo siya…at lumapit sa may pinto… “Nurse….ano ba…ang tagal ah!!”….sita nito sa naguusap na mga nurse….

Iiling-iling si Kim…. Grabe talaga!!...but her heart was jumping for joy.... sige puso...magtititili ka dyan....pagbibigyan kita ngayon..... kahit ngayon lang......