“If you could see that I'm the one who understands you
Been here all along, so why can't you see?
You belong with me

Standing by and waiting at your back door
All this time how could you not know?
Baby, you belong with me, you belong with me

Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night
I'm the one who makes you laugh when you know you're 'bout to cry
And I know your favorite songs and you tell me 'bout your dreams
Think I know where you belong, think I know it's with me

Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you?
Been here all along, so why can't you see?
You belong with me”

************************************************************************************************************************************************

          “Si Jason at si Johan ay bibigyan ko ng napakalaking pagsubok.  Silang dalawa ay mananatili sa loob ng WHITE ROOM sa loob ng isang linggo.  Kung sino ang unang susuko, siyang talo.  Ang mananalo ay bibigyan ko ng house and lot.”

          “Ano po yung bad news dun para samen?”  Kim asked unsuspectingly.

          “Kung gusto ninyo na pareho silang magkaroon ng house and lot, kayo’ng dalawa ang papalit sa kanila upang mananatili sa nasabing kwarto.”

          “B-b-big Brother?  Hindi po magandang biro yan…”  Kim stammered upon realizing the weight of the task being given to them.

          “Kuya, aside from being kept inside the white room, is there anything else that we’d be forbidden to do?”  Gerald interrupted Big Brother’s answer to Kim with a question of his own.

          “Yes, you are only allowed to use your eyes and your mouth to communicate with each other, but you cannot talk nor make any sound at all.  If you violate any of these rules, both Jason and Johan will lose their chance to have a house and lot.”

          “Ha?!  Big Brother!  Pa’no yun?  Di kami pwedeng mag-usap ni Ge?  As in body language lang?  Di pwede kahit sign language?”

          “Hindi pwede.  You can touch each other, hold each other, do whatever you want for as long as you don’t speak.  Hindi pwedeng mag-sulat ng invisible letters.  Most of the time, you just have to communicate with your eyes.  Balita ko, magaling kayo dyan…”

          “Hmmmm, at nakiki-tsismis ka din po ha?”  Kim teased Big Brother, still hoping he would change his mind about the sign language.

          “Kim, wag ka na humirit, I still would not allow the use of sign language.  At isa pa, there’s only one bed so you have to share.”

          “Ano, Kim?  Ok lang sa’yo?  Ako, gusto ko silang tulungan pero syempre, not at your expense.  Pag sinabi mo saken ngayon na hindi mo kaya o hindi mo gusto, back out tayo.  Hihingi na lang ako ng dispensa sa kanilang dalawa.  Siguro naman they’ll understand na hinding hindi kita ilalagay sa isang compromising situation.”

          What Gerald said touched Kim’s heart and the hearts of millions watching them tonight.  Kim was teary-eyed with pride.  Here’s a boy who loves her too much to humble himself in front of millions, willing to make sacrifices for other people without hesitation, but would still prioritize her needs and wants above all else.  What more could she ask?  She wished for a day with him and Big Brother gave her a week.

          “Sige, payag ako, for as long as we have the option to communicate with Big Brother in case of emergencies.”

          “Ano’ng emergency?  Kim, if you don’t want to do this, then don’t.  I’m sure we can find some other way to help Jason and Johan.”

          “Hindi nga, gusto kong gawin.  Don’t worry, ok ako.”

          “Sure?”

          “Oo naman.”

          “Kuya, what about our things po?”

          “You will be provided, don’t worry.  Is there anything else that you need to do before you go into the white room?”  Big Brother asked them.

          “Kuya, is it ok for me to make some calls?  It’s quite important.  I just have some errands to make before I get incommunicado for a week.”

          “Sige, sa storage room.  Pwede ka nang pumunta ngayon habang kausap ko si Kim.”

          “Sige po, thank you po,” and with that, Gerald stepped out of the confession room and headed towards the storage room where he found his cellphone and a landline phone.

          First, he called up his architect to check if the project in Anilao has already been completed and ready for his plans.

          “Hello?  Yes, it’s me.  How’s the finishing touches going?  Can that be finished in 2 days?  What about the blue and pink rooms?  And the cameras?

          “Don’t worry, Ge, everything’s finished and done in accordance with your plans.  The pink room’s a winner!  As for the blue room, it’s been cleaned and left bare.  If you have anything you’d like to add, just say so and I’ll deal with it right away.”  Gerald’s architect friend reported from the other end of the line.

          “I think you also have to make a white room that’s an exact replica of the white room in the PBB house.  One more thing, please put a secret entrance to each of the blue and pink rooms from the sides not visible from the front angle.  What about the name of the house?  Was it delivered already?  I asked Ali to make a follow up on that from the Paete dealer.”

“Yes, it’s already put up.  It looks great, by the way.  Your millions of fans would definitely love it.  Unang-una na yung mga maids mo.”

“Great.  Once you’re done, please give the keys to Ali.”

          “Ok, done.  Ge, would you like me to have somebody stock up the fridge?”

          “Hmm, I’m not too sure about that, but I’ll call you if something else comes up.  Thanks again, buddy.”

          “No problem, Ge.  Just take care of yourself, ok?”

          “K, Thanks.  Bye.”

          Next, he called Ali and gave him several instructions for him and for Joven.

          Then he called up Zoe, who’s currently staying at Gensan with his mom and her husband, George.

          “Ate…it’s time.”

          “RJ, I’ll be flying in tomorrow morning with George.  I have already talked with Dr. Calleja from St. Lukes and they will be providing me with everything that we need.  Have you talked with Direk Lauren about this?”

          “Not yet, but I’ll call him as soon as we finish talking.”

          “Ok, see you day after tomorrow.  Hang on, kid.  We can do this.”

          “I know.  I trust you, big sister.  Take care of you.”

          “I always do.  You too.  Bye..”

          Gerald stopped for a while to think things through.  He doesn’t know how to tell Direk Lauren about the things he needed to do, but he has too.  He doesn’t have much time as it is…

          He dialed Direk Lauren’s office number and a tired voice answered on the 4^th ring…

          “Yes?”

          “Direk Lauren?  Good afternoon po, Gerald Anderson here.”

          “O, Gerald, what’s up?  You’re inside the PBB house, I assume?”

          “Yes po.  Uhm, sir, pwede ko po ba kayo makausap ng personal off cam?  Medyo importante lang po.”

          “Ok, when do you want tosee me?”

          “Kung ok lang po ngayon, if you’re in the vicinity, I will really appreciate it.  Kasi po big brother just gave us a task to help Jason and Johan.  We have to get inside the white room for a week, or until he says we can go out.”

          “Si Big Brother talaga…O, sige, expect me in 10 minutes.”

“Thanks po.  See you.”

After 5 minutes, Direk Lauren entered the storage room from the exit door.  Gerald looked up and smiled when he saw him.  The director motioned for the cameras to be turned off and the screens went blank.

Inside the storage room, the two men exchanged bear hugs and Direk noticed how Gerald was breathing heavily.

“Relax.  Breathe in, breathe out.  You need anything?”

“Hindi po, I’m good.  Thanks.  Direk, may alam po ba kayo?”

“Saan?”

“About me.”

“Alin dun?  Yung sa inyo ni Kim o yung sa health condition mo?”

Gerald instantly looked at Direk Lauren, amazed that he was updated with everything about him.  Could it be that he was really Big Brother after all?

“Anything po.”  He still wouldn’t divulge any information that easily.

“Yes, I know about both.  Yung kay Kim, matagal na.  Bulag lang ang di makakakita.  Yes, your chemistry with each other extends beyond what the cameras could see.  As for your health, Mr. M told me a week ago.  Ge, I refuse to give up on you, lahat kami.  Si Mr.M, si Ms. Charo, si Mam Cory, your handler, Kim’s handler, your directors in PNK and KTM, even the executives of Kimerald World, we all refuse to give up on you so you better not give up on yourself.”

“Hindi po, if only for Kim, I can’t give up.”

“That’s good to hear.  So, ano’ng pag-uusapan natin?”

“Kasi po, I thought you still didn’t know so I was planning on telling you now, but since you already knew, I might as well get on with my request.  Yun pong tungkol sa rest house?  Remember, I asked your permission to have it duplicated sa property ko sa Anilao, Batangas?”

“Ah, yes, I remember.  So, what about it?  Tapos na ba?”

“Opo, and I’d like to request that if you’re going to hold us here before transferring us to Hundred Islands, we might as well go to Anilao since I have already made preparations for my treatments to be held in one of the secret rooms.  If you need the white room there, I could ask my contractor to make the necessary adjustments.  Please po, this means a lot to me.”

“No problem, Ge, by all means, we’ll do it there.  And as an added bonus, we’ll cut off the live telecast.  This means we’re not going to be airing live.  But the cameras would still be recording.  Kim would think that you’re still being watched by millions of viewers, but in truth, only you have the control of the times that you want to be aired live, otherwise you can get the videos you want to keep and watch them later on.”

“Thank you very much po, you’re heaven-sent.”

“Don’t mention it.  By the way, you’d be held in the white room for a day and a half, then you’ll be transferred to Anilao.  Make sure everything’s ready.  Kim would think that you’d be at the white room for a week, pero you’ll only be there for a day and a half starting today.  Then you’ll be transferred to Anilao with Kim still thinking that we’re airing live.”

“Sige po.  Thank you po ulit.”  And they held each other in bear hugs before Direk went out the door.  Before the door closes, 2 huge suitcases were whirled inside.