“Tao po! (Anyone out there?)” Daehyun said as he knocked on a small brown gate.

Lanny looked at him and wondered What the hell is he saying? What language is that? I think I’ve heard that before in that café.

The gate opened and a man in his 50s appeared. When his eyes landed on Lanny he approached her and embraced her warmly.

“Ang tagal mong di nakauwi. Miss ka na naming ng nanay mo.  –lets her go–  Kumusta ka na? Alam mo bang alalang-alala kami nang di ka na naming ma-contact? Natanggap mo ba mga padala naming? Musta ang pag-aaral mo? Sino ba yang kasama mo?  –points Daehyun–  Boyfriend mo ba hija? (It’s been a long time since you’ve been home. Your mother and I missed you. How are you? Did you know we were so worried when we were unable to contact you. Did you receive our remittance? How are your studies? Who’s your companion? Is she your boyfriend?)”

She answered with a puzzled face. She didn’t understand any of the words he muttered. “Who are you?” she asked the man politely in English.

Then Daehyun butted in. “Pasensya na po tito pero mas maganda po sana kung pumasok tayo sa loob para maipaliwanag ko. (I’m sorry uncle but I think it’s better if we go inside so I can explain.)”

“Seriously, what’s going on Dae? Shed a light on me please, I’m begging you,” whispered Lanny as her eyes observed her bemused parents.

“I’m going to tell your parents about your amnesia. Now shush, okay?” Daehyun whispered back, holding her hand.

Lanny’s mother shudder in fear as she heard her voice. Bakit di marunong mag-Tagalog ang anak ko? May nangyari ba sa kanya? Diyos ko po, wag naman sana amnesia. Di naman tayo telenobela di ba? (Why can’t my daughter speak Tagalog? Did something happen to her? Oh Lord, I hope it’s not amnesia. This is not a TV drama right?)

Daehyun cleared his throat, trying to find ways to tell his wife’s parents that she had amnesia and cannot remember them. “Bago po ang lahat, ako po si Jung Daehyun, asawa po ng anak niyo, (First of all, I am Jung Daehyun, husband of your daughter)” and he lowered his head. “Nagkakilala po kami sa isang silid-aklatan sa Seoul anim na taon na ang nakararaan. Mabuti siyang tao, maalaga, medyo makulit,  –laughs–  matakaw tsaka matigas ang ulo. Sa loob ng limang taong pagkakaibigan naming, nauwi rin kami sa simbahan. Kaso isang araw, naaksidente siya nang di ko alam. Hinanap ko siya kung saan-saan, sa coffee shop pala naming ko siya matatagpuan. Masakit nung una kasi hindi niya ako nakilala. Pero nung malaman ko ang katotohanan, tinanggap ko yun at gumawa ako ng paraan para makuha siya ulit. At eto na siya ngayon. Nabura lahat ng alaala niya mula nang ipinanganak siya. Maswerte at may umampon sa kanya na mag-asawa at napalaki siya nang maayos. Sa kasamaang palad, hindi niya alam na Pilipino siya. English at Korean lang ang alam niya.(We met in a library in Seoul six years ago. She’s kind-hearted, caring, a bit mischievous, glutton and hard-headed. Our five years of friendship ended in marriage. But one day, she had into an accident without my knowledge. I searched for her everywhere, I found her in our coffee shop. It hurts at first that she didn’t recognized me. But when I knew the truth, I accepted it and worked hard to get her back. And here she is now. All of her memories from the time she was born were erased. She’s lucky a couple adopted and raised her well. Unfortunately, she doesn’t know she’s Filipino. She can only speak and understand English and Korean.)”

Lanny’s mother burst into tears upon hearing what has happened to her daughter. Her husband clenched on his teeth, trying to halt his weeping and hugging his wife.

Lanny became more bewildered seeing two strangers crying and hearing Daehyun speaking a language she does not understand. They were aliens to her, but she can feel something heavy in her chest. She felt like they had something before but she couldn’t remember. She tried to recollect memories of them, but it only gave her a migraine. Her hands tried to sooth the throbbing pain.

Her parents stopped shedding sad tears as they saw Lanny in pain.

“A-Are you okay? Do you have a headache or something?” her mother asked in English as she was drying her tears.

Lanny only managed to answer her with a meek nod. Retrieving memories is pain, huh. A bit literally painful.

“Maybe we can continue this conversation later. You need to rest first. Follow me, I’ll take you the vacant room,” Lanny’s mother announced, arising from her seat.

The couple followed her to a black door. Lanny’s mother gave Daehyun a pair of keys with a horse keychain. “These are keys to Lanny’s room. We didn’t remove or throw anything. Tell me if you need anything, okay?” then she left.

Daehyun opened the door and got surprised. “Wow, my expectation was right.”

Lanny did not listen to his comment and jumped onto the bed. “I had no idea travelling is such an energy drainer. I wanna go to sleep already~” She rolled on the bed twice, then added, “I don’t know but I feel so comfortable here. Maybe this is really my room.”

He sat beside her and said, “Of course this is your room. You don’t trust them?”

“Well… I’m not yet sure.”

“How come you trusted me easily yet you don’t trust these two people who looks like you and probably knows a lot about you?”

“I… I umm…”

“What if I’m not really your husband? What if I was actually a crazy person who wanted you so badly yet you married someone who doesn’t even love you? What if I’m the reason behind your amnesia?”

Lanny rose from lying and attacked Daehyun with a biting kiss. She bit hard on his lower lip, making him tap on her shoulder to stop. She shoved his hand then pushed him to lie on his back on the bed. She placed herself on top of him between his legs.

“L-Lanny… W-What are you doing?”

“Calming you down.”

“Are you sure that what you’re doing is making me calm?”

“You…” she nears her face to Daehyun’s then knocks hard on his head.

He clutched to the area where he’s been hit. “Yah! What was that for?”

“Well, what were those nonsense stuff you spouted? Of course, I didn’t trust you much at the beginning, but I was desperate to know myself. I want to know who really I was. Then I knew you were really someone I know because you know too many things about me that my step parents or my coworkers didn’t even know. And you were really warm and sweet. Even if we’re not real, I would still choose to be by your side because I know you will not leave. I don’t think I can ever find a man as affectionate, loving and cheesy as you.”

A smug smile appeared on Daehyun’s lips. He gripped on her forearms and swapped positions. “So what do you wanna do next?”

The door opened with a loud “Kakain na tayo ate, baba na!” from a 14-year-old boy named Junhong. He covered his eyes with his hand and ran away.

“Oh, I have an oppa… Yah Jung Daehyun get off me and let’s go downstairs!”

Ey wassup dark devotess (feeling famous heol~)!! Is anyone still reading this aside from Lanny? Comment juseyo T-T