The Rush

Chapter 8- Wake Up

"Aila? Is that you? Aila!" I almost looked like a monkey because of how I hugged Aila. My arms clung to her neck while she laughed and held my waist.

"Aika, you're still so kulit and lively!" Aila laughed, but I cried harder.

"Aila! I missed you! We missed you! Me, Dad, Aki, Anne, and even Aris! We missed you and mom so much!" I wailed like a kid.

She hugged me tightly and caressed my back. Her hug was calming. From then until now, I have always been at peace in her arms. "We missed you too, Aika! We missed you too."

"W-we?"

Aila didn't get the chance to answer when I cried harder because of what I saw. Standing behind Aila was the most beautiful and amazing woman in our sight. In my sight, in the sight of my brothers and sisters, and in Dad's sight.

"Mom? Oh my gosh, mom!" I cried even harder when she successfully get to us and joined our hug.

"I missed you both! I miss you! I'm missing you every day!" I cried and cried in their arms. We were still in that position for a few more minutes until I spoke again after I broke away from the hug the three of us shared.

"W-why... Why are you here? What are you two doing here?"

They both look at each other before settling their eyes on me and smiling. "We're here to guide you, baby." I pouted and cried again when I heard mom's voice.

"We know you can do this, Aika. You're strong. You're brave. And we know you'll do anything and everything to protect our family. So, do it. Protect them. Don't worry, we'll protect you. We always will." Aila soothingly muttered.

I nodded my head repeatedly while still pouting. Mom held my cheek and wiped my tears. She smiled and said, "Wake up, baby. Live. You deserve to live."

"Tell everyone we love them. And tell Aris I'm sorry."

I woke up because of the sudden pain I'd felt in my stomach. It hurts so much! Parang gusto kong isuka lahat ng kinain ko kanina. I gasped as I open my eyes.

"Mom! Aila!"

Umiyak ako ng malakas nang maramdaman ko ang sakit sa tiyan ko nang bigla akong tumayo. My hand quickly reached there to stop the pain as if I could.

"Aika, you're alright! You're alright! You're safe! We're here!" I opened my eyes again when I heard my twin's raspy voice.

"A-aki..." All I could do was cry when I remembered my dream. It felt so real. They felt so real. I closed my eyes and cried again.

"Is she awake—oh my, thank God! Oh, God! Sweetheart, this is dad. This is dad. Daddy's here, my love." I heard dad's voice break. Mas lalo akong umiyak dahil sa pinaghalong sakit ng tiyan ko at sikip ng dibdib ko.

"I m-missed mom... and A-aila.. so much," I sobbed.

I felt Dad touch my hair before kissing me on the forehead. "Me too, sweetie. Me too."

I spent almost an hour crying my ass off. My family cried with me. Dad, Aki, Anne, Aris, and I know mom and Aila are crying with me right now too.

"Does it still hurt, anak?" Dad asked worriedly.

"Yes, but I can manage." Siguro ay dahil sanay na ako sa bugbog sa taekwondo kaya hindi na ako masyadong nasasaktan sa t'wing nasusugatan man ako. I roamed my eyes around. I noticed that I'm in the room where I'm staying in with Anne and Trisha. I came face to face with Dad again when I remembered. "Where are the others? The baby? The kids?"

"They're okay, ate. They are eating now in the kitchen. We also finished eating. It's dinner time. You've been asleep for hours." Anne replied still sniffling.

I nodded and looked at my family's face again. I looked at them one by one and smiled. "I talked to... I talked to Mom and Aila."

They all looked at each other before worriedly looking at me. But I can see that they also want to hear what I have to say.

I nodded and smiled painfully. "I know that it might be just a product of my imagination." I looked at them again. "But I'm still gonna believe that it's them. They told me that... I should wake up. And that I... I deserve to live. I told them that we missed them, and they told me that they missed us too." I explained with a smile. I noticed that their tears were rolling down their cheeks so I pursed my lips, forcing myself not to cry.

Umiwas ako ng tingin nang tuluyang umiyak si Dad. And that was followed by Anne's crying. Aki looked up, trying to hold back the tears from falling. Aris, on the other hand, was just sitting in the corner and staring at his feet.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I called Aris' attention.

He looked up at me before approaching the left side of the bed where I was lying. I slightly squeezed his cheek and smiled.

"I feel like I should know them, but... I don't." His voice weakened until he suddenly burst into tears.

I quickly pulled him over to me and hugged him. He cried and cried on my shoulder. Dad and Anne's cries grew louder, and even Aki couldn't hold back his tears anymore.

"Hush, baby. Mommy and ate Aila, love you, okay? You know what, mom told me she loves you. And she told me to tell you she's sorry." I whispered. But even if it was just a whisper it could still be heard throughout the room. That's why Dad, Anne, and Aki cried even more.

I turned to Dad, Aki, and Anne. "She told me she loves you guys, too. Ate Aila loves you guys, too. Both of them love us just like how we love them." I smiled sweetly.

Dad smiled at me even though his face was full of tears and snots. I took the opportunity to light up the mood in the room.

"Eww, dad. Snots are dripping from your nose." And then, all of a sudden the room is filled with laughter.

A few more minutes later I struggled to get out of the room to see the children. My family didn't want to, but of course, I'm stubborn. What Jamaika wants, Jamaika gets. Aki almost hit me jokingly because I was so stubborn. But I know that he knows that he can't stop me. He's even the one guiding me towards the kitchen.

"Oh my gosh, Aika!"

All of them in the kitchen immediately noticed me approaching when Christine stood up and squealed to greet me. She even hugged me which surprised me, but I hugged her back eventually. I glanced at the group and smiled. Nice, we're complete.

I smile at them. "Hey, guys."

"Ate, are you okay now?"

"Does it still hurt, ate?"

"Rest more, ate."

I laughed when almost simultaneously, Trisha and the two children we rescued, spoke. I slowly sat down in the chair in front of me with Aki's help. I feel like a cripple being supported by Aki. Fuck those foxes.

"I'm okay now. I'm strong, ain't I?" I joked with the kids.

"Tss." I immediately turned to Dylan who was in the chair at the end of the table. He stared straight into space while eating dinner.

"Are you that worried, babe?" I joked.

He looked at me seriously so I immediately lost my smile. "Nothing's funny. Don't do that again." He said before standing up and putting his plate in the sink. The kitchen was quiet for a moment until he left.

"He was worried," I glanced at Aki when he spoke. He looked serious. "We all were. Good thing your organs weren't hit."

I look down and sighed. When I glanced back up, I force a smile and nodded. "It's my fault. I'm sorry for making you guys worry."

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