Fragments ✔ (Haciendero #2)

Huling Kabanata

Huling Kabanata

Giovanne Joachim Ponce

Disoriented. Lost. Confused.

I kept banging my head on the headboard of the bed until the memories came rushing back to my system. My frustrations of wanting to remember myself were eating me. Walang ni katiting na memorya ang isip ko. All of them were blurry.

"Gio!" I heard someone shouting my name.

Mas lalo kong inumpog ang ulo ko. Someone tried to hug me as I felt the needle in my veins. Unti - unting nawala ang aking lakas. I felt the need to sleep suddenly.

A calm voice whispered against my ears. "It's going to be fine. I promise, everything will be fine." That's the last thing I heard before I lost consciousness.

I don't want to hope. Every single day, it was crashed into pieces.

Hindi na ako makakaalala. Hindi ko na maaalala kung sino ako at ang nakaraan ko.

Wala man lang pamilya ang bumisita sa akin. Pati ang babae sa panaginip kong palaging gumigising sa aking diwa. She was not here... maybe, she was hallucination created by my mind to appease me.

How long do I have to be in this hell hole with no memories of me?

It will never be better.

***

"Wake up, love. I'm waiting for you."

The voice seems comforting. It had always been the voice who wakes me up at dawn, a faceless woman with a delicate smile. Ginulo ko ang aking buhok at naupo sa kama.

I squeezed the soft crocheted octopus in my pocket. Lagi itong nasa bulsa ko. The name Gio was engraved on it. That was my only connection to who I was before.

Marahan ang pagkatok sa pinto, nagawi ang tingin ko rito. "Gio, good morning. Kape?" Sumilip ng bahagya si Merope.

Bumangon ako at nagsuot ng shirt at jacket. Bahagyang malamig sa lugar. Sumama ako sa kanya patungo sa kusina. Mukhang kanina pang nakaalis si Mang Artemio para maghatid ng mga gulayin sa lungsod.

Wala akong maalala sa katauhan ko. They just called me Gio... I couldn't even recall a bit of my life before.

I am literate, I know how to speak just one language. That's the only thing that retained in me.

Ilang buwan akong nakalagak sa hospital na pinagtatrabahuhan ni Merope. Halos isang taon ang ginugol ko sa hospital bago tuluyang makalabas. Her father was the one who helped me. Waking up without no memory was hell, I was lost and disconnected to the world.

Do I even have a family that cares about my welfare? May naghahanap man lang ba sa akin?

This is the time where I needed them, but the support came from complete strangers.

Humalik siya sa pisngi ko. "Kape, umagang - umaga ang lalim ng iniisip mo. Kumusta ang tulog?" She asked me softly. "May sumakit ba sa ulo mo?"

Umiling naman ako. Hindi naman madalas sumasakit ang ulo ko. Noong unang buwan kong magising, it was always hurting with my frustrations of not getting my memories back.

It wasn't anymore. Sumuko na ako sa kagustuhang makaalala...

There must be big reason why I couldn't remember. Maybe, I wanted it this way...

"Do you still dream about the faceless woman?"

Her eyes were curious. I shook my head and sipped the coffee she gave me. Ikinuwento ko ang ungkol sa babaeng laman lagi ng panaginip ko. They told me, it might be someone from my past... an important someone.