Forget me Not

love.close(rei, elvie)

"KRRRIIINGGG!" paulit ulit na tunog ng alarm clock pero hindi parin bumabangon si Rei. Naroon parin sa kama at inenjoy ang kaniyang pagtulog. Paano ba naman kasi ay nagpuyat siya para mapanood lang ang 'My MVP Valentine'.

Nairita siya sa alarm clock kaya napilitang bumangon at patayin ang alarm nito. Malayo kasi ang pinaglagyan niya nito kaya't mapipilitan kang bumangon mapatay lang ito. Hindi pa masyadong bukas ang kaniyang mata, pinilit niyang idilat ito para tignan ang oras. Halos mawala ang antok niya nang Makita ang oras. Mag-aalas nuebe na!

"Oh my goddess! May story report pa kami sa Literature 2!" bulalas niya at mabilis na inihanda ang gamit niya sa klase. Nang matapos ay agad na itong nakapanligo at nag-ayos para habulin ang kaniyang klase.

Hawak niya ang apat na binder ay tumakbo si Rei sa kalagitnaan ng maraming mga taong katulad niyang naghihintay ng masasakyan. Halos lahat ay napupuno at hindi siya makasingit para makasakay ng jeep. Sa banas niya ay pumara nalamang siya ng taxi para ihatid sa paaralan. Nakahanap siya ng masasakyan ngunit alam niyang kailangan niyang maghanda ng mas malaking halaga dahil taxi iyon. Agad namang narating ng taxi ang lugar. Matapos makapagbayad ay tumakbo na si Rei sa patungo sa main gate.

Samantala, sa loob naman ng Block-A classroom ay kabado ang lahat para sa kanilang story report. Hindi sana nila seseryosohin ang report, kaya nga lang ay ginawang exam ito ng kanilang literature teacher. Nag-uusap ang ilan sa kanilang upuan kung ano ang concept ng kanilang irereport. Hindi madali ang report dahil kailangang meron itong visual aid o kaya'y isang bagay na magrerepresent ng kanilang report. Sina Rhia Beth, Elvie at Janet ay relax lamang dahil na-practice na nila ang kanilang report routine, maging ang kanilang visual aids ay naroon din.

"Nasaan na si Rei? Magsisimula na ang reporting ah," bulong ni Rhia kay Elvie. Umiling lang si Elvie dahil maging siya ay hindi alam kung nasaan ang kaibigan. Hindi siya nag-text dito, ngunit alam niyang baka na-late ito kaya't wala sa klase.

"Okay, since its already time for the report, let us start," wika ni Professor Manares, na siyang bumasag sa bulong-bulungan ng mga estudyante. Bawat isa ay inihanda ang kanilang visual aids at ang report sa kanilang arm chair table.

"Let us start with you, Elvie!" turo ni Professor Manares. Ang iba sa kanila ay nagpasalamat sa sarili dahil hindi sila ang mauunang magreport. Kabado pa ang mga ito at tila hindi na nasanay sa reporting. Masayang pumunta sa harapan si Elvie hawak ang isang Hello Kitty na stuff toy. Ang ilan sa kanila ay tinawanan siyang palihim. Iniisip ng mga ito na para bang bata si Elvie para magdala ng ganoong klase ng visual aid.

"So, Elvie...What is this story that you wrote na irereport mo?" tanong ni guro.

"Uh, actually the title is The Eight Hello Kitties," mahinang sagot niya. Ang ilan ay tumawa at ang ilan naman ay napangiti lang sa nasabi niya.

"Baka eight frogs!" pang-aasar naman ng isa.

"Cut that out Mr. Morales, why not listen to the report?" saway naman ng prof.

Tumikhim si Elvie at nilapag ang Hello Kitty suff toy sa front table ng classroom. Ang ilan sa kanila ay napatingin sa stuff toy at hinintay ang sasabihin ni Elvie.

"Once upon a time, there was this very sweet couple...Rei and Elvie," paunang wika niya. Napailing na lamang ang guro sa narinig. Hindi niya aakalaing ito ang pangalan ng kaniyang mga karakter sa kwento. Agad namang nag 'wooo' ang mga kaklase ni Elvie. Ang ilan naman sa kanila ay napangiti lang din. Alam kasi nilang matagal nang may gusto si Elvie kay Rei.

"It was so unusual of Elvie that even though how weird Rei was, she still loved him. Although she never heard Rei saying 'I Love You', there was a heartfelt feeling that Rei loves her. There was this weird habit of Rei...every time their monthsary comes, he always give Elvie her favorite Hello Kitty doll. One time, Elvie got tired of Rei giving her such toys that she never wanted at first, a single 'I Love You Elvie' was the only thing she wanted. She just wanted to hear it, for in their numerous dates, numerous parties...she never heard it wholly, his expression of love. Just a mere kiss and smile was the thing he did. It was on their eighth monthsary when Rei gave her a flower and another Hello Kitty doll as a present. 

Elvie was enraged because her request to Rei about a single word of 'I Love You', she never heard. In her rage, she threw the flowers off with the Hello Kitty. She left Rei, for there is no more reason for her to be with him, that a simple request, her loved one cannot do. She never called and texted him, she turned off her phone so that Rei won't have the chance to call. She rejected his visits and even never gave a sight for him at class. One day, she received news that Rei was bumped by a car and caused his death. In Elvie's grief and regret, she dashed to Rei's house and found out that the news is true. Rei's mother came to her and said, that before his death he requested her to give one letter to Elvie. She then gets this letter and read it as tears fell down her eyes and flowed on her cheeks. Some of the teardrops even fell on the letter as she read this note:

'Elvie, I am so sorry that I cannot say I love you through words. There is nothing I can tell you I love you but by giving you the last Hello Kitty, which will be the one to grant your request. I want you to open all those Hello Kitty dolls I gave you, starting from our first monthsary to our last. Love, Rei."

Elvie rushed home and gathered all the eight Hello Kitty dolls. She was lucky the eighth one was still there. She took a scissor and tore the back cloth of the doll. Inside all the stuff toys are pictures of Rei, he had a very happy face in it. At first, Elvie noticed nothing of the pictures, because they were all the same photos, not until she noticed that Rei's lips were changing from one photo to another. She arranged the photos from the first to the last and read his lips, and as she reads it, her tears start to flow on her eyes once more.

'I-LO-VE-Y-OU'

Before she realizes her mistake, no more could she return the only Rei of heart...for he is gone to this world. THE END."

Tahimik ang lahat sa klase nang matapos ireport ni Elvie ang kanyang story report. Ang mga kalalakihan ay tila napatahimik at naantig din ang puso sa narinig. Ang ilan sa mga kaklase nila ay umiyak pa sa kwento. Ang kanilang professor na si Shaine ay tinanggal ang kanyang eyeglasses at pinahid ang luha gamit ang kanyang panyo.

"Ms. Ramos, very well done! The story is fantastically touching!" papuri niya dito at saka nginitian si Elvie.

"Thank you Prof Manares. It was something I thought of kagabi."

Pumalakpak ang lahat nang mabalik ang diwa sa sarili. Maging ang mga kalalakihan ay humanga sa kwento. Lingid sa kaalaman ng lahat, lalo na kay Elvie, nasa labas pala si Rei na pinapakinggan ang kwento niya. hindi siya napansin ng lahat dahil nagtago siya may pintuan. Nakasara ito at hindi makikita sa loob na may tao maliban na lamang kung naiwan itong bukas.

Hawak ang report, tumulo ang luha sa kanyang mga mata at pumatak sa kanyang report paper.