Chasing Chances [TSC Book 2]°KathNiel° ✓COMPLETE

Chapter Seventeen: Memory of that Day

Habang nagmamaneho, hindi ko maintindihan ang mabilis na pagpintig ng puso ko. Para bang may hindi magandang mangyayari. Huli kong naramdaman 'to n'ong araw ng aksidente. Alam ko na no'n na may mali. Alam ko ng may hindi dapat mangyari.

Kausap ko si Chances bago ko ibaba ang phone saka ibinalik ang atensiyon ko sa pagmamaneho. Hindi ko sinasadyang matabil ng kamay ang phone. Nalaglag ito pero hinayaan ko na muna dahil malapit narin naman ako sa may intersection. Pe-preno rin ako para maghintay sa traffic signal.

Gayunpaman, papalapit ako ng papalapit sa intersection pero imbis na huminto, patuloy sa pag-andar ang kotse. Mabilis ang takbo; kasing bilis ng kabog sa dibdib ko. Sinubukan kong pumreno pero hindi gumagana.

Sa likod ng isip ko, nakita ko ang matatamis na ngiti ng asawa ko kaya't sa sandaling 'yon, nangako ako sa sarili kong uuwi ako sa kanya. Uuwi ako ng ligtas. Gratefully, I managed to make it through the intersection. Only that, it's only where I  made it because the car isn't slowing down. I did all that I can but everything seemed to be not working. So instead of finding more ways, hopeless, I ended up trying to pick up the phone on the surface of the car. I know that it will be the last time that I will see her. If this is the last, I should at least hear her voice. I should at least let her know that I don't want to leave her, that I love her so much. I don't want her to hate me, thinking that I leave her because God knows I don't want to. To stay with her, beside her, is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

And yet, there was a loud thud brought by the collision. I opened my eyes and I saw my wife in white, smiling at me, telling me endlessly she that loves me. There were tears in her eyes and yet, she was smiling.

If there was something clear in her eyes, it was goodbye. My wife said her goodbye. And when I woke up for real, she was gone.

Because of that remembrance, I drove really slow. Ayaw kong sa paggising ko bukas, wala na ulit siya. Ayaw kong wala ako sa tabi niya kapag kinailangan niya ako.

"Babe? Okay ka lang?" Tanong ni Chances na pumukas sa malalim na kong pag-iisip. Natatawa siya kaya medyo nawala rin 'yong kaba ko. But it's still really there. "Ayaw kong nagmamaneho ka ng matulin pero hindi naman 'yong ganito kabagal. Mas mabilis akong makakauwi kapag naglalakad ako, Zacc." Biro niyang hindi ko man lang magawang tawanan. Nawala ang ngiti niya at kinuha ang kamay ko para hawakan 'yon. "Are you okay?" She asked thoughtfully.

"I love you." I heard myself say.

"Zacc, pinapakaba mo 'ko e. Don't say that to me like this."

"I love you, Chan. Sobra." Pag-uulit ko.

Umisod siya papalapit sa'kin at niyakap ako.

"I love you, Zacchary Harrison. Let's go home now, okay? I miss the kids."

"Okay, love."

Tahimik ang bahay nang makarating kami kaya nagkatinginan kaming dalawa. Kung hindi lang napatakbo si Chances papasok sa loob, hindi ako maaalarma. No Zacc, they're here. Maybe, they're just in the room playing with their favorite toys. But when I got in the house, it screamed emptiness. Nilibot ko ng tingin ang bahay hanggang sa marinig ko ang boses ni Chances. She's already upstairs. Tumakbo kaagad ako papunta roon.