Crowded, loud, and blinding. That's how the bar greeted me the moment I stepped inside. Rupert came here earlier than me because he and his band had to set up the instruments while I finished first the articles I had to read on Rupert’s condo. I also made a draft for our mockup debate with the debate team today so I kinda didn’t notice the time.I was almost two hours late from the time Rupert asked me to come. So I was not surprised when his band was no longer performing."Where is he?" I tried to call him but he was not answering his phone. There were also too many people so it's hard to find where he was. In the end, I decided to go to the bar counter and send another message to Rupert.I waited for his reply or call but after almost thirty minutes of waiting, there's none. I gasped at the thought that they might have left. Maybe he was not able to wait for me because I was too late?I groaned in frustration. Why didn't I become mindful of the time?I asked for a lady's drink fro
"This song is for you, Sweetie. Thank you for coming tonight. Can I say it now? Ah ..." He stopped strumming for a while only to say, "I love you, Meredith Kaye. Please believe me."Rupert continued to strum the guitar he was holding and his beautiful voice soared and embraced everyone in the club.| It's 12 o'clock and I need your attention |My vision became blurry as Rupert serenaded me with the most sincere intention. His voice embraced my racing heart. I could not believe he felt something for me. I really thought this was going to be unrequited. I was happy to hear it from him ... That he loves me and that he was willing to move on from his past to love me. I know it's hard. Ava was only gone for only a year but here he was willing to try it out with me.However, my tears fell and couldn't stop when Rupert's face became clearer— little by little, his face became recognizable. The features of his face became distinct.My mouth dropped open with sobs.| If tonight ever makes a di
The confession we had about each other’s feelings ignited the desire and pleasure. He loves me and I love him too. There's a mutual understanding and feelings between us and I ... I couldn't get any better than now. At some point, I forgot about everything. It's just me and Rupert and our little bubble. When we got to his condo unit, he immediately picked me up. I was cupping his face with my both hands as he carried me straight to his bedroom. I just dropped the bag I was carrying on the floor and I was the one who removed the guitar hanging behind him. I was staring at him and so was he. "Do you really see me now?" His breathing was fast and shallow, intently staring at me. "This is a miracle," I murmured, the pad of my thumb touching the piercing on his soft lips and my gaze memorizing every feature of his face. "I don't know what happened. But I just suddenly saw you. I see you, my Rockstar." I heard the bedroom door click after Rupert closed it. He slowly approached the bed
"Why?" I asked Rupert.I heard him sigh and then his arms wrapped around my waist. He made me sit on his lap and then kissed my chin.I bit my bottom lip, trying my hardest not to cry out of my frustrations and disappointments. I lifted both my hands to cup his face. "I thought I will forever see you, Rupert." My hands caressed both of his cheeks. I leaned my face closer to see his eyes. "I saw you last night. I can't be wrong, Rupert."My fingertips touched his eyes down to the tip of his nose and then to the cold metal ring on his lips. I clearly remembered what he looked like. But then, I woke up today only to see his blurred face again. My heart ached."Rupert," I sobbed. I could no longer hold back the tears. I was so happy last night— and now, it turned out, it was just for a while. "N-Not again ... I-I can’t see you again. W-Why?"All my life, I thought I was okay with myself not seeing people's faces. I got used to it. I was so used to it that it became part of my system; to
Prosopagnosia had no cure. It was a permanent neuro-degenerative disease affecting my facial recognition system. I had this when I was a kid— my neurologist diagnosed me as being born with it. It's a genetically-induced condition, for my case."That's already a miracle, Meredith. People born with prosopagnosia tend to have the least chance to see anyone's face. Most people, throughout their lives, haven't had a chance to see the faces of people important to them."I stared at Dr. Gregorio Baller, Aunt Bernadeth's second husband. He had been my neurologist since I was a kid. He knew my prosopagnosia like the back of his hand.After I told him what happened last night, he told me it was a miracle. I was stunned. The anger I felt earlier subsided."You already experienced a miracle for a prosopagnosia patient, Meredith. The fact that you can still see people's facial features at some point when you move your face closer to them was a miracle already." Greg held my hand and tapped it as a
"I beg to disagree, Ms. Debate genius." My forehead furrowed as he stood up in his seat as if he were really debating. "Isn't it nice to know people without looking at their physical beauty but to look at what's inside their hearts? Isn't it nice to be casual and friendly with everyone, even with your enemies? Is it nice to not see people faking smiles and rolling their eyes at you?"I smirked. "In all the questions you'd asked, ‘no’ is my answer. None of them are nice or good to experience." I sighed before smiling bitterly. "You'll only look stupid and people will take advantage of you.""Isn't it nice to love a person with your heart and your heart alone?" Gelo sat on the chair before he gave me a salute. "You're doing just fine, Meredith. Don't discredit all the efforts you've done to live a normal life just because of your prosopagnosia and that lump in your chest. Not everyone can handle what you've successfully conquered.""But I think it's back," I said weakly before lowering
Why does someone leave? Why does someone leave a person behind? Why does someone leave without giving a proper goodbye?"People don't come and go. But people choose when to come and when to go." Rupert stood up. It's time for him to say his argument and defend their group's stance; a person leaves because he hates the person he has to leave behind. "If you love a person, there's not enough reason to leave. But if you hate a person, that hate is enough drive you to walk away. It's simply because hatred fluorish anger and then destruction."Hatred is a strong emotion. When you feel angry, it will eat away at your logic and right thinking. Then, you'll end up doing the wrong things and irrational decisions.I've been there."I've been there," Rupert continued, putting me into a halt. My gaze stayed on his blurry face as he carried on, "I hated you, Meredith. I was so close to leaving."I was stunned by what Rupert said. I blinked multiple times before I was able to process what he just s
I slowly walked into the hospital church. I expected it but it still hurts. My biopsy results stated it was malignant and the stage of my cancer was in grade two or three. Further tests would be conducted to assess my cancer's grade. Eian suggested mastectomy again as my only way to free myself from the curse of cancer. I think that's what bugs me the most. Wasn’t it enough that I would go through the fight against cancer again? Why did I even have to remove my breasts? When I was in the first row of seats, my cellphone in my pocket vibrated. I checked it and my heart ached to see my Dad's name on the caller ID. "I'm sorry, Pa." I turned off my phone. Right now, I wanted to be alone first. I wanted to deal with the turmoil in my mind and the heavy pain in my heart by my own. I just wanted a time to accept my biopsy results. I sat on the empty pew in the second row and turned my gaze at the big cross in the middle of the church's altar. The hands on my lap turned into fists whi