Chapter 4 Aiah

~Flashback~

NATAPOS NIYANG KAUSAPIN si Charity at agad na nagpaalam hanggang sa maiwan siyang mag-isang nag-iisip. Makatanaw sa malayo, iniisip niya si Ethan maging ang pangako niya rito.

She promised him that she will never go back to service even after she gave birth to their child. Subalit hanggang ngayon ay nagdadalawang-isip pa rin siya. Nauna siyang nangakong tutuparin ang kaniyang tungkulin bago pa man siya mangako kay Ethan. This confuses her so much. She loves Ethan but she keeps on coming back to her first love–being an agent.

Nabigla na lang siya nang higitin ng kung sino ang baywang niya at saka hinalikan ang mga labi niya. He smiled at her. She knew that he was Ethan. He smiled with those blue and tantalizing eyes of him. Then their eyes talked to each other.

"I love you, Ethan," she said with love and convincing herself that she really does.

Niyakap niya ito na tila ayaw na niyang kumawala mula sa bisig nito. She tried to feel his warmth, being silently in his arms, as if it will be the last time that they will be together. Pawang iniisip niya kung paano ang bukas nilang dalawa. Na paano rin kung ito na ang huling gabi na mayayakap niya ang asawa.

He smiled. "I love you, too," he said with equal sweetness before sealing her with a kiss. "I love you, too, Enie.”

~End of Flashback~

HINGAL NA HINGAL na nagising mula sa isang panaginip si Aiah. She just had another nightmare. A beautiful one. Isa na naman ito sa mga panaginip na hinding-hindi niya makakalimutan kahit kailan gaya ng ilang mga gabing naranasan niya ang panaginip na tila totoo.

She has always been dreaming about VESTIGE, Isla de Esperanza, Uno, and Ethan. VESTIGE, Isla Esperanza, Uno and Ethan, and the cycle continues. Every night, she dreams of anyone from those or collectively. Parang muli niyang binabalikan ang mga alaalang nalimot na ng panahon.

She used to ask Ms. Jed about all that she dreams she experiences but she ended up having an answer, 'because you used to imitate my daughter' or even 'you idolize her too much, that’s why'.

Aiah is not getting the answer that she really needs. She knows that there is something deep about her lucid dreams. Not just because she used to copy Enie but she might have been truly obsessed with everything that Enie owns…that is what she thought. Mukhang kailangan niyang balikan ang lahat ng therapy na ginawa sa kaniya nitong mga nakaraang taon nang tuluyan siyang malinawan sa mga panaginip na patuloy siyang binabagabag.

Gayunpaman, pumayag pa rin siya na gawin ang bagay na iyon. Pumayag siyang maging kakabit ng buhay niya si Enie o maging kakabit ng buhay ni Enie ang kaniya. That is what she used to do so why not continue doing it? It seemed harmless. Iniisip na lang niya, para kay Uno iyon. Iniisip niyang ginagawa niya ang lahat ng mga bagay na ito na kahit sarili niya ang masasaktan, basta sa ikabubuti ng bata.

Naupo si Aiah sa malawak na balkonahe ng bahay niya. Tahimik ang paligid at pawang mga patak lamang ng ulan ang maririnig. It was a gloomy Sunday after all.

She remembered everything, from the beginning that she woke up, until the day she encountered Ethan. Inampon siya ni Ms. Jedaiah matapos niyang magising mula sa mahabang pagkakatulog. She was said to be in coma for years and only Ms. Jed knows how long it was.

Ms. Jed is in the state of depression because her remaining child died. Si Enie na lang ang natira nang mamatay din ang kapatid nitong nakababata sa isang insidente noon sa dinaluhan nilang kasal. It was said to be planned and until now, they are in the hunt for the suspects even though more than a decade had passed.

Aiah and Enie were once really best friends. Sa Isla de Esperanza pa lang, magsanggang-dikit na talaga silang dalawa. Tuwing bakasyon, nagtutungo ang pamilya nina Enie sa lugar na iyon at doon lang sila nagkakaroon ng oras na magkasama. Aiah is known by all of Enie's friends, VESTIGE man iyan o Alpha Lohikal. Sadyang ngayon na lang ulit niya nakita ang mga ito matapos siyang magising sa mahabang pagkakatulog.

She used to copy Enie. The hair, the eyes, the gestures, the expressions, the wit, the intellectual reasoning, the voice, the course they took up – everything about Enie, she knows about it. Maging ang maliliit na detalye tungkol sa buhay nito ay alam na alam niya.

It was a game hosted by fate. Nagising siya nang mamatay si Enie. It is somewhat weird but yes, inampon siya ng mismong ina ng ginagaya niya. Tila ba walang masamang nangyari sa kanila dahil agad namang napalitan si Enie. It was not that she stole everything from Enie but she was given the chance to have it all.

"Why do I need to have her dreams also? Hindi pa ba sapat na inaakala ni Ethan na ako talaga si Enie? The fact that they think that I am Enie is hurtful but the reality that I am loved by the man I love because I look like his wife is even more hurtful."

She sighed. She stared at the ring that Ms. Jed told her to wear. Sinabi sa kaniya nito na isa na fiancé siya ng mayamang heridero mula sa Isla de Esperanza. Napapakunot na lang ng noo si Aiah. She does not know what to do. Ni hindi niya nga alam kung sino ang mapapangasawa niya o kahit ang katotohanang may mapapangasawa na pala siya.

She wiped out the tears that fall down her cheeks one after the other. She tried remembering but she always ended up seeing the same memories that has been implanted in her mind because of copying Enie. Her brain aches whenever she thinks of those things, those moments that she supposed to remember but not. Rather, she remembers other person’s memories.

She stretched out her legs as soon as she heard the ring from the doorbell. Matapos nito, tinahak niya ang daanan papuntang pintuan upang tignan kung sino ito. She did not even bother to peep into the hole because she knows that she is safe in Oliveria Towers.

She opened the door then a warm hug on her thighs came soon. She was about to get pissed when she saw Ethan, the unwanted guest, and Uno, the cute guy who gave her a warm hug.

"Uno!" She exclaimed in excitement.

Agad niyang kinarga ang bata at hinalikan ang matambok nitong pisngi. Tuwang-tuwa rin ito sa kaniya hanggang sa napuno ng mga tawa nito ang buong condo unit ni Aiah.

Sumunod na lamang si Ethan sa kanilang sa loob ng silid nito at siniguradong sarado ang pinto. A smile painted on the lips of the blue eyed guy who seemed to be happy with what he is seeing right now. He is a half blood of British but Filipino blood influenced him more.

"Uno, halika ka rito, anak," tawag ni Ethan sa bata.

Aiah let go of the kid then he ran towards his father. Hindi maiwasang mapangiti ni Aiah habang pinagmamasdan ang bata. Bakas sa mga mata ng dalaga ang pagkatuwa sa pagdating ni Uno sa kaniyang tirahan gayundin ang pagpunta ni Ethan.

She might not say it, her heart feels exhilarated whenever she and Zach Ethaniel encounters. A part of her likes the attention she gets from him. Siya, na isang nanggagaya lamang sa asawa nito, ang talagang nakakakuha na ng buong atensyon nito. She feels like she is his wife…though she will never be his wife, Enie.

"Nanay!" tawag sa kaniya ng bata. "May sasabihin daw po si Tatay."

The cute little Uno speaks better than what is expected from a child at his age. Marahil, namana niya ang galing mula sa kaniyang mga magulang. No wonder, Eniessia and Ethaniel are the most intelligent in their own fields. Mabilis silang matuto kaya marahil gayundin ang kanilang anak.

"A-ano? Will you come?" naiilang na tanong ni Ethan sa kaniya.

He must be stuttering because he did something wrong just yesterday. Sino ba naman kasi ang papasok nang basta-basta sa opisina ng may opisina nang hindi nagpapaalam?

"Stuttering eh?" Aiah noticed. "Tell me a good reason to agree on you for the second time," she added.

As what she remembers the first time she agreed on him, it is the also the night she felt like she cheated on her fiancé. Kinalimutan niya ang lahat ng tungkol sa kaniyang mapapangasawa na ni minsan ay hindi niya naman talaga natatandaan. Ginulat na lang siya, isang araw, may babalikan pala siyang umiirog sa kaniya.

"Nanay, sama ka!" Uno exclaimed as if he is asking Aiah to buy him a toy. He really wants his 'Nanay' to come with them on a vacation in Isla de Esperanza.

Lumambot ang puso ni Aiah nang dahil kay Uno. Napangiti ang dalaga at nagsimulang magtatlong-isip–isa sa kagustuhan niyang mapalayo mula sa kanila, at tig-isa para sa kagustuhan ng dalawang importanteng lalaki sa buhay niya.

She sighed and hugged the child. Ramdam niya ang init sa loob ng bisig habang yakap-yakap ang anak ni Enie.

Alam niya sa sarili niya na dinala ni Ethan ang bata sa kaniya upang pumayag siya sa gusto nito. Thinking like an expert in her field, she knows every tactic that other people applies on her.

“Uno, do you really want me to go with you?” she sincerely asked, then glimpse on Zach Ethaniel who hopingly seats just right in front of her.

“Of course Nanay,” the child said enthusiastically. “Tatay told me that it would be fun if you will go with us.”

Agad na sinamaan ng tingin ni Aiah si Ethan na napaiwas naman ng tingin sa kaniya. Nangingiti ito at tila ba may masamang binabalak. Tama nga ang hinala niya ukol sa pagdadala nito kay Uno upang mapapayag siya.

“Did Tatay tell you to say those things?” she calmly asked the kid.

Hope is already in Uno’s eyes. Halata sa mga mata ng bata ang pagliliwanag at pagkatuwa sa puso nito. Umaasa na siya na papayag ang kaniyang ‘Nanay’ sa kaniyang kahilingan.

“Sort of, Nanay, but I really want to be with you and Tatay for a vacation before the school year starts.”

She gestured a punch on Ethan behind the view of Uno. Nilakihan niya rin ito ng mata at tila ba naghahamon ng isang away.

May katuwiran ang bata. He wants to enjoy the rest of his vacation with his Nanay and Tatay before he focus on his studies. Nagmana talaga siya sa mga magulang niya.

“But Uno, what if Nanay has to work?”

Sadness suddenly tainted the poor child’s eyes. Agad na nalungkot din ang puso ni Aiah nang makita ang malaking pinagbago ng emosyon ng bata nang sabihin niya ang mga katagang iyon.

As much as she wanted to distant herself from harm of falling, the more she is magnetized by the hazard of truly losing the stable platform where she stands upon. Matagal-tagal niya ring pinaghandaan ang maayos na lugar na kinatitirikan ng puso niya. Ilang taon din siguro nitong pinanatiling ligtas ang puso ni Aiah mula sa kahit anong sakit subalit dahil sa pagmamahal, mukhang tuluyan na niyang maaalis ang puso sa kapanatagan.

She cannot escape from hurting.

“It is alright, Nanay,” pagtanggap ng bata sa sinabi niya. “I will just call you often so that you will feel like you are also there.”

Thoughtful as always, he got that trait from his mother. Enie knows how to acknowledge everyone around her. She even acknowledged the love that Ethan offers her back then, the same love that Aiah seems to feel right now.

Muling nagtatlong-isip si Aiah sa parehong kadahilanan. Kung kanina, dalawa ang dahilan ng kaniyang hindi pagpayag – ang kaniyang nararadaman at ang kakulitan ni Ethan – ngayon, dalawa na ang rason kung bakit papayag siya – nais niyang pasayahin si Uno at ang kagustuhan niyang makasama ang bata.

She smiled after cupping Uno’s face. “Of course I will come with you, kiddo,” sabi niya at ginulo ang buhok ng bata. “Just tell your Tatay to behave properly when we get there.”

With shining eyes ever, he hugged his Nanay at give her a sweet kiss on her cheeks. Ramdam ni Aiah ang sobrang tuwa sa puso ng bata na siyang kasiyahan niya rin. Napayakap na rin siya sa bata hanggang sa lumingon ito sa ama.

“You heard that Tatay. Nanay requests your proper behavior po,” Uno said unto Ethan.

Bahagyang natawa na lang si Aiah sa sinabi ng bata. Tila ba gustong-gusto talaga nito na makasama siyang magbakasyon na nagawa niyang pagsabihan si Ethan ukol sa gusto niya.

“Hirap naman,” pabulong na sambit ng ama niya na narinig din naman ng bata.

“Tatay, sige na. Pagbigyan niyo na po ako.”

Hindi na mapigilan ni Aiah ang pagngiti tungkol sa mga sinabi ni Uno. The little boy begs for his father’s proper behavior instead of being behaved by the father himself.

“I’ll try kid.” His lips painted a suspicious smile.

‘Ethan’s ‘I’ll try’ will never come true. I know him and he never tried doing the things that he said, he will try. Sinong niloko mo Montellano?’