GIDEON IS PACING back and fourth when he saw Matilda being unconscious in the hospital. Hindi alam ng binata ang nangyari, basta nalang siyang tinawagan ng katulong n'ya na nagsisigaw daw si Matilda sa taas at nang mapuntahan nila ang dalaga, wala na itong malay at dinala na sa hospital."Gideon, please calm down." ani pa ni Anthony sakanya. His whole friends was with him when that happen, Anthony keep him accompany while the others did the remaining work that he assigned to his friends.Gideon frustratingly looked at him. "How? How when my baby is there.." sabay turo nito hospital bed kung saan naroon ang dalaga at walang malay. "Ni wala akong idea kung anong nangyari sakanya at bakit siya nahimatay. What if she'll be in coma again? I remember the doctor said before na if tuloy-tuloy ang pag pilit ni Matilda na maalala ang nakalimutan n'yang ala-ala, and her head will keep on aching, there's a possibility na pwede siyang ma coma ulit. I can't..." Gideon's voice cracked and a single t
"What!?" "Your father?!""How the hell did that happened?!" Sunod-sunod na tanong ng mga ito na hindi makapaniwala sa sinabi n'ya. Maski si Gideon ng nalaman n'ya iyan, hindi rin siya makapaniwala. He knows her father, he may be cruel in some things specially related to him but never would he imagined that his father would do such horrible thing. Guess, he doesn't really know his father that will nor his father showed his true self to him, not until that moment."When I found out about that, I couldn't believe it either. Hindi ako makapaniwala na sarili kong ama, kayang pumatay ng tao makuha lang ang gusto n'ya. He was against me and Matilda." sabay tingin ni Gideon sa mga magulang ni Matilda na ngayo'y mababakas mo parin ang gulat sa mga mukha. "But then, pinaglaban ko si Matilda. Hindi ko mapaglaban sarili ko sakanya but I can and will do it when it comes to Matilda because I know how worthy she is. And also, she gives me life. She made me believe in myself and she made me accept
"What's the update?" agad na tanong ni Gideon ng makarating siya sa headquarters na kung saan andoon ang iba pa nilang kaibigan.Pinakita ni Luke sakanya ang laptop nito na nag-uusap ang pamilya ni Kate. "They must have been planning something." ani pa ni Luke."Hindi ba natin pwedeng marinig yung pinag-uusapan nila?" tanong pa ni Gideon.Umiling si Luke sakanya. "Unfortunately, we can't." dismayadong tugon naman ni Luke.Napaupo nalang si Gideon sa upuan na katabi ni Luke at saka malalim ang buntong hiningang pinakawalan."Are you okay?" tanong pa sakanya ni Luke ng mapansin nitong wala siya sa mood."Ang lalim ng buntong hiningang iyon, may iba ka paba na problema maliban sa pamilyang ito?" Usal pa ni Christian at ang iba pa nilang mga kaibigan ay lumapit nadin sakanila para maki-usyoso.Napahagod si Gideon sa batok n'ya. "Matilda." tanging sinabi n'ya lang."Anong nangyari kay Matilda?" Patanong na tugon ni Christian."I think she remembers everything now. Last night when she passe
"H-how—?" nauutal nitong tanong sakanya. Sa sobrang kaba ng mommy ni Gideon, ni hindi na nito kayang tapusin ang dapat itatanong nito sakanya."I've heard it from dad." he said.Mas lalong nanlaki ang mga mata ng mommy ni Gideon sa sinabi n'ya. "H-he told you that? T-that he's not your father?" Nauutal pa nitong tanong sakanya."Not directly but yeah. So answer me, mom. Is he my real father or not?" tanong n'ya pa sa ina sa pang-apat na pagkakataon.Gideon's mom blow a deep breath at saka napayuko na lamang. "He's not your real father." Pag-amin nito sakanya."Then who?""He died, he was shot by I don't know who. Hanggang ngayon, pinapa-imbestigahan ko parin kung sino ang may gawa nun sa taong mahal ko. Ilang taon na ang nakalipas at nakailang imbestigador na ako pero wala parin, para bang may pumipigil at may nakaharang para sa katotohanang inaasam ko sa mahabang panahon." May namumuong luha mula sa mga mata ng ina nito. Hinawakan nito ang kamay ng anak. "I'm sorry if I hid this from
Nakita ni Gideon kung paano natigilan si Matilda ng sabihin ng binata iyon. She took a deep breath and ask Gideon again."Why did you lie?" Mahinahon pa nitong tanong ulit sakanya.Napapalunok si Gideon dito. "I had to." he explain. "I had to do it or else you'll force yourself to remember everything that would cause your head to ache multiple times and would possible lead into another comatose. I wanted to tell you everything but I had to contain myself or else I'll lose you forever." paliwanag ni Gideon dito."I remember everything now." Matilda said. "I remember asking you many times, I've given you plenty of chance to tell me everything." She added."I know but in order to keep you safe, I had to lie. It wasn't easy for me, it wasn't easy for us to lie to you but we had to. You're the love of my life and seeing you unconscious for how many months scared the hell out of me and I cannot bear seeing you being like that again." Tumingin si Gideon langit para pigilan ang luha n'yang tu
"Anak, how's your pakiramdam na? Sumasakit paba ulo mo?" Tanong ng mommy ni Matilda habang kumakain sila. Sila nalang pamilya at magkakaibigan ang natira sa restaurant dahil maaga nagsara ang restaurant ng dalaga."I'm fine now, mom. I don't feel anything anymore, no more headache and such." sagot ng dalaga sa ina."That's great, anak." sagot naman ng daddy ni Matilda."Well, are you mad at us for lying to you?" napatingin si Matilda sa mommy at daddy n'ya ng tanongin siya niyon ng Ina n'ya.Pati mga kaibigan ni Matilda ay napatigil sa pagkain dahil sa tanong ng mommy n'ya."I'm not, mom. I'm just disappointed and I feel like I was betrayed but I'm not mad at you for doing it. It's all for the best, that you came up with that kind of thing. So I'm not mad at you for doing it, I totally understand it now." sagot pa ng dalaga. Nakita ng dalaga kung paano nakahinga ng maluwag ang parents n'ya sa sinabi n'yang iyon and eventually made them smile that made Matilda smile as well."How abou
"Hey, you're still awake?" kuha ni Matilda sa atensyon ni Anthony na naasa kitchen habang may tinitipa sa laptop nito.Bumaba saglit si Matilda para kumuha sana ng ice cream, nagbabakasakali ang dalaga na baka may ice creame ang binata sa fridge nito.Nabaling ang atensyon ni Anthony sakanya at saka ito ngumiti. "Hey, yeah may tinatapos pa kasi ako. How's Gideon, by the way?" tanong pa nito bago ibinalik sa laptop nito ang tingin."He's sleeping soft and soundly." ani pa ng dalaga at binuksan ang fridge ng binata ng hindi man lang humihingi ng permiso. Anthony is like a friend of her narin as well. "Anthony, do you have some ice cream?" tanong ng dalaga habang ang tingin ay nasa loob ng fridge nito, hinahanap kung meron bang ice cream doon.Narinig ni Matilda ang mahinang tawa ng binata. "Yeah, I have. It's in the other fridge." Napatingin si Matilda dito at nakaturo ang binata sa isang fridge na nasa kabilang side ng kitchen na hindi alam ni Matilda na andoon pala.Nakangiting gumay
Napatingin silang dalawa ni Anthony sa nagsalita sa likod nila. "Sinong kabit saming dalawa? Ako or siya?" it was Matilda, nakikisabay sa kabaliwan ni Anthony."Don't interrupt us, we're having a moment here." Sagot pa ni Anthony and flip his hair into the air.Napailing-iling si Gideon sa kabaliwan ng kaibigan at nilapitan si Matilda para batiin ito."Good morning." He smiled and then kissed her on the lips pero may narinig agad silang malakas na singhap sa likod nila."Ang sakit! Sa harap ko pa talaga? Mga taksil! Mga haliparot!" Binato ni Gideon si Anthony ng ng tsinelas na ikinatawa naman ni Matilda at ni Anthony..Tinulungan ng binata na umupo si Matilda sa mesa. "Hindi ba masakit ulo mo? Hangover or something?" mahinang tanong ng dalaga kay Gideon.Ngumiti naman si Gideon sakanya at saka umiling-iling. "I'm good and I'm fine. I had the best medicine when I wake up this morning." Sagot naman ng binata na ikinangiti naman ni Matilda.Nagulat silang dalawa ng biglang may kumatok n