"3"

There was something odd that morning. The sun was strong against his eyes and the different colors inside the room proved to be too much. He closed his eyes momentarily, he shaked his head lightly all the while trying his best to keep his thoughts straight. Napakapit sya ng mahigpit sa armrest ng wheelchair, nadala ng takot dahil baka mahulog sya dito. Bakit sya nakasakay sa wheelchair? Anong nangyari? Nahimatay nanaman ba sya habang nag-tataping?

Gusto nyang tumayo mag-isa at umuwi dahil sobrang nalilito sya sa nangyayari pero napatigil sya ng may makita syang babaeng papalapit sa kanya.

"Ready ka na ba?" Tanong ng isang unfamiliar na babae sa kanya. "Don't be scared. Ako si Mariza. I've met you a few times already... Ewan ko lang kung tanda mo ako."

Met a few times already? Napakunot ang noo nya dahil hindi nya maalala ang mukha ni pangalan ng dalaga. Who was she? Why is he here? Bakit nakasuot sya ng hospital gown at ang dalaga naman eh nakasuot ng uniporme na hindi pamilyar sa kanyang mata. Anong araw na ngayon, baka ma-Late sya sa trabaho baka mapagalitan muli sya ni Direk. "Aless... A-alis..." Napahinga sya ng malalim dahil hirap na hirap siyang magsalita.

What's wrong with me? Tanong nya muli sa sarili habang minamata ang babaeng nasa harap nya na may inihahanda na Black leathered pads. Isn't this used for stroke patients?! Ano ba talagang nangyayari?! He started to panic at the thought of him fainting due to a stroke, is this for real?

"Madali lang to, kuya--- ay mali! Sir Vincent pala." Mariza squeezed a blue colored tube hanggang may lumabas na gel-like material dito at hinayaan nya tong lumapat sa isa sa mga Black pads. She rubbed two, four and six together until it was all placed at the correct points in her patients body.

Vince winced at the cold feeling, Mariza on the other hand noticed it and sincerely apologized to him. Muntik na nyang malimutan na hindi araw-araw maganda ang Brain activity ng binata. "Physical Therapy session mo nga pala ngayon. Isa-shock natin nerves mo para mapabilis ang pag-galing mo, at para makalakad ka na."

Nang laki ang mata ni Vince, mas tumindi ang sakit ng ulo nya sa kanyang mga narinig. What the hell happened?! What's going on?! Nagsisipa sya at nagpumiglas pero konti lang talaga ang lakas sa katawan nya.

"Mejo matigas ulo mo ngayon ah. That's a good sign daw, sabi ni Doc. Salazar, sana nga makatayo ka na." Mariza noted with a smile and began to secure the shock-pads on him. "Don't worry, papalabasan kita ng T.V. Mamaya eh speech therapy mo na, behave ha?"

Nakaramdam sya ng saglit na kirot sa katawan nya, para syang kinukuryente pero nawala agad ito. "A--at, a-ate... Na--nasaan... Saan... A-ako." Pautal-utal nyang tanong, once again Vince frowned upon hearing his voice. Parang iba, parang hindi niya ito narinig ng napaka-tagal na panahon.

Humarap lang sa kanya si Mariza at binigyan siya ng isang maharot na kindat at mapaglarong ngiti. "Bawal magtanong, hindi ko pwedeng sagutin iyang mga tanong mo. Bawal daw kami mag-speak about your condition. Sorry pogi. Quiet lang kami. Kay Miss Kendeng mo na lang itanong."

*****

Ilang araw ang lumipas at yun lang ang napansin nyang routine nya. Kain, therapy, exercise, kain, speech therapy, kain ulit at tulog. It's been days and he still feel the same. Sometimes he feels a bit sharper, his mind remembering things from yesterday and a day before yesterday, but sometimes he feels like a limp vegetable sa sobrang hina ng katawan nya.

Something must've been really wrong with him. Cancer? No... A cancer patient may be weak but not this much. Fatigue? He had those before but it's not as bad as this. Hindi na nga sya makatayo ng kanya, he needs assistance of two nurses whenever he wants to go to the bathroom, eat or even sleep. Pinaka-nakakahiya dito tuwing maliligo siya at maglalabas... ng sama ng loob.

Buhay man sya, pero bakit ganun, hindi nya maramdaman ang buhay nya. It's as if he's stuck in a trance, a moment that doesn't exist yet it does.

The only thing that gives light to his day is whenever someone sends him a short letter with a bit of food or snack along with it. It's either from his siblings, his nanay, his friends or her.

Minsan Oatmeal na Chocolate ang flavor treat na binibigay sa kanya tuwing nagiging masipag sya sa therapy. Isang beses eh ensaymada ng Red Ribbon and cheese cake from Eduvigis ang natanggap niya and it made his day.

"Sir, it's time to take a bath na!" Si Pauleen ang nag-iisang jejemon na nurse sa apat na taong nagpapalitan sa pag-aalaga at pag-aaruga sa kanya. Isang nakakaloko naman na araw ito para sa kanya, adding the fact na napaka-ingay ng naghatid ng nakaka lugmok na balita sa kanya. He hates bath day so much! Not because he's scared of water, he's just flooded with insecurity dahil may iba't ibang tao nagpapaligo at nakakakita ng hindi dapat nila makita.

Unconsciously, Vince covered the most sensitive part of his body.

"Wag kang mag-alala, nakita ko na naman yan."

Vince gave out a face full of horror and it made Pauleen laugh so much na muntik ng mahulog ang retainer nya.

*****

It was one mundane morning, katatapos lang ng isang nakakapagod na Therapy. Mariza was extra nice to him today, praising and telling him the progress that he's making everyday will help so he can walk again. Tahimik syang nanunuod ng Discovery channel ng bigla nalang magbukas ang pinto. He thought it was just one of the nurses so he didn't even mind them.

"Brad!" Isang familiar na boses ang naka-agaw ng attention ng nananahimik na binata. "Kumusta ka na, long time no see! Dami mo ng absent sa Showtime, masisisante ka na nyan!"

For a long time he hadn't felt this kind of comfort and happiness. It felt so good and relieving to see one of his dearest friend, specially at this time of his sheer madness and delusion. "Beelle." Mejo bulul nyang bati sa binata. "Mu-musta?"

"Eto, maganda at sexy parin." Lovelia raised her eyebrows suggestively while flashing one of her daring and alluring smiles. "Ikaw, musta ka na? You feel any better. Miss ka na namin, pagaling ka na kasi, it's not the same without you. Miss na miss ka na ng cleaners at secretary sa office. Miss na miss ka na rin ni Christine, at ni Kimberly. Crush na crush ka kasi nung dalawang talandi na yun eh"

He felt tears gathering in his eyes, if only he could speak as well as before. If only he could ask questions, say things he wants to say... Then maybe it wouldn't be this hard. Siguro nga dapat mas nag-eeffort sya sa speech therapy maski mataray yung doctor. Nag-uusap sila, talking about almost everything and anything that they can talk about... Except for those times when Vince asks why he ended up this way. He gets more confused everyday, more jaded and a little bit sad yet full of hope. "A-ano... Yari... Nangyari... Sa--sa... sakin."

Nakangiti man si Velle pero nawala ang ning-ning sa mga mata nya. Eto na naman sya at nag-uusisa. "It's a long story..." Napabuntong hininga sya at saglit na sumimganot. "Alam kong nalilito ka... Alam kong hindi mo rin maintindihan kung bakit ka nandito. But the good news is you're alive. Wag mo na muna isipin kung ano ang nangyari, isipin mo nalang at least buhay ka. Magpagaling ka, magpalakas... Para makabalik ka na samin."

Tumango nalang si Vince at hinayaang pumatak ang luha mula sa kanyang mga mata.

Agad lumapit si Velle sa kama ni Vince at hinaplos-haplos ang ulo ng kaibigan. She tried her best to comfort her friend, but what can she do? Paano nga ba pagaanin ang loob ng isang tao na halos hindi na nag-eexist sa mundo.

Dozens of tabloids contained malicious and horrendous articles, stating that the hottest Bachelor in the Philippines had passed peacefully and had vanished. Either that or they've stated that he died in the United States where he was secretly taken to have a better chance of surviving, but later died because the doctors couldn't do anything for him.

A large line-up of paparazzi and the press insisted on interviewing the Visencio family but they declined, stating that they have every right to retain the little bit of privacy that they have. At first, the media moved on with the issue, but when they spotted Emmanuel, Bernadette at Ritzel going in and out of the cemetery, pictures had been doctored and made to portray the worst.

Once they were told that he's a living shell, that the legendary Vincent Visencio they once knew is already gone... That nothing could ever bring him back, but that was until that fateful day when doctors were proven wrong and he spoke, opened his eyes and cried. He kept shouting and screaming her name. The doctors even had to sedate him just to calm him down until he fell asleep.

They declared it as God's will. A miracle happened, he passed all the tests that he was supposed to fail. Everyone got railed up and excited, but all that was short lived.

He's alive, but it would take another miracle for his friend to be back and running like his old self again.

"Na aksidente ka kasi. Sports Car-sports car ka pang nalalaman hindi ka naman pala maalam mag drive! Yan tuloy, nabangag yang ulo mo. Left head first sa window, kaya mas nang-hina ang right side mo." Velle lied through her teeth. Hindi nya nakayanan sabihin sa kaibigan ang katotohanan. Doctors said multiple times na bawal ma stress ang binata because it would delay his progress. “Now… what you can do is let your body work its wonders, hm?”