My name is Rose Sanchez. I am a simple girl with a dark past. I was abandoned by my parents in the dark streets of a hidden village. I was left alone to survive. No food. No shelter. No water. No money. None of my basic necessary needs to survive were at least given to me.
I had learned to get what I needed in the worst ways possible for a seven-year-old girl. In case of food, I'd search for some possible leftovers from trash. For shelter, if the temperature is bearable, I sleep outside on the streets wherever may be the least uncomfortable place to rest. If the temperature drops to the extent of unbearableness, I sneak in to different places I could find which could help keep me warm.
One night, the weather was freezing cold and the temperature dropped all the way to -5°C so I remember I tried to brace myself as hard as I could. I tried breathing upon my hand and then rub them against each other to generate heat and keep them on my ears.
Suddenly, a family approached me. They asked me what was I doing alone outside their house. I explained my situation to them and they took me in. I felt so thankful that I stayed on one corner of the house without moving. Just casually sitting there like a statue. Out of nowhere, this boy, who is probably the same age as me, approached me and put me into a headlock. As I was trying to break free, he said to me, "From now on, you will never be alone again. I will be here. We will be here for you."
I never expected such warm, comforting words would come out of a boy with the same age as me. At that moment, every shiver, every cold, every hate, and every grief I felt were all replaced by hope, love, care, comfort, and most of all, warmth. Despite the freezing cold weather, I strangely felt very warm. I sat with the family on the dining area and ate with them. And a few years passed.
Honestly, I was so glad I met them. The parents of the family offered to bring me to school together with their son. I wanted to accept the offer but I declined. I couldn't take it to ask more than what I have already received thus far and I opened up about moving out and moving away. They did not want to let me go, but I knew I had to. So I insisted.
As I left the house I started considering home by the time I was in my freshman year in high school, I got a call from the mom of the family. "My son was involved in an accident. Please come to the hospital. Please be there with him. With us. Even if you want to leave the house, we are now a family. Please don't throw that away." As I heard the news, I immediately ran to the hospital. The thought of taking public transportation did not even cross my mind. That's how panicked I was. When I reached the hospital, I heard the doctor said that the son had a concussion during the accident, and it's very likely that he will suffer from memory loss.
The family was devastated, but even so I couldn't bare to be of more weight to their shoulders. So I studied really hard during high school and thankfully, I got a scholarship. I received news that the boy woke up, and he is completely fine. I've always wondered how my first puppy love has been doing since the accident and I was really happy. Now I am in college. I've waited so long to see him again, and when I finally did, I did exactly what he did that day.
I put him in a headlock for no apparent reason for him but for me, it was a precious gesture that saved me. I left because of the embarrassment that maybe he finds out I like him.
The next day in school, I went to the ladies bathroom to fix my makeup and do my 'lady' stuff. I overheard some students gossiping about the representative of the new freshman batch and how fake she looks. I couldn't help but bawl my eyes out while hiding in a cubicle. I came out of the restroom and headed towards the announcement board to get my schedule. There he is. I see him again.
As I did the headlock again, and was being all hyper and happy, I mumbled, "I've missed you so much, Jake." However, my hopes and expectations were crushed to the ground when he simply did not remember me. I thought everything was fine? I thought he did not lose his memories? Then why does it look like he completely forgot about me? Then again, it was a pretty long time ago, but I remember the memory so vividly that it seems like it only happened yesterday.
Devastated, I walked away as fast as I could. I ran to the bus station and thankfully, a bus arrived really fast. I couldn't face Jake anymore. I really missed him, but I guess he's just forgotten everything about me. I took out a picture of us when we were in grade school and stare at it for quite a while. I couldn't stop thinking about Jake. How did he forget about me? Am I the only one he forgot? Did he forget everything but his parents chose to not talk about me at all? So many questions, and yet no apparent answer. I want to know, but I'm too scared to find out the truth.