Babe, can we meet?
Nagtaka si KC ng matanggap ng nobyo.
Nobyo mo pa pa ba talaga siya? MUkhang hindi na ah, himig-nang-iinis na saad ng isang bahagi ng kaniyang isipan.
She is on the verge of bursting into tears everytime she remember waking up in a room unknown to her a week ago. She was so schocked to be in that place kaya nagmamadali siyang nagbihis at umalis sa lugar nay un. WAla naman siyang napansing kakaiba o ano paman kaya winaglit niya na isipan ang bagy nay un. Thinking it could be one of her blackouts.
Pero ang hindi niya matanggap ay ang pag-iwas at tila galit na mga tingin na iniuukol ng nobyo sa kaniya sa tuwing nagkakasalubong sila sa opisina. Ni hindi siya nito binabati o kahit magtext o tumawag man lang ay hindi nito ginawa. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang nagawa niya na amaaring ikinagalit nito. Gusto sana niyang kausapin ito dahil maaaring may nagawa siyang mali habang nagkaroon siya ng blackout o di kaya ay may nasabi siyang hindi nito nagustuhan.
Sure. Where and when?
Napatingin siya ng muling tumunog ang cellphone niya, isinara na niya ng tuluyan ang librong binabasa niya dahil hindi rin naman niya maintindihan ang mga nakasulat doon. Her parents asked her to take a leave, yet again, cause they are concerned of her well-being. They're afraid na dahil emotionally disturb siya, baka bigla siyang magkaroon ng blackouts sa opisina at hindi daw iyon magiging maganda so they decided to file an indefinite leave for her. Ilang araw na din siyang nagmumukmok sa kanyang kwarto at nagbabasa ng mga collections niya, while waiting for him to contact her, apologize and explain his behavior the other night.
Let's meet at Hijō ni oishī, 7 pm.
iyon lang ang reply nito, ni walang I love you o I miss you o kahit sorry nalang.
Nik is in the verge of going back to where he came from and to go on and face the problem he has been avoiding for days now.
He cannot concentrate on any task he has to do because the thought of what he and Hanna talked about has been boggling him for days.
But to his surprise, Dr. Salvatore Duranti and his wife, one of the greatest surgeon in the country, Dra. Yumi Duranti, asked to see him during their lunch break in the establishment. They talk to him heartily and he felt how much they loved KC, kahit na nga kailangan nilang itago ang totoong kondisyon nito. They pleaded and asked for his help, and told him that Hanna is actually going to Europe the next week to meet a doctor who claimed that he was able to help or 'heal' a Dissociative Disorder patient like KC.
So he decided to meet her although until that time, he still hasn't decided whether or not to tell her or just go with the flow like what Hanna and the Duranti's asked him.
Sa bawat hakbang niya papasok sa restaurant ay parang isang malaking dagok sa kanya. Pakiramdam niya ay bibitayin siya at ng mga oras na iyon ibibigay ng hukom ang verdict sa kanya.
Pumasok siya sa loob ng restaurant at pinilit kalmahin ang sarili, muntik na siyang tumimbuwang ng Makita ang babaeng naghihintay sa mesang pina-reserve niya ng igiya siya doon ng waiter ng restaurant.
The woman infront of him is obviously not KC, she is wearing a very sexy dress showing her assets.
Muntik na siyang mapaungol ng Makita ang pilyang ngiti sa mga labi ng babae, it was the same smile he saw the first time in Dan's Bar and on his apartment.
Damn it! Why haven't I thought of asking Hanna when will that Sandy and Tin would take over KC's body!
"Hi!", she smiles at him seductively while he tried to calmly sit on the chair infront of him.
"I don't think we were formally introduced to each other", and she handed her hand to him for a shake hands. "My name is Sandy".
Napalunok siya, he can't believe that the woman infront of her is the feisty alter ego in flesh!
He handed his hand and was shocked ng hilahin siya nito palapit dito.
"We should make this dinner fast so that we can move on to our OTHER itinerary for the night", and she grin at him.
Tumikhim muna siya bago magsalita.
"I wasn't expecting to see you tonight", pag-iiba niya sa usapan with a very serious look on his face. "I was expecting to talk to MY GIRLFRIEND".
Kagyat itong tumawa at tiningnan siya ng masama. "I was expecting thst when you texted her that you want to meet with her. That is why I'm her to the rescue".
"Ahm.. Maybe you want to eat first?", he asked out of polite.
Tumango lang ito at tinawag ang waiter. Wala silang imikan habang kumakain but he sees to it to glance at her once in awhile, trying to see any mannerism similar to KC.
Nang matapos silang kumain ay nag order ito ng red wine and even asked him to toast with her.
"This is for you, a toast for your enlightenment of KC's condition", at marahang sinimsim ang alak sa kanyang baso.
"I don't think there's anything to celebrate about it S-sandy", awkward pa rin sa kanya ang tawagin ito sa pangalang iyon, ibang-iba man ito kum,para sa simple at nerdy and manang look ng kanyang gf, the woman infront of him is STILL KC.
"There is, because now that you already know about me and Tin, you can help us--"
"Help you what?! Help you conceal the truth from her? Help you to make her a fool?", hindi niya mapigilan ang bugso ng damdamin. She may not love KC but she had become part of his life and he knows how good she is, she doesn't desrve to be fooled.
"How dare you, you don't know how hard it is for all of us living a life like this! I have been living a life like Kc's shadow for almost all her life, same is with Tin. Sa tingin mo ba we are happy to be here in this kind of situation? Everyrhing that Kc don't want to do, ako ang gumagawa. Everything that she wants to conceal to herself, si Tin ang nag-eexpress.Now, do you think this is the life that we have dream of having? We wouldn't exist if not for all those traumatic b*llshit she experienced, thus, making us just a pigment of her imagination to other people. Hindi kami totoo Nikolai! We are like KC's defense team! Do you think masaya kami sa ganito??!", mahina ngunit madiin ang bawat salita nito.
Hindi siya makasagot, how can he? Hindi naman niya alam kung paano malagay sa iasang sitwasyong katulad ng sa kaharapdahil wala naman siyang other personality at hindi naman siya isang alter ego.
"So what do you want me to do for KC then?", maya-maya ay tanong niya dito.
Huminga muna ito ng malalim bago nagsalit, looking intently into his eyes.
"Hanna is going to the states to meet a doctor claiming he was able to help or 'cure' a person with a dissociative identity disorder. She is trying her best, for all these years to help us too, kaya hihingi siya ng tulong sa doctor na 'yon. Habang sinusubukan niyang maghanap ng lunas, pardon me for using such a term for the lack of appropriate word to use, let's try to live our normal lives. Stop forcing KC to have make love with her, make her feel that everything is okay".
"Technically, I was HAVING SEX with you", saad niya dito.
"And you still can if you want", mapang-akit nitong sagot sa kanya. "But only with me, off limits sina Tin ant KC".
"I will not do that, after knowing that it wasn't my gf I am making love with!"
"Oh, masyado ka palang loyal Nik! I didn't thought of you as such, you seemed like a playboy to me", nang-uuyam nitong saad na sinagot niya lang ng matalim na tingin. "Nakalimutan mo na bang you fucked me ng araw na maging kayo ni KC?",
Tumiim ang kaniyang mga bagang ngunit hindi na siya nagsalit pa.
" By the way, paano kung si Tin naman ang lumabas? Paano ko siya pakikisamahan?"
"You don't need to worry about Tin, madalas ay lumalabas lang siya kapag masyadong masaya o inspired si KC. And these past few days ay lumalabas siya after ng mga NANGYAYARI sa atin, which is technically with KC pa rin. And that's because in KC's subconscious mind, she loves what is happening to you and her. It's just that hindi niya gustong makaranas ng masasayang bagay na sa bandang huli ay iniisip niyang mawawala sa kanya. Iyan ang explanation ni Hanna sa amin ni Tin kaya kami ipinanganak, if you know what I mean".
"If that's the case, ikaw lang pala ang madalas kong makaakhalubilo"
"Yeah, parang ganoon na nga. Pero I'll try my very best na hindi lumabas kapag nagmo-moment kayo ni KC. Hopefully ay hindi i-block ng isip niya ang mga bagay na "gagawin" ninyo para hindi ako lumbas", and she sipped wine again.
Napabuntung-hininga si Nik, mukhang wala na siyang magagawa kundi ang tulungan muna ang mga ito at isantabi ang kaniyang pansariling kagustuhan.