It was that night in September when Kim ran to her Kuya Michael's room. She found us sitting on the sofa, playing Kuya Michael's new video game.
"Jeremy," She called. "Nood tayo ng tv. Dali!"
Hindi namin siya pinansin. I thought she's just jealous because I'm spending the night in her kuya's room and not with her.
"Jeremy!"
"Kim, nag-sleep over siya so we can finish this game. He didn't come for you, okay?" Kuya Michael scolded her.
"But Kuya, he needs to watch tv. Tito Jeric and Tita Mai are in the hospital. It was in the news just now."
I let go of the game console; and without a word, I ran out of the room and went to the living room. The TV's tuned in to a news program. They're showing footages of a car accident scene.
My eyes widened. The car's in wreck but I know. My heart knows. But I wished I was wrong. It was my dad's car. The car he rides when he's driving me to school. The car he rides when he's driving me and mommy to the mall. It's his car.
"Jeric Teng and wife seriously hurt in a car accident." The headline just confirmed it.
Lumapit sa akin si nana, Kim's grandmother. "Your Tito Jeron called. He'll pick you up. He's on his way." Then she hugged me. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."
I glanced at the TV. I wish I never left home. I wish I stayed with them. Things would not have happened if I was with them.
...
I'm standing beside the guard near our school gate waiting for Tito Jeron to pick me up. For three days, he's been my dad, my acting dad. He said he'll be my dad as long as dad is in the hospital. I'm okay with that. I love Tito Jeron. He's cool. We get along well. And unlike my titas who treats me like I'm still 2, he treats me like I'm just a few years younger than him.
"How was school, young man?" He asked when I got up to his car.
"It's cool."
"Do you want to eat first before we go to the hospital?"
"No. I'd like to see mommy and daddy."
"Okay. Buckle up."
I did what I was told. And it made me miss dad. If he was here, he'd do it for me. And we'll argue about eating.
"Nah. Let's eat first. Pagagalitan ako ng mommy mo pag hindi kita pinakain." He'll say.
I miss dad.
Soon we arrived at the hospital. Unlike the past three days, the place is not crowded anymore. No more media. No more reporters. Just sick people. Just visitors.
"Pwede diretso na ako sa lobby?" I asked Tito Jeron. "I'm excited to show dad my new uniform."
"Will you be okay? You know your way to their room?"
"Opo. Second floor. Right. Straight ahead. Last room."
"Alright. But don't tell Mommy Susan I'm still in the parking lot. You don't want me to sleep beside your dad."
"Alright. I won't tell Mommy Susan."
"Good." He drove until we reached the hospital's lobby. I got down from his car. "See you later." He said.
"See you, Tito."
I went in. I lined up for the elevator. And went out when it reached the second floor. I turned right and walked straight ahead.
On my way, I met this woman. She looked familiar. She looked like... "Hey," I called her. She stopped and looked back at me. "You're dad's friend, right?" I remember her now. My mom and I saw her with dad when we visited his team practice. "Did you come to see him?"
"Jeremy," I heard Mommy Susan.
I just looked back at Mommy Susan and when I turned back, the woman already left. She was running fast.
"You're talking to someone?" Mommy Susan asked.
"Yeah. Dad's friend. Did she visit dad?"
"She?" She asked. "The doctors has not allowed anyone to visit your dad except for his family."
"But --"
"What's that?" She noticed what I was holding.
I didn't let her see it. "A surprise for dad."
"Can I see it?"
"No. I want dad to be the first one to see."
"This na lang." She turned her attention to the other I was holding.
"No din. This is a surprise for mommy."
Mommy Susan smirked. "Manang-mana ka sa daddy mo."
"Of course, I'm his son."
She smirked again. "Let's go. They're waiting for you."
She held my hand and we walked to the last room. It's mom and dad's room.
"Mommy! Dad! I'm here!" I shouted when I entered their room.
...
Susan let her grandson entered the room on his own. She stayed outside and watched him as he talks to his parents. Tears fell as soon as Jeremy approached his dad's bed.
"Mom, umiiyak na naman kayo." She looked beside her. Nandoon na pala si Jeron.
She wiped her tears. "Naaawa ako sa apo ko." She said while watching Jeremy show his dad his new basketball uniform. "Napakabata pa niya para sa ganitong sitwasyon."
"Mom, he's a strong boy. All we can do for him now is be strong as well." Jeron said.
Susan knows that, and she's proud to see how Jeremy deals with the situation. Cool, calm, positive. Pero hindi niya maiwasang masaktan para kay Jeremy.
He stands at the middle of the two bed, talking to his parents about school. He shows his dad his new uniform as if his dad is awake. "Look, dad. I changed my number to 8. I'll just use 16 in college."
He turned to his mom. "Mommy, did you see my quizzes? Teacher said, I just have to keep it up and I can be in the Top Ten again."
He looked at his parents. "I'm okay, mommy. I'm doing good, dad. But I miss the both of you."
"I miss you, mommy." He kissed her cheek.
"I miss you, dad." He kissed his cheek.
He stood there and stared at his mom and dad. Until he noticed his dad's fingers. "Dad?" It's moving. "Dad, are you awake?" He asked.
Until his dad's eyes opened. "Dad!" He run to the door. "Mommy Susan! Dad is awake!"
Susan run to the room. "Jeric,. Anak? Jeric?" His eyes are open, looking around until he looked at her. "Jeric?"
"M-mommy," He calls her.
"Dad!"
He looked at Jeremy.
"Kuya!"
He turned to the other side and saw Jeron. "Jeron,"
"Jeron, tumawag ka ng nurse. Dali!" Susan told Jeron. "Anak, gising ka na." She turned to Jeric again.
He ran out of the room and told the nurses that his brother woke up.
"Thank you. Thank you, Lord." Susan is teary eyed at this moment. One prayer is answered. Jeric is already awake.
Jeric looked at his right. He saw a woman lying, sleeping. "Jeric,." He overhears a woman's voice. "Jeric!" Her voice is so loud he felt his eardrums breaking. He looked at his mom again and the woman's voice is suddenly gone.
...
Alvin rushed to the room. His daughters as well. The doctor's done checking on Jeric and is now talking to his wife, Susan. "He's still under observation. He'll undergo more tests just to check if he's really okay. God is good, Susan."
"He is. Thank you, doc." Susan told the doctor.
"I'll go ahead. Patawagan mo ulit ako sa mga nurse if anything happens." Paalam nito. "Alvin,"
"Thank you, doc." He said.
"It's my job. Fighter ang anak mo. Hindi nag-give up. I'll go ahead." Paalam din nito kay Alvin.
When the doctor finally went out, it's time for the family to celebrate. "Gising ka na, kuya!" Jeron said.
"Kanina pa." Jeric answered. His voice is more clear now. He stared at his brother. "Parang ang laki na ng katawan mo."
"Kuya naman. Ganyan na talaga yan."
He looked at everyone and saw his dad. "Dad,"
Alvin stood beside Jeron. "Buti naman, gising ka na. Hinahanda na ang paglipat mo sa private room. Mayamaya lang siguro, lilipat ka na."
His sisters also went to him and hugged him. "Pinag-alala mo kami. Lalo na si mommy." His eldest sister said.
"Buti na lang, matapang si Jeremy. Di man lang umiyak." Almira told him.
He looked at the boy sitting next to the other bed. He looked familiar. They said his name is Jeremy but he couldn't remember. They said he's his son but he couldn't remember him.
"Jeremy," He called the boy.
The boy went up to him. He looks just like him when he was young. And Jeric felt like he had known the kid for so long.
"Dad," The kid called him.
He stared at the boy while thinking what to say. What should he say to a boy he couldn't even remember the name? What should he say to his son? Until...
"How's school?"
The kid let out a smile. "I miss you, dad!" And hugged him. It made him smile. Suddenly, all the awkwardness that he feels are now gone.
"One down!" Jeremy said. "Dad's awake! Si mommy na lang."
They looked at the woman at the other bed. "Mommy?" He asked.
"Mommy."
"She's your mom?" He asked his son.
"She's your wife." Jeremy told him.
He frowned. That sleeping woman is his wife? They're married? If he couldn't remember his son, at least he looked familiar. But that woman. She doesn't even look familiar. He's sure he had never seen her before.
"Bakit, Jeric?" His mom asked.
"Hindi ko siya maalala." He answered.
...
The doctors said Jeric may have amnesia. But by listening to him, the family figured, he couldn't remember events after his fourth year in UAAP. The PCCL championship is the last big event he could remember. That was 14 years ago.
"You can't remember how you met mommy?" Jeremy is sitting in his dad's bed asking him questions about his condition. Jeric shook his head. "First date?" He shook his head again. "First kiss?" And again.
Jeremy frowned. "Bakit mo nakalimutan?"
"Jeremy," His mommy Susan called. "Gabi na. Bukas na lang ulit kayo mag-usap ng daddy mo. Sumabay ka na sa mga tita mo pag-uwi."
"Can't I stay with dad?"
Susan shook his head. "You have to go to school tomorrow. Bukas ka na lang matulog dito with your dad."
"Sige na, Jeremy. Sumunod ka na kay Mommy Susan. Bring your games tomorrow so we could play." Jeric told his son.
"Okay." He stepped down from the bed. "Can I say goodbye to mommy?" Jeric heard his son asked his Mommy Susan as they're going out of his private room.
"Kulit ng anak mo, no." Jeron said when Jeremy went out. "Salamat at gising ka na. I don't have to put up with a mini you anymore."
"Thank you for looking after Jeremy." Jeric said.
"You're welcome. But I don't think I did well. Iba pa rin kasi talaga ang alaga niyo ni Ate Mai."
"Mai? Is that her name? That woman sleeping on the other bed?"
Jeron stood near his brother. "Yes. Mai is her name. And she's not just 'that woman' to you, kuya. Asawa mo siya. Your wife."
Jeric lowered his head. "I couldn't remember any memory of her."
"Paano nga, PCCL championship pa ang natatandaan mo. Hindi pa kayo magkakilala noon."
He tried remembering the woman. Her face. What does her voice sounds like. What is she like.
"Wag mo muna pilitin. It will come. Meanwhile..." Jeron took his bag. "Uuwi muna ako. Maaga pa ako gigising para sunduin at ihatid sa school si Jeremy. Magpagaling ka. Para ikaw na gumawa nito ulit."
Jeric watched as his brother leaves. And he's left alone. He lied down and stared at the ceiling. They said he was unconscious for three days. They said he had a car accident. And because of that, he lost 14 years of memories.
"Jeric," There goes the woman's voice again. "Jeric," She keeps calling his name. "Jeric," It was okay but when she started screaming his name, "Jeric!" He covered his ears. Her scream hurts his ears.
"Boses niya kaya yun?" He asked himself. "Nag-asawa ba ako ng nagger?" He asked again.
"Jeric!"
He covered his ears again. "AAAHHH!!! Nakakairita ang boses niya! Matutulog na nga lang ako." He thought. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
...
"She's your wife."
"Mai is her name. And she's not just 'that woman' to you, kuya. Asawa mo siya. Your wife."
Jeric overhears Jeremy and Jeron.
"Jeric,"
Then he saw this girl at the middle of a hanging bridge.
"Jeric,"
She was smiling at him.
"Jeric,"
He walked to approach her. Until he was standing in front of her.
"Mai," He called her.
Her smile suddenly faded. Her eyes are fierce. "I hate you."
He tried holding her. "Bitawan mo ako. I hate you. I don't love you. I don't love you anymore."
He heard laughter. Men's laughter. Then he heard his mom's voice. "Kayo talaga.. Mayamaya, gising na rin si Jeric."
He slowly opened his eyes. His mom's face is the first thing he sees. "O, gising na pala."
He saw a bald guy peeking behind his mom. "Gising na nga 'tol." The guy said.
He looked the other way and saw two guys, one who looks Chinese and one is not. He looked at the bald guy again.
"Sino kayo?" He asked them.
"Patay tayo dyan. Di tayo kilala." The non-Chinese guy said.
"Mga teammates mo sila, anak." His mom told him.
"College?" He asked.
"PBA bro." The Chinese guy answered.
He got up from the bed. His mom helped him.
"Dito muna kayo ha. Pupuntahan ko lang si Mai." Paalam sa kanila ng mommy niya.
"Sige po, Tita."
When his mom is finally out, they all went serious. They stared at him.
"Bakit?" He asked them.
"May amnesia ka ba talaga? O drama mo lang 'to para hindi ka iwan ni Mai?" The bald guy asked him.
He frowned. "Gusto akong iwan ng babaeng yun?"
The three looked at each other.
"Mukhang may amnesia nga." The non-Chinese guy concluded.
"Ang daldal mo kasi eh." The Chinese guy pushed the bald guy aside. "Allan," He introduced himself. "Wag mo intindihin yung sinabi niya."
The non-Chinese guy also introduced himself. "Ian,"
Then it's the bald guy's turn. "John. Yung sinabi ko,... biro lang yun. Ganun talaga tayo magbiruan."
But Jeric didn't believe him. "...para hindi ka iwan ni Mai" is already stuck in his head. So his wife wanted to leave him.
"Ahh..." They were looking for something to say to make Jeric stop thinking about what John said.
"Sige. Aalis na kami." Allan took his bag. "Binisita ka lang talaga namin. Natuwa kasi kami nang sabihin ni coach kanina na nagising ka na."
"Sige 'Tol." Ian also took his bag. "Pagaling ka." He tapped Jeric's shoulder. "Kailangan ka ng team."
John was the last one to say goodbye. "Sige, Jeric. Dadaan din kami kay Mai."
"Sandali," Jeric stops them just before they go out of the room. They all went back to him as he tries to get down from the bed. "Gusto ko rin siya makita."
John went out of the room. He suddenly stopped when he saw a familiar girl outside Jeric's room.
"Ano ba? Bakit ka huminto?" Ian looked at John and to the girl he's looking at. Natigilan din siya.
"Umalis nga kayo dyan." Allan pushed them aside before pulling Jeric out. He didn't notice the girl because he's busy pushing Jeric who's in a wheelchair.
John and Ian carefully watched if Jeric will notice the girl. But he didn't. They followed them and didn't say a word.
Jeric sits in his wheelchair inside the icu room. His teammates just left. He checked his mom at the glass wall. She's talking to the nurses. He looked back at the woman in a coma.
"I hate you. I don't love you. I don't love you anymore." He overhears what she said in his dream.
He stared at her. So many questions are running to his mind.
He moved his wheelchair closer to her. "Gumising ka na." He whispered. "Gising na, Mai."
He suddenly pulled his wheelchair away from her bed when she opened her eyes. She looked around and saw him. Her breathing became heavy soon her eyes met his.
"Ma..! Ma..!" He called his mom. "Mommy!"
Susan came in rushing.
"Mai,"
She couldn't hold her tears any longer. Finally. Her daughter-in-law is now awake. "Mai, gising ka na."
Mai pulled herself to get near to Susan. And move away from Jeric.
Susan saw fear in Mai's eyes. She didn't want to look at Jeric. She just calmed down when the nurses pulled him out of the room.
"Mai," She called her.
"Mommy," Mai called her back.
Jeric is just outside the room. He's looking at the woman inside. She looked at him. Their eyes met, and glared at each other.
...
Susan helped Mai get up to her new bed in this private room. She continues to stare at the man in a wheelchair near the door.
"Natawagan ko na ang mama mo sa Canada. Napaalam ko na okay ka na. Dadalaw na lang daw siya soon as makapagpabook siya ng flight." Her mother-in-law tells her.
"Thank you, mommy." She said.
Susan held her hand. "I'm glad you're okay."
Nagmamadaling pumasok si Jeremy kasunod ang Tita Almira niya. "Mommy!" He run to his mom and hugged her. "You're awake. You're awake!"
Mai pats his back. "Jeremy,"
"You remember me?" The kid asked.
"Of course. Makakalimutan ko ba ang baby ko?"
They hugged once again. "I'm so happy. Gising na kayo ni dad."
Mai releases her son from the hug. "Dad?"
Jeremy looked at the man in a wheelchair. "Dad."
Mai looked at the man. "S-siya ang daddy mo?"
Jeremy frowned. "You don't remember him?"
She shook her head.
"Eh ako Ate Mai, natatandaan mo ba ako?" Almira asked.
"Almira." She called Almira. Then she looked at the man again. "Pero siya," She stared at him. Trying to remember who he is. His face. But, she shakes her head. "Hindi ko siya kilala."
Almira and Susan looked at each other.
"Oh no." Almira worries. "Wag niyong sabihing, pareho kayong may amnesia."