Memories with Him

Chapter One

I roamed my eyes around as I got inside the room. The place seems familiar but at the same time, I don’t know. Marahan akong humakbang upang mas mapagmasdan ang kabuuan ng silid. I just got out of the hospital without my memories.

Papa and Mama was there the whole time, well, that’s what they said. And then Akihiro Cury added his self up in the picture. Ang sabi niya sa akin no’ng mga panahong gumising ako ay asawa ko siya. Sumangayon naman sina Mama at Papa sa sinabi niya kaya alam kong totoo. Pero wala talaga akong matandaan.

There’s a ring on my finger as I woke up, but they didn’t tell me exactly how it happened since as of the doctors, my brain shouldn’t be pressured by thinking of those forgotten memories.

Pagkagising ko sa hospital akala ko ay nineteen years old pa lang ako. But as of mom, I am already twenty-two and when they ran some tests. We found out that I have this kind of selective amnesia where I forgot the things that happened for the past three-years of my existence.

I stared at my own reflection in the mirror. Dahil sa nangyari pakiramdam ko ay hindi ako ito. Na ibang tao ang nakikita ko. I feel stranger to my own self.

Tinanong ako ng doktor kung hanggang saan ang naalala ko. Ang naalala ko lang ay noong nagkaroon kami ng party nina Keli and Hera na pareho kong matalik na kaibigan. And then I got drunk, and I lost consciousness. That’s it. I wonder if Keli knows what happened to me since she never showed herself the whole time I was in the hospital.

I feel like there’s a big blank and a big hole in my life, sucking and pulling me down, preventing me from moving forward the reason why as much as I want to free myself from this hole, I can’t.

“Hey, are you okay?” I turned my back to face Akihiro. I slowly nodded and flashed him a small smile.

“Yes.”

“What do you want for lunch? I’ll cook for you.”

“Kahit ano na lang.” Sagot ko naman sa kanya. Tumango siya at lumapit sa akin. Nagulat ako nang bigla niya akong yakapin

“I-I’m sorry, I just missed you so much.” Ngumiti ako sa kanya at tumango.

Marami man akong hindi maalala ay may parte sa puso ko na sobrang saya kasi mula pagkagising ko, sobra ko nang naramdaman ang pagmamahal mula kay Akihiro. But I have doubts inside me that I can’t ask with W’s and H questions, and it’s killing me.

Ang natatandaan ko lang ay nineteen-years old ako at may gusto ako sa kanya dahil sa mga nababasa ko sa magazine tungkol sa kanya. He is Akihiro Cury, the son of the great Ramon Cury which is the owner ng CGH or Cury Group of Hotels, one of the most expensive hotels nationwide and one of the best hoteliers in the Philippines. Pero hanggang doon lang. Hindi ko inisip na magiging ganito ang lahat.

I just woke up one day with the big news that we’re already married and it’s confusing the hell out of me.

“Bababa na ako. You can rest if you want, or… you can watch me cook.”

“Okay. I’ll just clean myself and change. I’ll go downstairs in a bit.” Bago niya ako talikuran ay hinalikan niya ako sa noo. And I guess I turned crimson red with what he did.

Agad akong naghilamos at nagpalit ng damit. I really want to know what happened and if what is the reason why I am already married to Akihiro. I even tried asking my parents and Aki about this but they just won’t say anything. Ang lagi nilang dahilan ay baka ma-pressure ang utak ko.

Marahan akong bumaba ng hagdan at pinagmasdan ang mga larawang nakasabit sa pader na kanina ay hindi ko napansin. Those are pictures of me and Akihiro on our wedding day. Tatlong malaking frame ang mga iyon.

I was smiling widely at the picture while Akihiro is serious. It seems like he never really wanted to marry me. Did he? Well, the way he acts contradicts this question I have. Noong mga panahong nasa hospital pa ako ay naging sobrang maalaga siya.

He never left my side and he was even sleeping at the couch just to make sure that there’s someone who will look after me. I stayed in the hospital for another month right after I woke up. As of them, I was in coma for two-months. Basically speaking, I was hospitalized for three-long-months.

Agad akong nagtungo sa kusina at nakita si Aki na hinihiwa ang mga gulay. Umupo ako malapit sa kanya para panuorin siya. I wonder how this guy can cook with so much grace.

“What are you going to cook?” I asked not removing my eyes on his bare hands. May suot din siyang singsing na kagaya sa akin.

“Chopsuey.”

I flashed him a smile and roamed my eyes around the whole kitchen. The house was pretty huge for the both of us.

The doctor said that my memories would eventually come back. But I can’t force myself to remember all of them or else, there’s a possibility that my condition will turn to worst. Isa-isa silang darating ng kusa.

“Three-years na ba tayong kasal?” Narinig ko ang tunog ng kutsilyong binitawan niya tapos ay hinarap niya ako. Nagtiim bagang siya na tila ba nagiisip kung sasagutin niya ang katanungang ibinato ko sa kanya o hindi.

“Anya, your mind needs a break. It should-”

“Just asking. Pero hindi naman siguro makasasama kung sagutin mo ‘di ba? I’m just curious.” I gagged.

“Fine. We’re already two years. And that’s it. Please don’t pressure yourself remembering some things.” Akmang sasagot ako pero bigla siyang lumapit sa akin at niyakap ako ng mahigpit, “I don’t want to see you hurting.” I was taken aback with what he just said.

Naramdaman ko rin ang marahang paghalik niya sa buhok ko.

“Please, promise me that you won’t pressure yourself,” marahan akong tumango.

“Okay, I promise.” He sighed in relief and let go of me. “Nagmamahalan ba talaga tayo?” I asked after awhile “Sa picture kasi parang hindi ka naman masaya.” Dagdag ko. Pumikit siya ng mariin bago tumango.

“If only I can take over what you have and what you feel right now, I will. That’s how much I love you, Anya.” Hindi ako agad naka-imik. Ipinagpatuloy na lamang niya ang paghiwa sa mga gulay na iluluto.

But then, there’s still a doubt that I am determine to find on my own at all cost.

“Thank you.” I said as I found myself and brought it back to reality, “Oo nga pala, gusto ko sana makita sina Keli at Hera, p’wede mo ba akong ihatid sa kanila?” I asked as I remember my girl friends.

“Yes, but Keli’s not here. I don’t where she is.”

“Oh, that’s explains everything. Kaya pala hindi ko siya nakita noong nasa hospital pa ako. Alam kaya niya ang nangyari?”

“Maybe.” I was about to say something when I heard voice on my head.

“That’s the reason why certain people believe in love. That’s bull.”

I stopped and blinked at the sudden flashed of a voice inside my head, a deep and baritone voice. Alam ko na hindi iyon boses ni Papa. Wala rin akong kaibigang lalaki, tanging si Keli lang ang kaibigan ko at si Hera.

Pinuntahan ako ni Hera ng ilang beses noong nasa hospital pa ako. She keeps on asking me how I feel, but just like Akihiro, she just won’t say anything. And that voice was obviously not hers. I don’t know why but I feel like I was eager to know everything as soon as possible.

Hinawakan ko ang ulo ko nang maramdaman kong medyo kumirot ito. Marahan akong pumikit at pilit na inayos ang pakiramdam ko.

Aki is in front of me, and I don’t want him to see that I am having a headache because of a sudden flashback in my mind since I don’t want to worry him.

Alam ko na pagagalitan lang niya ako at sasabihing pinipilit ko na naman ang sarili kong makaalala. Naramdaman ko ang mga kamay ni Akihiro na humawak sa balikat ko kaya iminulat ko ang aking mga mata at tumingala para tignan siya.

Looking at his pair of chocolate brown eyes, I feel like it’s bringing me into different dimension. It’s funny how his simple touch and look can send shivers down my spine and can cause a different kind of electricity.

Again, an awkward moment of silence took over. Hindi ko alam kung nakasanayan ko na ba dati na lagi siyang malapit sa akin, at kung nagawa ko man, hindi ko alam kung paano gagawin ulit.

Akihiro Cury is every girls dream based on his looks. Idagdag pa ang milyong-milyong pera na meron siya. I can’t help but to wonder why I was the one he married. I am nothing but, well, daughter of Marco Umali, owner of Umali Incorporated and Anne Umali, one of the well-known fashion designers nationwide.

And aside from that, I am indeed plain compare to all the supermodels that were being link to him back when I was still nineteen. I adore Akihiro a lot way back then, I know almost everything about him. He was twenty-one when I was nineteen. Basically, he’s now twenty-four since I am twenty-two.

Alam ko ang birthday niya. Pangalan ng mga magulang niya. I also know that at the age of twenty-one, his mother passed away.

I’m just an ordinary girl. I have my insecurities and those insecurities will surely grow knowing the fact that I am the wife of the great Akihiro Cury.

“Hey, are you okay?” I looked up at Akihiro and flashed him a smile.

“Y-Yes.” That voice was closely similar to his voice.

Akihiro’s voice.