Finding Avie's body

Chapter 34

We arrived early just like what Drake said it is just a 10 minute drive away from their mansion. Pagbaba namin ng sasakyan ang unang una kong nakita ay isang tree house. The tree was so huge that the tree house doesn’t looked like a tree house, medyo malaki yung tree house at saka mukhang custom made.

 “Come,” Drake said while offering me his hand.

I just looked at it and rolled my eyes at him.

“Hahaha! Ang sungit!” natatawang sabi nya at saka nagumpisang kumuha ng mga gamit na dala naming.

I looked around and saw how beautiful this place is. Ang daming puno! Ang lamig ng hangin at napakadaming bulaklak sa paligid, this looks like a paradise!

Ang lamig lamig pa dito, siguro dahil andami talagang puno.

“Where is this place? Nasa city pa din ba tayo?” tanong ko kay Drake kasi feeling ko nasa tagaytay na kami or somewhere in the province pero kasi diba a ten minute drive wont get you anywhere far from manila.

That’s absurd!

“Don’t worry were still in Manila, but I wont tell you this place, para kapag gusto mong pumunta dito edi tatawagan mo ko, at ako ang sasama sayo na pumunta dito.” Naka ngiti nyang sabi sa akin at saka  nagsimula na ipasok yung mga gamit namin sa tree house.

“Tatawagan your ass. I don’t even know your number. Hindi ba tayo trespassing dito ha? San ba kase to? Siraulo ka baka mamaya bigla nalang may mambaril satin dito.”

He laughed a little and gave out his hand. I only looked at it as if his gestures seems weird for me.

“Ang arte naman nito sige, pagnahulog ka paakyat bahala ka sa buhay mo ha?” sabi nya sakin while still waving his hand on my face.

Nako baka nga mamaya malaglag pa ako dito, may casting pa naman ako mamaya mahirap na.

Kahit na labag sa loob ko na kuhanin yung kamay nya kinuha ko na din kasi baka mamaya madupilas ako dito hay nako andami kasing pakulo nitong lalakeng to.

“Aabutin naman pala ang arte arte pa,” Drake said while tightly holding my hand.

Babawiin ko sana yung kamay ko dahil sa sinabi nya pero lalo nyang hinigpitan yung hawak.

“ Oh wag mo ng hitakin pabalik hawak na nga kita e,” he said while guiding me.

It wasn’t a hassle to go to the tree house, may maayos naman na ladder style na hagdan na dadaanan para maka-akyat at hindi naman matarik yung hagdan.

Pagdating naming sa tree house inopen agad ni Drake yung pintuan using his keys and a code. Yes may code style lock tong tree house. Daig pa ang low end condo.

In-on nya yung aircon agad at saka yung mga gamit. I looked around and saw a fridge, a flatscreen tv, an internet modem and a mini kitchen.

I saw a lot of picture frames. Mostly pictures ni Drake with his Lola and Lola, may mga ilan na pictures ni Drake kasama yung mga parents nya pero mostly talaga picture ang kasama nya ay yung lolo at lola nya.

“Is this tree house a gift from your Abuela and Abuelo?” I asked him.

“Yes they gave this tree house to me on my thirteenth birthday.” Sagot nya sa akin at saka nya tinapos na ayusin yung mga gamit na dala namin, sinet nya din yung table para kung magssnack kami nakaayos na.

“So what are we going to do now?” tanong ko sa kanya.

He smiled creepily at me.

“Why are you smilling like that? Wag mo kong subukan Drake sasamain ka talaga sakin hindi ko gusto yang ngiti at tingin mo ha, baka nakakalimutan mon a kahit pa anak ako sa labas ng Daddy ko anak pa din nya ako. Anak ako ni Senator Achilles Gomez just to remind you!” kinakabahan na sabi ko sa kanya.

Bakit ba kase sumama pa ako dito sa tukmol nato. ARGHHHHHH!!!!

He suddenly laughed so hard, nawala na din yung napaka creepy nyang smile at tingin sa akin. He’s back to his usual self.

“Aba marunong din palang matakot ang isang Avrielle Akiesha Gomez?” natatawang sabi nya sa akin.

I just rolled my eyes at him. Hindi ko alam sa lalaki na to kung bakit parang lagi nya akong pinagti-trippan. Kaya nga kami nasa sitwasyon na to ngayon kasi sobrang napikon ako sa kanya to the point na pinatulan ko yung hamon nya.

Oh well I didn’t know that he was good at badminton malay ko ba? At isa pa confident ako sa sarili ko kasi varsity player ako ng badminton and I won a lot of championships already. Siguro plus point sa kanya na lalaki sya.

“So first I’d like to meet you,” Drake said while opening a can of soda.

He offered me one but I refused immediately, I don’t drink sugary drinks. Sobrang lakas makataba ng mga soda! Sa mga nagda-diet jan my tip for you is to avoid sugary foods. Water is the only fluid that you should consume if you really want to lose weight.

Yes sacrifice talaga pero if you want to have a sexy body just like mine, you have to set your goals.

“You know me already,” I unattentively answered to him.

“I wanna get to know you more, siguro naman alam mo na interesado ako sayo?” he said while sipping on his soda.

“Uh-huh? Anong interesado? Interesado kang pestehin yung buhay ko. Pwede ba stop pestering me, you wont get anything from me.” Sagot ko sa kanya at saka umirap.

Totoo naman, I know what he’s trying to imply and alam ko yung mga lalakeng katulad nya. I will not anyone hurt me again.

“ You know what gets me interested in you? Its not about your looks or your body or your brain cause you’re a total package, really pero hindi yun ang dahilan kung bakit interesado ako sayo,”

“I want to see you happy, ikaw na ata yung kaisa-isang tao na nakilala ko na parang hindi pa naranasang maging masaya. Ang lungkot lungkot ng mga mata mo. I want to make you happy.” He sincerely said.

I took me a minute to process what he said.

“I am happy.” That’s all what I was able to answer to him.

“You don’t look happy to me, I just want to show you how beautiful life is and that there is so much more in this world than you can ever imagine.  I hate to see your sad eyes. Kahit nan aka-ngiti ka yung mata mo hindi kayang magsinungaling. Your eyes shows how sad and lonely you are.” He seriously said to me.

I hate to admit everything he said but it was true.

I grow up only with my Nana Gina, nong bata pa ako I always asks her about my Dad, kung kalian nya ba ako lilibutin or kung kalian ba kami lalabas. Kung pupunta ba sya sa birthday ko or aattend ba sya ng PTA meeting sa school ko.

Naalala ko pa na noon kindergarten ako, inggit na inggit ako sa lahat ng bata kasi sila kasama nila yung mga parents nila sa stage.

Ako yung pinaka maraming award at first honor sa batch naming pero ako lang din yung mag-isa.

Sa murang isip ko non alam ko na kung gano kasakit sakin yung pangyayari na yon. Pero instead of giving up and crying I told myself that I will have as many awards I can get, I will always top my class para one day kapag aattend na yung daddy ko sa awarding ceremony ko I will not disappoint him.

 Pero sa dami ng recognitions, graduations and awardings na nagdaan sa buhay ko, kahit isa walang inattendan yung daddy ko.

I was just lucky enough to still have my Nana Gina who stood up and stayed with me  through out everything.

“ I don’t need someone to make me happy. I am perfectly happy the way I want to be. I don’t need your help and besides sino ka ba para pakialaman ako?” I frankly said to him.

I don’t want another false hope. I have been through this so many times kaya alam ko na kung ano yung mangyayari. I don’t want to let my self fall for the same tricks again.

“I don’t need you or anybody else help. I am more than any of you, I don’t need your pity Mr.Lacson.” I said while trying to get my things.

“If you don’t want anybody’s help then okay, I will not be helping you anymore. I want you to help yourself,” Drake genuinely said to me.

Sa loob ng isang buwan na pangungulit nya sakin masasabi kongn talagang persistent sya.

I don’t even know what he will get in return for doing this. Definitely not a relationship with me.

“Okay. Now what?” pagsuko ko sa kanya.

Narealize ko lang na wala din naman akong dalang kotse so wala akong kawala dito, kahit pa gustohin ko nang umalis.

“I wanna show you something,” he said and then he got something out of a drawer.

It was a crystal with something inside it.

“Ano yan?” tanong ko sa kanya.

“This is my tumor, my Abuelo had it crystalized.” Nakangiti nyang kwento sa akin.

“Alam mo I was 4 years old when I was diagnosed as a cancer patient. It was probably the darkest point of my life so far. Yung sakit na nararamdaman ko? It was unbearable. Sobrang sakit yung tipong gugustohin mo nalang din talagang mamatay,”

“My case was already in the third stage, malapit nang maging crucial. Yung mga magulang ko tinapat na sila ng doctor na baka hindi ko kayanin na magsurvive kasi masyado pa kong bata non.”

“I told my mom that time na gusto ko nang magpahinga, sinasabi ko sa kanila na ayoko nang lumaban kasi alam kong wala naman na akong pag-asa. Apat na taon akong lumaban sa sakit ko. Everyday nakikita ko yung Mom ko na umiiyak, tuwing kine chemo ako, at sinasalinan ng dugo. My Abuelo even want to buy illegal organ for me, para lang makasurvive ako. Handa silang gumawa ng masama para sa akin.”

Drake was seriously telling me his story, I don’t know what to say to him kaya napag-desisyonan kong manahimik nalang at hayaan sya na magkwento.

“I told them na pabayaan nalang nila ako, na kahit ano yung gawin naming pagtalagang oras ko na para umalis wala kaming magagawa pare-pareho, I was only eight years old that time pero parang ubos na ubos na ako, alam ko sa sarili ko na hanggang doon nalang ako. Kaya paulit ulit akong nagsasabi sa kanila na suko na ako.”

“Isa pa ayokong gumawa sila ng hindi magandang bagay para lang sakin, para lang mabuhay ako. Alam mo ba kung ano yung pinakamasakit sakin noon? Na handing maging masamang tao yung pinaka mabuting tao na mga kilala ko para lang iligtas ako. Natakot ako non, kaya minsan kahit sumusumpong yung sakit ko pinipilit kong ipakita sa kanila na wala akong nararamdaman na sakit,”

“Pinipilit kong ipakita na malakas ako at kaya ko yung sarili ko. At eight years old I learned how hard it is to live, hindi ko hinahayaan na makita nila akong nahihirapan at nasasaktan,. Kahit pa nahihirapan na ako non pinapakita ko pa din sa kanila na ayos ako, kasi ayokong isang araw gigisng  nalang ako nang may opera at may isang taong nagsakripisyo ng buhay nya para sa akin,”

Mapait ang ngiti na kwento nya.

“But I was lucky enough to have a donor, it was a kidney from a woman who died at child birth. I was able to survive and continue to live. I realized that I still have a lot of things to do and that I still have more to achieve and accomplish. I realized that I deserve to live more. Gusto ko ngang hanapin yung pamilya ng babaeng nagdonate sa akin ng kidney, pero ang sabi sa ospital confidential daw at yun daw ang hiling ng pamilya nong donor ko. Na irespeto yung privacy nila.”

He smiled and looked at me.

“And that is what I want you to see, there is a reason why you are still living, ganyan din ako noon sayo. I wasn’t living, I was just existing. And someone was able to help see that there is still hope. That is what I want to give you also.”

He said while smilling.

“I want to be your hope.” He said and then genuinely smiled at me.

Drake’s genuine kindness and personality made me open up again to him.

From that day, I gave him the permission to be my friend.

I let him get to know the real me.

I was hoping that just like him, I will be able to find hope again.

And that was how our friendship started. Unlike other couples our love story was like a roller coaster ride, we were first each other’s enemies, and then friends, and then best friends and then girlfriends and boyfriends then eventually we both wanted to take our relationship into another level, sadly our story ended right then and on the supposedly the most important and special night for the both of us.

A/N: The following chapters are back to current times, thank you so much for reading my story!