"You..." Tila nabitin sa ere ang mga susunod na salitang babanggitin ko at hindi ko na mahagilap ngayon.
"Claw...Stephen Claw Malvar, baby. Now, remembered me?" tanong niya at kahit hindi ko siya nakikita, pakiramdam ko ay nakangisi siya habang binabanggit ang lahat ng iyon.
Claw Malvar...naalala ko na naman ang nangyari sa rooftop. Hindi ko maintindihan kung kasama ba siya sa mga taong hindi ko pa maalala o sadyang 'di ko talaga siya maalala. Kahit ano kasing gawin ko ay walang pumapasok na alaala niya sa akin kung hindi yung tagpong pagkikita namin sa rooftop ng ospital at wala nang iba.
"Sino ka ba talaga?" muli kong tanong dahil tanging pangalan niya lang ang kilala ko at hindi kung sino talaga siya.
"So you still can't remember who I really am, huh?" he asked mockingly.
Umiling ako kahit hindi naman niya nakikita. "Hindi."
"Do you want to know me?"
"Yes," walang pag-aalinlangan at mabilis kong tugon sa kaniya.
"Then, meet me tomorrow. I'll text you the address and time." Bahagya akong napaisip sa sinabi niya. Hindi ko siya kilala pero parang may kung anong tumutulak sa akin na dapat ko siyang makausap ulit. It feels like he has the key that will open the box of hidden answers to my unknown questions.
"Sige", pagsang-ayon ko.
"Okay then, see you tomorrow, bye..."
"Wait!" I said to stop him if ever he'll end the call. "Where did you get my number?"
"I thought you want to hear my voice for a longer time, my bad..." he playfully chuckled, "Diyan lang sa paligid, well not important at all. I have many sources, baby."
Hindi niya na ako hinintay pang makapagsalita ulit at pinatay na agad ang tawag. Habang ako ay naiwang nakatingin sa labas ng bintana. Watching the scenery of a sad and lonely night where stars and moon are invisible to the sight of different creatures under the dark skies.
Kinabukasan ay maaga akong nagising. I decided to spend the morning time in the garden wherein the sun is still not showing its strong rays. With a cup of coffee in my hand, I started to be fascinated with the butterfly showing its wonderful and colorful wings as it flies around the rose bushes near me. My attention was suddenly diverted to my phone when it made a beep sound. A signal saying that someone has texted me.
"Claw," I murmured as I read the registered name of the message sender. Nakalagay sa message niya ang lugar at oras ng pagkikita namin.
Bandang ala-una ng hapon ay nakabihis na ako para makipagkita kay Claw, ala-una y medya kasi ang sinabi niya sa text message kanina. I wore a black simple fitted jeans partnered with a white long sleeves vintage design blouse showing some upper skin of my chest. I finished my attire with a long brown fur-coat, black mini sling bag, brown beret and black ankle boots. Winter season na rin kasi rito sa Russia kaya karamihan ay nakasuot na ng makapal na coat bago lumabas ng bahay.
"Shei, saan ka pupunta?" gulat na tanong ni Nurse Amy habang tinitingnan ang kabuuan ko. I let her called me in nickname basis, besides she's a close person to me now. "Umalis ang Mommy mo hindi ba? Wala naman siyang nasabi sa akin na May lakad ka."
I motioned my two fingers and lips like a zipper. "Shh... It's a secret don't tell my Mom okay? Maglilibot lang ako," sabi ko habang nagmamadaling bumaba sa hagdan.
I didn't told my mother about it. For what? Alam ko naman 'di niya ako papayagan kaya bakit pa ako magpapaalam? It's just a waste of explanation, I'll probably lose the explaining battle with my Mom.
Paglabas ko ng gate ay saktong may dumaang taxi na agad kong pinara at sumakay. Nakita ko pang humahabol si Nurse Amy at ang security guard na hindi ko napansin kanina sa gate nang lumabas ako.
Napansin ko namang nakatingin sa akin ang driver mula sa salamin na para bang nagtatanong. Mabuti at agad kong nakuha ang gusto niyang ipahiwatig.
"Bella Café," banggit ko sa pangalan ng sinabing lugar ni Claw. Tumango naman ang driver bago muling binalik ang tingin sa daan.
Ilang minuto lang ay nakarating na kami doon. "Keep the change," I smiled after giving him my fair.
Pagtapat ko sa pintuan ng café ay pinabuksan ako ng isang crew. "Ms. Astrovich?" tanong nito sa akin. Naguguluhan may ay tumango ako bilang sagot.
"Mr. Malvar's waiting for you," he said before guiding me inside. Tinuro niya ang lalaking nakatalikod sa gawi namin na marahil ay si Claw na nga. Nagpasalamat naman ako sa crew bago lumakad palapit sa kinaroroonan ng lalaking iyon.
Naabutan ko siyang prenteng nakaupo sa couch habang nakasampay ang isang kamay sa sandalan nito at naka-dikwatro ang paa. "You're finally here! Have a sit." He motioned his free hand to the couch in front of him.
Umupo ako doon bago pasimpleng luminga linga sa paligid. The whole place are enlightened by mini chandeliers scattered around the café. The counter located not too far from us was shaped in a rounded design where some sweets are displayed in front covered with glass. If I were to describe the place in shortest way, I can say that the whole place shouts elegance.
"I'm sorry if I chose this place even though I know that you're not fond of coffees," he said before calling the attention of a waiter.
Naguguluhan ko naman siyang tinignan. "You're wrong, I do always love coffee. In fact, I can't live a day without it," I answered in a matter of fact tone.
Siya naman ngayon ang tumingin sa akin ng may pagtataka. "That's not the way I knew you before. Maybe your brain was really affected that much, you also forgot that you don't like too much coffee."
Hindi na muna ako nagsalita nang lumapit sa amin yung waiter na tinawag niya. I only ordered cappuccino and a chocolate cake while he chose a black coffee alone.
"I have remembered most of my past now," pahayag ko nang makaalis na iyong waiter para kuhanin 'yong in-order namin.
"Really? So you remembered me?" I don't know if my eyes are just playing tricks on me or I really did saw a glimpse of hope in his eyes while asking that question.
"That's the reason why I decided to meet you here," pagtatapat ko, "Kahit ano kasing gawin ko, hindi kita maalala. Hindi ko tuloy maiwasang isipin na baka..." I hesitated to the next words I want to say, "baka hindi pa kita nakikilala?"
Napatawa naman siya ng pagak. "O mas pinili mo na huwag akong maalala? What is that? A selective memory?" nanunuya niyang tanong.
"Pero hindi naman talaga kita maalala..." I tried to calm and lower my voice. Bakit ba ayaw niyang maniwala?
"You think that you can still fool me, Sheen?" The calmness in his eyes that I saw earlier was now turned into scary glare.
"Sheen?" I repeated my twin's name, "Iyan pa rin ba ang iniisip mong pangalan ko? Ilang beses ko ba dapat sabihin at ulitin sa iyo na hindi ako si Sheen. Shei, Shei ang pangalan ko."
"Kilala kita. It's easy for you to fool people but not me. I know how your dirty tricks planned and played in your dirty mind."
I confusingly look at him. Hindi ko alam kung si Sheen nga ang tinutukoy niya. Is Sheen can really do that? She can fool people? Ayoko sanang isipin pero 'di ko maiwasan, na pwede niya kaming lokohin? Pero hindi, pamilya niya kami
at naniniwala ako na hindi niya iyon kayang gawin sa amin.
Dumating na rin ang order namin na inilapag sa harap namin. Nagpasalamat naman ako bago tuluyang umalis yung waiter na naghatid at bago ako muling bumaling sa kaharap ko.
"And do you think, I will believe you? Hindi nga kita kilala eh!" I almost shouted but I hold myself back.
"Sige, sabihin na nating hindi ikaw si Sheen at ikaw si Shei. Hindi mo ako kilala? Bakit, si Sheen kilala mo ba talaga?" That makes me pressed my lips so that no words can scape from it. Aminin ko man kasi o hindi, ang sagot sa tanong niya ay hindi ko pa naman talaga kilala si Sheen. I just knew her for some weeks, as far as I remembered.
"She's my twin..." Shock was visible in his face but later change into a sarcasm look.
"Are you trying to pull another trick on me? Sorry pero hindi iyan gagana."
I can't explain why, but there's something pushing me to make him believe that I'm not Sheen because I'm Shei. Agad kong kinuha ang cellphone ko mula sa mini sling bag ko at hinagilap ang picture namin ni Sheen na magkasama. It was captured in the island in Pangasinan where we stayed before.
I showed him the picture. "This is me and this is Sheen. Do you believe me now?"
"Edited," he said in a bored tone.
I tried my best not to roll my eyes on him but I can't. I heaved a sigh before I dialed a number in my contact list. I signaled him to keep his mouth quite and he did made a zip-like motion on his mouth.
Pinakita ko sa kaniya ang number ni Sheen at ang picture nito na nakalagay bilang profile niya sa contacts ko. Pinindot ko ang loudspeaker button matapos kong pindutin ang dial button.
I put it on top of the table and let it ring until someone answered it from the other line. "Shei?" bungad nito matapos masagot ang tawag ko.
"Sheen, are you busy?" I tried to make my voice normal as long as I can.
"Actually, papunta na ako sa shoot today. Why?"
"Ah wala lang. Just checking on you. Ingat!"
"Oh, okay. Take care as well, my twin," she said before ending the call.
I looked up only to see the puzzled look of Claw. I can't blame him, maybe if I were him, I would also be confused on what was going. My right eyebrow automatically raised while his face remains confused.
"So, the both of you are twin..." he stated instead of saying it as a question. He stopped for a while before his expression changed. From puzzled, he looked at me with a smirk on his lips.
"Do you want me to tell you more about her?" My eyebrows formed a line almost touching each other. "I bet you don't really know her that much..."