Chapter 23

Dalawang araw mula nang mag-kausap sina Deline at Kyra, ay matutuloy na rin sa wakas si Deline sa pag-punta sa piñata-trabahuan ng kapatid ni James. Hindi rin kasi ni Kyra kung saan ang eksaktong address ng mga Greene. Parang wala sa sariling basta na lang sinabi ni Devon sa kanya kung sino ang pwede nyang pagtanungan kung saan ang nakatira ang lalaki. Kaya lalo pa siyang nagkaroon ng determinasyon na kausapin ang lalaki. Sa isang boutique napadpad si Deline. Doon niya nalaman na pagma-mayari ng kapatid ni James ang lugar na iyon. Sa labas pa lang ay sinalubong na siya ng isang empleyado nito.

Empleyado: Maam, goodmorning po! Welcome sa Lyra's Fashion House.

Deline: Miss, nandyan ba si Ms. Lyra Greene?

Empleyado: Kaibigan nya po ba kayo? Meron po ba kayong appointment sa aming manager?

Deline: Actually, wala sa dalawa! Paki-tanung naman kung pwede ko siyang maka-usap kahit sandal lang. paki-sabi Ms. Deline Samaniego ang nag-hahanap sa kanya. Kapatid ni Devon Samaniego.

Empleyado: Sige po! Upo po muna kayo, pupuntahan ko na po si Maam Lyra.

Malalim ang iniisip ni Lyra ng bigla may kumatok sa kanyang opisina.

Empleyado: Maam, someone is looking for you outside.

Lyra: who is it? is it my brother?

Empleyado: No maam! It's a woman, name Deline Samaniego. She said she is the sister of Devon Samaniego.

Napatayo si Lyra sa kinau-upuan ng marinig kung kaninong kapatid ang naghahanap sa kanya. "why is she here?" tanung niya sa sarili.

Lyra: Let her in.

Empleyado: yes maam!

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Empleyado: Ms. Deline, pwede na daw po kayong pumasok.

Deline: Salamat

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Lyra: Ms. Samaniego! I'm lyra Greene. You tole my employee that you are the sister of Devon. By that I think you have the idea what is just happening right now?

Deline: you're right! I'm here to ask from you, where can I find your brother.

Lyra; and why is that so?

Deline: I think I better tell my purpose straightly to your brother.

Lyra: but don't you think, we're going to make things more complicated if we interfere with their problem?

Deline: sorry Ms. Greene, but I cant help to see my sister so miserable and just stand there and cry with her. I want to do something for her.

Lyra: and what you think the best thing you can do for her, is to talk with my brother on her behalf? Is that so?

Deline: it's good to know that you understand why I need to see you brother personally.

Lyra: But sorry, Ms. Samaniego, I can't tell you where my brother is!

Deline: but why?

Lyra: coz, I think it's better that it's your sister who will explain everything to my brother and not you.

Deline: explain? My sister will explain to your brother? Wait, Ms. Greene. Are you trying to point out on something? Because on what I can see, it's you brother that needs to do lots of explaining to my sister. In the first place, he is the one who didn't fulfill his promises with my sister.

Lyra: whoah! Ms. Samaniego! Are you trying to say that my brother is the one and not your sister? And what do you mean by not fulfilling his promises to your sister? Isn't your sister who didn't carry out her promise of loyalty to my brother?

Deline: loyalty? My sister, suffer a lot when your brother cut his communication with her! You just don't know how many nights my sister silently cry and pray that your brother will contact her once again and explain to her what is really happening between them! You just don't know how my sister convinced all of us, that James is true about his promises of forever with her. That one day he, will be knocking on our door and tell her, that she is the only one for him! That your brother is just so busy with his study that's why, he can't contact her for a while. Then one day, after so many months having no communication, my sister will only find out that the man she is waiting all this time is just her in the country having amnesia and a girlfriend! And what it hurts the most is that he can't even remember anything about my sister!

Lyra: it's your sister's fault why my brother did that!

Deline: My sister? What do you mean by did that? Don't tell me your brother purposely stops communicating with my sister? Ha! Then you are telling me its my sisters' fault why all of this is happening?

Lyra: after the camp, my brother needs to go back abroad and study there. But he can't help it being far from your sister. So he convinced my dad and I that he wants to continue his studies here in the Philippines. We let him do what he wants. Then one day, my brother told me that he will just visit someone so important. But on that same day, my brother meets an accident on his way home. The doctor told us, that my brother had amnesia. So he can't remember some part of his life. That's what we believe since then. I don't have any idea about m brother's relationship with Devon. Even when we meet her at the Dance studio of Kyra, my brother didn't show any sign that he know your sister. Not until when we live them both alone. I notice that Devon knows my brother from what I accidentally heard from their conversation. But my brother still insists that he doesn't know your sister. Then made by faith, we meet again at the hospital where we asked your sister to be my brothers personal nurse. Then one day an accident happen between my brother and your sister and from that, my brother told me everything. Everything from their first meeting at the camp until confessing to me that all this time he was lying to us. That he really don't have amnesia. That he only do that, trying to forget what happen that day. The day when, he found out that your sister is betraying my brother from the very beginning.

Deline: betray your brother? When all this ti-

Lyra: My brothers pay a surprise visit to your sister that day. But he was the one surprised by what he saw and heard. Ms. Samaniego your sister is having an affair with other man while having a relationship with my brother! Don't tell me you don't know about that? She's your sister! What am I expecting, of course you will deny it!

Nagugguluhang napa-upo si Deline sa sofa ng opisina ni Lyra. Paanong nag-karoon ng relasyon ang kapatid niya sa iba? Eh, itong James lang na ito ang tanging alam niyang lagi ka-text at tumatawag sa kanyang kapatid. Ng di sinasadya ay napa-tingin si Deline sa isang pisture frame na naka-sabit sa opisinang iyon. Napatayo siya at nilapitan ang larawang iyon. Pinaka-tingnan nya ng maigi ang lalaking kasama ng kausap niya sa litratong. Parang pamilyar ito sa kanya. Nakita na niya ito sa kung saan!

Lyra: What are you doing?

Deline: Ahmmmmmmmmm.. can I ask you something?

Tanung niya dito na habang hindi pa rin inaalis ang pagkaka-titig sa lalaki na nasa larawan.

Lyra: what is it?

Deline: who is this man in your life? The one in the picture with you.

Lyra: Him? He's my brother! He is James Greene! Why?

Deline: Your brother? For real?

Lyra: Yes! He is my brother. The one we are talking about this whole time. The man your sister had a relationship before!

Hinanap ni Deline sa isipan niya kung may pagkaka-taon ban a ipinakita sa kanya ni Devon ang larawan ni James. Pero wala siyang maalala. Pero bakit paki-ramdam niya ay nakita na niya ito kung saan.

Lyra: Hey, MS! Are you still with me?

Deline: yes! Ye-yes!

Lyra: can you please stop staring at my brothers' picture!

Sa halip na sundin ang sinabi ng kausap ay muli pa niyang tinitigan ang larawan. At maya-maya lang,

Deline: tama! Alam ko na!

Lyra: huh? What are you saying? What do you mean by that?

Deline: Ms. Greene! Everything is all a misunderstanding! Everything!

Lyra: huh? Can you please explain to me what are you trying to pine out?

Deline: Now I finally remember why your brother looks familiar to me!

Lyra: Familiar to you? Why have you seen my brother somewhere?

Deline: Yes! I do!