The Finale

[Calithea Sophronia]

Life is indeed unpredictable. It doesn't always go the way we want it to. It seems like life has its own path and that we're just here in the world, existing, just to live that life. Minsan nga naiisip pa natin na ang unfair ng buhay tuwing may nararanasan tayong hindi nararanasan ng iba.

Lagi nating itinatanong, bakit ako pa? Bakit sa dinami-raming tao sa mundo, bakit sa akin pa nangyari 'to? Bakit kailangang ako pa? Then we have come to realize that this world is like our battlefield and that, in order to survive, we have to fight.

Finally, we managed to lock the president up and sentence him to life imprisonment together with his aide. Si mommy naman at tita ay nakakuha lamang ng 5 years of imprisonment. Nakonsidera ng judge ang ginawang appeal ni Mrs. Amore pati na rin ang statement ko as a victim.

Nabuksan ang kaso nila daddy at tito, at napatunayan na hindi ito simpleng aksidente lamang. Malaki ang naitulong ni Steven sa lahat. Kasama sa plano niya ang pekeng pakikisabwatan sa ama niya para mapaamin ito sa lahat ng mga nagawa nitong kasalanan. Nakuha rin ni Voughn ang hustisya para sa mga magulang niya.

Nabawi ko rin ang kompanyang illegal na nakuha ng president noon. Since Voughn had become the new chairman of EcoPower, we decided to merge our companies. Nagiging business partner niya ako. At si Mrs. Amore ang naging biggest investor namin. Kabilang na rin siya sa aming board of directors.

I thought we had won life. I thought we put everything in its place and understood the rules of the game, but life reminded us once again that we were merely players and that the game doesn't have an ending.

"What are you doing here at this hour, Ms. Assistant?" Steven asked me, entering my office. He has a cup of coffee in his right hand while holding a piece of paper on his left.

Actually, when I found out that Steven was just acting dead on that day and that he faked everything, even the monitor's flat line, I immediately gave him a beating in the hospital, despite how hurt he was because of the gunshot from the president. Gusto ko pa sanang tuluyang patayin siya sa gulpi, pero pinigilan ako ni Voughn.

He was such a drama king.

"Earth to Ms. Assistant!" untag niya sa akin na ikinabalik ko sa wisyo.

"Ah, hindi ko pa tapos ang ginagawa kong list. Si Vougnn, nasaan?" I asked him. I didn't see Voughn in his office when I went there a while ago. I wonder where he was.

"Earth to Mr. President!" He then snapped out of his thoughts when he heard me mimic his words. Nakakatawa talaga ang itsura ni Steven. Ano kaya ang iniisip niya?

"Tinatanong kita. Nasaan ba si Voughn? Buong araw ko na siyang hindi nakikita a'. Napaka-unusual naman ng araw na 'to."

After I input everything on the list, I finally closed my computer and faced him, ready to hear his answer. Gutom na rin ako e'. I want to eat lunch with my fiancé.

"Steven?"

"He left."

Silence engulfed the whole office when he said that. It was like I heard him wrong or had difficulty processing what I'd just heard.

"What do you mean? Saan daw siya pupunta? Umuwi na ba siya?"

Without telling me?

Or baka naghanda na 'yon sa panibagong surpresa para sa akin? No'ng isang linggo lang ay nag-propose siya sa akin, to which I gladly responded 'yes'. He was really a man of surprises.

A curve formed on my lips when I thought of him, preparing another surprise for me.

"He left...to Germany."

"WHAT? GERMANY?!"

I couldn't believe my ears. Voughn went to Germany without leaving me a word about it.

Napatayo ako sa gulat nang malaman kong umalis ng bansa si Voughn nang hindi nagpapaalam sa akin. Something urgent must have happened for him to leave without even saying goodbye to me.

"Anong gagawin niya ro'n?" tanong ko kay Steven habang iniisip ang mga posibleng dahilan kung bakit siya pupunta ng Germany. Baka may urgent meeting with the branches there. Or baka may naging problema ro'n na kinakailangan ng presensya niya.

"He left to live, Cali."

To live?

"Ano ba, Steven? Diretsuhin mo na nga ako! Bakit siya pupunta ro'n? Did something happen? Tell me!" inis kong sambit.

"His post-traumatic brain injury has turned critical! He left to get treated in Germany and to live a longer life."

"WHAT?!" gulat kong tanong. Totoong nabanggit sa akin ni Steven noon na may sakit si Voughn. I didn't know it was TBI. "What do you mean it turned critical?"

"Remember that time when he wore those baggy clothes? Those sunglasses and hat?" he asked, contemplating whether he would tell me everything or not upon seeing my tears swelling up my eyes. "We're actually together that time in his office. But he suddenly felt hazy and nauseous. I wanted to bring him to the hospital, but he declined, insisting that I should stay and wait for you to come."

Then, it hit me. I didn't realize or even question him as to why he ended up wearing those things. I failed to overlook his eyes' expression that time when we were held captive. They were hazy and dull. They were signs, but I failed to notice them. I thought they were just a mirror of his emotions, but I didn't know they were signs of his illness.

He developed photophobia; that's why he wore those sunglasses and hat. He was also getting sensitive to the temperature; that's why he wore that baggy jacket. Right. They were obvious, but I didn't even realize it. I was a fool. I don't deserve to be his fiancee. I don't deserve to take care of him.

_

"Oh, naiiyak ka naman."

I immediately wiped away my tears when I heard my mom's voice. When I turned my head, I saw her walking towards me. Nasa veranda ako ng bahay para sana magpahangin, pero naalala ko na naman si Voughn.

I missed him. I badly do.

I've been vulnerable since the day he left, but I managed to live all these years, thanks to my mom, who was always by my side after they got out of prison.

It has been 5 years since Voughn left me. Those years were like an eternity for me, as if I were waiting for someone who would never come. And the last string of my hope had completely cut off. I couldn't reach Steven anymore. He was once my bridge to Voughn. Si Steven ang katawagan ko upang kumustahin si Voughn, pero lumipas ang apat na taon, hindi ko na siya makontak.

I even tried to travel to Germany, hoping that I would meet them there. But when I arrived at the hospital, everyone in there told me that Voughn had already been transferred to another hospital they didn't know of.

I was devastated. I went home, and the world weighed heavier on my shoulder. Unti-unti akong nawawalan ng pag-asa na magkita pa kami ulit. Ang tanging pinanghahawakan ko ngayon ay ang singsing na iniwan niya sa daliri ko. But whenever I looked at it, my heart painfully sank as my tears dripped down my face. Ang sakit! Sobrang sakit.

Pero wala akong ibang hiling. Wala akong pakialam kung hindi na kami magkita pa. Pero, please, God. Hayaan Niyo po siyang mabuhay kahit nasa kabilang bahagi siya ng mundo. Ayos na sa akin iyon.

"Ling! Ling!"

Napatayo ako nang marinig ang boses ni Chelsy. Tinatawag niya ako at mukhang may sasabihing importante. She was even half-running, trying to reach me as fast as she could.

"Bakit, dars? May nangyari ba?" tanong ko nang makalapit siya.

"May tumatawag sa phone mo!" aniya at kaagad na ibinigay sa akin ang cellphone ko na naiwan ko sa sala kanina. "Sagutin mo na dali! Baka si Steven na 'yan!"

Hearing that, I immediately looked at the screen of my phone, only to see an unregistered number. My heart is pounding hard, silently hoping that it's indeed Steven who is calling me right now.

"Hello? This is Calithea Sophronia speaking."

My tears had escaped from my eyes even before I heard a sound from the other line. The silence seemed so long that I couldn't help but speak once again. "Hello? Sino 'to?"

"Cali."

That one word echoed through the phone, carrying a voice I'm so familiar with. A surge of emotions overwhelmed me as I whispered his name, holding my phone so tight, afraid that it would fall.

"Steven!"

"I'm sorry it took me long to call you back, Cali."

"Steven!" I cried out. "Akala ko nakalimutan niyo ako. Araw-araw kong iniisip kung bakit bigla na lang naputol ang communication natin. Akala ko tuluyan niyo na akong kinalimutan. Akala ko ayaw niyo na sa akin," I said in between my sobs. I felt a pang in my chest, relieving all those pains and sorrows I've been storing inside of my heart.

"I'm sorry."

Sorry? It has been 5 years, for Pete's sake! I wanted to be mad at them, but I couldn't. I just missed Voughn. I just want him to come home.

"Si Voughn? Nasaan siya? Can I talk to him? Please, Steven."

Once again, the line went silent, adding fear to my heart. Fear that everything would turn out to be a mere dream.

"I'm pretty sure he wanted to talk to you more than anyone else, but he was sleeping," he answered.

"Right. Kailangan niya ng pahinga. Naintindihan ko," sabi ko habang tumango-tango. Pinahid ko ang luhang kanina pa tumutulo sa mga mata at pinilit ang sariling maging matatag. He wouldn't want to see a weak Cali, right?

"I just want to tell you that we'll be coming home. Nasa airport na kami ngayon. We were just waiting for the private plane." Nang marinig iyon ay nakahinga ako nang maluwag. Does it mean Voughn's operation and treatment went well? Napakapit ako kay Chelsy dahil sa sayang nararamdaman ko.

"Anong oras kayo darating? Susunduin ko kayo sa airport."

Steven told me not to, pero sinuway ko siya. Naghintay lang ako ng ilang oras at kaagad na nag-ayos upang pumunta sa private airport nila Voughn. Kasama ko si Chelsy dahil nagpresenta siyang sumama sa akin. Baka raw kung ano pa ang mangyari sa akin sa daan. Pumayag naman na ako.

Pagkarating namin sa airport ay sumalubong sa amin ang gulat na gulat na guard. Hindi niya kasi alam na darating kami rito kung kaya hindi niya kami inaasahan.

"Ma'am! Ano pong ginagawa niyo rito?" tanong niya at napalapit sa amin.

"Ngayon po darating sila Voughn at gusto ko siyang surpresahin. I'm sure he missed me a lot," sagot ko at ngumiti. Tumango lang si manong guard at inaya kaming pumasok sa gate para makaupo habang naghihintay na dumapo ang private plane na sinakyan nila Steven.

While waiting for them to arrive, my heart has been pounding really hard. Even my knees were wobbling, as if they were so tired from all that waiting. Nang mapansin ang hindi mapakali kong mga kamay ay kaagad itong hinawakan ni Chelsy. "Kumalma ka, Ling. They'll be here any moment from now."

I know. Pero kinakabahan talaga ako. Hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasalubungin si Voughn. We've been apart for 5 years. Siguro akong may mga pagbabago sa kaniya ngayon. What if mas lalo siyang gumwapo? Or what if sobrang cool na niya ngayon?

Thinking all about that, I immediately checked my reflection in the glass around the airport. Okay pa naman. I'm still the same Cali he met before. Nothing had changed.

Lumipas ang isa pang oras ay nagiging busy na ang mga staffs, hudyat na dumating na sila Voughn. Napatayo ako, handa nang sumalubong sa pagdating ng pinakamamahal ko. I calmed myself, holding my tears from falling. I want to greet him with a smile on my face. I want him to see that I've been waiting for this time to come, and finally, we can be reunited.

With the approval of a staff member, I slowly stepped forward to meet him. As I walked closer, I saw someone going out of the plane. It was Steven. I chuckled when I saw him still wearing an office suit, just like the suit he wore when I first met him. He looked at me for a while, but I couldn't see his expression since I'm still walking on this vast runway.

Nang makalapit ako ay sumalubong sa akin ang nalulungkot na mga mata ni Steven. Naintindihan ko iyon. Siguro'y na-g-guilty pa rin siya dahil bigla silang hindi nagparamdam sa akin. Nang maalala iyon ay tuluyan nang tumulo ang luha na kanina ko pa pinipigilan. Pero okay lang 'yon. At least bumalik sila. At least hindi na kami magkakahiwalay pa ni Voughn.

"Nasaan si Voughn?" tanong ko. Imbes na sagutin ay sumenyas lamang siya sa mga kasama niyang nasa loob at dahan-dahan ang mga itong inilabas ang isang puting mahabang kahon mula sa loob ng eroplano.

Napalunok ako nang makita ang kahon. Iniisip kong baka ay may kasamang pasahero sila Steven at nakisabay sa trip nila papunta rito. Pero nakalabas na ang lahat-lahat ay wala pa rin akong nakitang ni anino ni Voughn.

"Steven, si Voughn?" kinakabahan kong tanong. I've been waiting for this day to come. Kailangan ko siyang makita.

"Steven!" untag ko sa kaniya nang wala akong makuhang sagot mula sa kaniya. Kahit ang mga kasamahan niya ay nakaiwas-tingin sa akin. "Nasaan si Voughn? Tinatanong kita. Steven naman, nasaan ba siya?" humahagulhol kong tanong. Luminga-linga ako sa paligid at dumapo ang paningin ko sa kahong nakalapag sa isang puting tela.

'🕊️In Loving Memory of Axlevoughn Choi🕊️'

My world crumbled upon reading those texts, carefully engraved on the box I never thought was a casket. As the staff slowly opened the lid, I saw Voughn's face, peacefully sleeping.

I dropped to the ground, unable to process everything I'd seen. My voice had abandoned me again, as my heart had been shattered into pieces. I let out a loud cry along with my heavy breaths, completely heartbroken. I looked at Steven, and my eyes flooded with tears. "Steven! Si Voughn ang gusto kong makita at hindi ang casket na 'to! I want to see him alive and not like this!"

I cried. I yelled. I shouted. But he didn't say a word or even tell me that this was all just a prank, and it was one of Voughn's surprises for me. I didn't hear anything. And Voughn didn't wake up.

In the end, life's unpredictability shattered my hopes as the casket revealed Voughn's face, forever sleeping. I thought he left to live a longer life, but why did he come back to me lifeless?