Kabanata 7 - Ang Nalimutang Pag-ibig

I woke up hearing the sound of MELCH having a catfight with someone. I was going to try to sit-up when I realized that I couldn't move my body. It felt like I was inside a coffin with nothing but a circular window in front of my face and nothing else to see other than the pink ceiling. I heard a door open and the woman's voice, which I've heard MELCH arguing with, getting louder. The voice was cut short with MELCH shouting something in Tagalog (which I'm sure was something rude). Then a door slammed shut.

I thought then that if MELCH were near, then HE must be nearby as well...

My "coffin's" door opened and MELCH's face came into view. I wouldn't be honest if I'd say that I was happy seeing him ... "frightened" would be the best word to describe how I felt.

"What the fuck happened to you?" was the first thing I blurted out.

MELCH told me that his skin was blue because of a chemical the clinic's attendants have put on him to help cure his bruises. He also told me that everybody else - that is ART, KIRK and JESSIE were also treated with the same chemical and that he was clueless as to when the color would wear-off.

"And don't even think of laughing! I'm not the one wrapped up like a mummy in pink bandages! And FYI ... your skin's blue too!"

He was about to shut whatever-I-was-in's door in front of my face so I said...

"OK, OK, I'm sorry. I guess I was rude."

MELCH smiled at me then said that he was just joking about leaving me there. Before I even opened my mouth, it looked like MELCH already knew what I was about to ask.

"JESSIE's not here, he's in the other room. KAYCEE choked on an umbrella so we had to drag him back here. KIRK and ART are in the KAAGAPAY's office. I actually think that they have this stupid notion that we tried to kill our friend."

I asked him if he could call JESSIE for me but he just said it wasn't a good idea. I asked him to just switch places with JESSIE. I mean, what's the big deal right? He can stay with KAYCEE, and JESSIE could keep me company. But all he said was...

"OK, I've got a couple of bad news and one that's good. Which one do you want to hear first?"

I told him to give me bad news first.

"I think I should give you the good news first ... the nurse said that you've broken a couple of bones in your body ..."

"Un Cazzo! That's the good news???"

"... let me finish ... as I was saying, you broke a couple of bones in your body but the nurse said they could fix you up tonight so you can still go to class tomorrow."

It was then that I realized...

"How the fuck did I break my bones? And what the fuck happened to us? I can't remember no shit!"

As usual, MELCH being a self-appointed grammar police, told me that it's supposed to be "I can't remember a shit" not "no shit". But who cares?

MELCH told me that he was about to get to that part.

He then asked me if I wanted the bad news or the one which was worse.

"Could there be anything worse than being in a fuckin' coffin? Hit me with the WORST that you've got."

He started to whisper in an exaggerated way...

"Before I tell you, do you know who's inside the next capsule?"

I told him the only things I see from where I'm at are the ceiling and his face. How could I possibly know if somebody else was inside the room right?

Then he continued in a more hushed manner...

"I'll give you the bad news first. We think they're hiding something from us. We think they've given us the blue pill to forget whatever happened after we left my room. We can't remember anything too."

I'm pretty sure JESSIE was the one who came up with that crazy but possible idea.

JESSIE is the strangest person I've met my entire life. He's like the living storage of useless knowledge. He can tell you how many hearts a caterpillar has or how many moles of hydrogen a person needs to inflate a 5-inch balloon. He knows all these crap but won't be able to tell you his sister's birthday or a name of any of his 3rd grade teachers. I also think that the word "paranoid" was invented to describe him. He gets irritated when I stare at him but would get mad if I don't look at him when he talks. He always thinks that people hate him and are plotting his death when in fact, all of us love him for his genuine kindness.

Humility aside, I'm actually used to people staring at me or giving me special treatment because I'm good-looking. But with JESSIE, it's different. The first time we met, he didn't even seem to be interested meeting me. When I told him I'm a ramp model, he actually told me that I should go look for another job because I'm not that good-looking and that my "brains will rot if I'd waste it on just walking around looking pretty". You know the feeling of coming home after a long day of work? That's what he makes me feel when we talk. He's one of the few people whom I could say is "real" and who treats me like an ordinary guy. I could go and on talking about him and how he makes me feel, but I guess I'll just do that some other time ... or maybe not. I'm not even sure what I'm feeling anyway, and besides, I've already got a lot on my plate and I can't afford to be distracted with all these bullshit complications.

MELCH snapped his fingers in front of my face and told me he was about to leave.

I asked him...

"What was the other bad news?"

He mumbled something. He looked like he's just killed a puppy.

I told him to tell me what it was or I was going to bitch-slap him with a fire-extinguisher as soon as I could get up again.

"Ummmm ... Errrrrrrr ... ehem ... It's about JESSIE..."

I don't know how to describe it, but while he was saying this, it felt like my heart was shrinking and I was finding it difficult to breathe.

"You told me he's just in the other room! Don't tell me something bad happened to him ... tell the nurse to help me get out of this shit ... I want to see him ... I need to talk to him ..."

Then MELCH said...

"That's the problem, even if I go and get a forklift to bring you and your 'Bone Restructuring Capsule' into the next room, I don't think talking with JESSIE could be of any use anyway."

I demanded that he tell me what really happened to JESSIE - without the usual gay sugar-coating.

"I've already told you that we can't remember anything that happened after we left our room, right? Right! Well it seems that JESSIE can't remember something else ... it looks like JESSIE ... ummm ... he can't remember anything about you ... he doesn't even know who you are!"

... and everything went into a blur...

-=-=-=-=-=-

I guess it was the next day when the nurse woke me up and told me that I had an epileptic seizure while I was talking to MELCH. She said that it was already 11:00 in the morning, and if I wanted to catch-up with our next class, I should drag my milk-white-silk-smooth ass off the clinic. Sheez! Talk about attitude problem!

I went to my room, changed my clothes, and headed straight to the cafeteria.

After looking around, and being checked out ... I spotted the people I was searching for.

I greeted everybody with my most charming Italian gusto. The guys looked pretty happy to see me except for one person ... JESSIE.

He actually looked irritated about something. With just one scan at what was happening in the table, I immediately knew what was wrong.

I pushed KAYCEE aside, and sat between him and JESSIE. Since I saw him getting a plate from JESSIE, I grabbed the plate he was holding, handed it back to JESSIE and dished out the cutest smile I could. With three days of spending breakfast, lunch, dinner and the snacks-in-between with these guys, I've learned that KAYCEE has a habit of getting other people's food. At least I was able to do something good to start my day with JESSIE.

"Ciao bella! Come?"

I was so excited to see him that I forgot that he doesn't even know me ...

"Didn't your Mom tell you that talking with somebody in a language other people around you won't be able to understand is considered rude in most civilized countries?"

I was just about to open my mouth to say sorry when he snapped ...

"And didn't she teach you how to take a bath? Your skin is still blue, your shirt has tomato sauce on it, your hair is a disaster and I could only guess your breath stinks big time! Your being good-looking doesn't give you the right to go strutting around like you're the Queen of Sheeba!"

JESSIE gave the plate I've just handed to him back to KAYCEE. He said he's just lost his appetite and said something to me in Tagalog. All I heard was something that sounded like "NAK" and "POWTUH".

He stood up and headed for the door leading to the corridor. After a couple of steps, he suddenly stopped and turned around to face us.

As I was about to speak, JESSIE cut me off again...

"And to answer your question... No, I'm not doing well because a self-absorbed, egocentric, xenocentric block-head just ruined my day! And if you're wondering what I've just said to you in Tagalog ... I believe it's FIGLIO LA PUTANA in your language! Capisce?"

He turned around to face the door to the corridor, took a single step, stopped and turned around again.

I was starting to get dizzy with what he's doing to himself, still I thought ... "OK this is my chance."

But then, JESSIE started talking again before I could. This time he wasn't speaking to me. He was talking to his friends. I didn't really understand what he told them because it was in Tagalog.

When he was out of the room MELCH, ART and KAYCEE all started laughing. If KIRK had the ability to speak, I guess he'd be laughing too. I asked them what was funny.

MELCH: Congratulations on making the BEST "first impression" I've ever seen in like, 24 years of my existence, Prince Charming!

ART: To think we were just telling him how humble and sweet you are when you came barging in like you own the place. You even pushed KAYCEE aside like he was a bag of rags.

I can't remember how KAYCEE said it because he always mixes Tagalog with English. All I understood from what he said was that JESSIE cooked a batch of Pasta a la Pesto and saved a plate for him since he was also late for lunch like I was. What I saw was JESSIE giving that plate to him.

I told them that I thought KAYCEE took JESSIE's food because that's what he usually does - that I was just trying to impress JESSIE by giving him his food back.

ART: A word to the not-so-wise ... JESSIE's not the "damsel in distress" type.

Then MELCH started singing in this loud voice, and everybody - even the school's staff, were staring at us ...

MELCH: JESSIE AND MIKAL SITTING BY A TREE ...

MELCH, ART & KAYCEE: F-U-C-K-I-N-G ...

ART: FIRST COMES LOVE ...

KAYCEE: THEN COMES MARRIAGE ...

They all stopped singing when KIRK did something with his hands and MELCH giggled like his clit was being licked by a cow.

I asked him what KIRK said which I now regret ...

MELCH: THEN COMES JESSIE WITH AN UNCUT SAUSAGE!

Everybody in the whole cafeteria started laughing ...

... and everything went into a blur ...

-=-=-=-=-=-

"Wake up MIKAL, you're not planning on missing this are you? It's JESSIE's turn ..."

That was what I heard when I woke up.

It was really dark inside the room I was in, and everything was still a bit fuzzy since my eyes were just starting to adjust from being pulled out from my restful sleep.

In the middle of the dark room was a circular stage with spotlights directed towards the center. At the side of the stage was a woman whose body seemed to be made of diamond because she was sparkling like a disco ball in Studio 54.

She suddenly shouted ...

"JESSIE, transform now."

My heart started to beat like crazy when I saw JESSIE standing in the middle of the circular stage ... alone.

JESSIE shouted "SHANARA-LA-RA IN THE AFTERNOON!!!" and then the whole room was filled with a gale-force movement of wind and JESSIE exploded in a burst of green light ...

I've seen his transformation during our class in Karma Chameleon 1 and 2, but it still felt like there's something wrong going on. Before I realized what I was doing, I found myself running towards the stage, pushing people aside so that I could get through.

When the green light coming from JESSIE subsided, a woman with gold-blonde hair was standing where JESSIE used to.

I've seen her before ... she was JESSIE in his Shanara form.

(S)he looked realy scared and was starting to step back clumsily ... panicking ...

I tried to see what (s)he was so scared of ...

The woman whose body was made of diamond was holding a gun.

A loud "bang" filled the room and everybody gasped.

There was some sort of an invisible forcefield which prevented me from going any further.

Tears were swelling in my eyes as I watched JESSIE as (s)he fell down to the floor.

"WHAT THE FUCK'S YOUR PROBLEM YOU SICK BITCH!!! WHY THE FUCK DID YOU SHOOT AT MY FRIEND?! JESSIE, HOLD ON ... I'M HERE ... I'LL SAVE YOU!"

I was starting to feel desperate because I knew these were hollow words. Deep down I knew that I can't do anything further to help him ...

... history was painfully repeating itself ...

... JESSIE looked at me ...

... we were both in tears ...

... and everything went into a blur as I heard Celine Dion's "My Heart Wil Go On" playing somewhere while the Diamond Woman pointing the gun at JESSIE's head was slowly pulling the trigger ...

-=-=-=-=-=-

... itutuloy ...

SA SUSUNOD NA KABANATA: Ang pinakahihintay ng lahat! ... Ang unang paglabas at paggamit ng kapangyarihan ng ating mga MAAALINDOG NA MADIRIGMA NG SHANARA!! I honestly think it'd be worth the wait! San ka pa? Shanara-ka-na!