c6

Present...

"HOPE," sinalubong siya ni Myca sa entrada ng resort.

"Bakit?"

"Let's talk first." Hinila siya nito sa guardhouse at pinaalis muna ang gwardya.

"About what?" Sigurado siyang tuyo na ang luha niya at hindi na siya mukhang nag-emote. So ano ang pag-uusapan nila ng kaibigan?

"Kaden Aragon just arrived."

"Zoey's fiance? Great!"

"Hope... Kaden- " parang nahihirapan itong ituloy ang sasabihin. "Kaden looks like Rain... A lot."

"So I wasn't dreaming..." Mahina niyang saad, she did see Rain. But just someone who looked so much like him. He was Kaden Aragon.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw him. At the bus stop." She forced a smile. "I thought he was Rain... So this, thanks for warning me. At least I know what to expect..."

"Oh Hope!" Niyakap siya ni Myca. "If you think you can't handle this, just tell me."

"Ano ka ba? Ngayon pa ba? Ang bigat ng bag ko oh!" Pinasigla niya ang boses.

"Are you going to be fine?"

"Of course!"

*****

MEETING Kaden Aragon took all her will to stop herself from hugging him. What are the odds of seeing someone who looks so much like your lost love? 

His blue eyes, his nose, his lips, his body, his height... Only that, this man in front of her wasn't the simple Rain Sanchez but Dr. Kaden Aragon, Zoey's fiance. Gwapo, mayaman, perpekto.

"You were that girl from the bus stop," Kaden said. Pati boses, she felt like she was hearing Rain again after two years.

"I'm sorry- I was kind of distracted earlier... By the way- I'm Hope... Hope Ferreira." She didn't have a plan of shaking his hand but he offered his hand first.

"Kaden." He smiled, waiting for her to accept the handshake.

"Nice to meet you." She accepted his hand pero agad ding bumitaw nang maramdaman ang pamilyar na pakiramdam ng hawak ni Rain.

'I can't do this,' her heart-achingly complained.

"Kade, honey, Hope is our chef for the whole week." Kumapit sa braso nito si Zoey. "And believe me, she's good."

"Really? So you're a chef, huh?" He asked.

"Yeah. So if you'll excuse me, I've got to go to the kitchen now." Yumuko siya para itago ang nagbabantang mga luha bago mabilis na tumalikod.

How could two persons look so much alike and yet they're not the same person?

But she could swear, there's more than the physical similarity. Pareho ang boses, pareho ang epekto sa kanya.

"Hope, it's better if you just take the leave." Sinundan siya ni Myca sa kusina where she was already crying her heart out.

"I-- I'm just shocked." Pilit niyang kinalma ang sarili. "Myca, he's not my Rain, right?"

"He's not."

"Just as I thought. Rain won't do this to me. He promised me na babalikan niya ako at magpapakasal kami. He's different from that man who doesn't remember me one bit and has got a fiancee."

"Hope, Rain's dead." Myca gently reminded her, dahilan para bumagsak ang mga balikat niya.

'Yeah, right. Rain's already dead...' her mind agreed.

"I know," sabi niya. "Like I said, I was just shocked. I'll get through this. But if it isn't too much, pwede bang hindi na ulit ako humarap sa kanila?"

'Because I don't think I can really get over the fact that someone who looks so much like Rain is in Myca's,' dugtong ng puso niya.

"Of course. I'll ask Cindy to report."

"Thanks, Myca. You're the best."

"Anytime, best friend." Myca's smile was full of concern.

"I'm okay," she assured her friend before getting to work.

'He's not Rain... He's not Rain... He's not Rain... His name is Kaden. Kaden. Kaden. He's got a fiancee. Her name is Zoey..." piping paulit ulit na sabi niya sa sarili habang inihahanda ang mga lulutuin.

'You can do this... Well, who are you kidding? You can't do this!'

In the end, she ran to the restroom and cried some more. Maybe if she would let the tears flow, it would lessen the pain. Hopefully, it really would...

*****

"ZOEY is asking for the chef," Myca told her while she was busy concealing her already swollen eyes with a pressed powder.

Lunch had just been served at natuwa na naman si Zoey.

"Tell her I'm not feeling well."

"I can't do that. Matutuwa ka ba kung may sakit ang naghanda ng pagkain mo?"

"Just tell her you cannot find me. I'll show up later sa dinner."

Myca sighed at tinignan siya sa paraang naaawa. Hope hated it. Pero nakakaawa nga siya. Pati siya naaawa sa sarili niya. Si Myca pa ba?

"Okay. I'll just make up an excuse." Iniwan na siya ng kaibigan niya.

Hope went to the room na i-ooccupy niya sa buong duration ng stay nina Zoey at Kaden. Nagkulong siya roon at lumabas na lang ulit nang oras na para maghanda ng hapunan.

*****

"DINNER by the balcony," anunsyo ni Myca noong nagpi-plating na siya. "Naipaayos ko na."

"Mukhang napagod sila sa beach," komento naman niya.

"Sunog nga si Zoey, eh."

Silence. It somehow felt awkward to talk about the couple.

"Myca," untag niya.

"Hmn?"

"Can I excuse again tonight? If Zoey won't ask for me... I'm sure she won't..."

"Okay. Andito naman si Cindy, eh."

"Thanks," matamlay siyang ngumiti.

She stayed in the kitchen at inabala ang sarili sa pag-aayos ng mga ginamit niya sa pagluluto.

Akala niya lusot na siya.

"Hope," Cindy called after an hour.

"Hinahanap ka nina Kaden at Zoey."

"Bakit daw?"

"Kwentuhan lang daw."

"What?"

"Hope---" parang nag-atubili ito sa sunod na sasabihin nito. "Si Kaden--- hindi ba talaga siya si Rain?"

Si Cindy, totoong na-inlove kay Rain noon na kung hindi lang nito nasaksihan mismo kung gaano siya kamahal ni Rain, hindi ito bibitaw sa binata. In fact, antagal na hindi sila nag-usap ni Cindy. Pero hindi naman sila magkaaway. Awkward lang kasi.

Later on naging supportive na rin naman si Cindy sa relasyon nila ni Rain. Walang hard feelings.

"Kung siya si Rain, dapat nakilala niya tayong lahat, hindi ba?" Sagot niya. "Isa pa, patay na si Rain."

"Paano kung hindi siya namatay? Paano kung nagka-amnesia lang siya at siya talaga si Kaden?"

Amnesia? Napapikit siya nang mariin. A part of her wanted to entertain the idea. Because if it was true, it would explain the great deal of similarities. Pero pagkatapos ay ano?

She would try to make him remember her... It's going to be tough but would be worth it if he remembers. But what if not?

Besides, paano niya mapapatunayan na may amnesia lang ito? Because in reality, Kaden didn't look like he's dealing with such condition.

"I saw him rode that bus."

"Hope, even identical twins do not look exactly the same. 'Yong dalawang magkaibang tao pa kaya?" Patuloy na pag-aanalisa ni Cindy. "Ang ibig kong sabihin---"

"His name is Kaden Aragon not Rain Sanchez..." putol niya, sa sinasabi nito at sa pag-asang bumangon sa dibdib niya.

"Okay..." Cindy shrugged.

Sumama siya kay Cindy sa tabing dagat. Nandoon daw sina Myca, Rain at Zoey at hinihintay sila.

Hindi niya maintindihan. Akala ba niya ay pagod ang dalawa? Akala rin ba niya't privacy ang kailangan ng mga ito? Bakit kailangang makipagkwentuhan pa sa mga staff?

Nadatnan nila ang tatlo na nakapalibot sa isang bonfire na nagsisilbi nilang liwanag.

"Hope!" Zoey acknowledged.

"Hi!" She managed her most cheerful voice.

"We've been looking for you since lunch time," dugtong ng babae na inaya siyang maupo sa kaliwa ni Rain.

"I'm sorry. Busy sa kitchen," she obliged but maintaining a fair distance.

"Oh... Sorry. It's just that Kaden and I can't get over your cooking." Zoey giggled.

"Thank you," sincere niyang pasasalamat.

"So Chef... Are you married?" Kaden asked out of the blue. Napatingin talaga siya sa binata and caught him looking at her ring that she was subconciously toying with. That had become a habit of her. 'Yong kapag wala siyang hawak, awtomatikong napaglalaruan niya ang engagement ring na ibinigay sa kanya ni Rain. Naging mannerism na niya, kumbaga. "I mean, you've got a ring... Your husband must be very lucky to have such a wonderful cook for a wife..."