How many times did the sun rise and set?

Naitanong ko sa aking sarili. Kung bibigyan ko iyon ng sagot, mga lagpas sa ika-pitong daang beses lang naman. Araw-araw, nag-uumpisa ang araw ko sa pagtanaw sa bintana at panonuorin ang bukang liwayway, at matatapos naman pagtapos ng pag-lubog ng araw.

"Ah, dalawang taon na ang nakaraan." naisabi ko sa aking sarili.

A lot of things happened, ever since I woke up from my coma. In the first year, I had my rehabilitation. Hindi biro ang pinagdaanan ko sa mga araw na iyon. Isang taon din ang itinagal bago ako gumaling.

Good thing, I was with Credell. I spent my whole year recovering, making my physical body back into shape. Hindi ako iniwan ni Credell sa gitna ng recovery ko. Siya ang nagsilbing physical therapist ko. Kahit na isa pa rin siyang medical student, parang ang pro na niya pagdating sa pang-gagamot. Namana niya siguro sa mga magulang niya, parehas na doktor.

And while having my rehabilitation, nag-umpisa na rin akong mag-aral. Dahil matalino si Credell, siya rin ang nagtuturo sa akin. Wala yatang kapintasan ang lalaking 'yun.

Mayaman, matalino, talented, mabait, gentleman, at gwapo. Matanda siya sa akin ng apat na taon. Ayon kay Mister Mayrand (ang dad ni Credell), nasa 19 to 21 na ang edad ko. Bale beinte sinco na ang edad niya.

Kinailangan kong mag-review, dahil kukuhanin nila ang result ng IQ ko. Nakakapagtaka raw kasi, dahil ang bilis kong matuto at maka-adapt kultura sa bansang ito.

In the past five years ago, noong natagpuan ako ni Credell na nasa bingit ng kamatayan, dinala niya ako sa bahay niya. Iyong bahay nila kasi may medical facility 'yun sa basement.

After I survived, they immediately sent me to England—where their main hospital was located. Isang rason kung bakit nila ako dinala sa England kasi rito mag-aaral ng medisina si Credell. And in that exact date when I survived miraculously, that was also the time when they needed to fly to England.

So ikinuha nila ako ng IQ test, nabigla sila sa resulta, dahil halos 99% ng test ay nakuha ko ng tama. It basically means that I'm smart, like high IQ smart. Kung tutuusin, iyong talino ko, maaari akong kumuha ng kahit na anong kurso.

Pero hindi ko pinansin iyon. I chose to be normal by not attending an university.

As soon as I got my recovery fast, I became independent. Even though the Mayrand family was a rich and powerful clan, I never took advantage of it.

Just last year, I decided to work. Credell's mom owned a flower farm, where different flowers grew beautifully. I got fascinated about these flowers and wanted to learn about flower arranging. So I self-taught myself. I was watching tutorials in social medias and going to different flower shops just to observe their styles and absorb the ideas.

I busied myself doing this and I wanted to build my own flower shop. The solution for that was to work. I worked for Credell as his assistant or secretary. I knew how busy was his life. Taking up medicine was not a joke. My work was to organize his stuff, clean his room, cook food for him, help him if there were on-going deadlines, I also became a driver for that guy. Pero mabuti ang pakikitungo sa akin ni Credell. Napaka-sweet niya parang aakalain ko na may relasyon kami.

While working for him, I was also studying. I attended different kinds of seminars just for this.

Not that too long when my dream flower shop became true. Napangiti ako. Mataas kasing magpasahod si Credell. Iba talaga kapag rich kid.

With this given talent of mine, I created my own designs, hanggang nadiskubre ako. Sumikat ang flower shop ko, dahil malaki rin ang tulong ng Mom ni Credell sa akin. Ipinaubaya na niya sa akin ang flower farm niya, regalo niya raw sa akin kasi limang taon na akong nanatili sa kanila. Anak na nga ang turing nila sa akin, at pamilya na ang tingin ko rin sa kanila.

At dahil malaki ang koneksyon ng mga Mayrand sa business world, inireto nila ang shop ko sa mga business partners nila, lalo na kapag may mga events sila.

Dahil lumalaki na ang business, kinakailangan ko na ng mga tauhan. I mean, big crew. Hindi na lang kasi ang flower arranging ang ginagawa namin, parang nag-o-organize na rin kami ng mga events.

Just like now, it just had been a week since we successfully organized an event. That was why this week, chill mode lang ako.

Mahal ko ang ginagawa ko, kaya halos hindi na ako kumain o matulog para lang dito. Ewan ko, hindi yata pagmamahal iyon.

Basta mahal ko ang pagiging florist. I fell in love with art, because art was limitless. You could create different kinds of artworks without any boundaries. Unlike solving science and mathematics, the results were always circumscribed by accurate solutions. At hindi ko gustong mamuhay ng de-numerong buhay.

I also loved the flowers, because they could speak different language of emotions. Some people said that flowers only withered and turned to dusts, but that was not the issue for me. At least, before the flowers died, they became beautiful flowers. Most especially, flowers could grow back, even if they were stepped on, so would I.

That was my inspiration for doing this kind of work. I knew . . . someday, my memories would come back to be, just like when a flower bud bloomed in the right time.

Nasa isang coffee shop ako ngayon nang mag-isa. Pero may hinihintay ako. Busy sina Credell ngayon, pati na rin ng mga parents niya, so hindi sila.

Ilang sandali lang nang dumating si Shelley. Si Shelley ay isa sa mga empleyado ko. Last year lang kami nagkakilala, at kalaunan, naging magkaibigan kami. Sa lahat nung empleyado ko, siya ang pinaka-close ko.

Naka-abang ako sa kanya. Akala ko, siya lang mag-isa, pero kasama niya si Shenelle.

Si Shenelle ay ang anak niya. Zianne Shenelle Wickham ang buong pangalan. Single mom si Shelley Wickham.

"Pasensya na, Miracle, ah?" paumanhin ni Shelley. Oo, isa siyang Pilipina. "Hindi maiwan ni Shenelle sa bahay."

Nginitian ko siya. "Ayos lang. Na-miss ko rin ang batang 'to." sabi ko sabay kurot sa pisngi ng baby.

Three years old na si Shenelle, at isa lang ang masasabi ko, hindi sila magkamukha ni Shelley.

After a while, I took our order. At dahil ako ang nag-aya, ako ang magbabayad. Bored kasi ako, kaya inaya ko silang mag-date.

Pagkatapos naming kumain ay nagpunta kami sa mall. Gusto ko kasing mamili ng mga bagong damit. Autumn was the current season here. It was the season where wintry wind breezed through and the dry leaves fluttered along.

We bought anything we like. Since may laman naman ang card ko, ako na ang bayad pati na ang mga pinamili nila. Token of appreciation ko na iyon bilang magkaibigan.

Alas tres na rin kami natapos. Hinatid ko muna sila sa bahay nila bago ako umuwi. Citizen na rito si Shelley, ang kaso, namatay ang mga parents nila sa isang car accident. Ang nakakasama na lang niya ay ang kanyang ate.

Nang makauwi na ako sa mansyon ng Mayrand, agad na akong nagtungo sa kwarto ko. Nagpalit ako ng damit, inayos ang mga pinamili ko, at nahilata sa aking kama.

Kinuha ko ang isang libro, saka ko ipinagpatuloy ang pagbabasa. The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald.

Sa kalagitnaan ng aking pagbabasa, nakatulog ako.

I was just awoken when I heard my phone rang. I quickly grabbed my phone and answered the call.

"Hi," I said, making my voice not to sound so sleepy.

"Hey, Miracle . . ." It was Credell and he sounded so sleepy. Kakagising lang yata.

"Bakit, C?"

'C', short for Credell.

Tumikhim siya, "Can you fetch me in my condo? I'm lazy to drive," then he chuckled in deep tone.

Napangiti na lang ako, "Okay, bruh. I'll be there."

"Thank you, Mira."

"No problem." sagot ko, "Allow me to remind you that I still work for you."

"Yeah, right. I'll wait for you then."

Once the call was off, I stood up and fixed my visage. I wore something comfy and grab my hand bag with my important things.

I went to the garage and entered my car. Yeah, I had my own. They gave it to me for my own convenience.

Credell's condo was one hour drive from the manor, since he lived in the city. He was always coming home during weekends.

I could drive, yeah. No one taught me. It was just an instinct why I could drive. Maybe, in the past, I already knew how to drive a car.

While driving, I was listening to music. The trip was smooth until I arrived in a private village somewhere in Oxford. This was where Credell's bachelor's pad located. Since he was studying in Oxford Medical School, it was a convenience for him.

I reached the front door and tried to knock on it. Minutes had passed, no one was still responding. So picked the duplicate key card. C gave it to me to use it in times like this. I swiped the card and then the door opened.

Pumasok ako sa loob at walang sumalubong sa akin. Wala siya sa sala o sa kusina. Pumunta ako sa pinto kung saan ang silid niya sa second floor, binuksan ko ang pinto at nandoon siya.

Kasalukuyan siyang nagbibihis. Galing siya ng ligo. At ang tanging suot niya lang ay isang chinos pants.

I fought myself not to cringe or blush. Wrong timing yata ang pagdating ko. Maganda naman ang pangangatawan niya, kaso nakaka-awkward pa rin.

"Oh, kanina ka pa?" kaswal niyang tanong sabay bihis sa kanyang sweat shirt.

"Hindi naman." tipid na ngiti ang ibibigay ko sa kanya. "Ready ka na? Alis na tayo?"

Napailing siya at saka sinuot ang mga sneakers niya. Pagkuwan, binitbit niya ang isang duffle bag at isang maleta. "Ready na po, ma'am." nginitian naman niya ako.

Natawa ako. Ilang sandali lang ay umalis na kami at bumaba pupunta sa parking floor ng building.

Nang nasa kotse naman kami, tinanong niya ako. "How's the week, Miracle?"

"It's fine. Kakatapos lang namin sa isang project."

He chuckled, "I heard from mom that your business is doing good."

"Of course, it should be." I replied.

"May naaalala tuloy ako." natatawang sambit niya.

I knitted my brows, "Ano 'yun?"

"Wala lang . . . it's just hard to believe na noong nakita kita sa dalampasigan, sa tingin ko, high school student ka lang—sixteen or seventeen years old, I think—but come five years, you can now handle a business so well. Plus the fact that you didn't take any course regarding business."

I only shrugged, eyes still on the road. "It runs on my blood, perhaps."

Napaisip tuloy ako. Who really am I? Sino ba ang mga naiwan kong pamilya sa Pilipinas? May mga kaibigan ba ako?

"Thinking about your real family again?" sabat ni Credell habang nag-iisip ako.

"Can't be helped." I mumbled.

He let out a sigh. "Ayaw ko munang ibalik kita sa kanila, Miracle. Akin ka muna. Saka ka na lang umuwi doon kapag bumalik na ang mga memorya mo."

"Oo na po." natatawang sabi ko.

"Am I selfish?"

I gave him a brief look, "Hindi." sagot ko sabay iling. "Hindi pa ito sapat para mga utang ko sa inyo."

"So you're doing this because you want to pay your so-called debt?" napayuko ako nang bahagya at hinigpitan ang pagkahawak ko sa manubela. "Miracle, I had already told you, hadn't I?" muli niyang sambit, "You don't have to pay for it."

"Marunong naman akong tumanaw ng utang na loob, Credell."

"Like I said, you don't have to. Why so stubborn?"

Usually, iyan ang pinag-aawayan namin. Hindi na lang ako sumagot at pahabain ang usapan. Ayaw ko na mag-away kami. Every weekends na lang nga kami nagkikita nito, lalo na't naging busy siya this last month.

Isang beses lang binigyan ng pagkakataon ang tao upang mabuhay. Sa kaso ko, ito na ang pangalawang buhay ko. Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa pamilya ni Credell na hanggang ngayon, buhay pa rin ako.

"Kumain ka na pala, Mira?" he asked as the dead air became alive again.

"Hindi pa."

"Okay, let's eat somewhere."

"Saan mo gusto?" tanong ko.

"In the usual restaurant."

Agad naman akong tumango at nag-drive pupunta sa restaurant kung saan kami madalas kumakain.

"By the way," Credell uttered. "Date tayo."

Bahagya akong nagulat sa pag-aya niya sa akin. "Saan naman?"

"Well, a friend of mine is going to throw a birthday party tomorrow evening, ayaw ko namang tumanggi."

"Eh? Bakit pati ako, kasama?"

"Of course, gusto ko." cool niyang sagot sa akin. "Baka wala akong magiging driver pauwi kapag nalasing ako."

I just shook my head while smirking a little. "Sige na, sasamahan na kita. Hindi ka na ba busy?"

"Yup, 'di na." Credell replied, reclining his back on the seat. "I had just submitted all the requirements yesterday. I wanna relieve all the stress I had been through to that party. And it's Autumn half-term break next week."

Pumayag na ako. Kahit wala akong hilig sa mga party na katulad ng ganoon, pero minsan lang naman mag-aya si Credell para gumala. Once in a blue moon lang siya dumalo sa mga party, eh sobrang busy ng tao sa pag-aaral.

Ayos na siguro iyon, para makapag-socialize na rin sa mga ibang tao.

↭ ♡ ↭

lame? yeah, very lame. lels.

well, welcome to the introductory part. hahaha

i updated this, cuz i feel like i wanted to be kind 😂

♕ handtheirend