Hope was supposed to be back in San Gabriel, pero heto siya, sa halip na nasa byahe pabalik sa kanyang bayan, sakay siya ulit ng bus pa-Maynila.
Wala pa siya sa kalagitnaan ng byahe nang tawagan siya ni Kassey asking her to return at once because their grandmother had a heart attack.
It would have been a lot easier kung pumayag siyang magpahatid. But she insisted on taking the bus. Kaya bumaba na lang siya sa sunod na istasyon at sumakay ulit ng panibago pabalik.
"Is she okay?" Kausap niya si Kassey sa phone.
Hope might have not grown up knowing Enriqueta but during the few days that she had known her grandmother, wala itong masamang ipinakita sa kanya. She had been good. Bumawi ito sa lahat ng mga naging pagkukulang nito sa kanya.
"I hope so," sagot ng pinsan niya. "Hindi niya kinaya ang pag-alis mo."
"Kassey---" naging rude ba siya? Hindi ba dapat siya umalis?
"Hope, I'm not saying na kasalanan mo. Naiintindihan namin ang desisyon mo. But lola needs a little more time to convince herself that you cannot stay with us..."
"Saang ospital ko kayo pupuntahan?"
"I'll have Mang Greg pick you up at the bus station."
"Okay."
*****
LOOKING at her grandmother, she noticed how her usual positive aura changed into a gloomy one. Kaninang umaga lang sila naghiwalay and the sun hadn't even set yet.
"Spend more time with her, Hope," sabi ni Agatha.
"I honestly don't know if I could, Tita." Hinawakan niya ang kamay ng natutulog na abuela.
"But please don't leave yet..."
Matamlay siyang tumango. Kaya ba niya?
She was thinking if she could when suddenly, the door flew open at iniluwa no'n sina Zoey at Kaden.
"Hi, Tita," Zoey was wearing a really concerned face, she approached Agatha and hugged her. "I'm sorry, I wanted to rush here the moment Kade told me about what happened. Kaso hindi ako nakaalis agad."
"It's alright, Zoey."
Lumapit si Zoey sa natutulog na matanda without even throwing Hope a glance. Baka talagang nag-aalala lang ito kaya parang wala itong nakita.
Kaden on the other hand just nodded at her.
Hope silently excused herself out of the room. Guni-guni lang ba niya o talagang cold si Zoey sa kanya?
"Bakit 'andito ka sa labas?" Kassey asked na tinabihan siya sa pagkakaupo niya.
"Zoey and Kaden arrived." Although, she was wondering bakit parang okay naman kay Kassey na nasa ospital. Akala ba niya, takot ito
"Urghh... That girl again! What makes her think that lola still likes her?"
"Kas, she's going to be a part of our family soon. Be nice to her."
Kassey rolled her eyes.
Hindi na siya nagkomento. Sakto namang tumunog ang cellphone niya.
"Excuse me," she told Kassey at bahagyang lumayo. "Kev."
"How are you, babe? Nasa San Gabriel ka na ba?"
"Hindi ako natuloy," she answered.
"Oh great! So you're still here in Manila?"
"Yup. Lola had a heart attack. Nasa ospital kami ngayon."
"Which hospital? Tapos na ang meeting ko. Can I go there?"
"Oo naman," and she gave him the hospital's name. "See you."
Pagbalik niya sa kinauupuan niya kanina, wala na si Kassey. Bagkus ay si Zoey ang 'andoon.
Hope hesitated pero umupo pa rin siya sa tabi nito.
Silence. It didn't look like Zoey would like to talk to her.
"How---" Hope attempted but she was cut off by Zoey.
"You ruined everything," tumingin ito sa kanya na para bang galit na galit ito.
Wrong. Maybe she did want to talk to her.
"W-what?"
"Don't play dumb. Alam mo na si Kaden si Rain."
Hope was surprised. Paano nito nalaman ang tungkol kay Rain? Sigurado siya na kailanman ay hindi niya ito nabanggit sa babae.
"P-paano mo nalaman---"
"Hope, are you really underestimating me? Tingin mo totoong gandang-ganda ako sa San Gabriel? I brought Kaden there for a purpose! I wanted to know if he would remember you!"
Hindi niya malaman kung paano magre-react. She felt a sharp pain cutting through her heart.
Zoey played with her emotion. She played with Kaden's! And for what? Para malaman nito kung makikilala siya ng binata? That was the meanest thing that a person could do to people she knew would be deeply hurt by the act.
"He woke up from the accident without having the slightest idea na tumira siya sa isang lugar na tinatawag na San Gabriel at nangako ng kasal sa isang babaeng nagngangalang Hope Ferreira. But it was just so funny how even when Kaden met you face to face, he didn't even remember you," patuloy ni Zoey.
"How did you know about me?" She could feel anger growing inside her heart.
"If you were in Rain's shoes, what would you do to make sure na kapag bumalik ang alaala mo, you would remember everything you cared for?" Tanong nito na inoobserbahan ang reaksyon niya. "A journal," sagot nito sa sarili nitong tanong. "Write all the memories you would like to remember. Write the exact place, the exact people so that you would know where to find them. Brilliant, right? That's Kaden." Maiksi itong tumawa. "Unfortunately, hindi na niya nahawakan iyon after he woke up remembering only me."
"You're so cruel," sabi niya. "I didn't even try to make Kade remember me because I didn't want to hurt you. You were a good actress Zoey. If I had known that you were playing with Kaden's feelings, I should've told him about Rain!"
"So now that I already told you, what will you do, huh?" Hamon nitong may halong pangungutya. "Tell him?"
"Malakas ang loob mo dahil alam mong mas hindi ko na sasabihin ngayon, 'di ba?"
"Is this 'cousin' thing preventing you now?" Tumawa ito. "Well, Chef Hope, I'm sorry... But even if you're not blood-related, Kaden will no longer remember Rain. I'll make sure of it. And as for you, just watch 'til we get married." Tumayo ito nang lumabas si Kaden sa kwartong inuukopa ng lola nila. "Babe," nag-iba ang mukha nito. "Can we go out now? I don't think I can stay any longer" Was she pretending to be sick or what?
"Yeah... Sure." Kaden answered na inalalayan si Zoey bago tumingin sa kanya. "Hope, lola's already awake, she wanted to see you."
Tumango siya at pinanood umalis ang dalawa. Zoey looked back with an evil smile on her lips. Hope balled her fists. Her heart was aching so bad. How could she not know that Zoey wasn't like who she thought she was? How could she not see her true color?
*****
"ARE you alright?" Kaden asked Zoey na tahimik na nakakapit sa braso niya habang papunta sila sa cafe sa harap ng ospital.
"Yeah... I'm sorry."
His girlfriend had always hated hospitals. Dahil iyon sa isang trahedyang bumawi sa buhay ng nanay nito noong highschool pa lang sila.
Kaya naman kahit idisplay niya ang singsing ni Hope sa clinic niya, she wouldn't find out.
'Hope again, Kaden?' His mind asked.
He was having a hard time ignoring Hope's presence or simply being casual about having her around. He wanted so badly to tell her the truth but he was not in the right position to tell her.
"Kaden, what's your order?" Untag ni Zoey nang makakuha na sila ng pwesto.
"You know what I want." He smiled at his soon-to-be wife and girlfriend of ten years. Zoey would make a perfect partner to spend the rest of his life with.
That's what he had always believed until four years ago.
Inaamin niya na nabawasan ang tiwala at pagmamahal niya sa babae matapos itong magtaksil sa kanya. Pero nagbago na ito. Zoey became a better woman after that. Nagmature na rin. He thought she's ready to be his wife. -Thus the proposal.
But Hope Ferreira a.k.a Isabella Fontanilla makes it difficult for him to man up his decision.
"Is that Chef Hope? And she's with someone! Kade, I think that's her boyfriend!" Excited na sabi ni Zoey patungkol sa pares na pumasok sa cafe nang nasa kalagitnaan na sila ng pagkain nila.
Kaden tried to act natural even when the mere sight of a happy Hope in the company of another man made him want to punch the guy in the face.
"Chef!" Zoey called their attention by waving a hand. "Join us here!"
*****
"THAT'S your cousin right there," sabi ni Kevin na hinigpitan ang hawak sa kamay niya.
Hope was trying to ignore the conversation she had with Zoey a while back so seeing the latter acknowledging her like it hadn't happened made her blood almost reach its boiling point.
"Yeah and his girlfriend. Zoey Jimenez," gumanti siya ng kaway kay Zoey para sa benepisyo ng mga kasama nila na hindi naman alam ang conflict sa pagitan nila. At kahit ayaw niya, napilitan siyang doon na rin pumwesto sa mesa ng dalawa which happened to be four seater.
"Guys, this is Kevin. Kev, meet Zoey, Kaden's beautiful fiancee and of course, you've met my cousin, right?"
"My pleasure to meet you, Zoey. I think I've seen you before," kinamayan nito ang babae na ngiting-ngiti naman din.
"Maybe you've attended some of my fashion events," Zoey said.
"You're a model?" Eksaheradong tanong ng boyfriend niya. Gusto niyang apakan ang paa nito to remind him that Zoey was an enemy.
But well, she hasn't told him yet so okay, maybe he was just trying to be nice... A little too nice for her liking and perhaps Kaden too? Masama kasi ang tingin nito kay Kevin.
"A designer. But yes, I used to be a model too."
The two discussed things about Zoey's profession na nagkataon naman daw na ang kapatid na babae ni Kevin ay nasa kaparehong propesyon din. Hope didn't even know that he had a sister!
"Why don't you order first? My cousin already looks hungry," sarkastikong tanong ni Kaden kay Kevin. "Right, Hope?"
"Just a little. Kev, what would you like to have?" She passed the menu to her boyfriend. Kevin paid attention and called a waiter to place their order.
"So, what do you do for a living, Mr. Tiu?" Tanong ni Kaden.
"I have a lot of businesses," proud na sagot ni Kevin. "In fact, I've started another one in San Gabriel. Hope and I decided to live there after we get married. She doesn't want to leave the town."
"I'm surprised that you agreed to live in such a 'remote place in the middle of nowhere'." Makahulugang sabi ng pinsan niya. How could Kaden describe San Gabriel that way? Nagpapanggap lang din ba ito gaya ni Zoey noon na hindi naman pala talagang nagandahan sa bayan niya? "Wasn't that how you described San Gabriel to me, Mr. Tiu?"
"What?" Hindi niya napigilang bulalas and looked at Kevin who seemed to struggle acting innocent. "Is that true, Kev?"
"What? No! I'm sure your cousin is inventing it."
"Kaden won't lie!" Pagtatanggol ni Zoey.
"Oh yeah? Well maybe you aren't that same person too who called Hope's deceased boyfriend stupid." Tumayo na ito. "Let's go, Zoey," yakag nito sa kasintahan na agad namang tumalima.
"Come on, Hope, don't tell me you believe what that psychotic cousin of yours said?" Ani Kevin.
Her boyfriend just called Kaden psychotic. Hindi malayong tinawag nga nitong estupido si Rain.
May bumangong galit sa loob niya. All this time she thought Kevin respected Rain. So did that mean that he saw her as someone who would date a stupid person then? Did he think that she's stupid as well? Rain was right. This person she calls her boyfriend now shouldn't be trusted.
"Hope, babe, I didn't tell him that. You have to believe me," Kevin desperately said.
"I've lost my appetite, Kev. Umalis na tayo rito."
"We need to talk!"
"About what?" Iritable niyang tanong. "That you faked everything about how you see my town? That you think Rain was stupid?!"
"Are you in love with your cousin?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Kevin.
"This is not about me being in love with my cousin! Of course, I couldn't be! I'm mad because you called my cousin psychotic!" Galit niyang saad, struggling to keep her voice low.
"I can't believe we're fighting over some lies."
"You should have been honest with me. You know I'd understand if you don't really like my town. I'd understand if you just told me you didn't like Rain rather than pretended you respected him so much when in fact you never did!"
Natahimik ito.
"I trusted you!"
"That's the only way to get you to trust me, Hope," amin nitong hindi naman tunog nagsisisi ang boses. "And I like you so much I had to be dishonest to get your attention."
"Aren't you going to say sorry, Kevin?" Disappointed na sabi niya. He was not the Kevin that she knew. Her boyfriend wasn't like this man she was talking to. He wasn't a proud man.
"I'm sorry," sa wakas ay sabi nito.
"Just leave me now, Kevin." She dismissed.
Frustrated na huminga ito nang malalim pero umalis din ito without explaining his case further...