Chapter 21

"Alegria, you really don't know them?" Calyx asked Alegria.

"Calyx, I'm dead serious." Alegria said. She was confused, she didn't know why Calyx was asking her the same question again like she was lying.

"You really don't.. remember me?" Bruno asked.

"I'm sorry but I don't.."Alegria said, confused.

Danielle now came with the doctor. "Doc, I wanna talk with you about something." Calyx said as he lead the doctor outside of the room. Danielle followed them.

The room went silent for a moment. Then Phil coughed and decided to break the ice. "You don't.. remember us.. right?" Phil asked.

"I told you, I don't remember you." Alegria said, irritated.

"You remember nothing about us? Not a bit?" Jamareo asked.

"I. Don't. Remember. You." Alegria said and she sighed. 'How many times do they have to ask me?'

The room went silent again. Bruno decided to grab his guitar. He whispered something to Phil and Phredley, then played it.

"Wise men say, only fools rush in..
But I cant help falling in love with you.."

Bruno sang, and Phil and Phredley sang as his back-up singers. Alegria turned her head to face Bruno. It was her favorite Elvis song. She smiled.

"Shall I stay? Would it be a sin?
If I cant help falling in love with you..

Like a river flows surely to the sea..
Darling so it goes.. Some things are meant to be..
Take my hand, take my whole life too.
For I cant help falling in love with you.."

Alegria closed her eyes and smiled.. The man's voice felt so warm, and it felt so comfortable. Tears started to roll down her from her eyes. "It's.. great.." Alegria said. She tried to wipe her tears, but her arms ached. "Oww.." She said, almost whispering.

Bruno took his handkerchief and wiped Alegria's tears for her. "There." Bruno said as he gently wiped Alegria's tears.

"Thanks.." Alegria smiled at Bruno.

"You like it? You like the song?" Bruno asked, smiling. He's seen Alegria's smile again. It felt so good, his heart wanted to melt.

"Yeah, it's my favorite Elvis song. Peter.. Well, my fiance always sings that to me." Alegria said.

The boys looked at Bruno. Bruno stared back. "She's not talking about me. It's Peter, her ex-boyfriend.." He said, whispering.

"Ohh.." Phred and the boys said in chorus.

Alegria still heard it, but she didn't understand. 'What? What's he talking about?' She said to herself and started to think hard. "Wait.. Are you Peter's friends or something? Where is he? Why isn't he with you?"

Everyone kept silent, no one reacted. Bruno felt that he shouldn't answer Alegria and tell her that her ex-boyfriend is already dead.

--------------------------------------------

"She has a dissociative amnesia. Her head has been hit so hard, which caused the brain damage." The doctor said.

"But doc, I don't understand.. She can remember Danielle and me, but she can't remember anything about her boyfriend.. Why is that?" Calyx said, worried.

"She may have a repressed memory, which means she might have lost her memory about specific persons or events that have caused great impact or trauma on her due to the car accident." The doctor explained.

"Will she be able to recall the lost memory?" Danielle asked.

"She will, eventually, but we don't know when. Maybe today, tomorrow, next month.. But don't worry, she will be okay."

"Ohh.. I see.." Danielle said.

"You can take her home after a few days. We'll still have to do some tests and see if she's completely okay." The doctor said.

"Thanks doc." Calyx said.

The doctor nodded and walked away.

"So.. What now? Are we gonna tell them right away?" Danielle asked.

"We should. There's no difference of telling them now than telling them about it tomorrow." Calyx answered.

"You're right.. But what if Alegria didn't believe you?"

"She probably wouldn't believe me, but we have to tell her." Calyx said as he opened the door.

When he entered, everyone was silent. Alegria was looking at the boys.

"Uhm.. Alegria, we have.. some announcements." Calyx said.

Alegria waited for Calyx to talk.

"Well.. Alegria, I'm sure you're irritated because we keep asking you if you remember them." Calyx said as he turned his head to the boys.

"Yeah.. Kind of.."

"And you said you don't remember them, right?"

"I don't remember them.." Alegria shook her head. "So, what about it?"

"Well, you can't remember them because.. you have an amnesia."

"What the.. Calyx, are you serious?" Alegria asked, surprised. "I have an amnesia?"

"Yes, it's a special kind of amnesia, cause you don't lose all your memory, you only lose some parts of it. And a part of it is.. your boyfriend, Bruno." Calyx turned his face to look at Bruno. "And his friends.." Calyx explained.

Alegria's jaws dropped, her eyebrows raised. She couldn't believe it. "Are you kidding? But.. I swear, I really don't know them! I don't know him! You must be joking.." Alegria said as she shook her head.

"Alegria' I'm serious." Calyx said.

Alegria wanted to believe at Calyx, but she was sure. She was definitely sure she doesn't know these guys. She sighed. "I wanna see Peter."

"Alegria.." Danielle said. She felt pity for her precious friend.

"Peter died two years ago." Calyx said.

"What?! What are you talking about?!" Alegria asked, confused.

"He was in a car accident, and didn't survive.  He died two years ago, and now your boyfriend is Bruno." Calyx explained.

"What the.." Alegria's head started to ache. She bit her lips as she tried to ease the pain. She didn't understand what was happening. She didn't wanna believe in everything that Calyx said. Peter wouldn't just leave her like that.

"What?" Calyx asked, worried. "Are you okay?"

"Well.. Yeah.. My head just.. hurts.." Alegria said.

"You know, you should rest first. Let's talk about it later. Your migraine is attacking you again."

"I have a migraine?" Alegria asked, surprised

"Yeah, you had it since Peter died." Calyx said as he massaged Alegria's forehead to lessen the pain.

Alegria still didn't believe it. "If Peter's really dead, show me his tombstone." Alegria said, as if challenging.

"I'll take you there now if Calyx would let me." Bruno stood up.

Alegria stared at him. He looked serious. She then turned to face Calyx.

"Well?" Alegria asked.

"You still can't go, the doctor said you'd still undergo some tests to see if you're fine and ready to go." Calyx explained.

"Okay then. After I get out of this boring hospital, take me to the cemetery." Alegria looked at Bruno confidently.

"You want me to go there now and take pictures of his grave?" Bruno answered.

"Well.. I don't just wanna see it in pictures, I wanna see it with my own eyes. So no, don't do that. Just wait for me till I get out of here. You won't cheat and make a fake tombstone, would you?" Alegria said sarcastically.

"That wouldn't be needed." Bruno smiled. "So, what will I get if I show you Peter's tombstone?" Bruno asked. He clearly have taken this as a challenge.

"Well.. I'd do whatever you want. Anything. I'll be your servant for life. I'll even accept you as my 'boyfriend' if you want." Alegria said.

"That's good. So, what do you want me to do if I wasn't able to show you his tombstone?" Bruno asked.

"You, you and your friends, don't bother me anymore. Don't you ever show your faces to me, ever again." Alegria said confidently.

"Well, I guess it''s a deal." Bruno grinned. He was already sure he was gonna win, so he was happy.

"Calyx, can you call Peter for me?" Alegria said sarcastically.

Calyx sighed. "Alegria, I told you, he's already dead."

"Don't you even dare say that." Alegria was now getting angry.

"Alegria, I told you. I'm serious. Peter's dead. Bruno's your current boyfriend, and you both love each other very much." Calyx said.

Alegria closed her eyes. 'Oh shit. Wh-why? How? Urghh.. I don't understand.' Alegria's head ached even more.

'This can't be happening..'

---------------------------------

Alegria looked at the tombstone. It had Peter's name on it. It was really two years ago. But she still didn't believe it. Tears came falling down on cheeks.

Bruno looked at Alegria. He wanted to hug her, but Alegria might feel awkward towards him. She didn't know him, he was a new person to her now. So he had to resist himself and just watch his precious woman cry infront of him. And it wasn't because of him, it was because of another man. It shot him throught the heart. Deep.

Alegria's knees were shaking, and they felt weak that she knelt on the tombstone. She cried and cried and cried. She still couldn't believe it. She wiped her tears and looked at the tombstone again to check if she didn't just misread it. Peter's name. It was Peter's. She really couldn't believe it. She cried again, pouring her heart out.

Bruno couldn't help it anymore. Bruno bent his knees and rubbed Alegria's back, trying to comfort her.

"I.. I bet you're gonna.. laugh at me now.. Now that.. I lost in out bet.." Alegria said. She was finding it hard to talk while she was crying so hard.

"No, no.. I'm not gonna do that." Bruno shook his head.

Alegria just cried harder. She went like that for about two hours, but Bruno didn't say a thing. He just listened to her as she mumbled words he can't understand because she was crying too much. Rubbing Alegria's back was what Bruno did the whole time.

Alegria then decided to stop and took a deep breath. Another deep breath. And she finally wiped her tears and got up. Her eyes were swollen, but she still looked beautiful at that.

"So.. Are you gonna believe me now?" Bruno asked.

Alegria nodded. 

"Whew.. I thought you were still gonna deny that Peter's already dead."

"I'm sorry.. If I didn't believe you at first.. I was just.. shocked." Alegria's voice was like, brutally beaten up. Thank God she even had the voice to speak after she cried nonstop for almost two hours.

"I know.. It's not easy to let everything sink in. You have to take it one at a time." Bruno sighed as he patted Alegria's shoulder. "Let's go."

"Where to?" Alegria asked, curious.

"To some place."

"What?"

"I'll explain it to you later. We can't stay here for long, you know."

"Wait, what are we gonna do there?"

"You know, just.. Just come with me. I'll show you something."

"But--"

"No more buts." Bruno looked at Alegria as he walked away. Something suddenly popped out into his mind. He stopped walking. "Hey, do you remember the challenge you gave me?"

"What about it?" Alegria asked.

"You said, if I won, you're gonna be my servant for life. Now, be a servant and follow me. Bruno smiled as he turned around and walked away.

"Well.. Since I am now your slave, I guess I'll have to do everything you want." Alegria sighed. "Oh well.." Alegria followed Bruno to the car. She felt something was telling her not to go, but Bruno was just like a magnet. He was pulling her closer towards him, effortless. She smiled to herself, confused and happy at the same time.

'This guy.. He's amazing.' Alegria said to herself as she smiled.