Gabie's POV
"Hep! Just a moment! Talk to me first because I have something important to say, "I began after they all greeted me.
"First of all…" I looked around at them all, then I looked at Miggy, who was standing in the doorway. She was also looking at me, smiling.
"I want to thank all of you for attending this little party that my mom prepared for me. Second, ma! " I shouted, even though I knew mama was just standing behind me.
"I can graduate because I passed my thesis defense earlier!" I jumped at the same time and then my mom and I hugged. Jhay was the same, then I just noticed that they had already put down the cake that they had helped each other carry earlier. Then I heard everyone greet me with loud applause.
"Wait a minute, I'm not done yet. But thank you. Mom, I want to introduce you to my boyfriend Miguel but Miggy can too, "I said as I approached Miggy and took her from my belongings and then just laid her on the chair next to me.
I saw both mama and Miggy were shocked when they looked at each other.
"I'm sorry if…" Miggy said, I couldn't continue what she was going to say because mama came in.
The party is over. And you can go home right now! Never show up to my son! " He shouted at everyone, especially Miggy.
Miggy turned to me knowing she wasn't the only one surprised by what she heard from mama.
"Ma! What is this? Why? What's the problem? Maybe we can talk about this? " I calmly asked mama because it was embarrassing to the neighbors who are here now.
But instead of answering me, neither he nor my mother listened to me.
"Jhay, please take Gabie away from here!" He gave a stern command to Jhay, but Jhay could not move to take me away from them.
"Ma'am. I'm really sorry I didn't mean that. I know that my personal problem is not the reason for that to happen to you. I'm sorry, "I heard Miggy talking to mama.
"Miggy? Hi Miggy! What's happening? I do not understand!" I'm confused.
"Gabie, I'm sorry. I don't know what to say..." He said, "Crying." I could see in his eyes that he was full of pleading.
"Why are you sorry? What really happened? Ma'am?What? Tell me! " I begged. Because I didn't understand what they were saying. Mama was suddenly angry at her very happy face earlier. Then here comes Miggy, pleading with mom.
"Gabie. I am the reason your mom was hospitalized a few months ago. But I'm sorry because I didn't talk to you after that incident. I don't want to face you and personally apologize because my daddy died at the same time that night. So I lost my mind because I was already busy. After mommy was depressed, a series of blows came into my life back then that I had to face alone because I couldn't count on mommy. Mommy relied on me during those times, "he explained.
It was as if his head was pumped at what he heard. I don't know if what I heard is true or not. I don't know if I should believe it. It's true that mama was hit a few months ago, but it's a good thing that she didn't get any serious injuries. Then I'm very grateful because even though it happened like that, they didn't leave mama alone. So I didn't dare look for who it was because apart from them being responsible for all the hospital expenses, they even gave mama money. I just don't know if it will be like this because I haven't asked mama yet.
It's important to me that mama is safe. It's a coincidence that I had a series of photo-shoots because I had just finished the final exams in the first semester, so we broke up. It's just every vacation because I receive a lot of schedules for my projects.
"Ma? Is what he says true? " I will ask.
What used to make me furious has now been replaced by mama's loud moaning, so I'm even more confused about what's really going on.
"Ma! Answer me, is what he said true? "Sobbing, I asked mama.
Mama just nodded slowly.
"But that's not why I want you to break up!" he said loudly while sobbing.
The three of us, Jhay and Miggy, were shocked when mama spoke again.
"W-What do you want to say?" I stuttered the question.
Gabie's mom looked around at me and Gabie as she continued to cry.
"What are you saying, ma?" I shouted because mama couldn't look at me anymore. Now she's just sobbing. It seems like she's having a hard time saying the real reason.
"Because you are brothers to the father! That is the real reason, "he said weakly.
"You are mistaken! It's not true that I already met my sister Gabriella, "Miggy replied to mama.
"Ma! Don't make up a story because it's not funny! I know Miggy's sister and Jhay and I saw her when we went to the mall to shop, "I replied.
Mama's face was confused by what she heard from Miggy and me.
"What? That's not true because she's the real Gabriella Therese! Gabriel Sansebastian is your father's name, isn't it? " He asked Miggy, who immediately nodded.
"I went on the day of your daddy's funeral but I decided not to come near you even though I knew no one among those there knew me. We have no relationship with your father, but something happened to us one night when we met at a bar in Quezon City. I had no plans for anything to happen to us, but it was too late when I woke up to the truth. So I decided to stay away from him a few months after the night something happened to us, because I didn't want to ruin the family. I can't accept that I did that. I'm ashamed of myself. Because of that, I lost modeling because I couldn't because I'm pregnant! "
It was as if a bomb had exploded on the three of us who were left to hear what mama had said. It was as if my voice had suddenly left me and then it was as if the world had fallen on me. I don't know if this is just a prank? Before I could hear a sequel to what mama was going to say, I forced myself to stay away from them because I couldn't bear to hear what was said next. I don't want to talk to or see any of them. I don't want anything to happen other than to get away from them.
"Gabie! Gabie! "
Despite the horror I felt earlier while standing in front of them, I didn't understand why I got the speed of my running motion. I ignored their laughs. Even the neighbors I passed on the side of the road talking, I didn't care anymore.
"Gabie! Gabie! "
I didn't even know where I was going as long as I just let myself run and run away from them all. I could no longer listen to what they wanted to say to me. It would not be a good joke if they thought it was too painful for me to hear those words. I just got a boyfriend now because I know I'm ready and it's going to happen.
"So who told me mama that my dad was dead long before I was born? Which is really true there and which is the same origin? Why did Miggy say "my sister" to the father? All I know is that Miggy's father died of a heart attack. Then mama told me papa died of the disease! What's that? He just wants to play with how I feel? If I just don't look like her, I might also doubt if she's really my real mother? "I don't know where I ended up, as I just felt that my feet had given up on what I was going through. I just got down on my knees, but despite the tiredness that my dad felt, my eyes never got tired of crying. I still can't stop sobbing out loud. I don't care if anyone sees me or hears me.
"Because you are brothers to the father! That is the real reason! "
"Because you are brothers to the father! That is the real reason! "
"Because you are brothers to the father! That is the real reason! "
"Because you are brothers to the father! That is the real reason! "
"Because you are brothers to the father! That is the real reason! "
Those words were etched over and over again as I continued to run. I don't care if I see cars running well and you're not that fast because of the traffic. I've even heard the drivers' anger because they shouted at me because I just appeared in front of their car. There are those who are still honking loudly to let me know that they can hit me at any time. I wasn't scared at all, so I continued on the adventure of scrambling on the way to the sea of vehicles.
until my dad couldn't take it anymore. I held my two hands on my knees as I slowly slumped down from my knees because my body was tired from running away from people I didn't want to see or talk to. Eventually, I heard a gunshot not far away, but I was not looking for where it came from because I just continued to cry while taking deep breaths at the same time as deep breaths in the unpredictable run. I don't even know where the strength of that came from to keep running that I didn't even have to go far before. Eventually, I felt something hot, as if my right chest had been pierced. Soon I felt the pain, so I tried to swallow it, but at the same time, my vision was paralyzed.
Before I finally fell all over the cement, I heard someone shouting my name. I couldn't look at it anymore because I felt that my back was cold, which meant that I was covered in cold and dirty cement. I could see the dark sky, but I could only see a few stars so far away from each other. Maybe this is the end of me, maybe this is the only time I'll be on the surface world.I could feel hot liquid constantly flowing down my right chest that I was holding, but it was slowly taking away my strength. I don't know if it was because of the distance I ran straight, or because I was crying from before, or maybe it wasn't so hot earlier that it pierced, so I'm page by page.
Before I fall asleep…
"Gabie? Gabie! " At the same time, he tried to lift me, but I also felt he was struggling because of the intense gasping I heard from him. So he hugged half of my body from head to waist.
"Shhh… Don't worry, it will be with you. I'll ask for help, okay? I will take you to the hospital because you are right, "I heard him say while crying.
Then I heard its footsteps coming fast towards us.
"Miggy? What happened to Gabie? " Jhay's voice, obviously confused by what happened.
"Call an ambulance quickly. You shot Gabie. I don't know who, as long as I just caught her here bloody! " I heard Miggy shout at Jhay.
I saw him forcibly grab something from his back pocket, but he kept looking at me. It was as if he was afraid that I would disappear from his sight if he ignored me for a moment. Then he gently pushed my hand that had previously been resting on my chest to touch something he put there and then he applied a little force. Maybe the continuous flow of hot liquid that I had felt before, blood if I'm not mistaken, stopped while continuing to flow out of my right chest.
"Gabie, please stay with me please. Don't close your eyes baby, okay? Stay with me, please. I got you. We'll just wait for the ambulance to arrive… "He whispered softly to me.
"We'll get through this okay, please stay," he begged me.
"I-I'm…" I tried to speak but…
"Shhh, don't talk first then we'll talk, okay? For now, please don't give up listening to me. Let's just wait for Jhay because I called an ambulance for him.
"Jhay what? Have you called anyone yet? " He shouted again at Jhay, "I'm sure like him, it's confusing too."
"There is, let's just wait!" Jhay's confused answer to Miggy. That I can see that it is uncomfortable not to be able to stay somewhere, fit to approach me and then strengthen away then come back. But he didn't come close to me because I could see the great fear on his face as well as Miggy's face.
Miggy kept whispering to me words that were no longer very clear to my hearing. Then my view of the two of them also faded a bit. I could see their mouths open, but I couldn't understand anything. As time went on, I became more and more drowsy, my vision became more and more dizzy, but I kept it open according to Miggy's repeated pleas to me earlier.
I already feel very tired, so it's nice to sleep, but what about Miggy's repeated pleas for me to "never" close my eyes? But I'm also tired because I might not be able to cope. Maybe they will understand why I keep closing my eyes.
I could still see people around me, but Miggy and Jhay were still beside me, both crying and saying something. It was as if I was floating and then someone approached and covered my eyes one by one with a small light. They made sure I was still awake and then some hooks were attached to me until I couldn't stop myself from being completely swallowed by the drowsiness that I had been fighting for before.
Miggy's POV
It was early in the morning but we were both sitting and dumbfounded outside the operating room. The doctor who performed the operation on Gabie has not yet come out. All of us here are obviously very tired, but no one wants to go home to rest. No one wants to even take a nap. I know we were all shocked at everything that happened. Earlier, when Gabie had just entered the operating room, some policemen came to take a statement from us. But they also left after we told them the whole incident and why we were in that place.
From then on, only Meynard would talk to me occasionally. To ask if I need anything. He seems to be the only one of the four of us who is still relatively sane, because apart from him, the three of us are already idiots. He was the only one who did not witness what happened.
Right now I'm not ready to talk to Teresa to find out the truth because I'm overwhelmed with confusion as to how and why Gabie is daddy's son? That's because Nimfa and Teresa are one. Who is Gabriella that I thought was my sister, who I was already with? Why is Teresa Alonzo the name of her mother written on her birth certificate? What is her name, Gabriella Therese Alonzo? But according to the death certificate two years ago, Teresa Alonzo died in an accident. What is true about what Jhay said that Gabie's father was dead long before he was born? What is really true? Who should I believe?
"Brother, eat first and then drink it so that you can regain your strength. You should be resting now because you donated blood for Gabie. What I will feed you must be nutritious in case there is no tomorrow when I can buy such food. I just bought it at a nearby 24/7 fast food restaurant. The important thing is to fill your stomach first, and then you can drink the juice. I didn't buy soda because it's not good for you, "he said softly to me. I accepted the food he gave me. I saw someone else with them. He would probably give them to those of us who were waiting.
At the far end, I was sitting alone while Jhay and Gabie's mom were also sitting at the other end. They were both side by side. I saw Meynard give them food as well as he gave me.
Eventually, Meynard walked back to where I was and waved at me.
"Brother, do you want me to call Gab to bring you your clothes because the blood on my clothes has dried?" He asked me softly, as if weighing me.
"'Don't go home to the condo first, rest there and then come back to me later but go through the office first, please file me for leave because I won't come first.
"How can you rest on that?"
"I'm okay, don't worry. I'll rest later when Gabie is out of the operating room and I'll make sure she's safe. I'll just call you because I'll reconcile, because I left my car there with them, "I explained.
"Okay."
"Then please call Willie. I need to talk to him tomorrow at the first hour in the morning, "I ordered. He just nodded, then stood up and walked away.
Then I slowly ate the food he gave me because I knew I needed to regain my strength. Even though I didn't feel like it, I forced myself to consume it so that I wouldn't get too weak, because I needed immediate blood for Gabie, and then, by chance, we had the same blood type, so I didn't hesitate to give it. Because they lacked the blood bag fund that they had and it took more time before their request arrived at the blood bank, so they first looked for a possible donation for immediate needs. Because I have the same blood type as him, so I was the one who was shot.
I didn't even notice how many hours we had been waiting outside the operating room, when suddenly its door opened and the doctor came out to talk to us that he was Gabie's surgeon.
"Doc, how is my son?" I heard the question as Teresa greeted the doctor.
"So far, she is stable but still under observation because the bullet hit a small part of her lung. But you have nothing to worry about because we have already got the bullet. We just have to wait for him to be active. But we will temporarily transfer him to the ICU to be closely monitored and monitor his condition properly. Even though his condition is stable, we still need to be careful because it is still possible for him to have complications if we do not monitor him closely. That's why we forbid him to be exposed to many people, so there are only a limited number of people who can visit him in the ICU, "the doctor explained at length. I was just about to approach when I heard him explain Gabie's condition.
I could hear Teresa crying again and Jhay, who was standing next to her, was making her lie down. The doctor left immediately after he explained because he still had work to do. I didn't wait for them, I walked next to the doctor but I went to the nurse station.