By: CDOCutie It was time for him to say goodbye. He knew in his heart he will never come back. The deafening silence of the room where they ...
By: CDOCutie
It was time for him to say goodbye. He knew in his heart he will never come back. The deafening silence of the room where they used to laugh and sleep is now in the midst of stillness and grief. He confessed it was his fault. He had been too nosy, demanding and inquisitive toward him. No wonder he left without saying goodbye. He must have been sick and tired of him controlling his life. He had no freedom. He was kept inside the four walls of their apartment for far too long. He did not even bother asking if he's still happy or not. He had been so terribly selfish.
They used to go out on a date and just laugh and talk about crazy things. But now, he's gone. No one knows where he is. He'd been calling his friends and relatives but no one knows where he's at. If only he had left a note or something, for him to be sure that he's all right. But he left him with nothing. Not even a picture of him.
He knew deep inside it was his mistake. But why does he need to leave? They could still work things out if they'll just talk. They've been together for almost three years now and this day was supposed to be a happy day for both of them. Yet he found no trace of him or his personal belongings the moment he went inside their room to propose. He called his name a dozen times but no one was there. There was only him in that big, empty space.
He cried. "How could he do this to me?" he asked himself. He took the ring out of his pocket and stared at it for hours. He can still smell the sweet scent of his perfume. He laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. For a moment, something has popped up in his head back on the first day he met the man of his dreams.
September 20, 2004
It was rainy Saturday night. Ronnie was soaking wet He was having a tough time hailing a taxi. He had been standing at a waiting shed for about an hour and he couldn't find a single cab without any passenger in it. He looked at his watch -
it was already eight o'clock in the evening. He's an hour late for his best friend's birthday party. He opened his bag and reached for his cellphone. He dialled Jenny's number but to his surprise, it was out of coverage area."Crazy faggot! She must've turned it off". He said with a smile. He knew Jenny was just having a you-don't-care-about-me syndrome. She had it ever since they were in college. Everytime he would come late or forget about her birthday or something, she would always say that he doesn't care about her - which is not true at all. Nonetheless, Ronnie knew the right remedy for his best friend's syndrome - a pair of Prada shoes can cure it all.
After an hour and thirty minutes of standing, an empty taxi stopped by in front of him. He cried out of relief and went inside as quickly as he could possibly be.
"West-side 69 Avenue Street, please!" They said together. He was dumbfounded to see a man beside him. The man was also as shocked as he was.
"What the heck is going on?" he asked himself. He was supposed to be inside the taxi alone. He can't possibly share it with someone he doesn't even know. He could be a killer, a criminal or a terrorist. Who knows?
On the other hand, It was raining hard when Jim ran along to a waiting shed just across the corner. But before he could go there,a taxi stopped by in front of him. Thank God for his lucky stars. Without even bothering to notice that there was also a man who was about to get in, he went inside anyway.
"West-side 69 Avenue Street, please!" he was surprised to hear a man say the same thing. He was wearing a dark blue leather jacket and a black sophisticated shoes. He was also holding a large white paper bag with pink ribbons on it. He's pretty sure that it's a gift for someone special. The man was eyeing him a ghastly look which was a bit odd for him. He smiled but the man gave no reaction at all.
Jim saw the driver gave a weird frown on his face. He must've known what's wrong. But he had no time for this knick-knack and he's quite late for his cousin's party. Besides, they're both going to same destination, so what's the big deal?
"Step on it, mister". He told the driver. The old man nodded and started steering on the wheel.
"Wait! Stop the car!" Ronnie bellowed and stared at Jim furiously. The driver stopped and observed the two passengers on the front mirror of his taxi.
"I don't mean to be rude but I suggest you find another taxi, mister. I have no intention of sharing it with someone - especially to a stranger". Ronnie said calmly.
Jim was speechless for moment. He doesn't want to be rude but that's exactly what he's doing -- being completely rude! He thought. The man was absolutely feisty.
"Mister, I also suggest that we make use of this taxi together. After all, we're both going to the same destination. Dont worry; I'll be paying the fare all the way there." Jim explained. There was an arrogant tone in his voice. He smiled and waited for a few seconds for his reaction. Few minutes later, he had no choice but to leave and find another empty cab .
Upon arriving at his bestfriend's house, Ronnie gave a big tip to the old driver. The old taxi driver did a great job by telling the arrogant man that he's actually picking him in the waiting shed and did not notice Jim coming. He couldn't help but smile upon remembering the weird smirk on the man's face when the old driver told him that.
Ronnie's best friend named Jenny gave him the warmest of welcome when she saw her friend so dripping wet because of the rain. The party was still going on and most of the guests were Jenny's relatives. When the two friends were finally alone in the kitchen, Ronnie couldn't help but open up about what just occured to him an hour ago.
"That wad! You should've kicked his ass!" said Jenny crossly. Out of the blue, Jenny gave Ronnie an enthusiastic smile on the face. The moment Ronnie saw his friend's smile, Ronnie made a step back and then slowly turned away leaving her best friend in the kitchen. But before he could leave, Jenny's question snapped out faster than thunder.
"So, was he handsome?" she asked
"We are not getting there, Jen". Ronnie started marching out of the kitchen. He went straight to the bathroom. Jenny followed.
"I'm just asking. Besides, I think it's time for you to move on. I hate to see you so sad and bummed out because of John's betrayal". Jenny said in a hush tone.
"I'm so over it, Jen. Believe me". He lied. It was hard for him to forget the lies and promises of the first man he ever loved. And even though it was a long time ago, the pain and bad memories are still fresh in his mind. It's true that he doesn't love him anymore, he just can't get over the idea that John chose to be with somebody else.
The doorbell rang thrice. Jenny was surprised to hear a visitor at this late hour . All of the guests have gone home. Yet without second thought , she opened the door and was surprised to see her cousin standing in front of her wringing wet from head to toe.
"What in the world happened to you?" she asked in shocked. He looked at her wearingly. Then he took a deep breath and said "Its a long story. Sorry I'm late. Can I stay here for the night?".
"You are super late! Of course you can stay. Come in first you drowned rat". Jenny said sarcastically. She took a towel from the cabinet beside the door and gave it to Jim. Then she told her cousin to go to the guestroom to change his wet clothing.
Ronnie went out of the bathroom wearing his pajamas. He will be staying ay Jenny's place tonight. He can't possibly make it home safe at this late hour. He walked through the kitchen and into the living room. He saw Jenny mopping up the floor.
"What happened? Why is the floor wet?" he asked .
"It's my cousin. He was like drowned rat when he arrived." Jenny explained.
Ronnie went to the kitchen. He took a glass of water then went back to the living room. Unfortunately, to his surprise, he accidentally lost his hold on the glass and it shattered on the floor, making Jenny bolt out of surprise
"YOU!?" they exclaimed.
PRESENT TIME
After a call from the hospital, Jenny had no choice but to leave work as quickly as possible. She never thought it would come this far. The situation is definitely out of control.
"Why would Jim leave" she asked herself. He had been so passive for years and now he's out for some explanation. She needs to find him quick before it's too late. Jenny tried calling Aunt Lucia and Uncle Ben about Jim but they had no idea where their son could be. She searched the places where Jim used to go but to no avail. There was no trace of him anywhere. Finally, after 4 hours of searching, Jenny decided to go home.
A glimpse of a man's shadow startled Jenny. She thought it was a burglar but when a dim light touched the man's face, she was quite sure it was her cousin Jim. He was standing by the window staring at the picture frames with Ronnie and Jenny celebrating her 25th birthday. The day the two of them met.
"Do you know where Ronnie is? I went to our apartment but there was no sign of him. He left me without saying goodbye". He kept his tone strong and firm but Jenny could hear small sobs in his voice.
"Answer me. Damn it! Where the hell is Ronnie?!" He shouted facing Jenny. She wanted to explain but she's afraid to hurt Jim's feelings. He suffered enough since Ronnie left him. The least she can do is to shut up.
Jim's face is now drenched in tears. He was kneeling on the floor, pleading Jenny to tell him where Ronnie is.
"I made a mistake. I've been very selfish. I hurt Ronnie's feelings but I've learned that I was wrong. I want him back! Please tell me where he is. I beg you".
Jenny could no longer take Jim's relentless crying. He deserves to know the truth.
"Ronnie's gone Jim. You will never see him again. I'm sorry". Jim's sobbing stopped.
"Gone? Gone to where?" he asked intruigingly. Jenny made a big sigh. She looked at him eye to eye.
"He died because of leukemia 2 years ago". Tears began to flow on Jenny's cheeks. He deserves to know the painful truth. He might not remember this afterwards but he ought to know why.
"Is this some kind of a joke? We were together yesterday. I've been meaning to give him this ring because I wanted to marry him but he wasn't at the apartment. He left me." He clarified. He completely ignored Jenny's explanation.
"You were married for 2 years, Jim. I was your maid of honor remember? Both of you were happily married until the day you found out about Ronnie's cancer. He died. Then after 6 months, you developed this kind of disease. I really don't know the details of your illness but the doctor said your life will never be the same again and that it's better for you to leave everything behind. I'm sorry, I really wish I could do something about it but it's too late" She explained.
It was strange for him not to remember all of it. He closed his eyes. He wanted to recollect what Jenny just told him now but nothing's clear. He does not remember getting married to Ronnie, nor Jenny being the maid of honor.
He wanted to argue, but upon reminiscing his past, everything's vague. He can't recall his parents' name, where they used to live, the things he used to do, nor his 21st birthday. Tears began streaming down his cheeks. How did this happen? How can I not remember? He asked himself a dozen times. Feeling dismayed, he looked at Jenny.
"What exactly did this disease do to me?" he asked wearingly. He knew the answer but he wanted to hear it anyway. She paused. She stepped forward and embraced Jim sympathetically.
"You forget." She cried
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