7 am ang checkout namin and It's already 5:28 am. Gising na kaming lahat at naghahanda na kami. Bumalik na rin si Gelo sa room nila ni Ricci para magready. Okay naman na siya ngayon kasi kahit papaano nailabas niya na yung bigat ng loob niya kagabi.

Nagsuot lang ako ng ripped jeans na nag-iisang dalang pants ni Ricci saakin tapos yung black trasher na shirt niya na oversized pag ako ang susuot. Sinuot ko na din yung regalo saakin ni Gelo na sapatos.

Then I packed my things. Supposed to be wala naman talaga akong dalang gamit kaya lang ako nagkaroon ng gamit ay dahil sa mga regalo nila saakin nung birthday ko. Pagkatapos ko ay bumaba na ako sa Lobby.

Kasama ko na dito sila Ricci hinihintay na lang naming sila Noah. Wala paring imik si Gelo.

"Wanna share your thoughts?"tanong ko sakanya kasi magkatabi kami

"I'm just reminiscing achi my times with her"

"Can you tell me about it? I'm just curious" nakangiti kong tanong sa kanya.

"There was a event sa school parang siyang fair tapos yung booth namin achi ay photobooth tapos siya yung nasa editing ako naman yung nagaaya sa mga tao na magpapic sa booth namin. Umaga pa lang marami ng nag papapic kasi 3 picture 80 pesos lang. Nung lunch na kaming dalawa yung magkasamang maglunch kasi kami yung unang nag duty sa booth. Nung pagkain namin sabi niya saakin nagsasawa na daw siya mag edit kasi halos lahat daw ng pictures kasama ako. Yung mibang students kasi achi magpapapicture sila if sasama ako sakanila. Sayang namn kasi yung kikitain naming tapos may contest din na paramihan ng sales kaya pumapayag ako. Sabi ko naman sakanya edi mamaya papicture din tayo para lalo kang magsawa tas yun hinampas niya ako. That was our first conversation. It was fun"

"I think she really is a happy go lucky kind of friend" tumango lang siya habang nakangiti.

Maya-maya din ay bumaba na sila Noah kaya nagbreakfast muna kami bago umalis.

So ako nga ang nag drive nasa shot gun sit si Gelo na tulala sa daan. Si Ricci at Brent naman ay nasa likod tulog.

Maaga pa naman kaya di pa masyadong matraffic pero chill lang akong magdrive yung parang namamasyal lang.

"Gelo can you tell me more about her?" napatingin siya saakin at napangiti.

"you really are interested in her achi, well kahit sino naman talaga. There was a time achi na first time ko siyang nakita na umiiyak mga afterclass tapos papunta ako nun sa court kasi may training ako tapos nadaanan ko siya sa may corridor na nakatalikod pero di pa kami masyadong close that time, so I approached her she was literally sobbing. The only thing that she said was she can't breathe and she's too tired. So I hugged her, pina enhale exhale ko siya ng maraming beses kaya nakahinga siya ng maayos. Hindi niya saakin sinabi kung anong reason kung bakit siya pagod na pagod. Inaya niya ako kumain sa labas pagkatapos ng training namin. Pinapauwi ko na siya nung time na yon kaso ayaw niya hanggat di niya daw ako tinitreat kaya ayon nag dinner kami tapos hinatid nalang namin siya ni mang Theo sa bahay niya kasi wala daw pala siyang service. To be honest achi, it was one of my happiest moment with her. I save her life and that's makes me so happy"

"Nagmana ka talaga saakin Oleg"biglang salita ni Ricci sa likod

"Sahia naman eh"

"oh bakit? kuya mo naman ako ah, konti na lang magseselos na ako. Parang mas kapatid mo pa si ate Thalia mo kays saakin eh. Alam mo naman na you can talk to me about anything diba" nagtatampong sabi ni Ricci.

"I know sahia pero kasi I'm more comfortable kay achi"explain ni Gelo

"Sorry Cci I'm his girlfriend nga diba"pang asar ko pa.

"Whatever Nathalia. Basta Oleg ah don't hesitate to share your thoughts to me"

"I know Sahia"

Napuno ng tawanan yung byahe namin. Nakikitawa na rin si Gelo saamin. Andito kami ngayon sa unit ni Ricci kasi naghihintay kami ng oras para magdinner tapos diretso na kami sa funeral.

"by the way Gelo what's her name nga pala?" Ricci asked

"uhm she's Claudine, I call her Claui."

"I like her name, but the name that I really like was Nathalia" biglang banat ni Ricci kaya napatingin ako sakanya.

"Bolero ka nga talaga eh no?'

"bakit? di lang naman ikaw ang may pangalan na Nathalia ditto sa mundo ah"

"Sus ako lang naman ang gusto mo kaya wala ng iba pa" bigla siyag ngumiti sa sinabi ko

"Mabuti alam mo, Ikaw lang "

"Talaga. Ewan ko sayo, pahiram ako ng white longsleeve ah kasi parang in appropriate yung suot ko"sabi ko sakanya.

" baka di kasya sayo"

"ako na bahala"

Pumasok na ako sa kwarto niya para kumuha ng damit. It's not my first time to go inside his room pero everytime na pumapasok ako dito naamaze parin ako kasi ang linis at ang bango ng room niya. Imagine, he is your husband. You'll have a clean house everyday, a perfect husband for short.

His clothes are folded and hanged neatly, his bed is so clean, and he also have a shelf full of picture frames and polaroid films. Most of the pictures are with his family especially with Riley but there is a picture that always caught my eyes. It is my picture on his phone, when we are going home from Isabel yung siya ang nagpicture saakin di ko nga alam kung pano siya nag kacopy. Tapos meron pang isa yung pinilit kami ni tita Abi na magpicture kaming dalawa na nakapiggy backride ako sakanya. Bakit nga pala wala akong copy nung picture naming na yun?

"What are you looking at?"

"uhm I'm wondering bakit wala akong copy ng mga pics natin? bakit ikaw lang ang meron?"tanong ko agad sakanya

"Malay ko bang gusto mo din, di ka naman humingi"

"ok pero pano ka nakakuha ng pic ko eh phone ko yung ginamit na pang pic mo niyan saakin at hindi mo naman yan hiningi saakin?"

"Secret, pero ako ang kumuha niyan wala akong inutusan ah. Magbihis ka na nga anong oras na magdidinner pa tayo" his mysterious din pala ah.

Iniwan niya na ako kaya para makapag bihis na ako. Ginawa kong Dress yung Longsleeves niya. Mabuti na lang bagay yung suot kong sapatos.

"Can I use your perfume?!"

"Sure, I can't say no to you" sigaw niya pabalik.

Pagkatapos ko namin mag-ayos ay umalis na kami. Pumunta kami sa Kenny Rogers para magdinner. Maraming kumakain dito kaya marami din ang nakakilala kila Ricci. Mabuti na lang hindi pa dumadating yung mga pagkain namin, halos lahat ng mga kumakain dito ay lumalapit saamin. Bago pa kami kumain ay may lumapit saamin na isang babae.

"Hi po, goodevening po. Hi ate Nathalia I just want to say that you make me stronger and I'm thankful for that ate"sabi niya na ikinalambot ng puso ko.

"Upo ka, how did I help you?"pagkaupo niya tinanong ko agad siya.

"I was at the hospital when I saw your video, where you're interviewed by a students. The next day after that, it was may chemo therapy and I was alone. My family wasn't with me that day and after I watched the video of before that day. I felt like I'm not alone and I'm with you virtually. I was supposed to give up my life that time. I just wanted to rest and all but you gave me hope to fight because you said that at the end of the day I always have myself. I did all my medication and now I survived my stage 4 cancer and that's because of you ate Nathalia, Thankyou po" kwento niya saakin kaya napaiyak ako.

"Hala pinaiyak mo ate Nathalia mo" biro ni Ricci at inabutan ako ng panyo.

"Hindi, kasi naman di ko ineexpect na ako yung rason niya para lumaban. What's your name pala?"

"I'm Claudine Francisco po, I'm 16 years old"

"Kapangalan siya ni Claui, Gelo" nabigla si Gelo at napatango.

"Feel free to dm me Claudine ah, Gala tayo minsan pag may time. Cci diba may extra ticket pa ako para sa December?

"Meron pa bakit?"

"Okay, Claudine I'm inviting you to join our trip on December 20-27. All expenses are all mine. I won't take a no" sabi ko sakanya kaya kitang kita mo sakanya yung saya.

"sige po ate, this will be the first time that I'll celebrate Christmas with someone"

Pagkatapos ng paguusap naming ay nagpicture muna kami at nagpaalam na rin siya na uuwi na siya. I can't express what am I feeling right now.

Pagkatapos naming kumain ay bumili muna kami ng flowers para ki Claui.

Pagdating namin sa funeral ay hindi na maalis ni gelo ang kamay niya saakin.

"Relax Gelo, andito lang kami ng kuya mo"

Pumasok na kami at agad kaming lumapit sa kabaon ni Claui at doon na nagsimula ang pagiyak ni Gelo. Claui is very pretty. After naming magdasal ay nilapitan agad kami ng parents ni Claui.

"Are you Gelo Rivero"tanong ng mama ni Claui kay Gelo.

"Yes po Tita, Condolence po"

"She told me that you're the who help her when she can't breathe. She always told me a lot of things about you. Thankyou for making her happy and safe when she's still here. Before the day that she died she gave me this paper bag and she said that I should gave it to you and she also said that don't forget her and you're important to her"

Gelo hugged Claui's mom that made me tear up.

After their conversation we decided to home and rest. Gelo opened the paper bag in the car. There was a Nude hoodie , a phone case and a jar of papers.

"This was the hoodie that I always barrowed at her and we exchange. I was supposed to buy this case when we are at the mall but she didn't let me because it's a waste of money daw and she even put her name engraved in it. I hope you're happy wherever you are Claui" napangiti na lang kami ni Ricci sa mga narinig naming kay Gelo.

Claui made him a real man.