Chapter-228

IQ

Jay-jay's POV

The noise. It's like someone is having a fight and fighting. I also hear someone singing.
They're so noisy and even though I wanted to sleep, I couldn't because of their noise. It's disturbing my sleep!
Irritating! I opened my eyes and the Pesteng Ulopong appeared before me. "Your noise!" I said annoyed. "Hey,
wake up!" "Wake up, wake up!" "Hello, Jay?" I was startled. It's the first time I've seen someone say hello with
ood in their mouths. Their hands were holding something else than the contents of their mouths. "Get away!
You're so angry! He's so disgusted !" David said and they quickly walked away. Where did that food come from
and why did they eat it? I tried to sit up. Yuri immediately adjusted the bed so that the head of the bed was
slightly higher. He also put a pillow behind my back. He was taking care of me while the other guys were busy
chewing. I looked at my hands and noticed that they were wrapped in bandages but I didn't feel anything. I
also realized that there was a bandage on my head. Why is this like this?! What the----is Ci-N! That's when the
events came back to me. Why am I in the hospital and why are my hands wrapped. Ci, Mykel and the
chandelier. I looked at the Snakes. I looked for the face of the Little Kumag but I couldn't find him. "Where is
Ci-N?" I asked worriedly. David answered. "In the other room. He's okay, that kid is strong." I breathed a sigh of
relief. I wondered what had happened to him. I closed my eyes and leaned my back on the bed. It was a good
thing nothing bad had happened to him. I tried to think of what had happened before I went to the hospital. It
was like something was missing.... like I couldn't remember something. I opened my eyes and the first thing I
saw was Yuri. He was peeling the apple he was holding . "Who brought us here to the hospital?" I asked and
he looked at me for a moment before going back to what he was doing. "Us." "M-mykel, where is it?" He
suddenly laughed and took a bite of the apple he was peeling. The truth is, who is sick here? Why are they
eating the food? "What's so funny?" I said, a little annoyed. "You asked that earlier. You keep repeating
yourself." I frowned. "I just woke up. How can I ask that?" She stopped eating her apple and looked at me with
a look of surprise. "Jay... You woke up earlier while they were sleeping. You were still dumb before you spoke."
Yuri and I stared at each other for a long time. We were both confused about what was happening. I don't
remember being awake. I don't even remember what happened after the----the blood! "Yuri... C-can you take
me to Ci-N?" I begged frantically. "Why? Is there a problem?" "B-because... because..." How could I tell her that
it was back again. That thing that was happening to me. The thing that I had been avoiding for a long time.
That thing! It was scary! We heard a knock on the door. We almost looked at the door at the same time before
it opened. Aunt Gema turned to me with a smile. "How are you?" She greeted the Ulopongs and me. "We're
fine, Tita." Eren replied with a smile. "Thanks for the food, Tita." Denzel said. What Tita? When did Tita Gema
become Tita? These Ulopongs ' faces were stern ! "How did you cook this noodle? It's delicious, Tita." Eman
said. "Tita, this Minudo is delicious." Kit was shocked. I just winced. It seemed like they were so close to Tita.
And wow ! They really are so close, they're still eating. "Thank you. It's a good thing you were there to support
Jay-jay." Tita said and lowered the paper bag she was carrying on the table where the food was placed .
"Hey, what's this, Tita? It looks delicious, huh?" Drew said while showing her
the paper bag.
"It's pickled. Just eat it." Tita replied and came closer to me. "...how
are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, Tita." I looked at the Ulopongs eating
behind her. "...Why is there so much food?"
She also looked at the Ulopongs behind her. She smiled before
turning to face me again.
"Since they brought you here yesterday, they haven't come home to
eat yet... so I just brought them." She explained.
Yesterday? That means I've been unconscious for a day.
I looked at Yuri. "You were here yesterday?" I asked and she nodded
. "...so you haven't taken a bath yet?"
They were both stunned. Tita was surprised by their reaction. Even
David, who had a piece of bread in his mouth, suddenly stopped.
"That's okay. We're used to not taking a bath." Mayo replied and
quickly grabbed Josh's neck.
"Just you. Don't involve us." Felix said.
While they were teasing me, I thought.
I felt really strange. I felt like I was floating even though what was happening to me was clear
.
"Jay?" Aunt Gema called to me while patting my arm.
"...are you sure you're okay?"
I nodded. "Yes, Aunt."
"I'm asking you. You're not answering."
"Sorry."
"Maybe he's hungry." Yuri whispered.
Aunt Gema laughed. "Maybe. That's why he
can't eat yet."
What can't he eat?!
My eyes widened as I looked at Aunt Gema and Yuri.
"S-are you serious?"
Aunt Gema adjusted the pillow behind me. She was still laughing while
doing so.
"We still have to wait for the doctor to say.
We can't just feed you."
Hhhhuuuwwwwaaaaattttttt????!!!!!
Why is that?! There's so much food in front of me and I can't
eat. Why? This is so unfair!
"But why?"
"That's what the doctor said."
I turned to Tita in tears. "But sometimes what
the Doctor says isn't true."
They laughed at me again. It hurt so much.
The food was within my reach but it wasn't allowed. Why wasn't it allowed? Why?!
BAAAAKIIITT?!
"You really are.... okay. I'm going to go see Aries first. I left
your mom there, so maybe they're fighting." Tita said and
walked out.
The Ulopongs thanked her before she could finally
leave. Yuri approached me and sat next to me. She held
my hand.
"What were you saying earlier?"
That's right!
I looked at the Ulopongs. I didn't want to talk about
those things in front of them.
"Maybe next time."
Her grip on my hand tightened so I looked at her. I knew
she could sense that I was thinking something. I forced a smile at him and
tried to hold his hand too but the bandage got in the way.
We remained in that position when I suddenly remembered Percy.
My eyes gradually widened.
"W-where's Percy?"
Felix looked at me who was currently drinking coke.
"He's at home. Why?" He replied.
"Is he okay?" I asked worriedly.
Felix looked at me in surprise. "Of course. Why wouldn't he
be okay?"
"Because when we had---."
"He was here earlier." David cut me off from what I was going to say.
He looked at me strangely. It was as if he was telling me not to
talk anymore. I turned back to Felix who was still surprised.
I shook my head while smiling. "When is he coming back here?"
"I don't know. He and David will talk."
I looked at David but he just shrugged at us and continued
eating. Felix did the same. I chose to postpone
the thought that was bothering me for now.
There was a time when Yuri made me drink a spoonful of water to
quench my thirst. But I wanted to eat.
Food! Food! Food!
Around noon, the Ulopongs decided to go home.
They were doing nothing here but eating and eating. David and Yuri were left behind.
Just as the lukos were leaving, Yuri's cellphone rang.
He said goodbye and said he would answer the call and went out.
I looked at David who was currently playing on his cellphone.
"Hey David!" I called him annoyed. "...What happened to
Percy?"
"He's at their house. Resting." He answered boredly.
"Yes, that's right! But what happened to him when I left him?"
He turned off the cellphone and faced me. His eyes
were looking at me seriously.
"He called me. He said he was having an attack of illness. I was the only one
who came because I knew he didn't want to let others know about
his condition." He explained.
I was filled with worry for him. What illness? He didn't tell me
he was sick.
"W-what's this pain? Why didn't he tell me?"
"He don't want you to worry."
I bowed my head. "When? When has he been experiencing that?"
David placed his elbow on his knee. He rubbed his palms together
and looked at me seriously.
"After the accident. He suffers from spinal damage. Unable to walk
and almost paralyzed, his mother did everything she could to help
him." I held on tightly to my blanket. "...She spent a lot of
money to find a Doctor that could cure Percy."
"But isn't he fine? Here he is now."
"Not totally, there's a side effect. His spinal pain suddenly started and
then he became paralyzed in some parts of his body."
I remembered the way he looked in the car. How he screamed in pain.
His hands and even his speech.
"Can't it be treated?"
"They tried. That's why he has been gone for a long time and asks me to
look after you."
So that's the reason why he went to New York with
Papa. I can't imagine that despite being a jerk and a corny,
he's suffering from a disease.
I can't hear Corning jokes anymore.
"That disease of his... Is there a chance...." I couldn't
finish my question but it seemed like he had already gotten the next one
.
"Yes... There is a chance. High risk."
I covered my mouth with my hand. It didn't seem like what
David said to me was true. I hoped it was just a joke, I would help him laugh.
He gave me another sibling but it seemed like he was going to take him back
rom me.
"...That's also one of the reasons why
his mother didn't want him back here." He added.
I couldn't hold back my tears. They fell on their own causing
David to panic and come to me.
"Hey! Don't cry. Don't think about anything. Percy is strong."
He said while trying to wipe my tears.
"A-that's a lie... That's a lie." I said and started to cry
.
David hugged me while rubbing my shoulder. Why does
everything I get have to come back? My father gave it to me but I can't
be with him. He gave me a brother but I didn't accept it.
He gave me another brother but it seemed like he was going to take it away from me.
It was like I was just given a taste of food but I couldn't eat it.
"I'm not dead yet but you're already making me cry."
We looked at the door. The man with blue eyes was approaching us.
He was smiling as if nothing had happened. Instead of me feeling worried and
sad, I suddenly got annoyed with him.
"You're a swindler..." He said to David. "...you might want to let go."
David pulled away from my embrace and returned to
his seat. I glared at Percy.
"You're a fool!" I said as he approached. "...if only my hand wasn't bandaged
, I would have punched you."
He smiled widely. "It's a good thing there's a bandage.
My handsomeness might be ruined."
Suddenly David stood up and approached the air conditioner. "Why does it seem like
the wind is getting stronger but it's stable at number 5?"
He could also feel the storm.
"Is there a problem, David?" Percy asked sarcastically. "...you stay
outside so it's not windy."
He laughed before walking out of the room. After closing the
door, he sat next to me. I wanted to slap my hand at him
but I might break my bones.
"Why didn't you tell me?" My voice cracked when I said that. "...and don't
say you don't want me to worry. Coz that's bullshit!"
He didn't answer and just looked at me so I continued to vent
my resentment.
"It's unfair to me... I thought I had an ally. I thought
I had someone to lean on. But why does it seem like it's only for a moment? Why does it seem like
it's going to be taken away from me?" My tears fell. "...how can I
continue now if every hour that passes, you can
take you away from me? What should I do? Huh?! Answer me!"
Percy touched my cheek. He wiped his tears and
moved closer to me.
"You know the answer to why I didn't tell you."
His eyes were serious as they stared at mine. "...You'll remember this.
I'll never leave you. I won't take anything back from you. I won't take anything
rom you. You won't do anything because I won't let you lose me."
I saw tears forming in the corner of his eyes. I've only
seen him like this now. Except when he was drinking because of his issue with Freya.
But not like this.
"I escaped death once, Jay. I'm ready to do it again.
And I'll do it again. Do you know why?" I shook my head. "...because
I'm handsome." I
'm annoyed! This guy is really crazy!
"Fuck!" I said annoyed as I slapped his chest but he remained
serious.
"I can't leave you. You're already gone. I haven't even delivered you to
your Papa yet. Just trust me, I'll live longer than
you expect." He smiled. "...maybe you'll be ahead of me."
I laughed at what he said so I started to feel better.
I wiped my tears and hugged him.
He hugged me back. "Just trust me. I won't
be lost again."
I nodded and I knew he could feel that. I trust him.
I believe he won't leave us.
We let go of the hug and that's when we felt the
presence of another person. We looked at the door and there stood Yuri and
David, both looking at us.
"We have to go." David said.
Percy nodded at him before facing me again. "I'll be back
here tomorrow. I just need to deal with something."
"Okay. Be careful."
He kissed me on the forehead before finally walking closer to David.
Yuri and Percy exchanged a strange, evil look before walking out
the door.
I really didn't know what was wrong with these two.
Yuri came to me after the two left. He smiled and sat next to me.
"Sorry if I took so long." He said.
"It's okay."
We talked for a while about what happened yesterday. I wanted
to tell her that the old days had happened again. But
my tongue suddenly retracted when I was about to tell her.
Around 7pm, Mama came to watch over me. Yuri told me
that she was going home and would be back tomorrow.
Since I still couldn't eat, my stomach was still full of spoonfuls of water
. If only I could eat the spoonful, I would have done it
just to fill my stomach.
"You Jay! Stop fighting! Maybe no one
will accept you at the University!" Mama's sermon while wiping
me with a wet towel.
It was as if I wanted to fight.
"Are you listening?!" She asked annoyed.
"Yes." I had no answer.
After she cleaned me up, she arranged the bed for me to lie down. I chose
to face the wall to fall asleep quickly. The light was on and
I could see a lot of things or objects, my eyes were restless and I couldn't
sleep.
Mama must have noticed that I couldn't sleep so she turned off the
light and pulled back the window curtain to let in some light
rom outside.
It didn't take long for me to fall asleep on my own. I must have also been carried away
by my sleepiness this morning.
I hadn't slept for long when I was woken up by a soft
knock. The only weird thing was that the knock wasn't that loud
to wake me up too much. It wasn't in a hurry either.
"Ma! There's someone." I said and ran to pull the blanket over me.
What a nuisance! It's so nice to sleep with someone!
That's how surprised I was when I didn't hear Mama answer.
I heard the knock again and pulled down the blanket. I faced
Mama with annoyance.
"Ma! Can't you hear----." I couldn't finish what
I was going to say because Mama wasn't on the sofa she was sitting on earlier.
I didn't have anyone with me?!
I heard the knock again.
"Who's that?!" I shouted but no one answered.
I heard the doorknob ring. The door slowly opened
and light came in from outside.
I noticed that someone was peeking through the crack. I was starting to
get nervous. The door could have been opened wide and
whoever it was could have come in.
"Is there anyone there?" I asked nervously.
The peeper disappeared. I waited for a few minutes to see if anyone would come in
but no one did. I was about to get up to close the door but its hinges creaked
as it slowly opened.
But why was there no one?!
I suddenly remembered what Josh and Mayo were talking about earlier.
They were teasing me about someone in my room. A girl playing
under my bed.
I swallowed a few times. I was sweating even though the
room was air-conditioned. I backed up from my bed when I noticed a hand holding
onto the side of the door. A head peeked out at me.
My whole body shivered, especially when I heard my name
but I was so weak that I didn't hear what he said next. The only
light I had was the light from the open door.
Kingina! Kingina! Kingina! Kingina!
I was so scared that I lay down on the bed again and
curled up. I ran again and closed my eyes. I almost called
all the saints.
I almost prayed all the prayers I knew when I heard the
door close. I was shivering even though I wasn't cold. All
my courage retreated especially when I heard the creak of steel.
It was like a tire that lacked oil or a rusty wheel.
That sound was getting closer and closer to me. My heart felt like it was going to explode,
the beating was deafening until.....
"Here it is."