Diary of Fragile Heart (Spin of Loving You Too Long)

Gladwin and Antony are now in Eijaz’s office. They sit facing each other like a doctor and patient. “There’s nothing wrong with the results of her operation,” Eijaz displayed the latest test results on the flat screen on his desk.

“And from my observation, Flavia’s brain condition is indeed fine.” “What’s happening to Flavia right now is a side effect of the head trauma. We call it brain trauma.

“Actually, the reason for amnesia after the accident cannot be determined yet. Plus, the two factors Flavia experienced-head trauma and coma-are not the first time they’ve occurred.

“But what we need to further investigate is whether this is temporary or permanent,” Eijaz continued. His eyes kept scrutinizing the man in front of him.

“I personally hope it’s temporary. Meaning it’s just a side effect of the trauma and shock she endured. Because in some cases of amnesia, patients experience it due to the patient’s own mental issues. So the patient’s subconscious suppresses them to forget certain things or their entire past that the patient wants to forget.” Eijaz explained. He was addressing Antony more, as Eijaz was confident Gladwin would already understand this.

“Some patients experience memory loss in specific areas only. They seem to hypnotize themselves to forget those points. For example, if she’s a victim of domestic violence, what she wants to forget is her husband. When she realizes it, the only thing missing from her memory is about her husband. The rest she can still remember.

“There are also cases where the patient’s memory loss brings in entirely new thoughts. Completely new to the point where she can’t even read or count. And in some cases, they forget events from one or two months or several years ago, while they can still remember the rest.

“Meanwhile, in some cases, there are instances of memory loss that only last for hours, but there are also those that last for several days, months, or even longer.

“I just hope that what’s happening to Flavia is Dissociative Amnesia, which is temporary, and she will regain her memory in the coming days,” Eijaz hoped.

“What if Flavia experiences long-term amnesia?” Antony asked, concerned.

“Based on what I see of her brain condition, overall it looks good. There’s no condition where if we prompt her to remember, it would endanger her life. Flavia’s condition can be considered stable. Her uncle can slowly help trigger her memories back without putting her at risk.

“But remember, don’t force it,” he emphasized. “There are cases where patients who have lost their memory after a head injury should not be reminded of their past as it could endanger their lives. And for Flavia’s case, we need to reassess it, whether the cause of this amnesia is indeed due to brain trauma or triggered by emotional stress.”

Eijaz glanced at Gladwin. Gladwin remained silent.

“What do you mean?” Antony inquired.

“I’m saying this as someone who knows Flavia. It’s possible that the trauma to her head and her memory loss are because she had emotional issues before the impact occurred. For that matter, her uncle might consult with a psychologist if necessary.

“There’s a process of hypnotherapy that can be used as a treatment method. It taps into Flavia’s deepest feelings so she can express what she’s holding back. However, it all comes down to the choice of her uncle and family.”

“For now, let’s just pray that Flavia’s amnesia is only temporary. And in the coming days, she can return to her old self.” After the conversation, Gladwin and Antony returned to Flavia’s room. Claire and Ignazio were already there. Antony approached his wife, who was sitting on the sofa, while Gladwin sat back beside Flavia.

“Where’s Francisca?” Antony asked his wife.

“At Adaline’s house. She was playing with Falisha and Geremia earlier. Baby Meizar is with his grandmother,” Claire replied. “Abigail said earlier that Flavia was conscious for a while?” Antony nodded, his face still grim. “Be patient, dear. This is a trial for our family. Especially for Flavia and Gladwin.” Claire looked at her twin sister, who now seemed to gaze at Flavia with a melancholy expression. Being close yet feeling distant due to the lingering longing was truly torturous.

Two weeks passed. It took Flavia two weeks until she finally opened her eyes. Although there were no serious complications after the surgery, the fact that she lost her memory upon waking up was still very surprising.

“What did Eijaz say?”

“Eijaz predicted that Flavia’s memory loss might be caused by psychological issues. She’s under stress.” Antony tightened his grip on Claire’s hand. His wife returned the squeeze and rubbed his back.

“Eijaz could be right. Do you remember our conversation with Flavia back then? I’m sure if there’s something bothering her to the point of asking such questions.”

Gladwin and Abigail, who had been silent all this time, seemed to perk up and listen intently to the conversation between the couple.

“What do you mean, Claire?” Gladwin spoke up. Claire jumped in surprise. She thought no one heard her conversation with Antony. “What did Flavia ask you?” Gladwin approached, curious.

Gladwin remembered his conversation with Eijaz, where Eijaz mentioned that the day before Flavia’s accident, she seemed increasingly melancholic. And Claire had just mentioned another ‘conversation’ too. He was certain that something was indeed troubling Flavia.

“Not much,” Claire replied, trying to recall everything in order. “She asked me about what it feels like to be pregnant and breastfeed. Honestly, her question caught me off guard because discussions about children and pregnancy are taboo for Flavia, and we’ve always tried to avoid bringing it up.

“Then suddenly, she cried. She felt guilty for falling in love with you. She felt like she wasn’t worthy of being loved. She felt like she wasn’t good enough to be Mama’s daughter-in-law.” Claire shed tears, saddened by recalling her conversation with Flavia. “She loves you too much, but the fear of not being accepted makes her hesitant.

“She feels inferior. She feels imperfect as a woman. I don’t know why she suddenly brought all of that up. At the time, I thought maybe you provoked her. But I know you couldn’t have said anything because you didn’t know about the accident yourself. Then I thought maybe Mama said something to make her think that way. But I’m not too sure about that.”

Gladwin clenched his fists. It could have been his mother who said such things. But considering the timing, Flavia didn’t meet his mother at that time. Gladwin was sure of it.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

That day, Gladwin accompanied Flavia. They stayed together until Flavia said she was going to the campus. And as it turned out, Flavia didn’t go to the campus but went to the hospital and had an examination with Eijaz. And…