I fluttered my eyes open. This is the first time in a long time that I woke up feeling well rested and refreshed. Normally, I'd be cover with my medical books in bed or have my head propped on the desk with an open book as a pillow. Medical school was hell and it gets harder as you go higher.
The period between the end of the exams and the beginning of new lessons is the only period when we, medical students can fully get rested and recuperate. My last exam finished yesterday, so I was free from today to Sunday.
The first thing I did this morning was to go through my email. I hadn't been online in ages. I smiled when I saw that the email on top of my inbox wasn't a Facebook notification or an update from the medical journal I subscribed to. I clicked to read on the email.
From: jo_deguzman @gmail.com
To: a.erica23@yahoo.com
Subject: Miss you!
Erica,
How's it going? It's been awhile, hasn't it? I know that you're busy with school and I'm also caught up with something else, too. Knowing you, you're probably doing fine in school. If you are, good for you, but if you're not, at least you're not alone. Seth's been struggling with his clinical anatomy here in Princeton, but I think that his prof is just racist.
So, I emailed to inform you that I'm going home next week! YAY! I booked a ticket a couple of months ago, but I didn't think I would push through until I was granted a leave. I'll be there on the 24th of February and I hope we can get to have a get-together. We have a lot of catching up to do and I have a lot of things to tell you.
Advance Happy V-day!
Love,
Jo
I had a huge smile plastered on my face when I typed my reply to Jo's email. I was excited to see her, too. It's been two years since she left and three years since Seth left. The siblings went back to the US after their respective graduations. Seth chose to pursue his studies in Medicine in Princeton, but Jo chose not to proceed and work in a pharmaceutical company. We've been emailing each other, though not as frequently as before. Sometimes, I couldn't email her back. We definitely have a lot of catching up to do. So many things have happened in the two years she was away and emails couldn't just capture the moments as well as a heart to heart conversation in person.
I got up to my feet and shut my laptop off. I made my bed and arranged my books on my shelf. I never thought I'd get used to living away from my folks and in this condo, but who doesn't get used to living a comfortable place with just a three minute walk from school.
I don't own the condo. We were never rich to begin with. If not for a scholarship, I wouldn't be in Med school. My parents could not afford.
The condo was a gift to Jerod from his parents after graduation. He took a year off before going to Med school and now, we were on the same batch. We went to the same school and got the same classes. We helped each other get through the most difficult times. When he struggled in our second year, he asked me to move in with him and his brother, so he could have a study buddy. Back then, I lived in one of the dormitories within the campus vicinity since my folks moved to the province after graduation. A lot could of money could be saved up if I accept Jerod's offer and I wanted to use the rent money to invest on books.
For two months now, I've been lodging in Jerod's condominium. The condo was conveniently large enough for me, him and his eighteen year old brother. It had three bedrooms and a spacious living and dining room and a kitchen that makes you look forward to cooking with its bright earthly hues. Mrs. Guanzon selected the furniture. You could tell from her choices that she was a classy and stylish woman. I've met her a couple of times to confirm this but she was nowhere near as intimidating as I thought she would be.
