Hello : Goodbye : Hello

Chapter 5 : Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever

"Bakit biglang nag-sabbatical si Dr. Andalusia?" tanong ko sa kanya habang hinihipan ang mainit na kape na hawak ko sa aking mga kamay. Someone needs to start a conversation. Or else para lang kaming dalawang tanga na nakatunganga sa may rooftop.

"Burnout daw, sabi niya" sagot nito habang inaabot ang kaha ng kanyang sigarilyo sa akin. I took out a stick, then asked him for a light.

"Pero malamang, dahil iyon sa nangyari kay Hugo."

"But that was over a year ago na naman, Lean. Wala lang, sayang siya" I observed. As a doctor, death is part of our daily lives na din naman. So nagtataka lang ako how one's death caused someone as brilliant as Dr. Andalusia go on a sabbatical all of a sudden.

"Time is never time at all. Sabi ni Billy Corgan iyon" he replied with a wry smile. He took a sip of his coffee then sat down right next to me.

"Some people can heal in minutes. Some, in hours. But for other people, some old wounds never heal, Doctora. Magdurugo din ito nang paulit-ulit even with the slightest word they ever say."

He removed his gaze from me, then inhaled the smoke coming out of his cigarette. Isang malalim na buntong hininga ang binitawan nito, habang ako naman eh nakatingin na lang sa isang puddle sa aking paanan.

"Actually, I'm quite worried about him e, kay Liam."

"Bakit naman?" I asked. I wasn't particularly interested on Dr. Andalusia's affairs, to be honest. I just want to know Lean better.

"Para kasing he's stuck with the same situation Hugo experienced dati."

He just closed his eyes and stayed silent for a little while. What he said makes me wonder - marami na din bang babae na palikera ngayon?

Para kasing sa isang bansa na relihiyoso ang lahat nang tao, na may konsepto pa ng Maria Clara at dalagang Filipina, malabo na maraming mga babae na ang may ganyang kaisipan. Sa western standards, puwede pa siguro. Pero dito sa Pilipinas? Parang malabo.

"Muntik pa kaming mag-away ni ulol kanina" pagpapatuloy nito, whilst letting out a bitter laugh. He crushed his cigarette butt on the floor, then lit up another stick.

"He misconstrued what I said to him kanina, and nagtaas ng boses ang gago bigla. He misunderstood my concern for him."

A sudden silence wafted between us. I can feel the weight of whatever it is that he was feeling, gamit lang ang mga salitang ginagamit niya.

"Naisip ko tuloy bigla, it's like me paying for a sin that I did not know when, how, and why it happened. Kaya the world doesn't seem to see me fit to be happy."

"Magtigil ka nga Leandro Augusto Barcelona" sabi ko na sa kaniya bigla. Bigla na lang kasi ako naasar na naman sa sinasabi niyang iyon.

"Of course, you deserve to be happy. You deserve to be the happiest man in the world."

He just made a soft laugh at my comment, then flashed a smile on his face. It was a genuine smile. So pure, so pristine, and most of all, so human,

"Aww, thanks for that, Doctora Tin Gil" sabi lang nito, sabay kurot sa pisngi ko. Nagpa-cute pa ang gago, his eyes glistening like those Christmas lights na di ko maintindihan kung bakit di na nila pinapatay. To think na September pa lang ngayon ah.

Ako namang si gaga, biglang nagulat sa ginawa ni gago sa akin. Iyung tibok nang puso ko, bigla-biglang bumilis. Buti na lang hindi siya naka-tingin sa akin, kung hindi makikita niya ang pagba-blush ko.