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Niyebe: Adi? Help.
Agad na nag-pull over si Vice sa isang gilid nang matanggap ang mensahe mula sa panganay na anak. It's almost 10 am at kahit nagmamadali upang hindi ma-late sa meeting with his cosmetics team, hindi siya nag-atubiling huminto upang alamin kung ano ang kailangan ng anak. She wouldn't ask for help for nothing.
"Hello, Katniss?" bungad niya pagkasagot na pagkasagot ng anak sa tawag. "Young lady, are you crying? What happened? Nasaan ka?"
"C-can you come and pick me up?" humihikbing sabi nito.
"It's just 10. May klase ka pa, hindi ba?"
"I'm at the clinic, Adi." as he heard that word ay hindi na nag-dalawang isip pa si Vice at muling inistart ang sasakyan.
"Wait me there, Niyebe. Huwag kang aalis sa clinic. I'm coming."
"Good morning, Mr. Viceral." pagbati ng school nurse kay Vice nang makarating ito sa clinic ng paaralan. "Katniss Snow is inside po,"
Matapos bumati pabalik ay diniretso na ni Vice ang pasok sa loob ng naturang clinic upang macheck ang anak. Nakita niya itong nakahiga sa hospital bed habang nakahawak ang mga kamay sa puson nito.
"Adi," sambit ng katorse anyos na dalaga nang makita ang ama.
"What happened to you?" as soon as makalapit si Vice ay isang mariin na halik sa noo ang isinalubong niya sa anak.
"She went here po 20 minutes ago and she told me na masakit daw po 'yung lower part ng katawan niya, specially her belly. We did preliminary tests and everything's normal naman po, but when she used the restroom para umihi, she said na meron daw pong light bleeding..."
"Light bleeding?" hindi na pinatapos ni Vice ang school nurse nang marinig ang sinabi nito. Light bleeding? "S-should we just take her to an actual hospital to get checked?"
"Naku, Mr. Viceral. She's completely fine. It's really normal po for someone as Snow's age to have light bleeding specially she's about to begin her menstruation na,"
"M-menstruation?" paglilinaw ni Vice na agad din namang tinanguan ng nurse. "Y-you mean, that monthly period—
"Yes po, Mr. Viceral. Looks like she's just not prepared to have it this early kaya ganito ang naging reaksyon niya and it's completely valid. Hindi naman po natin maiaalis sa mga bata ang magulat," dagdag ng nurse.
Sa narinig na paliwanag ay agad na nakahinga ng maluwag si Vice. He looked at Katniss na parang nabigla rin sa nalaman. She's really not expecting na ganito niya kaaga mararanasan 'to.
"The pain you're having sa lower body part, we call that premenstrual syndrome and it's the indication na malapit na 'yung date of your period— cramps, bloating, breakouts, you should always be aware of these things so the next time you get into 'that time of the month' hindi ka na magugulat." this time ay si Snow na mismo ang kausap ng nurse. "During your period, you may feel swelling of breasts, mabilis mapagod, mood swings, pero hindi mo kailangang matakot kasi gaya ng sabi ko, everything's normal. You just have to go through that phase kasi babae ka at lahat tayo, nakakaranas niyan."
"O-okay. What do we need to buy ba?" nagkakamot ulong sabi ni Vice as they stopped sa isang grocery store to buy everything Snow needs bilang paghahanda sa sinasabi ng nurse na 'that time of the month' nito.
