Good For The Heart

|| one || falling star ||

He liked the feel of the wind on his face as he speeded up further South for his new life, he felt free but he knew it wouldn't last long; he knew once he arrived in his destination that he would start thinking about it again. Horrible images caused by Typhoon Nidora and the line of dead bodies on the streets. He was a doctor, he was supposed to save lives but he couldn't do anything about it and it killed something inside him.

He could never forget that little girl's face she had almost survived, she was still breathing when he found her under that collapsed house but someone pulled him away to tend another victim- an older man who was also a hopeless case. If he had to choose, he would pick the little girl to tend first- she was too young to die. He hated himself for not doing anything to help the poor girl, even after three months since the devastating Typhoon he still hadn't recovered and the little girl still haunted his dreams every night. He would even drink himself to sleep to the point that he almost lost his job at the hospital.
He was a newly graduate from med school, he was on his first year as a registered medical practitioner when the Typhoon happened, he wasn't ready to see that much death at the same time.

After three months, he had decided to move from what looked like a ghost town. To his luck, his cousin Marian called him to say that their little village was looking for a general practitioner. He was from a family of doctors and nurses and his ate Marian, a nurse married a small-town Doctor and moved to Tagaytay. She told him the opportunity was good and he deserved a breath of fresh air, he needed not convincing because as soon as he finished his conversation with his cousin, he immediately wrote a resignation letter to the hospital he was working. Three weeks later, he welcomed change.

He had been driving for an hour towards ate Marian's house where he would be staying for a few days before moving in to a house Marian had helped him find. He liked what he was seeing, the green scenery and the feeling of serenity- it was very different from the scenery he had been looking at for the past three months. His hometown had been turned into a ghost town, he could still imagine and hear the scream of people begging to be saved.

At around six o'clock in the evening, He finally arrived at his cousin's house. They were well-off, for a couple with a newborn baby their house was too big for them but he remembered Marian told him that she and her husband were planning to have more children thus buying a big property was practical. They only got married a year ago and were immediately blessed with a baby girl.

"Insan, finally!" His Ate Marian walked down the steps from their front door, she wore a sundress. She walked up to him and greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

"Ate Yan, kumusta?" He asked,

"Ok lang, kumusta biyahe?"

"Ok lang, te. Ngayon ko lang napansin, maganda talaga ang view dito," he said,

"Siyempre naman, maganda talaga dito. Tara sa loob, good timing ka. I just finished cooking," she grinned, leading him inside the house. They were greeted by Marian's husband, his Kuya DingDong who had their baby Zia in his arms looking like a proud father. Kuya Dingdong greeted him with a pat on his shoulders. The last time they saw this couple was a few months ago at the Rivera's family reunion.

"Insan, welcome to Tagaytay!" he said,

"Thanks po, Kuya." He smiled weakly, then he looked at the baby girl the older man was carrying and he held her tiny hand. "Hello baby Zia,"

Marian had her hands on her husband's shoulder, smiling at her guest. "Ninoy ka sa binyag niya ha, this Saturday na,"

"Ganda talaga ng timing mo!" Kuya Dingdong chuckled, "Tara na at gutom na ako, kain tayo't para makapagpahinga ka na rin,"