32
After her brief visit in the office and grabbing some groceries along the way, Alyssa returned to her unit to get a set of fresh clothes to wear for their extended stay in the hospital. She was just starting to breathe in the familiarity of her own room when her phone rang. It was Dennise and her girlfriend was asking her, for the third time since she left her office, to be back as soon as possible.
Alyssa asked if it was urgent, if an emergency happened while she was away but Den denied the same. The latter said she just needed to speak to Alyssa, asap. Heeding to the request, Alyssa just stuffed the clothes inside her bag and while she was in a hurry rummaging through the files on the table, she accidentally stumbled upon an envelope which did not look like it belonged to the other business files and folders on her table.
She checked what was inside and discovered documents and correspondences dated almost a month ago. It was her girlfriend's. It was Den's application materials, acceptance letter and all the necessary Augustine exchange program documents, waiting to be submitted to the school's students affairs office for the Dean's approval.
This confused Alyssa since Dennise never said a word about her application for the said program. All that she knew was that her girlfriend was one of those many hopeful med students who applied for the program last year. She did not know Dennise got accepted let alone, that Dennise has been working on it. Alyssa knows Dennise wanted to be a part of the program and that she has always dreamed of learning from the best practitioners abroad, particularly Singapore where the program offers a month-long experience in one of the organization's hospitals.
But why would Dennise keep this from her?
Before Alyssa could dip her toes into a pool of thoughts of why's and why not's, her phone rang again. She almost forgot of the urgent matter Dennise was telling or would not tell her about- for that matter.
Alyssa decided to confront Dennise about the program so she took the envelope with her and drove back to the hospital. Dennise was waiting for her at the car park when she pulled over near the curb. Her girlfriend, before Alyssa could even get out of her car, joined her inside.
"Hi, Den." Alyssa kissed her girlfriend before she quickly gave the envelope at the backseat a glance. During the drive, she already had the words rehearsed in her head so now, all she had to do was to spill them out of her mouth. She would start by asking then if there was something her girlfriend would tell her. "Den-"
"Ly, is there something you wish to tell me?"
"Ha, ako?" The surprise was evident on Alyssa's face followed by a series of confusion. "Hindi ba't ikaw ang merong sasabihin?"
"She did not tell you anything?" Dennise continued to prod, making Alyssa uncomfortable with her straight face.
"Sino ba?"
"Alyssa, where were you before mawala si Laura? Before she went missing for some weeks?"
"Den, why are you suddenly asking?" Alyssa let out a nervous laugh.
"Kasama mo siya noon, 'di ba?" Dennise said in a tone that was more accusing than questioning. "You were with her noong galing kang Cebu and you were with her the following days after. I was in Paranaque. That was the weekend my folks were arriving from the States."
"Den."
"Hindi ba, Alyssa?"
"It was that weekend."
Dennise, if ever she was even surprised by the attestation, did a good job suppressing her emotions to herself and this was making Alyssa more paranoid. Dennise was supposed to get mad at her. She was supposed to feel disgusted.
