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Bound To Meet

February 17, 2018
2:45 pm
(Maine)

The regular rounds for the afternoon just finished. The session between my regular doctor, Doctor Montenegro and the nurses just lasted for two hours.

Yep... 'Just' two hours.

They checked everything from my head to foot and changed everything from my north to south.

Grabe, seeing that happening right before my eyes, nako po. Hiyang hiya na ko sa buhay ko. But, hey. Atleast they were all females.

My family went back to my unit after lunch time and Richard stayed here in the hospital, with Nico who voluntarily stayed to watch Richard watch me.

HAHAHA!

Get it?

He watches Richard,
While Richard watches me!

...

Nakakabaliw pala maging kaluluwang naglo-loiter...

Richard, he woke up from his unconsciousness after only three hours. The doctor said that he needs to eat regularly and to sleep regularly too. That was why he seemed to be seeing things and feeling things, even hearing things.

While a foreigner doctor was talking to Richard about his health, and as my family listens behind him, I was like:

"Oy doc. Andito ako oh? What hallucinations? I'm real noh."

I felt irritated at him, the doctor. But I couldn't blame him. His job was only state the possible facts and not the possible truths.

Richard and Kuya Nico are both inside the ICU now. RJ was at my (my body) right and Kuya was at the other side.

RJ was scribbling things on his phone, probably using the adult painting software that the doctor recommended him for past time. Kuya Nico on the other hand was playing a game on his Ipad.

While me, I sat on the foot of the bed, watching them both. Also, watching my body as the pulse beeps every second.

That was it. And that scene that surrounds me seems to be deafening. The view's silence was deafening, the noise of the machines were deafening, and the silence of the two boys were deafening.

Finally, after a few seconds, kuya Nico talked.

"Jay?"

"Hmm?" Richard asked.

"Okay ka lang?"

"Sakto lang kuya."

"Tsk. RJ nakikinig si Maine sa gitna natin tas magsisinungaling ka?" Kuya Nico teased as he placed his Ipad on his lap.

"Eh, ano... yung totoo?" Richard's voice suddenly became deeper and more serious.

"Alangan syempre. Di lang kami ang nagaalala sayo no? For sure kung makakapagsalita si Maine? Naratratan ka na nun."

"Bro... pakiramdam ko pawala na ng pawala yung hope ko. Natutuliro na ko. Ang hirap ng walang magawa."

"Ano ka ba? Tatlong araw palang naman. Baka mamaya o bukas o kaya naman sa makalawa okay na yang baby girl ng pamilya natin."

"Sana kuya... sana."

"Matulog ka na muna sa sofa. Kakain lang muna ako sa baba. Okay lang?"

Richard nodded as he walked towards the couch at the corner of the room. Kuya Nico stood up with his things and paced out of the room.

RJ briskly walked to my body and kissed my forehead before he laid down on the couch to sleep.

A little while later, a nurse came in to change my bag of dextrose and I took that chance to come out of the room and sit on the steel benches outside.

I simply pondered on some things, reflected on some, just to pass time. Later on, a lady came into view and she looks very familiar, but I can't point out who she was or why she looked familiar.

As she walked closer, with her swaying blue floral dress and a cardigan, she somehow seemed to be smiling at me.

Then what surprised me more, was when she sat right beside me on the steel chairs.

She heaved a sigh and looked through the glass windows of the ICU.

"Kamusta anak?" She suddenly asked without making a move.

I was surprised snd I looked at her with curiosity. I looked around and scanned for another person nearby, but we were the only ones there.

"Ikaw iha. Tayo lang naman dalawa rito hindi ba?" She jokingly asked and looked at me with those deep brown eyes.

"Nakikita niyo ho ako?!"

She chuckled and patted my back.

I felt her.

She touched me.

"Syempre 'man. Wag ka na magulat diyan iha."

Wait. That accent, yang punto na yan... narinig ko na yan dati eh. From Tito Senior? Or Riza? I'm not sure.

"S-sino po kayo? Paano niyo ko nakikita?"

"Maine... I'm Mommy Rio. I'm sure you've heard of me."

"Hala!!! B-bu-but but a-a-ar-aren't you—"

"Dead?" She finished my sentence.
"Yes. I am iha. But let me explain. Ang sabi ng diyos when I died five years ago, hindi pa raw ako pwede makaalis sa mundong ibaba. May kailangan pa raw ako gawin, at malalaman ko daw kung ano yun, by myself. And I have a hunch na ikaw yung misyon ko anak."

Wow. Anak. Yes, anak na turing sakin.

"Ano pong gagawin niyo sakin?"

She giggled and grabbed my hand this time.

"Wala akong gagawin sayo, Ikaw ang may gagawin sa sarili mo."

"Ahh..." was all I could cowardly respond.

"Nga pala iha. Good thing we finally meet. Welcome to the family na."