'Di Na Gigising

• Last Chapter (Part One) •

Last Chapter (Part One)

Alesso Clyde Yuchengco

"Of all the people in the world, why... her?"

"And of all the people in the world, why me?"

I almost jumped out of my seat as I saw a girl seating right next to me. Her face was impassive. She looked like one of the girls from mean girls, my sister used to watch it that's why I knew about that film.

"Uh... hey," I politely greeted. I didn't know what else to say. I'm sure that she's one of the patients here at the Philippine Heart and Cancer Center because she was wearing a bracelet like the one that Arena has.

She faced me. She looked mean. "Of all the people in the world, why do you think this is happening to me?"

"I..." I trailed off. I just didn't know the answer to that question. "Maybe... God was just giving you this as a challenge, because He knew that you would survive this one. Alam niyang malakas ka at kakayanin mo."

"I don't believe in God... there's no God, I guess."

Natigilan ako at napatingin na talaga ako sa kanya. This time, she finally got my whole attention. I came from a religious family, we would always attend masses every Sunday and during holy obligation days. I believe in God. I have a strong faith in Him, that's why what she just said was contradicting almost all of my beliefs in life.

"Why?" I asked.

She smiled to herself as she was playing with both of her hands. "If God is real... and if your God really loved me, then why would He do this to me? Bakit Niya ako binigyan ng ganitong klaseng sakit? Bakit Niya ako pinapahirapan? Bakit Niya ako sinasaktan?" she asked.

"He has His reasons..." I'm sure of it.

"I've been battling with this fucking sickness for ten years now... so, now... can you still tell me that your God has His reasons? Can you still tell me that your God loves me? That your God was just giving me this challenge?"

Natigilan ako sa mga tanong at sinabi niya. That's why we must never judge a person without knowing the real story behind them. Each and everyone of us are dealing with our own problems in life, may it be big or small... it will still depend on the person, on how one will handle those problems and challenges in life.

And in her case, I can say that it was such a struggle in her everyday of living... Arena's been only battling with Leukemia for two years now and as her brother, I can tell that it's not easy and will never be easy waking up everyday without the assurance that your sister's still going to face another day like you... if she's still going to live and be with you...

What more about fighting a sickness for ten years, right? A decade. She's been battling with her sickness for a decade now. That's just a wow for me. She's strong... and brave.

"Ano ba ang sakit mo?"

"CHF."

I was suddenly out of words. Congestive Heart Failure, it only occurs when the heart muscle doesn't pump enough blood as well at it should. When we discovered about A's sickness, I didn't know what suddenly came into my mind, but I shifted into another course. From Business Management, I shifted to Med-Tech. Weird and delusional, some says, but I think it's my purpose in life. I want to be a doctor someday... to help people who's sick. To cure them.