Something Phenomenal

Phenomenal: Thirteen

Day 29 days out of hospital

Shane is still mad. That's the thing about him. Minsan lang siya magalit nang seryoso but if he does, it will sure last for a few days. So I avoided pestering him or asking outlandish request from him, even though all I wanted was to be back in his good terms. Mas lalo akong nab-bore kung wala akong naaasar.

My date on the other hand, completely vanished. I mean not completely poof out of thin air. He was able to chat me through Messenger the night after our date to ask kung nakauwi ba ako nang maayos and then he never chat back. I was a little deflated, honestly. I thought we clicked together but then, maybe dating isn't really for me.

I never told mom about the incident in the bus. She'd kill me, that's for sure. It wasn't serious anyway. I had incidents like those in the past whenever I pushed myself too much or whenever my body feels like being a weak bitch. I'll just rest it out and I'll be okay.

But for a reason, or maybe its her mom or doctor's instincts, she checked me up this morning and took a tube of blood from my veins to be read in the hospital later. It's a regular thing she does, but now I became a bit restless. The last thing I want is to know that my body is back to its usual condition that needs hospital.

It's mid-morning and the house is a little dead. Iñigo is outside as usual, on his semester break, savoring the free time of  youth. Just kidding, he's at a band practice. You know in school, those trumpets and drums thing. He's very active in those kind of things. A little nerdy, but passionate.

Mamala's probably cooking something in the kitchen or tending her gardens at the back of the house. She mentioned about making a salad earlier during breakfast. She has nice plots of lettuce and herbs in there, maybe I should help her.

I jumped out of bed and stare at my messy self in the mirror. I don't usually do that, the vainly staring at any reflective object to checks on myself. Because first, I usually don't like what I look like. Don't get me wrong, I'm all into positivity and stuff and loving yourself, but if your face is puffy, and your skin is bad, and your hair is falling, and you're gaining and losing weight because of side effects of medicines, sometimes staring at the face you see in the mirror gets a little hard. Because sometimes, it doesn't feel like it's you.

I did little finger brushes on my uncombed hair. Bumaba ako sa sala habang hina-hum ang kanta ng pinanood kong movie kanina lang. Paikot na ako sa counter papunta sa backdoor nang mapansin ko ang isang papel na nakaipit sa ilalim ng garapon ng cookies.

Inabot ko ito at kumuha ng cookies sa jar habang binabasa ang papel palabas ng bahay.

Ooh. A neighborhood Halloween party. It says here there will be a trick or treat for kids and costume party for adults at the village pavilion this weekend.

"Mamala, nakita mo na 'to?" tanong ko sa nakaupong si Mamala habang nagpuputol ng lettuce heads sa taniman niya.

She's very hands on with this, being a retiree and all. Dati siyang elementary school teacher, she's even my teacher during Grade three.

"Kabibigay lang?" tanong ko ulit habang ngumunguya ng cookies at hawak ang flyer.

"Oo, Gabby. Kaninang umaga lang," sagot niya nang ilagay ang lettuce sa katabing basket.

Ngumisi ako. Ngising may pina-plano. "Mamala, akyat ako ulit. Tulong ako mamaya."

Tumakbo ako pabalik sa bahay at paakyat sa kwarto ko. I shouldn't do any running right now considering how bad my body is in exerting any amount of labor, pero kailangan mauna ako para may dahilan akong i-chat siya.

Nagdive ako sa kama, completely crumpling my thick purple duvet. Inabot ko ang phone na nakapatong lang sa gilid. I held the paper away from me to take a picture of it and when it's done, I automatically send the picture to Shane.