Sober

Chapter 18

/LEA/

I watch Sarah as she go back and forth from kitchen to here in our living room. She was getting her stuffs ready but I don’t know what she’s doing in the kitchen. Kanina, kinuha niya lang ‘yung tumbler niya pero bumalik ulit siya. She came back this time with a lot of peanuts and chips.

“What are you going to do with all of that?” frowning, I asked her. I mean, I know she’s going to eat them but they were too much to eat. “Paalala ko lang Asher ah, you are going to take an exam, not join a field trip.”

“Pampawala lang ng stress, Ate,” she said although it’s obvious that she’s in a lot of stress. I know this board exam is making her crazy. “Tsaka, pampatalino raw ‘yung mani ‘di ba? Kaya bumili ako nang marami.”

“Yeah, like you did not make peanuts your breakfast, lunch, and dinner yesterday,” I said. “Quit that, Sarah. You are well-equipped in this battle.”

She sat beside me as she bite her fingernails, “Ate, kinakabahan talaga ako.”

“I know. I am too when I was in your situation. The pressure and stress and everything were all in you. But I know you can do this, hun. You prepared a lot of studying and reviewing for this. You are ready for this.” I motivated her as I put some of her hair strands at the back of ear. “You are not a Salonga for nothing.”

“Mas lalo akong na-pressure, eh!” she whined and pouted at me that made me chuckle. We heard footsteps and it was Papa heading to our way, “Papa, hindi mo naman ako itatakwil kung sakaling hindi ako makapasa, ‘di ba?” bungad ni Sarah sa kanya.

“Hindi naman. Hindi naman ako gan’on kababaw,” Papa replied. “Papalayasin nga lang kita.” but he added that and I saw how Sarah trembled.

“Papa, mas lalo mong pinakaba.” saway ko. Sarah was too nervous that she could no longer read between the line. It was obviously a joke but she took it seriously.

“I’m just kidding, sweetheart. Don’t mind me, don’t mind my expectations. I just want you to do your best in that exam,” Papa said. “Shrug your nervousness off. Hindi ‘yan makakatulong sa’yo. Baka iyan pa ang dahilan kung bakit hindi ka makapag-focus. You got this, Sarah. Know that I’m already proud of you.”

My sister finally smiled as if she already heard the words she needed to hear to motivate her more, “Thank you, Pa”

“You should get going, Sarah. Mas okay na ‘yung maaga ka roon kaysa kapusin ka sa oras. And please, leave those chips here.”

She smiled awkwardly and get a medium-sized bag of peanut, “Kahit ito lang, please?”

“Fine! Go take that!” pumayag na ako dahil alam ko namang hindi ‘yan titigil kaka-kulit.

We send her outside where our driver is waiting for her, “Are you sure you don’t want us to send you there?” Papa asked.

“Hindi na, Papa. I can manage. Baka tuluyan na akong himatayin sa kaba kapag nand’on pa kayo.”

“Goodluck, bunso! Goodluck, our future Registered Nurse!” I encouraged her with those words.

“Thank you, Doc!” she replied with a laugh and even saluted at me. Baliw.

“Goodluck, anak! We’ll pray for you.”

“Novena, Pa, ha? Novena, please.”

“Ewan ko sa’yo. Sige na, lumakad ka na.”

She waved a hand at us before the car finally go and take her to the destination where her dream is almost in her hands. I could not be more proud of my little sister for reaching this far.