September 2016, The Medical City.
*Ring *Ring *Ring
"Hello Mom?" I answered as soon as I stepped outside.
"Ano ba Edward? What took you so long to answer?!" I cringed at the loud yell that greeted me from the other line. "Don't you know that I am about to pass out here already?! Alalang-alala na ako! Kanina pa tumawag ang road manager niyo ah!"
I sighed. "I'm sorry Mom. I was in the E.R earlier. I couldn't answer right away because I was still talking to the doctor."
"Are you alright? Is there anything wrong with your body?" She frantically asked.
"No I'm alright. Don't worry." I replied.
"How about the others?"
"Everyone seems fine. Well, except for Maymay. She's still unconscious until now."
Now that I've mentioned it, the uneasy feeling inside me resurfaced again. Even though the doctors already assured that there's really nothing to be worried about her condition at all, I can't help but feel worried still.
"WHAT?!" I almost jump in surprise at that sudden outburst of hers though.
For a moment, I had to put some distance in between my ear and my phone to avoid some probable damage to my hearing.
"WHAT DID YOU SAY? I THOUGHT SHE'S FINE? SABI NI MARIE OK NA SIYA?"
"Mom, Mom! Calm down ok." I raised my voice a bit to compete with her volume as I explained. "She's fine. The doctor said she just went into a shock, I mean that's why she passed out. But otherwise she's ok. They even said that she'll wake up any moment now."
I heared my Mom sighed in relief at that.
"Haay thank God. But just to be sure, tell the doctors to do all scans alright? She might have an internal bleeding or something, mahirap na. We have to be sure that she's really ok huh Edward?" She added.
"Don't worry I already did that. They said that they will do it as soon as she woke up." I assured.
Despite that over the roof reaction, I can't help but smile at my Mom's gesture. Somehow, I really love the fact that she genuinely adores and loves Maymay to destruction.
"Very good. Ok siya sige na. Come back to Maymay already at baka gising na siya. Anyway, malapit na naman ako diyan. I'll just call Marie to meet me at the entrance, then we will go straight to the E.R."
"Ok. Take care. See you later."
"Bye."
With that, the line went into a cut.
I was about to go back inside the E.R. when something suddenly caught my attention-a sight of a uniquely dressed old man who is walking towards the direction of the hospital's main entrance now.
Well I said unique because he looks like he just finished a 50's movie shoot with his outfit at the moment. He's wearing a khaki colored pants that matches the color of his fedora hat and leather shoes, as well as and an immaculate lilac long sleeved shirt under a pair of chocolate colored suspenders. On his right hand, he is holding a regal looking, walking cane too.
I smirked in amusement. Despite how ridiculous his clothes may seem, considering the normal fashion standards in this country, Lolo quite pulled it off with such confidence and ease. Maybe because there's this fact that at probably 60 something, he is still quite a good looking man himself. His facial features don't really look like those of what a pure Filipino has at all. Most probably he is also a half mestizo, like myself.
Lolo was about to turn right on his way when all of a sudden, I saw him halted. Confusion and worry laid on his face as he looked down probably to search the ground for something.
Did he lost something? I asked mentally to myself.
Being the child that my parents raised, I quickly walked towards him to offer some help.
"Excuse me sir. Good afternoon" I greeted politely.
The man's head snapped at my direction. Despite his current predicament he still managed put a smile as he answer though. "Hello hijo. Good afternoon to you too."
"Ahm I didn't mean to pry sir but I noticed you from where I was standing earlier....." I pointed the E.R. for a second. ".....and you seem to be having some trouble. I am just wondering if you need some help, it'll be a pleasure."
Lolo's smile automatically widened in response to what I said.
"Nako maraming salamat hijo. Kay bait mo namang bata. Hmnn oo eh sa katunayan niyan nawawala nga yung suot kong maliit na adorno dito sa aking kwelyo." I saw him touched the collar of his shirt. "Nahulog yata sa kung saan, hindi ko mawari."
After telling his story, he shook his head in frustration.
While on the other hand, I scratched my head though. His words only got me confused because I didn't understand a thing apart from 'salamat' and 'hijo'
Those were surely some deep Tagalog wew!
"Ahm sorry po but can you please repeat that sir? And what's adorno?" Despite feeling a little bit ashamed, I still tried to ask in the best of my Tagalog.
"Ay oo nga pala!" Understanding suddenly dawned on his face. "Pin hijo. I was looking for a small pin that I put on my collar earlier. Before I left that building....." He pointed at one of the hospital's buildings behind our backs. ".....I swear I still have it, so it probably got lost while I was walking somewhere here."
Oo nga pala?
My forehead creased at those words but only for a second. I decided to just shove the nagging thought away for it was probably just one of his usual expressions anyway.
"Ah. Uhm, can you tell me what it looks like po? I'll help you look for it." I offered.
"Naku talaga? Thank you hijo ah.....ahm it looks something like....there are five circles jammed altogether." He paused for a bit. "Imagine there is one circle in the middle and on each of its cardinal point, attached is another circle as well. All of them are the same in size too by the way."
With that description, my brows furrowed. I already have a picture in mind of what exactly it is but I have to make sure first. And so I took out my phone and searched the internet for reference.
As soon as the results came, I immediately showed it to Lolo. "Ito po ba?"
"Yan nga!" He exclaimed then after he asked. "Why do you have the same picture on your phone?"
I shook my head. "Ahmm hindi po, I just searched it on the internet now."
"Ahh. Akala ko nasa cellphone mo talaga eh. Anyway iba na talaga ang panahon ngayon ano? Any information you want is only one click away. Unlike our times before when you still need to turn the library upside down before you find what you are looking for." He chuckled.
I joined in as well.
"But still, I'm impressed. It literally only took you a few seconds to find it. Is that symbol familiar to you anyhow?" Lolo inquired.
"Ahm opo. I've seen it somewhere before, during history class. I just remembered."
But that's not entirely the truth actually. During middle school, I had this weird obsession in symbology that made me spend a lot of time in the past on researching about it. That's why figuring out Lolo's pin design was just a piece of cake, for it is actually an ancient Celtic symbol called the 'Five Fold'. This symbol primarily represents the balance of the universe, as well as the concept of unity and connectedness.
"Lolo let's search for it, your pin, na po shall we?" I urged. "Where did you first notice that it is missing?" I asked then looked down to survey the ground.
"Exactly at this spot hijo. Earlier when I exited that building...." Again, he pointed the building behind us. "....I still had it pinned in my collar. I'm sure."
"What color is it po?" I asked, still searching.
"Gold hijo. That pin is made from genuine and pure gold." He answered.
Good! I thought. It would be easier to spot it with against the blazing afternoon sunlight.
For the next few minutes, the two of us kept on looking for the pin wordlessly until finally my eyes caught something. A tiny sparkle to be exact, shimmering at the ramp opposite to the E.R.'s entrance. Without further ado, I ran towards the thing to check it out.
"Bingo!" I mused to myself when I got a closer look.
It was indeed, Lolo's missing pin!
I quickly picked it up and immediately ran towards the old man.
"Lolo! You're pin is here! I found it!" I shouted merrily.
I saw his face lit up in happiness at the news.
"Talaga? Hay salamat naman." He exclaimed.
I handed it to him. "Ito na po."
"Hay hijo thank you, thank so much for finding it. You know this pin is really that important to me because someone up there...." He looked and pointed briefly at the sky. "....gave this to me as a gift long, long time ago. I have always kept it with me for almost all of my life now. It is even safe to say that it already belongs with my soul."
Oh!
So that's why. I get it now. It was probably given to him by someone dear who passed away already.
"Again thank you, thank you for helping me find it." He repeated again and again.
"It's nothing Lolo. You're welcome po." I smiled then added. "It's a good thing that you quickly noticed that it is missing, or else it would really be too hard for us to find it then. Especially in a place like this."
"Oh I doubt it. Even if I didn't find it today, I am sure that it will eventually find its way back to me. Somehow and in someway, I know it will." He mused confidently then flashed a somewhat mysterious smile now.
My brows furrowed at that. He might have noticed so he quickly followed with an explanation. If you can call it that.
"When you are connected with someone or something in a spiritual level, nothing can ever separate you from it. No distance, time or realm..... " He paused a bit then looked at me straight in the eyes. "......and not even death itself. Because the things that belong to our soul will always find a way to return. You just have to believe."
I gaped. For a moment I couldn't utter anything for I felt a sudden spine tingling sensation upon hearing those words, as if a spell just had been casted on me or something. It is neither pleasant nor revolting.
When I finally recovered, I cleared my throat then. "Uhm...ok po. I'll keep that in mind." Was all that I could utter in return for the lack of words though.
He just responded with a chuckle then asked me a question. "Does it seems too fatalistic to you?"
I chuckled uncomfortably. "Uhm medyo po."
"Don't worry hijo, you'll eventually get what it means. Just wait and see when it unfolds." Again he just gave me another mysterious answer.
"Ahehe ok po." I answered then put my hand on my nape. One of my obvious mannerisms when I feel awkward over something.
Lolo nodded. "O paano hijo, I'll go ahead. I still have to visit someone inside."
I breathed a silent sigh of relief at that. To be honest, I feel uncomfortable with the turn of our conversation all of a sudden. It seems that there's a weird shift in the air, like a mysterious aura surfaced out of nowhere. And I am not really fond of it.
"Ok po. Ingat po kayo."
"Salamat ulit hijo ah....oh wait I just remembered." He said then took something from his pant's pocket. "Take this as my way to say thank you again anak. Pasensya na ito lang ang meron ako." After, he took my palm and put whatever it is he's holding inside.
I stared at the thing with my forehead creasing. It appears to be a candy but one that shaped like a rose and is colored in lilac. "Ano po ito?"
He smiled. "It's a rose candy hijo. I used to sell them for a living back in the days. Now I just make them for fun."
"Wow. Really? That's cool." I mused, genuinely amazed.
"I'm sorry I only have one more left in my pocket. I already gave away the rest at the children inside."
"It's ok. No problem po. You don't even need to bother in the first place."
"I insist son. After all you help find this...." He pointed at his pin again. ".....and that's more than enough reason to be indebted."
Surprised, I looked at the pin safely attached to Lolo's shirt now. I didn't notice him putting it back all the while.
Wow! Some ninja moves he got huh! I thought in amusement.
"O paano, I'll really go ahead this time. Take care hijo. Salamat ulit."
"You're welcome po and salamat din po dito." I raised my candy.
Lolo just waved his hand in acknowledgement before turning around and proceeded walking towards his destination.
I was about to go back inside the E.R as well when all of a sudden I heared him called me again.
"Hijo!" Lolo shouted, facing me again.
"Po?" I retorted.
"Always remember everything that I told you today ok? With your wit, I am sure that you'll eventually figure out what to with it. I trust you with that." Again that fatalistic smile of his.
I cocked my head to the side. I am quite sure that my face shows nothing but complete cluelessness at the moment hearing that statement.
With that, Lolo turned his back on me again, not even bothering for further explanations.
I wanted to run to him and ask myself but it seemed like I was suddenly statued to where I am, and it actually feels like an intentional force is making me do it.
Because of that I couldn't do anything but just continue staring at his leaving figure until he finally went out of sight after taking another turn.
And at that exact moment as well, It felt like I was suddenly released from that invisible hold.
I shook my head after.
"Weird." I mused then looked at the candy in my hands. I removed its cover before popping it inside my mouth.
It actually tastes good.
After that, I pivoted and finally went on my way back to Maymay inside this time around.