Medical Batchelor 1: Taking Chances

CHAPTER 3

Mira

I WAS suddenly anxious to open it and let the memories come flooding back.

I brought the box to my bed and sat, lifting the lid. It was full to the brim with pictures, movie ticket stubs, and letters. I flipped through the photos first, ready for the rush of emotion. The first picture was one of my mothers. After getting pregnant at seventeen, she and my dad agreed to get married two weeks after I was born. But she'd left him at the altar.

She'd left him and me alone for the remainder of my life.

Minsan iniisip ko, may mga taong tulad niya na kayang iwan ang sariling pamilya no?

I bitterly smiled. Buti na lang Papa stepped up for me and he raised me. 

Alone.

I closed my eyes, mourning the mother I'd never known.

Yung pangalawang picture made me laugh aloud. It was a candid shot of me on my dad's shoulders. Siguro mga seven years old ako nito.

Naaalala ko pa yung araw na yon, he insisted we needed some photos of us together and enlisted a professional photographer to follow us around all day. Pumayag lang ako nun kapalit ng dapat mas madaming wacky and goofy shots.

I smiled as my tears fall.

The next picture made my heart clench as if parang may nakapulupot dito.

It was a group photo from my graduation ball. There I was, arm-linked to Daniel Blake Dela Vega. He'd been my boyfriend for all four years of college. He was two years older than I was, but I'd been in love with him since the first day of freshman year. He put off college for me, claiming he wanted to wait until I graduated and wanted to marry me. But when I told him I wanted to go to Boston, he refused.

Sinabi ko sa kanya na gusto kong i- pursue ang pag aaral ng music sa abroad. Siya naman kasi ay napag desisyunan na magtutuloy sa med-school. After months of discussions and arguments, we pretended to be happy for one last night: grad- ball. We broke up that night and haven't spoken a word to one another since.

We were supposed to be together forever and he dumped me. Well, basically he dumped me. Because he was afraid to take a chance on a long-distance relationship. Ang rejection na nakuha ko mula sa kanya ang mas lalong nagpatatag ng loob ko ng umalis ako ng bansa.

I didn't want to be reminded of him every single day for the rest of my life.

Isinarado ko ang shoebox kasama na ang mga alaalang laman non at saka pumasok ng banyo. The shower spray was too hot and it pelted my skin painfully. Pero hindi ko iyon ininda. I needed to clear my head.

Ang sabi ni Marco he is now a high-profile and fast-rising surgeon. Isa na ding factor yung pagiging Dela Vega niya. But he made his name on his own. His family was in-lined with hotel businesses while he pursued medicine. At sa mismong ospital kung saan naka-confine si papa nag pa-practise si Blake.

I sighed. Buti na lang at lalabas na din si Papa bukas. At least hindi na maku-krus ang landas naming dalawa.

I had at least another hour until I had to go back to the hospital. I raised my face into the steamy water, cleansing my body, but it felt like I was cleansing my soul.

There were so many reasons why staying was a bad idea, pero ito ang pinili ko. Ang makasama si Papa hanggang sa huling sandali. Kaya kailangan kong kalimutan na minsan akong nagmahal, nagtiwala, bumuo ng mga pangarap pero nasaktan lang. Para ma- survive ko lang ang pag stay ko dito.

Katatapos ko pa lang ng shower ng may marinig akong kumakaluskos sa may ibaba. Bigla akong kinabahan. Natataranta kong hinanap yung celphone ko para tumawag ng police.

Shit! Naiwan ko sa ibaba yung celphone ko! Haayyy…Ano ba yan! Mamatay na nga lang ako sa katangahan ko pa. But I suddenly stopped. Nakakalimutan ko na nasa probinsya pala ako. At ang bawat tao dito ay hindi fond ang pag katok. Ganun ka safe dito sa amin.

Pero nag iba na ang lahat. 

Hindi na ito kagaya ng dati na puwede kang maglabas masok ang sinuman tao sa kahit kaninong bahay!

I wrapped a towel around my body and wrung out my blonde hair, letting it fall in ringlets down my back. Lakas loob akong bumaba. At ang tangi kong dasal ay sana isang concerned kapitbahay lang. I am almost at the front door area ng bigla akong natigilan. My eyes met a gorgeous back wearing yellow long sleeves tucked in grey pants. His muscles were well defined kahit nakatalikod pa siya. I raised my brows and pretended to cough. When he turned to me. Napanganga na lang ako.

Ang tanga-tanga mo talaga Mira!

I was in nothing more than a flimsy towel and staring into the chocolate brown eyes of none other than Daniel Blake dela Vega.