Medical Batchelor 1: Taking Chances

CHAPTER 4

Dan

"It's Tito Rick…he's in his terminal stage. And from what I have heard she's coming Dan. Mira is coming..." may halong panunukso ang boses niya na balita sa akin.

Mira.

As that name spun in my head. Parang nagbukas ulit ang mga malalalim na sugat. Mga alaalang pilit kong ibinaon sa limot.

I am so not like this!

Matapos kong makasalubong si Marco 4 weeks na ang nakakaraan. Hindi na ako mapakali. Akala ko nakalimot na ako. But I am still that bastard who's broken from the last five years of mylife.

Sinubukan ko ding bisitahin si Uncle Rick para mangamusta. Malaki na ang ihinulog ng katawan ng dating sought after travel enthusiast- Richmond Esteves. Dahil sa colon cancer. Sabi ni Marco; the one who's looking after his condition. Palliative care na lang daw ang puwede sa kanya. Tanggap na din ng senior ang kahahantungan niya.

Isa lang ang hiling niya.

"Gusto kong makita si Mira na nasa mabuting kalagayan Blake, mag karoon ng sarili nyang pamilya. At alam kong ikaw ang makakapag bigay non sa kanya." isang malamlam na tingin ang ibinigay niya sa akin.

"But Uncle, that was a long time ago. Iba na po kami ngayon, hindi na po kami mga teenager." pag papaliwanag ko sa kanya.

"Pero mahal ka ni Mira, Blake. Saksi ako sa kung papaano gumuho lahat ng kanyang mga pangarap para sa inyo." he mumbled, "Noon hindi ako nakialam sa kung anong dahilan ang meron ka para saktan ng ganon ang anak ko pero...tama na siguro ang limang taon para hingin ko ang paliwanag mo." kulang na sa lakas ang boses niya pero andun pa din ang ma- autoridad na boses ng Senyor.

"Mahal ko si Miranda Uncle, never doubt about it. Nakikita kong marami siyang pangarap. At alam kong magiging hadlang ang pagmamahal ko para sa kanya para makuha niya lahat ng 'yon. I decided to broke up with her pero parang ako ang mas nasaktan sa ginawa ko."

"When she left. Buwan-buwan akong pumupunta sa Boston to check-up on her discreetly. It takes almost a year of sneaking just for me to know na safe siya doon."

"But when I saw her. Happy in her life being alone. Dun ko na realized na tama lang ang ginawa ko." mapait na ngiti ang ibinigay ko sa kanya.

"Puwede mo pa namang itama ang lahat, Blake. Darating si Miranda." he said.

I shooked my head.

"Hindi ko po alam kung magagawa ko pa po yun, I'm in love with somebody else," I muttered.

Ikinalungkot ng sobra ni Uncle Rick iyon kaya nagi-guilty naman ako sa ginawa ko. Halos araw-araw ko na lang siya binibisita basta my free time ako. Mukha din namang magkasundo na si Jake at Amanda. Kaya wala na ding pag asa tong pag ibig ko sa kanya.

I RECEIVED a page from Uncle Rick's room. Ibinalita lang niya na puwede na daw siyang umuwi. Itinanong ko naman kung hindi na ba niya hihintayin si Mira na dumating.

Of course. A part of me wants to see her. How she look. O, kung kasala na ba siya. Ang balita ko lang sa kanya ay isa na siyang piano teacher.

Inutusan niya ako kung puwede ko ba siyang kuhanan ng damit sa bahay para sa paglabas niya. Hindi naman mahirap hanapin ang bahay ng mga Esteves dito sa Calamba. Nakarating na din ako dito dati. Habang pinagmamasdan ko ang blow up picture ni Mira sa gilid ng may marinig akong umubo.

May tao? Sino?

Agad akong humarap.

Holy crap!

There I saw Miranda Ysabelle Esteves wearing nothing but a small piece of towel. I stared back at her, certain I was seeing some sort of mirage. She is not the girl who broke my heart five years ago. I barely managed to keep my immediate anger in check. Nakabalik na pala siya.

Tsk. Naisahan ako ni Uncle Rick.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. She sounded stunned, but I couldn't tell which one of us was more shocked to see the other.

"I should ask you the same thing," I muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she glared at me. I smirked. Tsk. Hindi pa din nagbabago. Suplada pa din.

"Don't play dumb, Miranda. Why are you here?" Her eyes narrowed.

"I live here." iritableng sagot sa akin sabay irap.

So she's back at hindi man lang sinabi sa akin ni Uncle Rick. And she said she lives here. So does it mean. She will stay? For good?

I sighed.

"Well then, I'm sorry to have disturbed you," I said while looking at her up and down. She was still as hot as hell. Her blonde and shiny hair was wet and curled wildly around her face. Unlike Amanda's porcelain skin, hers was tanned and looked as soft as I remembered it being. Her brown eyes were fiery unlike with Amanda's blue eyes her lips full and pink.

Umiling ako at pumikit. She and Amanda were opposite but Mira was every bit as gorgeous as I remembered. Not much about her had changed. Her good looks, her spunky temper, and her habit of jumping to conclusions were all just the same as they were five years ago.

She looked uncomfortable for a moment and then smiled brightly.

"You could never disturb me, Blake." She turned away, letting the door slam behind her as she went back into her room.

I couldn't hide a smile swung in my lips. She still calling me Blake. Siya lang naman ang tumatawag sa akin non. For me, it's kinda romantic.

Whoah! f**k, Dan! Saan mo napulot ang salitang romantic?

I shooked my head so many times as if it will erase all the memories starting to linger.