Chapter 21
1385 Words
Chapter 21- S'yempre, Kasama Kita, Eh, Mas Takot Ako sa `Yo
Mornings are my favorite time of the day, for it is in the morning when the professor is the most vulnerable.
When he actually gets some sleep, that is.
“Professor, wake up.”
It is such a shame to awaken this grumpy slob every morning, when he looks so innocent while he’s fast asleep. I get closer and watch him, noting how his eye lids flutter during REM. How his lips move as if in silent prayer.
“Profesor,” I sat on the bed and nudged him, “it is time to wake up.”
“Nggg... `andali lang, kuya...”
I frown. He sometimes calls me kuya when I wake him up. Probably reminiscent of the days when they were still together as children.
“Wake up, professor, or we are going to be late for work again.”
His eyes open half way. He rolls to his side, raises himself up, leans on me, and snuggles on my shoulder.
I let him stay there for a while, wishing I could hold him closer, but that would probably frighten him again. I wait a couple of minutes before accompanying him to the wash room.
I helped him get dressed, disregarding his `no touch’ rule which he himself seems to have already forgotten. I took him downstairs after, and sat him down in front of his breakfast.
Only after a cup of strong coffee, would he fully awaken.
It has been three weeks since I returned to his house. We have been busy with the release of the Omega-J suppressant, and busier still, since we had to train the new interns that were sent to us from HR.
We got a record high, 25 interns this time, according to Pedro. Probably since a lot of people wanted to meet the professor and study under him. So far, only eight of them have dropped out of the program.
We also got five new researchers who are now down to two, namely Ping ang Pong.
When I asked the professor why he kept giving them weird nicknames starting with `P’, his answer was; `Kasi pare-pareho silang pangit’, adding, `Bakit ko pa tatandaan ang buong pangalan nila kung `di naman sila mag-tatagal?’
“Anong schedule natin ngayon, Habibi?” Prof. Antonio asked as he sat on the back seat of my car. He still refuses to sit beside me.
“Nothing much, just a short meeting with Dr. Gonzaga for the award ceremony tomorrow,” I said as I started the car.
“Ugh... bukas na ba `yun? Kailangan ko ba talaga’ng pumunta?”
“Of course. You are this year’s awardee for excellence in the field of medicine. You will even get the humanitarian award, since you decided to give 50% of the proceeds from the Omega-J sales to omega institutions.”
“Pa’no kung bigla ako’ng ma-food poisoning? Magandang excuse `yun, `di ba?”
“I doubt Dr. Gonzaga and the rest would believe you this time.”
“Haay... masyado na nga’ng gasgas ang LBM... eh, kung sabihin ko’ng inaatake ako ng agoraphobia?”
“Professor, agoraphobia is basically the fear of not having a means to escape,” I told him. “Do you really have this anxiety disorder? Or are you simply using it as a means to escape certain situations?”
“Ahh, Habibi, napaka talino mo talaga!” I look at him through the rear view mirror and see him grinning at me. “Actually, na diagnose talaga ako ng agoraphobia, although matagal-tagal na rin `yun.”
“Was this because of what happened to your brother?”
“Aba, naaalala mo pa `yun?” he sighed. “Ni-r**e ang kuya ko ng best friend n’yang alpha nang araw na nag-manifest ang pagiging omega n’ya,” he told me. “Natakot na ako’ng lumabas ng bahay mula noon, iniisip ko kase, baka maging omega rin ako at baka mangyari rin sa `kin ang nangyari kay kuya. Pero nang nabuntis si kuya, ibinenta s’ya ng tyuhin namin sa isang research institute, at noon ko na-realize, na kailangan ko’ng lumabas ng bahay kung gusto ko s’yang iligtas.”
”Then, you were able to fight your agoraphobia on your own?” I asked him.
“Oo... medyo... pero actually, humingi ako ng tulong kay Louie... sa walang hiyang alpha na gumahasa kay kuya...” he said bitterly. “Maimpluwensya ang pamilya nila na puro abogado, kaya kahit kinasusuklaman ko s’ya, wala ako’ng choice kung `di sa kan’ya lumapit.”
“And he took you and your brother in, right?”
“Oo... ang galit n’ya nang malaman na pinadala ni tito si kuya sa research facility. Pinuntahan agad nila ang lugar, at dinimanda `yung nagpapatakbo ng facility na `yun,” he continued. “Anyway... kinasal sila ni kuya matapos noon, at kinuha na rin ako ng pamilya nila. Sila ang nagpagamot sa `kin, at sila rin ang nagpaaral sa `kin at nagpadala sa MIT.”
”Then, you have fully recovered?”
“Hindi. Inaatake pa rin ako paminsan-minsan.”
“But, I have yet to see you have a panic attack.”
“At gusto mo talaga ako’ng atakihin?”
“That is not what I meant,” I explained. “People with agoraphobia usually have trouble staying in enclosed or wide open spaces, particularly in contained places where they cannot see any visible ways to escape. We have been in such situations before, even your workstation in the laboratory should be enough to trigger an attack, yet you do not seem to be bothered by such places.”
“S’yempre, kasama kita, eh.”
His answer surprised me. I looked at him and saw a big grin on his face.
“Ano, kinilig ka ba?” he even winked at me.
“You are making fun of me again.”
“Bakit, totoo naman, ha?” he laughed even louder, “`Di ba trabaho mo rin maging bodyguard ko? At isa pa, mas takot ako sa `yo.”
We went straight to the top floor when we arrived at the office. It was merely a formality. Dr. Gonzaga just wanted to make sure that he will be saying the right things when he gets on stage.
“Ah, Eric, halika, tuloy kayo,” he said as his secretary led us inside his office. “Dr. Abdel, I hope your stay with us is satisfactory?”
“Very much so,” I answered.
“So, I called you over to remind you about tomorrow’s event,” he faced the professor and looked at him seriously. “Eric, alam mo naman ang napag-usapan natin, ang laking lugi ang matatamo ng kumpanya dahil sa announcement mo na 50% off ang introductory price ng Omega-J...”
“Opo, hindi nga ba sinabihan n’yo na `ko na kukunin n’yo sa hati ko ang discount?” said the professor. “Nakatipid na nga kayo sa research, dahil `di n’yo dinisimburse lahat ng gastos ko, eh!”
“Now, now, Professor, that’s why we agreed to sell your suppressants at almost the same price as our old ones...”
“Dapat lang.”
“But to announce a discount for three whole months, sobra naamn `yun, tapos ay ibinigay mo pa ang proceeds mo sa mga omega institutions, ngayon tuloy, wala nang matitira sa `yo, abonado ka pa!
“Three months lang `yun. May iba pa ako’ng pinagkukunan ng pondo.”
Dr. Gonzaga sighed. He knows that he can’t win against the professor.
“Just make sure that you won’t make any more announcements that could potentially harm our company tomorrow, okay?” he smiled nervously and extended a hand at the professor.
“Sige. Sabi mo, eh.” Prof. Antonio slapped it and grinned. “P’wede na ba kami umalis?”
“Yes, please, don’t let me keep you.”
- Writer
