Chapter 10
1295 Words
Chapter 10 - A Child Deprived of His Favorite Toy
Our relationship went back to normal after that. I did not touch any of his things again, instead, I kept nagging him until he listens to my suggestions, particularly when it comes to hygiene.
“Professor, why is there a half eaten donut inside your mug?”
“Uubusin ko `yan mamaya, may naisipan lang akong sequence,” he mumbled in front of the laptop. “Paabot nga `yung pangkamot ko.”
I took a flat wooden stick from his desk with a hand carved on one end. He took it and proceeds to scratch his back with it.
“When was the last time you took a bath?” I asked him.
“Linggo...” he mumbled.
“Tomorrow we need to go to the Medical Expo, it’s a three day event.”
“Uhuh...”
I sigh and left him to get lunch from Aling Tinay. It is not advisable to talk to him when he is engrossed in his work. When I got back, I saw him staring at the screen of his laptop. It seems he is storing new information in his mind. Or perhaps retrieving something.
I sat beside him and waited for him to return.
“Ano’ng tinitingin-tingin mo d’yan?” he asked after a while.
“Nothing. I am just fascinated at how you work. How young were you when you created your memory palace?” I asked him.
“Hm. `Di ko na maalala,” he replied, “Basta ang pinaka maagang memory ko, eh, ang nanay ko na pinaliliguan ako sa lababo. Nang maaksidente kasi sila, tinago ko lahat ng memories ko sa kanila at malamang, doon na `yun nagsimula.”
“They got in an accident?”
“Yep... ulilang lubos kami ni kuya, pinagpasa-pasahan ng mga kamag-anak. And since isa si kuya sa mga sinaunang naging omega sa mundo, binenta s’ya ng tyuhin namin sa isang ospital. Buti nga at nalaman `yun ng... ng naging partner ni kuya... kaya inampon nila kami at inalagaan...”
“So, his partner is a nice person.”
I watched Prof. Antonio’s face darken.
“Nice.” He spat the words out as if it was poison. “Nice dahil gusto n’yang angkinin ang kuya ko. He forced himself on him. At kahit pa sabihin nilang mahal nila ang isa’t-isa, it doesn’t change the fact that he took my kuya away from me.”
I stared at Prof. Antonio. He looked like a small child who was deprived of his favorite toy.
“Ba’t ba nandito ka nanaman? Kung anu-ano pa tinatanong mo! Anong oras na ba?”
“It’s 3 pm,” I placed his cold lunch in front of him. “time to eat and rest. We’re going out early today.”
“Bakit?” he asked, his mouth full of sinigang.
“Just finish your meal first.”
Thirty minutes later and he’s complaining again.
“Ba’t ba kailangan ko pa’ng pumunta sa expo na `yan? P’wede namang kayo na lang nina Pedro ang pumunta, ha? Hindi nman ako kailangan d’yan!”
“They will be releasing the latest, top of the art, medical and laboratory equipment in the expo tomorrow.”
“Talaga?”
“We can order them straight from the supplier, and if you, a world famous scientist, are there to avail them personally, they might even give us a large discount.”
“Hmm... Sige, pero, ba’t ba kailangan ko pa’ng magpasukat para sa suit?!”
“Sir, please stand straight.” The tailor said as he measured the professor’s length.
“To look presentable.”
“Eh, pinahihiram mo naman ako ng mga suit mo, ha?”
“The last time I lent you my Versage, you spilled kare-kare sauce on the vest.
“Arrrray...” the tailor frowned and shook his head. He looked pained.
“It is better to get one of your own, tailored specifically for you,” I told him, “Besides, you look more like a Burberyl.”
“Anong Burberyl?”
“That is the name of our brand, sir,” said the tailor with a smile.
“Eh, bakit ngayon pa, kung kailan bukas na ang expo?!”
“Because you never listen when I tell you to get one,” I replied. “When is the earliest you can send this to us?” I asked the tailor.
“Tomorrow, sir at about lunch time.”
“Good, send it to this address.”
I gave him the address of the Medical Expo as well as the location of our stall.
“Tapos na ba? Gusto ko nang umuwi.”
“We still need to buy you decent shoes,” I looked back at the tailor, “please create 2 more suits for him, one in navy pin stripes, and another in burgundy. Send the bill to Universal Labs.”
“Very good, sir.”
“Pati ba naman `yan pababayad mo pa sa kumpanya?”
“Of course, they need to make their head researcher look presentable, don’t they.”
“O s’ya, saan ba `yung mga sapatos? Bilisan mo na nang makauwi na tayo.”
In the end, I was able to buy him two pairs of shoes. A wingtip oxford, and black leather boots which he insisted upon. He even went home wearing them.
“Now, please go to bed early so you can be at your best at tomorrow’s expo.”
“Early ka d’yan? Inubos mo na nga oras ko sa mall, patutulugin mo pa `ko nang maaga?!”
“It is already 11:58. You took a long time choosing your shoes.”
“Tignan mo naman, ang ganda!” he grinned and placed a foot on top of the couch. “Matagal ko na nga binabalak bumili ng Dok M’s, buti naalala ko!”
“Okay, now it is time to take them off.”
He proceeds to remove his boots and left them at the base of the stairs. I will need to buy a proper shoe rack to place there.
“Hindi pa `ko inaantok, pagawa naman ng kape, may aayusin lang ako sa lab, may naisipan ako’ng formula na p’wedeng gamitin pampa-coagulate ng dugo...”
“And does that have anything to do with the expo tomorrow?”
“Ha?” he stared at me, “S’yempre wala, pero...”
“How about the SGT kits?”
“Hindi rin pero – “
“Then it can wait another day. Store it up first, you can work on it tomorrow, as soon as we get back from the expo.”
“Sandali lang ako!”
“That’s what you said the other day, and the day before that. You haven’t even slept your required 4 hours for the last three days. It was a good thing that you were able to sleep last night.”
“At ngayon hindi na ako inaantok!”
”You still need to rest,” I insisted, “You only slept for five and a half hours.”
“Kita mo, sobra-sobra na `yun!”
“No. Now go up to bed.”
“Tsk, ang kulit nito...” he mumbled, but he didn’t fight when I ushered him to his room.
The next day, he was already up when I went to fetched him.
“Did you sleep last night?” I looked at him suspiciously.
“Op kors! `Yun ang utos mo, `di ba?” there were dark rings around his eyes. “Ano, aalis ba tayo? O tititigan mo lang ako buong umaga?”
“Take a bath first. I’ll lend you an undershirt to wear before your suit arrives.”
- Writer
