Chapter 41
1441 Words
Chapter 41 – Ngayon Lang Ito, Ha?
My cellphone chimes once again.
It is probably another photo from the professor.
He has been sending me numerous pictures all day, all of which showed his favorite niece, bebe Meme. There’s even a picture of the two of them, faces pressed against each other, looking so much alike, that one would think they are siblings.
I ignored it and went on with my bath. I have just recently arrived from a tiring day from work. The event we have sponsored is finally over, with only 18 parents backing out from the first batch.
It was quite tedious, though, particularly since some of the parents brought their children with them, after we explicitly informed them not to. We had to entertain 174 children, while their parents attended the orientation.
I had to keep at my feet all day, moving from one venue to another, just to make sure that everything went as planned. Now, all I want to do is to soak in the bath all night until the fatigue seeps out of my pores. I close my eyes and let myself slip into the warm water, folding my long legs to fit into the deep tub. It feels so good underneath. Calm. Comforting. Quiet.
I can let everything go and just let it flow over me...
“Uy!”
I was surprised when someone slapped my face repeatedly.
“Ba’t ka natutulog sa banyo? `Di mo ba alam na dalikado `yan?”
I glanced up and saw the professor looking angrily at me.
“I was merely resting my eyes.” I stifled a yawn.
“Anong `resting my eyes’?! Eh, kanina pa kita tinatawag! Padulas ka na nga sa tubig, eh! Kung `di kita nakita, malamang lunod ka na ngayon, hindot ka! Dadagdagan mo pa ang kamatayan sa kaarawan ko!”
”What kamatayan?” I frowned at him. “Who else died?”
“Wala!”
He tried to pull me out of the tub and failed. I stood up instead, stepped out of it, and stood in front of the professor who was still frowning at me.
At least he doesn’t seem to be afraid of me anymore.
“Anong oras ka pa ba nakababad d’yan? Kita mo, ang lamig mo na, at kulu-kulubot na ang balat mo!” he took my towel ang started wiping me off.
“Just a little past nine...” I said with a sneeze.
“Kita mo na! Alas onse pasado na, kaya pala malamig na tubig mo! Ayan hinahatsing ka na!”
“I am fine, I just lost track of time.”
I watched him fuzz over me and felt something warm in my chest. This was the first time I’ve seen the professor like this. It felt as if he actually cared about me. I wanted to reach out to him and hold him close, but doing so would probably freak him out again.
“O, ba’t nakatunganga ka lang?” he said, after tying the towel around my body. “Ayan, tignan mo, namumula na mukha mo!” he touched my face, making me quiver. “Ayan na nga, medyo mainit ka na nga! Pumunta ka na sa kuwarto mo, dali!”
He pulled me out of the bathroom then, holding my hand. He smelled of cake and of berries and of two different alphas I did not know, and suddenly, I felt so sad that I couldn’t stop crying.
“O? Ano namang nangyari ngayon?!”
“I don’t know,” I told him honestly, “I just suddenly felt so sad.” I sneeze once more.
“Lecheng... kung anu-ano k’se pinaggagagawa mo’ng loko ka, eh,” he touched my face once again. I close my eyes and lean my head on his cold hand. “Magbihis ka na muna, ikukuha kita ng gamot sa baba.”
“Don’t go.” I grabbed hold of his hand.
“Kukuha lang ako sandali ng paracetamol sa baba!” he told me.
“No, you won’t come back.”
“Ba’t naman ako `di babalik, eh, pamamahay ko `to? Isa pa, `pag may nangyari sa `yo, siguradong gigilitan ako ng mga alagad mo!”
“Promise me you’ll come back?”
“Oo na, I promise. Magbihis ka na d’yan sa kuwarto mo, ha?”
I let him go then.
I watched as he went out of my room, leaving the door open. I then went to my wardrobe and took out a shirt and a pair of underwear.
My body felt hot and heavy, that I had to sit on the bed to slip my underwear on. I was still pulling it up when the professor came back.
“O, hindi ka pa bihis?” I simply stared at him. “Ano ka ba naman! Daig mo pa bata! Akin na nga `yan, itaas mo mga braso mo.”
He helped me with my shirt, putting it over my head and pulling my hair out. He then took a towel to dry it better, then wound it up on top of my head.
“Inumin mo `to tapos matulog ka na, ha.” He handed me a tablet.
“What for?” I asked.
“Para sa lagnat mo, ano pa?”
“But I’m not sleepy yet...”
“Aba, mukhang nagkapalit tayo ng linya, ha?” he laughed, ”`Wag ka nang makulit at mukhang nagdedeliryo ka na!”
I took the medicine and drank it.
“Ayan, good boy,” he patted my head, removing the damp towel. “Sige na, matulog ka na.”
He stood up, but I held his hand and placed it on my head again.
“Don’t go. Pat me more.”
“Ha?”
“I’m a good boy, right? Praise me more.”
“Aba, Habibi, ang cute mo pala `pag may sakit!”
He praised me!
“More.”
He grinned and sat by my side again.
“Okay, sige, para sa Habibi ko na masarap magluto. Super sarap ng mga pagkain mo! Ang sipag mo pa maglinis at maglaba, kahit pa lahat ng trabaho sa bahay ay instant na dahil sa mga binili mo’ng appliances,” he continued rubbing my head, pushing me back to lie on the bed. “Ang galing mo’ng maghanap ng solusyon para sa easy detection ng catalyst gene, at ang galing mong sumunod sa mga utos ko, kahit pa madalas kang mag-improvise.” He pulled the blanket over me. “Ano ba ang ginawa mo at nagkasakit ka?” he asked, “Hindi ka ba tinulungan nina Pedro at Pilar?”
“They helped... but you told me to take care of everything...”
“`Oy, wala ako’ng sinabing akuin mo lahat ng trabaho!”
“But some of the parents brought their children along, we had to entertain all 174 of them... so Pedro and I played with the kids...”
“Nakipaglaro kayo sa 174 na bata buong araw?”
“Pedro said we could have parlor games.”
“Eh, sino `yung nag-asikaso sa mga magulang?”
“Pilar and the 12 interns.”
“Naintindihan naman ba nila `yung orientation?!”
“Yes.”
“Pano mo nasigurado?”
“I checked all their feedback personally. Only 18 parents cancelled, out of the 2,000 attendees.”
“Good. Napalitan na ba sila ni Pedro?”
“I have already chosen 18 more and sent them the contract and waiver.”
“Hay, buti naman.” He placed his cool hand on my forehead once more. “Kaya ka pala napagod, tapos nagbabad ka pa pag-uwi, ayan tuloy napala mo.”
“Did I do good professor?”
“Yeah, you did great.”
“Then pat me again.”
He did just that.
I slowly closed my eyes as he did.
“O sige, matu-“
“Don’t stop,” I told him, grabbing hold of his other arm and pulling him closer to me. “Stay here.”
He gave a sigh and lay beside me on the bed, then started patting my head again.
“Ganito ka pala pag may sakit, nagiging spoiled ka.” he told me. “Sige, pagbibigyan kita, pero ngayon lang `to, ha?”
I smiled as he rubbed my head, and slowly drifted to sleep.
- Writer
