Homecoming: Chapter 19

It has been a week since Samantha arrived in the Philippines, and most of her days were spent sa pag-aalaga nga kay Darlene. Right now ay nasa recovery phase na ang bata, at masaya si Samantha that she was able to help her. Not only because it gives her fulfilment for being a doctor, but also because it's Darlene, the daughter of her best friend, Kenneth.

Or former best friend? Ano ba ang mas tamang itawag doon? Former crush? First love?

Samantha was contemplating on that when her phone buzzed in for a FaceTime video call. She paused when she saw who it was. For the whole week that she's been there, they've been exchanging messages every night until his schedule will allow. Wala naman silang gaanong time mag-usap because they now live on different time zones. Also, he has been very busy lately that the only chance they have to talk is while he's driving to his work. Very late na rin kasi ito umuwi lately, which is in preparation of the real reason why she went home in the first place.

Honestly, first night pa lang ni Samantha sa Pilipinas ay ginusto na niyang makausap ito kahit sa video call man lang. Pero ngayong nandoon na ito ay parang nagdadalawang-isip naman siya na sagutin ang tawag nito. And Samantha wondered why. Bakit may hesitation siyang nadarama ngayon na sagutin ang tawag ng taong miss na miss na dapat niya? She should not have that feeling. She should not even think that that hesitation exists.

She pressed that green button to answer the call. Bumungad kaagad sa kanya ang mukha ng lalaking nasa California na matagal na rin niyang hindi nakikita.

Well, one week is long enough if you use to see him almost every day, right?

"Hi Hon!" bati nito sa kanya.

Samantha smiled. "Hey!"

The guy looked at her intently. Samantha frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Umiling ang lalaki. "Nothing. I just missed you so much."

Parang natunaw ang puso ni Samantha sa narinig. He really says all the right things and he always makes her heart melt.

"I missed you too, Allan."

Allan smiled. "I know."

Samantha giggled. "Really?"

"I can see it in your eyes, the way you look at me."

Tuluyan nang tumawa si Samantha.

"I missed that laugh."

Samantha looked at Allan. There was joy and sadness in those eyes of him. Samantha didn't know that could be possible, but that's what she's seeing.

"This is the first time that we've been apart since we… since you offered your heart to me and forced me to be your boyfriend."

Muling natawa si Samantha.

"I really did force you, huh?"

Allan nodded. "Yes, you did. Yes, you did."

Nagtawanan na silang dalawa.

"Wait, are you driving?" tanong ni Samantha dito pagkatapos. "Why are you facetiming me?"

"I'm not. I took the day off. I've been working my ass off and I just started feeling weary."

Nakaramdam ng pag-aalala si Samantha. "Hey, take it easy."

"I know… I just want to do as much so that we could fulfil our 'plan' as soon as possible."

Samantha smiled. "That could wait. Wala pa naman silang hinala dito, so we don't have to do anything yet."

"Well, I just… I guess I just miss you so much. I want to see you as soon as possible."

"You will," Samantha said.

Allan looked at her lovingly. Samantha knows that if only they're together, he would probably put his arms around her and cuddle her. That's his favorite thing to do. That's also her favorite thing he does.

"So, how's Philippines? How's your family?" Allan asked.

"They're okay. Masaya naman dito. I go to TGH with Kuya Raul every day."

"Really? They let you practice there?"

Natigilan si Samantha. Bigla kasi niyang naalala ang mga nangyari sa mga nakaraang araw na naroon siya sa Pilipinas. For a while, she contemplated if she should tell Allan the truth. Pero bakit naman hindi? Bakit hindi niya sasabihin sa nobyo ang mga nangyari at nakita at nakasama niya sa nakaraang lingo na magkahiwalay sila at nandito siya sa Pilipinas? Wala naman siyang itinatago.

O, wala nga ba?

She brushed the thought and told Allan everything. Well, almost.

"Not really practicing, but there's this friend… Friends, actually. They have a daughter, and she has dengue."

"Oh… how young?"

"Eight years old."

"Whoa! That is quite scary."

"Yeah, but she's recovering now."

"Well, I guess that's because you've been a good doctor to her."

Samantha smiled. "I just did what I had to do."

"I'm sure of that."

Allan smiled at Samantha, and for a moment, she felt that she could not look straight at him. Kahit kasi binanggit na niya kay Allan ang lahat, alam niyang may hindi pa rin siya nsasabi dito. She's not completely honest with him. Meron kasi siyang hindi masabi dito.

That the child is the daughter of her first love.

"So, uhm… what are you planning to do today?" tanong niya para na rin makaiwas na sa topic.

"Lay down, I guess. There's no one here who wants to hang out with me, or rather, there's no one here I'd like to hang out with, because the person that I want to be with is miles away from me."

Muling napangiti si Samantha. "We could talk, for as long as you like."

Allan smiled. "That's my girl… friend."

Natawa silang pareho sa sinabi nito.

Madaling araw na noong matapos silang mag-usap ni Allan. Sinulit talaga nila ang mga sandali dahil ilang araw na rin silang hindi nagkakausap. Well, at least in person, or face to face. Puro chat at messages lang kasi sila lagi. Kaya naman sinamantala na nila ang pagkakataon as they spend the night together. Virtually, that is.

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Saglit lamang naging magkaibigan sina Samantha at Kristine, so she wasn't able to meet her parents lalo na at nung kalaunan nga ay nagkaroon sila ng conflict regarding Kenneth. Kaya naman noong mag-rounds siya nang umagang iyon ay hindi niya nakilala ang dalawang may edad nang bisita ni Darlene.

Ipinakilala lamang sila ni Kenneth sa kanya. "Sam, sila nga pala ang mga parents ni Kristine."

Hindi malaman ni Samantha kung paano magre-react. Feeling niya ay naging awkward bigla ang atmosphere. She just tried to put up the common demeanor she has sa mga pasyente na nakikilala niya. She smiled and greeted them nicely.

"Nice to meet you, po. I'm Sam, Darlene's doctor."

"Totoo bang kaibigan ka nina Tin noon?" tanong ng mama ni Kristine.

Nasabi na pala ni Kenneth ang tungkol sa kanya. She smiled and nodded. "Opo."

Lumapit ang matandang babae at kinamayan siya. "Maraming salamat sa iyo, sa pag-aalaga mo dito sa apo namin."

"Wala pong anuman," ani Samantha.

She proceeded in doing her usual rounds of check-up. Pagkatapos noon ay ibinalita niya sa lahat ang bumubuti nang kalagayan ni Darlene.

"Tuluyan na pong nawawala ang dengue niya. At this rate pwede na siyang makauwi after two days."

"Maraming salamat sa Diyos!" ang sabi ng mama ni Kristine.

"Maraming salamat sa iyo, Sam," ang sabi naman ng tatay ni Kristine.

"Ginagawa ko lang po ang trabaho ko," aniya. "Nakakabilib nga po ang mabilis na paggaling ni Darlene. Siguro, may isang nagbabantay sa kanya na malapit sa Diyos, kaya nagawan nitong hilingin ang paggaling niya kaagad."

Parang na-touch ang mag-asawa sa sinabi niya. Natuwa naman si Samantha na napasaya niya ang mga ito. She looked at Kenneth, and the look on his face made him uncomfortable. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang tawag doon, and she does not know how to describe it. All she knows is that she felt warm at that look. And before she melts, nagpaalam na siya sa mga ito.

Pasakay na sana siya ng elevator nang lumabas naman mula doon si Ryan.

"O!"

"Hi Ryan!" She smiled, or at least try.

"Galing ka kay Darlene?"

Tumango siya. "Andun yung parents ni Kristine."

Natigilan si Samantha. Bakit ba niya biglang nasabi iyon? She just felt she should say it. Or maybe because she's bothered, and she could not just let that go?

"Oh… so, you met them."

Tumango siya.

Ryan looked at her. Hindi niya maintindihan ang gusto nitong iparating, pero alam ni Samantha na may kinalaman ito sa mga nangyari 15 years ago. And those 15-year-old memories should be tucked away completely because yesterday, she just talked to her boyfriend and that is her present and it has nothing to do with those 15-year-old memories.

"Mauna na ako."

Hindi siya pinigilan ni Ryan. Nang sumara na ang pintuan ng elevator ay saka lamang siya nakahinga ng maluwag. Bakit ba biglang naging komplikado ang lahat? She was just trying to help Darlene. She was just doing her job as a doctor, na sumumpang gagawin ang lahat ng makakaya para matulungan ang sinumang nangangailangan ng tulong. And Darlene needed her help that time. She just did what she needed to do.

Napatingin siya sa kanyang kaliwang kamay, partikular na sa palasinsingan nito. It felt empty without that white gold band she had a week ago. Funny, but for the past couple of days, she did not feel that something is missing on that finger. Only now.

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Tuloy-tuloy na nga ang naging recovery ni Darlene. After two days ay binigyan na siya ng discharge order ni Samantha. Pero bago makalabas ay muli niya itong kinausap, hindi lang para magpaalam kundi para na rin sabihin dito at sa pamilya nito ang mga dapat niyang gawin para maging tuloy-tuloy na ang kanyang paggaling.

"Ituloy lang ang rest and hydration, tsaka pagkain ng masustansiyang pagkain para na rin tuluyang bumalik ang health niya," aniya kay Kenneth.

"Thanks, Sam. You've done so much for us," ani Kenneth.

"I'm just doing my job," aniya. "So, I'll leave now para maayos iyong discharge order mo."

"Ah, Sam… Baka gusto mong sumama sa bahay. Meron kasing konting salo-salo. Thanksgiving para sa paggaling ni Lene," ani Kenneth sa kanya.

"Ah… Huwag na…" Paano ba siya tatanggi? Bigla ay parang hindi alam ni Samantha ang gagawin.

"Sige na, Sam," ani Ryan. "Para naman makita mo iyong bahay nina Kenneth. Para makita mo yung dinesign ko."

"Oo nga po, Tita Sam," ani Darlene. "Maganda po yung bahay namin."

She smiled. "May lakad na kasi ako ngayon. Sorry."

Nalungkot naman ang tatlo sa sinabi niya, pero si Darlene ang parang pinaka-hindi niya kayang tiisin.

"But, maybe you could come to my birthday."

Nagliwanag muli ang mukha ni Darlene. "Talaga po? Invite mo po kami sa birthday party mo?"

"Well, it's not really a party. Konting salo-salo lang iyon." Then, Samantha looked at the two guys. "Just like the old times."

"Thanks for inviting us," ani Ryan. "Ang tagal na rin since we last celebrated your birthday."

Samantha smiled.

"We'll come," ani Ryan. "Definitely. Right, Ken?"

Tumango si Kenneth. "Of course."

"Yey!" biglang wika ni Darlene.

Natuwa naman si Samantha na nagawa niyang pasiyahin ulit si Darlene. At natuwa rin siya na nagawa niyang umiwas sa imbitasyon ni Kenneth kanina. As much as possible ay ayaw muna niya ng mga ganoong interaction between her and the guy who makes her feel uncomfortable in everything that is happening in her life right now. For if she allows more to happen between them, everything that she has felt back then might come back again. Every heartache. And every pain.