Astrid Larein

Clinic

Astrid Larein Santos

First subject pa lang pero gusto ko ng umuwi. The pounding in my behad was getting more prominent as time pass. Nagsisimula na akong makaramdam ng nausea and I’m not comfortable with it. Yumuko na ako sa table ko to rest, maybe a short sleep would ease this migraine.

Before I could close my eyes to rest, nakaramdam ako ng kalabit sa gilid ko. It was Jane. I know it even without looking. Siya lang naman ang may lakas ng loob na istorbohin ako sa kahit na anong oras niya gustuhin.

“Cous, okay ka lang? Meron ka ba? Gusto mo magpunta sa clinic?” sunod-sunod niyang tanong.

Hindi ko siya sinagot pero iniling ko lang ng bahagya ang ulo ko. Too much movement would add a great deal to the pain. Sana naman naiintindihan ni Jane ‘yon. Because ayaw ko nang ulit-ulitin ang sarili ko.

“Ano bang nangyayari diyan, Jane? Kanina pa parang puputok na bulkan ‘yan. Tapos nagyon naman mukhang may sakit. What did you do?” narinig kong tanong sa kanya ni Claire.

“Hoy, grabe naman. Ako agad?”

I almost roll mye eys when I heard my cousin said that. ALmost, dahil mas lalo lang sasakit ang ulo ko kapag ginawa ko pa.

Sino kaya ang iniisip niyang mag kasalanan nito?

“Obvious ba? Siyempre ikaw lang. Kanina ka pa tense na tense diyan at panay ang tingin kay Astrid, Malamgn ikaw ang may sala kung bakit ganyan ‘yan.” sagot naman sa kanya ni Natasha.

“Yes, girl. Tell us, ano ba kasing nangyari”

Narinig ko na lang na napabuntong hininga si Jane.

“Ganito kasi ‘yan-”

Hindi na niya natapos ang sasabihin ng biglang bumukas ang pinto. Everyone turned silent at hangin na lang ang naririnig ko. I guess nandiyan na ang teacher. But even knowing that, hindi ko pa rin inaalis ang ulo ko sa pagkaka-yuko. Dahil mas lalo lang sasakit ‘yon.

“Good morning student, we are here to announce…” I tune them down.

Sinusubukan ko ng humumbing dahil pakiramdam ko ay doon lang mawawala ang sakit ng ulo ko. Hindi ko na binigyang pansin ang paligid ko. I tuned them all down and focused on the sleep I was trying to get.

But I was getting distracted by someone squirming beside me. Hindi ko na kailangang tignan pero alam ko nang si Jane ‘yon. Wala naman kasi akong ibang katabi maliban sa kanya dahil pumwesto ako sa may bintana.

“And that is all. Thank you!” narinig kong muli ang boses ng isang babae. “Yong nagsasalita na babae kanina malamang.

“Ano daw? Claire ano daw ang sabi?” narinig ko na naman si Jane sa gilid ko.

“Ano ba naman ‘yan, Jane. Pauulitin mo sakin yung mahabang announcement nila? Grabeng torture naman? Bakit kasi hindi ka nakikinig?” sagot naman sa kanya ni Claire.

Kumunot ng maigi ang ulo ko. Mukhang hindi na darating ang tulog na tinatawag ko. Dahil kahit anong gawin ko ay tila naka-focus na ang taing ako sa daldalan nila sa gilid ko. Iniangat ko na ang ulo ko. Naniningkit ang mga mata kong sinandal ang likod sa backrest ng upuan.

“Lagot! Nagising niyo na naman si Astrid.” Narinig kong bulong ni Natasha.

Bulong. Pero mukhang hindi naman dahil narinig ko nga. At ang lakas.

“Okay, class! Before we start, I wanted to call on the attention of Miss Astrid Santos.”

Lahat kami ay napalingon sa English Teacher namin na nasa harapan na pala.

Kailan pa nakapasok ‘to?

“Miss Santos, can you explain to me what’s the meaning of this?”

Inilahad niya ang isang papel na walang ibang laman maliban sa pangalan. Pangalan ko ang nakalagay doon sa taas at ang petsa kung kailang ginawa. Tinignan ko sandali ang papel. Then I look at my teacher na nakataas ang kilay. So, I also raised my eyebrows at her.

What does she want? I’m not going to answer her if she wouldn’t say it.

“You didn’t write anything for the essay, young lady. Is this some kind of mistake?”

Alam kong nakatingin na sa aking ang lahat ng estudyante sa room. I can see Jane getting nervous beside me. She was now getting fidgety when there’s nothing to worry about.

I shrug to answer my teacher. “You asked us to write an essay about what we had learned on this subject. Well, I learned nothing, so I wrote nothing,” I answered her.

She had that surprised look on her face. Her eyes were wide, her jaw dropped, and her eyebrows were knitting together. I don’t understand. I don’t understand why is she surprised. Totoo naman kasi. Hindi naman kasi siya nagtuturo.

“Cous,” bulong ni Jane habang hinihila ang hem ng uniform ko.

She was looking at the teacher with a scared look. As if kakainin siya ng teacher at hindi siya makatakbo.

Isa pa siyang hindi ko maintindihan. Bakit ba siya natatakot?

“Miss Santos! How dare you talk back like that to your teacher? Is that how your parents raised you?” tumaas na ang boses ng teacher.

To be honest, I don’t care kung maputulan pa siya ng litid sa harapan. But what she said ticked something inside me. My head started to throb again as I stared at the teacher standing in front of me.

“I want you out of my class. Now!” she added.

I didn’t say anything or move for a moment. I was just staring at her and her sorry face for a teacher. I do have respect for teachers but I only gave it to those worthy. And kt was as clear as day that this one doesn’t deserve it.

“Gladly,” I say with finality.

I pick up my bag but Jane tried to stop me by holding on to the strap. I glare at her and she finally let go. Naglakad ako papunta sa harap at tinitigan ang guro mula ulo hangang paa. Hindi niya nagustuha ‘yon kaya mas lalong nasira ang mukha niya.

“I’ll make sure that your parents will hear about this!” narinig kong sigaw niya.

Pero nasa malayo na ako to pay her more attention. Malinis ang hallway since nasa klase ang lahat. I thought of going to the cafeteria pero sure akong paalisin lang ako since hindi pa lunch. I thought of going to the library to sleep too pero parang gusto kong mahiga. So, I decided to go to the clinic.

I’m sure I can sleep there since masakit naman ulo ko.

So, I head there. Nagulat pa ang nurse ng pumasok ako. I ask for a bed at sinabing mag migraine ako. She let me oick a spot since ako lang naman ang tao, so I picked the one na nasa dulo at tabi ng bintana. Humiga ako doon at ipinikit ang mata.

Sleep wouldn’t still come to me but the peaceful surrounding is making me at peace. Sinubukan kong i-distract ang isip ko dahil napupuno na naman ito ng mga bad thoughts just because I heard someone called out my parents. It was a sensitive topic to me, one that I wouldn’t want to disclose in any way possible.

Narinig kong nagbukas ang pinto ng clinic since hindi naman ganoong kalakihan ang lugar. Someone entered and I heard some talking. Hindi ko makilala kung sino ‘yon since hindi ko kilala yung boses, I just knew that he was a man.

“Magpapahinga lang po sana ako, Nurse. Makati po kasi ang lalamunan ko at yung ilong ko.”

Hindi ko narinig ang sagot ng nurse pero narinig ko na lang ang pagbukas ng kurtina sa tabi ko. The bed squeak as someone probably lay there. Siguro ‘yong lalaking narinig ko kanina. I turned to my side at tuluyang ng humarap sa bintana.

“Maganda diyan sa spot mo, malamig. Pwede ba tayong magpalit?” narinig kong sabi nung lalaki.

Kumunot ang noo ko pero hindi ko siya sinagot. I remained quiet and close my eyes. Hindi ko siya pinapansin.

“Narinig mo ba ako? I’m sure naman since kagagalaw mo lang. Pwede bang magpalit tayo ng pwesto? I badly need the fresh air,” he added.

Hindi ko pa rin siya sinasagot dahil wala naman akong balak sagutin. First of all, I don’t know him, and second, wala akong balak na ibigay sa kanya yung spot ko. I also need some fresh air.

Sino ba siya para mag-demand ng ganoon?

“Hey!”

Biglang bumukas yung curtain na naghihiwalay sa bed naming dalawa. Lumingon ako at nakita ko siyang hawak yung isang side ng curtain habang nakaupo sa bed. He looked at me and saw how his expression turn from angry to surprise.

“Wow.” bulong niya sa sarili niya pero narinig ko pa rin.

Tuluyan na akong humarap sa kanya at hinawakan rin ang kurtina.

“I’m not going to give up this spot. I hope you understand that.”

Hinila ko pabalik sa dating pwesto yung kurtina at humiga ulit. I hasn’t settle down yet and the curtain open again. I look back at him na ngayon ay may ngiti na sa labi.

“Hi, Miss. I’m Francis. Francis Olveda.” He extended his hands to me.

Tinignan ko ‘yon at sinarado muli ang kurtina. Just when I was about to get some good sleep and rest, guguluhin naman ako ng unknown person na ‘to. I don’t have time para makipagkaibigan sa kaniya.

Bumukas ulit ang kurtina. “I just want to know your name. And I just want to tell you that you’re beautiful.”

I can clearly hear the excitement in his voice. But I’m nowhere thrilled with this exchange. Gusto ko na lang na umalis siya or kahit hayaan niya akong mapag-isa dito. I’m not doing anything to him and he should at least do the same to me.

Hindi ko na siya pinansin pa at tumalikod na. Hindi ko na rin pa sinarado yung kurtina. He will just open it and the noise will just get on my nerves. I still want to have a peaceful time dito sa clinic because I know after this, I wouldn’t get to have some peace.