Chapter 18 - Do You Want Me To Stay?
1128 Words
Chapter 18 - Do You Want Me To Stay?
I wonder if I tell him the joke, would he laugh?
"Um. Diba... kapag nag-shock yung pasyente ay 'the patient is in shock' at hindi 'the patient is shocking?" I bursted out laughing after telling him that. Damn I'm laughing at my own joke!
He now showed me his poker face, but I don't care. I'm stressed and I needed this laugh.
Like they said, 'laughter is the best medicine.' 'but laughing at nothing means you need a medicine'
Damn, I'm crazy.
"Ano pa nga ulit yun? OLOL drugs? HAHAHAHAH naOLOL drugs. HAHAHAHA. Archer, ikaw nung second year, hindi ka... Na...OLOL? HAHHAHAHAH." I'm laughing at my own jokes. Hey! It's funny kaya.
I laughed for minutes until my abdomen ached. And Archer is still looking at me with a very serious face. I cleared my throat and fixed myself before facing him properly. Napa-iling lamang ito sakin.
"Ang seryoso mo. Nakakatawa kaya yung jokes ko." Tumingin lamang ito na blanko ang ekspresyon.
I reached for his creased eyebrows and straightened it, with my both index finger I pushed back the sides of his lips trying to make him smile. Masyadong seryoso kasi.
"Ssssssmileeeeee" ngunit hindi nagbago ang tingin nito kaya binawi ko na lamang ang mga kamay ko.
Psh. Kung ayaw edi wag. Sumimangot ka lang diyan
"You're crazy" aniya at napa-iling.
Sumeryoso na ako dahil marami pa talaga akong di alam.
"Ate Amy why were you laughing earlier?" tanong ni Sophia na kakalabas lamang ng aking kwarto habang buhat si Azlan. Nanood kasi ito kanina sa laptop ko ng Frozen.
"Don't mind her Sophia, Ate have gone crazy." Sagot naman ni Archer saka kinuha sa kanya si Azlan.
"It's nothing Sofie." I smiled at her and walked in the kitchen to get our snacks.
"Can I take this in your bedroom Ate? I'm not done watching Elsa yet."
"Yeah sure."
She walked in my room and I took Azlan from Archer. Minsan ko nalang makasama 'to at malaki narin siya.
"Malaki na siya, pwede ko naman na siguro siyang iwan sa shelter." Sabi ko habang hinahaplos ang balahibo ng pusa.
"No. He will stay with me."
"Archer naman. Ilang buwan siyang nag-stay sayo. Sakin naman."
"You can't leave him at the shelter, Rain."
"Sa umaga lang naman e, tapos pag-uwi ko from school dadaanan ko rin siya sa shelter."
"No."
"Sige na. Isa pa, sa shelter may mga makakalaro siyang mga pusa rin doon. Para naman matuwa si Azlan at hindi puro tao yung nakakalaro niya. Iba parin kung nakikihalubilo ito sa kagaya niya." Pagdadahilan ko, pero totoo naman diba.
He looked at me as if weighing if I'm right with what I'm saying or not. Bumuntong hininga ito bago sumagot.
"Fine. But the moment something happens to him, even just a scratch, I'll take him."
"Yes!"
"And you will still let me see him and have him when I ask to."
"Umm. O...kay?"
"Answer properly, Rain Amira."
"Alright, alright. You can have him pag gusto mo."
"Good."
I turned on the TV and continued where I stopped on Grey's Anatomy. We just ate our snacks while relaxing our minds. Gumawa rin kasi siya ng assignment niya while helping me with my Pharmaco. Mabait rin itong isang 'to kahit na napakaseryoso.
Bumaling ako sa kanya habang nanonood.
"It's your last year. What will you do after college?"
"Review for Board exam?"
"I know that, dumbass. I mea—"
"Wow. Look who's calling me a dumbass." He retorted which made me chuckle.
"I mean after getting your license of course." Seconds and he didn't answer.
"Are you... planning for med school?"
"Yeah." I smiled at his reply. He's good to be a doctor. He will be a great doctor, I know.
"That's great. But don't scowl at your patients ha, ngumiti ka rin Doc. kasi baka matakot sila sayo."
He smiled and I saw a glint in his eyes, as if he relaxed and is happy at the thought of being a doctor and being called one.
"Is it your dream to become a doctor?"
"Yes. It's kinda satisfying to save lives, you know, although I know that it is also disheartening not to be able to save one, to lose your patient."
"Then study hard and work harder to save them, it's a fact that you can't save everyone but at least, you can save many.... Doctor Saavedra....Nice!"
I don't know what's with me, but the thought of him leaving for med school is kinda... sad? I mean, yes I'm happy for him because he's achieving his dreams, but... I don't know.
"Are you.... staying? At Laurent Univ.? or...Manila?" I wonder if he will enroll for medicine in our school, since Laurent Univ. is also offering the course. Also, Laurent Univ. is quite competitive too against schools in Manila.
Wait... do I want him to stay?
"I'm... still thinking about it."
"Oh." I turned back at what I'm watching.
"Do you want me to stay, Rain?" I can feel his eyes on me.
Do I? but does it matter if I want or not? It's his life so it's his call.
"Factors like that shouldn't affect your decisions, Archer. It's your life, it's your call to make. You decide your own path."
"Do you want me to stay?" he repeated. His voice is tamed and sounds like hoping.
I hate lying. I'd rather keep silent than lie to people and besides I'm not good at it either. I just focused my eyes at the TV, I can't look at him, I might discover something that would hurt me in the future.
The moment he touched my chin to turn my head at him, I knew it, the same thing on my birthday would happen again. It shouldn't.
"Answer me, Rain. Do you want me to stay?" he looked at me intently, searching answers in my eyes.
Why are you doing this to me, Archer? Don't play with me. I don't know this feeling you're causing me... and I can't stop it.
"It's your choice to make, Archer. Don't be influenced by unnecessary external factors. Go to your dream school or wherever you want to achieve your dreams. You're smart. I know you can be accepted wherever you go, go to where your dream is."
I moved away from his touch just on time when my phone rang.
I reached out for ite and saw that it is Dad who's calling. It was last Christmas when I last saw him, and ever since I came here he never called, and why would he when there's nothing to talk about anyway. I don't know why he called right now, but I do have a feeling what this is about.
- Writer
