The Right Calling (Tagalog)

Chapter 3

Revi

“So, what’s your specialization?” tanong ni Theo habang nakaupo kami sa loob ng Padi’s Point. Naka-order na kami ng isang bucket at isang order ng sizzling sisig.

I leaned on the table and looked at the live band. “Cardio and nephro,” sagot ko.

“Wow! You specialized in two?” tila hindi makapaniwala niyang tanong. “What do you like more? Cardio or nephro?”

Nilingon ko siya nginitian. I actually like that he’s asking me about work. I hope he keeps going that way and not towards my family history.

“Sa ngayon, parang mas gusto ko ang Emergency medicine,” sagot ko. “Being a resident in the ER makes me want to pursue it.” Tumango siya. “What about you?” tanong ko.

“Cardio rin,” sagot niya. “Although I want to pursue Cardiothoracic surgery.”

Nice. At least he’s got ambition. But then, I hate cardiothoracic surgery because I can only remember one person—my father. He’s a cardiothoracic surgeon but he couldn’t even save my mother who had a myocardial infarction because she’s a mistress and he hated her for tainting his reputation.

I sighed. “Pag cardiothoracic, mostly, nagtuturo ang mga iyan, ‘di ba?” tanong ko. Tumango siya. “So you want to teach?”

He pursed his lips and his dimple showed. I mentally groaned. Why am I always weak for men with dimples? “Minsan,” sagot niya. “I’m the head of the Department of Internal Medicine so I teach sometimes.”

My eyes widened. “Wow! Head ng internal medicine,” biro ko sa kanya. “You really wanted to be a doctor, don’t you?”

He let out a deep sigh before nodding. “Oo,” sagot niya. “When I was ten, my sister died due to a vehicular accident. She’s only sixteen.” He smiled sadly. “At dahil hindi siya naisalba ng mga doktor noon kahit matagal silang nagresuscitate, I promised myself that I will be doctor and I will save everyone.”

I stared at him. Walang bakas ng pagyayabang sa mukha o sa tono ng boses niya. He sounded so sincere and I personally think that he’s already a great doctor with that kind of mindset. Most doctors today only do it for the money and the reputation. Para kasing iba ang tingin ng tao sa’yo kapag doktor ka.

“Congrats! You’re now a doctor,” sabi ko sa kanya. “I bet your sister is proud of you in heaven.” 

He chuckled before opening one beer for himself. He opened one for me, too. He raised his bottle before drinking. “I hope she’s happy up there,” aniya.

Tinitigan ko siya habang tahimik na iniinom ang beer niya. His brows are furrowed and he looked so serious while sipping on his beer. Kitang-kita sa kanyang mahal na mahal niya ang kapatid and that’s actually commendable. He was ten years old back then and it’s been years. His dedication isn’t something to be ignored.

“Are you okay?” he asked when he noticed that I have been staring at him too much.

I smiled awkwardly and nodding. Okay, that was actually embarrassing. Ang tanga ko lang na lantaran siyang titigan. “Masarap ba ang beer sa Baguio?” tanong ko para lang maiwala ang topic. I know it’s lame but I can’t help it.

He chuckled and shook his head. “Is this your way of changing the topic?” tanong niya pabalik bago umiling muli. “You sure know that Manila also has Smirnoff, right? Pare-pareho lang naman ang lasa.”

I shrugged. “Baka lang nag-iiba kapag nasa ibang lugar ka…o kapag iba ang kasama mo.”

I don’t even know if he drinks a lot. But then, mukhang may alam rin siya sa lasa ng alak kaya baka rin madalas siyang uminom.

Natawa siya sa sinabi ko. “Pwede,” sabi niya. “Madalas kasi mga lalaki ang kasama kong uminom.”

Tumaas ang kilay ko. “So, single ka pa?” It was not a malicious question. It was a speculation. Wala akong masamang intensyon. I don’t even know why I’m trying to justify that single question. It’s not as if I asked him to have séx with me or something.

Sinipat niya ako at ngumisi. “Single pa rin,” sagot niya. “Ikaw ba?”

Tumaas ang kilay ko. “Single din,” sagot ko. “Hindi ako makikipag-inuman sa isang lalaki nang kaming dalawa lang kung may boyfriend ako.”

He looked amused at my words. He chuckled weakly before shrugging. “Sabagay,” panimula niya. “Ako rin naman.”

I pursed my lips before drinking again.

“So, ilang taon na?”

Kumunot ang noo ko. “Anong ibig mong sabihin?” Hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit ang bastos ng nasa isip ko.

“Ilang taon ka nang doktor?” paglilinaw niya.

A, okay. “Seven,” sagot ko. “Ikaw?”

“Eight.”

I nodded. So, it’s safe to say na isang taon ang tanda niya sa akin kung hindi siya maagang nakapagtapos. “Dumiretso ka sa specialization?”

Tumango siya. “I didn’t want to waste time.”

“Right,” I said. “What made you choose Cardiology as subspecialty?”

Humugot siya ng malalim na hininga. “Hindi ko rin alam. Pero parang masaya ang gumamot ng mga sakit sa puso.”

Tumango ako. “Same sentiments,” sagot ko.

“Ganoon rin sa’yo?”

I shrugged. “I’ve always found it so fascinating to deal with hearts,” sagot ko. “Yung sa kidneys, dahil sa lola ko. May Chronic Renal Failure kasi siya. She’s been on hemodialysis for at eight years now.”

His stare lingered on me for a while. “It must be hard,” he said.

I smiled weakly before shrugging. “Hindi naman,” sagot ko. “Lola is religiously complying to her hemodialysis so she’s feeling better. Minsan nga ay nagsu-zumba pa siya.”

Medyo kumalma ang mukha ni Theo. “Okay pala kung ganoon,” aniya. “You think a kidney transplant could help?”

I stared at the now-empty bottle in front of me. “Hindi na siguro. Lola is eighty years old. Hindi na niya kakayanin ang operasyon.” I had thought about it several times. I studied Nephrology to see if there’s still a chance but the risks outweigh the benefits.

I heard him sigh hard but I smiled widely at him. “Ano ka ba? Okay lang iyon.” Kumuha ako ng isa pang bote ng alak at binuksan. “Lola is still strong. Siguro makikita pa niya akong magpakasal at magkapamilya.”

She’s already pressuring me. Sa bawat araw na uuwi ako galing sa trabaho, lagi niyang tinatanong kung may nakasalamuha akong lalaking pu-puwedeng maging asawa. She’s already panicking. Thirty-two years old seems like a late age for me to get married. Dapat nga raw ay hindi na ako nag-aral ng kung anu-ano at itinuon na lang ang atensyon ko sa pag-aasawa.

“So, may plano ka nang mag-asawa?” tanong ni Theo.

Tumawa lang ako at umiling. “I never had a serious relationship,” sabi ko. “Paano naman ako magkakaplanong mag-asawa?”

Tumaas ang kilay niya. “Never had a serious relationship?” tanong niya. “So, flings then?”

I shrugged. “Flings, FuBu, whatever you call it.”

“FuBu?” nagtatakang tanong niya.

I smirked. “Taga-Manila ka pero hindi mo alam ang FuBu?”

“I know the meaning of FuBu. I just didn’t expect you were the type to agree to that weird set-up.”

I laughed. “Bakit? Mukha ba akong anghel?” biro ko pero tumango siya. Natigilan ako at parang may lumundag sa puso ko. “I’m not as innocent as you think.”

Ngumisi siya. “Okay, then does that mean I can ask you out tomorrow again?”

“I thought we’re really meeting up because you’re too scared to go to Diplomat Hotel alone?” tukso ko.

He chuckled lowly before shaking his head. “Hindi ba puwedeng ayaw ko lang pumuntang mag-isa kasi malungkot maglibot-libot nang walang kasama?” tanong niya. “And honestly, for a short period of time, I think you’ll really make a good company.”

Itinuko ko ang siko ko sa mesa at pumangalumbaba habang natitig sa kanya. “What made you think that?” I smirked. “Huwag kang ma-in love sa akin, Theo. Hindi ako madaling mahalin.” It was actually meant as a joke but he stared at me intently with his eyes narrowed.

His stare is so intense that I could feel my heart skipping a beat. It was as if I was stoned on my spot and I have nothing to do but to stare back and get lost under his gaze.

“Bakit ka naman mahirap mahalin?” tanong niya.

Napalunok ako at napakibit na lamang. Why did I even tell him that? “Wala sa isip ko ang pumasok sa isang relasyon,” sagot ko. “I have a lot of things that I want to accomplish. Gusto kong maglibot sa mga lugar na hindi naaabot ng mga ospital. I want to travel the world. I don’t think a man can handle me when I want to do this much.”

“Why?”

I shrugged. “I remembered the last man I dated. He was complaining that I was always a volunteer on medical missions. Wala na raw akong oras para sa kanya,” I narrated. “So ayon, ang ending, naghanap siya ng iba.”

Naalala ko pa iyon. Akala ko siya na talaga. I was already thinking of taking it to the next level with him but he cheated on me. We’re not really official but I was still hurt because of that. Marami akong tanong sa sarili ko. Naglasing rin ako para sa isang iyon.

My only consolation was that I didn’t waste a lot of time with him. We dated for two months. Buti at nagpakita agad ang tunay niyang ugali.

Although I admit that I’m also at fault. I’m too focused on my dreams and my career. Maybe it was also best for us to separate.

Theo remained staring at me intently. He looked like he wants to say something but is contemplating if this is a good chance to do so.

“Come on, Theo. Just say it,” sabi ko dahil hindi ako kumportableng nakikita siyang parang may tinatago sa akin.

He arched his brow before shrugging as he placed his bottle down. “If he cannot handle you or support you in what you love, he’s not worth it,” aniya sa seryosong tono. “The right one will never limit you to be who he wants you to be. Instead, he will help you be who and what you want to be. Remember that, Revi.”

Damn. I must be crazy but after hearing all those words from him, I felt like my whole world stopped moving.