A Kiss to Life

Chapter 19: Banal

“Saan ka galing?” Ycca asked the moment I appeared in front of her. It’s five minutes until 1pm and I knew I said that I should be back 15 minutes before 1pm, but I don’t know, with Noah I always forget the concept of time. We just make before, during, and after we eat our lunch. Ayaw ko na sanang bumaba ng sasakyan pero kailangan ko na talagang bumalik, Dad’s operation will start in 15 minutes.

“Dyan lang sa labas. I met up with Noah,” I answered. It’s just us in the quarters. Siguro ay nasa trabaho na ang iba. “Where’s Aila?”

“Nasa restroom,” Ycca answered. “Noah, went here?”

I nodded. “We ate lunch together.”

“Lunch lang ba? Eh, bakit parang ikaw ‘yung kinain? Pulang-pula ‘yang labi mo kahit wala ka pang nilalagay na kahit ano,” she said and I immediately felt the heat rushing on my cheeks.

“Ycca!” I called her out, embarrassed.

She laughed at my reaction and asked, “Masarap ba?”

“Rebecca, please stop.”

She laughed more. “Ano ka ba! Hindi ka na dapat nahihiya sa ganyan. We are already adults. Normal na lang ang ganyang usapan,” she said.

I shook my head and said, “I have nothing to talk about.”

“Ito naman! Ang damot mo, ha!”

“Ycca, it’s Noah’s and I’s private moments, why would I tell anyone about that?” I told her.

“So, meron na ngang ganun? Like, have you just done the deed?” She continued asking, emphasizing her last two words.

“The deed?” I asked as well, confused.

She nodded excitedly. “Yes. The deed. Like, have you two had s*x already?”

If I have not been scandalized and embarrassed with her first question, this time, surely, I am. I don’t how I would react to her that all I could do was call her out.

“You guys haven’t?” she asked again, sounding disappointed.

Wow! May gana pa talaga siyang ma-disappoint? Talaga ba?

“Stop asking, Ycca, please…” I pleaded because this conversation might kill me from embarrassment and uneasiness.

“Ang bagal naman ni Noah! Baka mamaya kahit halik ‘di pa nagagawa non, ah?”

“Rebecca!” I shouted at her this time. Gusto ko na lang lunukin ng lupa para makawala sa mga tanong niya.

But Ycca wouldn’t be Ycca if she isn’t persistent. So she kept asking. “Ano, kahit halik ba wala pa rin kayo?”

“I won’t tell you anything, Rebecca, so you better stop asking,” I said.

“Come on, Mari, mag share ka naman ng kunti!” she said, rolled her eyes.

“I have nothing to share, Ycca. So, please, stop. I need to prepare for da–,” I paused when I realized I almost said the word dad. “Director’s operation.”

She snorted. “Magkwento ka muna.”

“Wala nga akong–Ycca!” I was cut off from my words when she suddenly grabbed one of my boobs. I stepped away and crossed my arms to my chest, protecting it from her.

Ycca laughed so hard that she almost rolled on her seat. “Come on, don’t tell me Noah hasn't done that to you?”

“No!”

“Are you kidding me?” she asked, surprised. May gana pa talaga siyang magulat, huh?

“Why would he do that?” I asked back.

“Amaris, that’s normal nowadays! Ang bagal naman niya kung kahit first base ‘di niya pa nagagawa!”

“Jesus Christ, Rebecca! Why are you asking me things like that? And to answer you, no! Noah didn’t do any of what you were saying, okay?”

“Seriously? The f**k?” she blurted, she even paused for a second before she spoke again. “Kiss? Have you two even kissed? Girl, I’m going to lose it if you say you haven’t.”

I sighed and to shut her up I said, “We have. Now, shut your mouth before anyone hears you.”

But instead of shutting her mouth, Ycca giggled. “So, masarap ba?”

“Ycca,,,”

“Just answer that! Iyon lang tapos ‘di na ako mangungulit,” she said and honestly, I don’t understand why she’s this curious about my personal and private affairs.

“Why are you curious about it, huh?” I asked instead, squinting my eyes.

She shrugged and answered, “Well, look at Noah, he is so hot. And surely, he would do it so well– it would be a shame if he’s bad at it.” I arched my brow hearing that and she saw that. “Girl, disclaimer, I am not telling you these because I’m interested in him, okay? I won't go for my friend’s man, excuse me.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m just really curious,” she added, wiggling her brows.

Shaking my head, I said, “He does it so well… the kissing, I mean. Now, enough with this topic, okay? This is so embarrassing.”

“Ang cute-cute mo, Mari! Kiss palang ‘yan pero ganyan na reaction mo? What if it’s the s*x already?” She continuously asked.

“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Rebecca Isabel, enough with this conversation. Kailangan ko pang mag ready para sa operation ni Director!” I told her and this girl just continuously giggled at my reaction.

Baliw.

“You will surely be speechless when time comes and you have to do the deed already. And surely, he’s so good at it–based on what you said. Good kisser, huh?” she commented but I’m so done and embarrassed about this conversation that I didn’t react anymore. I just let her talk beside me while I prepare for dad’s operation.

Five minutes before dad’s performed an operation, I was already at the operating room with Dr. Martinez and other assistant doctors and nurses; the patient is also ready and sedated, we’re just waiting for mom and dad who are already sanitizing their hands outside the O.R.

“Are you ready?” Dr. Martinez asked me. We are standing at the far corner of the operating room, avoiding being a hindrance to the assisting team.

Excitedly, I nodded. “Yes Doc!”

Dr. Martinez nodded before saying, “I was thinking this since the other day. I was thinking if this operation would be an inspiration for you to strive harder or it would only make you question yourself.”

“This will probably be an inspiration, Doc.I never wanted anything that I did not work so hard to get. I dreamed of being a doctor to help less fortunate people, but a big portion of it is because of my father. I want to be the kind of doctor like my dad,” I told him.

Dr. Martinez was about to say more when the door to the operating room opened, dad appeared and behind him was mom. Mom started to assist dad with his gown, gloves, and mask. And seeing how dad looks at mom warms my heart.

Daddy was looking at mom with full admiration. This is not the first time I saw him do this, but every time I saw him do it, I cannot help but feel amazed all the time.

That was saying something to mom when he suddenly glanced at our side. It was just a brief glance that he had to glance back to make sure it was me who he saw. His eyes widened realizing it was really me. Mom had the same reaction when dad told her.

I nodded at them, my smile was hidden behind the facemask I was wearing.

“Ready?” Dad asked when he’s already standing beside the patient.

“Ready, Doc,” the assisting staff started and with that they started the operation.

I watched from the screen just near us how skillfully dad cut through the patient's scalp and opened it.

“Suction,” Dad requested and mom did it immediately.

“Drill,” Dad asked again after. Mom handed it to him. Dad started opening the skull until the part of the brain that needed repair got exposed.

“Irrigation...”

“Dissector…”

“Bipolar forceps…”

“Cottonoid…”

“Clip…” Dad continuously asked and mom gave it all instantly

“It raptured,” the assistant doctor said.

“Suction,” Dad requested again and mom followed immediately.

“The blood pressure is dropping. Bring more blood,” Dr. Rosales, the assistant doctor said. One of the assistant nurses followed immediately and brought a new bag of blood and attached it to the patient.

“Clip,” Dad asked, he put it on the ruptured nerve to stop the bleeding. Mom continued suctioning the blood until there’s no blood to hinder dad from seeing the blood clot in the patient's brain.

“I found it,” he announced after. “Bipolar forceps,” he asked again and started removing the clot using the forceps with cotton clipped on it.

Dad took a few minutes before he finally removed all the clot on the patient’s brain and when he’s done, he asked the assistant doctor to wrap up the operation. He stayed inside the OR until the operation was finally done.

“Transfer the patient to ICU for further observation,” he said before he left.

“How was it?” Dr. Martinez asked me after. We’re already out of the O.R and on our way back to the quarters.

“That’s amazing,” all that I could say.

“Do you want to see your dad and tell him that?”

“Can I?”

“Of course, Dra. Claveria. You can,” he answered, gesturing me to go and without pause, I ran to dad’s office.

“Dad!” I called after barging into his office, forgetting my manners to knock first due to excitement. “You’re so amazing!” I ran to him and hugged him so tight. “

“Did I impress you?”

“Yes, daddy! I knew you were a great doctor, but I did not know you were this great! I’m so impressed,” I told him.

That’s laughed when I said that. “Wow! I never felt this flutter, anak. Thank you,” dad said and kissed the tap of my head.

“You really are a very skillful doctor, daddy. And mom, too! I am really amazed by how calmly you two handled the situation when the nerve ruptured,” I said.

“I was only calm because your mom is beside me, if not, that ruptured would have annoyed me,” dad said but I knew he was just saying that to make me believe that it’s because of mom–well, partly, but I knew he was really great at this profession,

“I want to be like you someday,” I said, smiling widely at dad.

Dad smiled back at me. “I know you can be better than me.”

“I cannot beat the original, though,” I said, shaking my head.

Dad arched his brow. “Who said you will be beating the original? Sweetie, you will be making your own name. I knew you will be known as you are and not my and your mom’s daughter. I am very sure that people will know you as Dra. Amaris Romana Dela Seirrna Claveria.”

“I smiled more after hearing that. “I will make sure of that. I will be known as Dra. Amaris Romana Dela Sierrna Claveria…” Del Manzano. “I am manifesting it, dad,” I said, adding Noah’s surname after my name on my head.

“Do we have to manifest it? I am sure you will be,” Dad said, smirking.

I chuckled and hugged him again. “Let me prove that it will happen first,” I said.

Dad shook his head while grinning and said, “My humble baby girl as always.”

“That was what mom taught me first. To be always humble and thankful for everything because being privileged should not be a ticket to make everything easy,” I said. Dad grinned even more. “Speaking of mom, I got to go and greet her as well.”

“Alright. Your mom is in her office now.”

I nodded. “Okay, dad. See you later.” I said and left, but I could totally leave his office, I stopped by the open door and said. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, sweetie,” Dad replied.

I was smiling ear to ear as I made my way to my mother’s office. But a few more rooms before mom’s office, I met Marcus in the hallway. He was grinning again, shaking his head while watching me walk closer. And when we were inches away he suddenly spoke.

“Kala mo kung sinong banal,” he said. He walked past me after that as if he did not just say something confusing.

I creased my brows, confused as to why he said that, but shook my head eventually. Never minding him. Hindi ko rin talaga maintindihan kung ano ba talaga ang ikinagagalit niya sa akin. Hindi ko naman siya inaano.

I continued to go to my mother's office but apparently, she has someone in her office. So, I decided to just send her a message of compliments and greet her personally later at home, and I just headed back to the quarters.