Summer Medicine

Chapter 3

Pat's POV

Max and I kept walking and stopped at the garden that he's talking about earlier when he gave me the flowers.

We sat on a big trunk and stared at the beautiful small field of flowers.

"You like the view?"

Max asked.

"So much, yeah."

The place is like a wonderland. It's perfectly imperfect.

Lahat ay nababalot ng ganda pati na rin yung mga taong nandito, but it sucks how you need a bad reason to stay at a beautiful place like this.

Beautiful people with the most beautiful hearts in the most beautiful place.

"I should come here more often."

I said.

"Yeah, you should. This place helps me to relax and calm down."

"Is this like your... spot?"

I asked.

"Spot?"

"Somewhere you always go."

"This whole place is my spot."

"Oh."

I see.

"I have a scissor here. Want to try?"

He asked pointing at the flowers with the scissor on his hand.

"Sure, but I don't know how."

I'm sure there should be a right angle and length when cutting a flower.

"I'm here. No worries, I got you."

Naglakad kami palakad sa mga bulaklak and we stopped at a field of pink flowers which I think is a pink rose.

"What's this one called?"

I asked to make sure.

"It's a pink rose."

He said and I nodded.

Tama nga ako.

"Now to cut it. Make sure that it's a little sideways but not too much. Just tilt it a little."

Pagpapaliwanag niya habang nakahawak sa kamay ko to guide me.

I cut one flower and waited for his comment as he looked at it.

"Good job. Another one?"

Tanong niya at tumango ako, then I ended up cutting ten pink roses and according to Max, I did 9/10.

Kinuha niya sa akin yung isa then he started removing its thorns. It's actually called prickles, but most people call it thorns.

"Tatanggalan mo ba lahat?"

I asked, ready to help.

"No. Just this one."

Lumapit siya sa akin kaya napaatras ako ng kaunti. For a moment I was frozen and confused when he touched my ears. Isinabit niya ang buhok ko sa kaliwang tainga ko pati na rin ang rosas na hawak niya.

Is that why he was removing all the prickles earlier? To put a flower behind my ear?

"Pink suits you."

He said.

I suddenly got shy and have no words to say.

I was just looking at him when a I feel something wet hit my arm. I looked up and it's raining. Bago ko pa maibalik ang tingin ko kay Max ay bigla kong naramdaman ang paghawak niya sa kamay ko.

"It's about to rain. Let's go."

He said and pulled me running to the mango tree at doon muna kami sandaling sumilong.

Nagsimulang lumakas ang ulan and my mood changed from relaxed to worried at mukhang napansin ni Max yun.

"Are you okay?"

He asked.

"Yeah, um..."

"Are you sure?"

"No, takot ako sa ulan."

Sagot ko.

I find rain noisy and scarry. I was not scared of it before. I don't know when it started, but I always feel like drowning whenever it's raining. Pakiramdam ko rin ay may mga nakakatakot na monsters ang nasa paligid ko at tumitingin sa akin sa tuwing umuulan.

"I'm with you. Don't worry."

He smiled.

He took off his brown jacket and put it above our heads.

"We will run."

He said.

"Hu..huh?"

"Tatakbo tayo pabalik. Mukhang lalakas pa yung ulan eh. We have to hurry."

I looked at the clouds at mukhang mas lalakas pa nga.

"Ready?"

"Hmm."

"1,2,3... go!"

We started running as fast as we can while we both held on his brown jacket.

"Let's stop there."

Max said pointing at another tree and we stopped there, and then after five seconds we stared running again.

Panay hinto kami sa tuwing makakakita kami ng puno para makapagpahinga saglit until we arrived at my house.

I immediately took a towel and handed it to him because it was so cold.

"I'm sorry. Nabasa ka pa dahil sa akin."

I said.

"It's okay. You didn't know it will rain, so it's not your fault."

"Where's your house?"

I asked and he pointed at the house infront of my house.

"Really?"

I didn't know that we were that close to each other's house.

"Hmm, uuwi na muna ako."

"Sige, thank you."

He handed me back the towel, but I refused.

"Yan na ang ipang taklob mo. Tatakbo ka pa sa ulan eh."

Masyado na ring basa yung jacket niya kanina kaya mas mabuti nang yung towel na lang ang gamitin niya.

"Thank you."

He said and I smiled.

He started running in the rain again. I watched him until he arrived at his house then, I went inside to change my clothes.

I lay down in my bed and wrapped myself in a blanket because it's still raining, so I'm still scared. I closed my eyes and made sure that there is no cold air coming inside the blanket. Pakiramdam ko kasi kapag may malamig na humangin sa balat ko ay multo yun.

I was already comfortable inside my blanket nang magulat ako mula sa malakas na pagkatok ang narinig ko mula sa pinto. Nakikipag talo ang utak ko if I'm going to open the door or not.

I'm too scared para lumabas mula sa kumot.

"Hey! It's me Max!"

Max? What is he doing here? Did he left something?

Shit, I don't want to go.

"Wait!"

I shouted.

I stood up, but the blanket was still wrapped around my body because I don't want to feel the cold air.

I opened the door and I saw Max just standing there with his umbrella and two chocolate drink na nasa sachet pack pa.

"What are you doing here?"

Again.

"Will you let me in first? It's cold."

"Oh, right. I'm sorry."

Pinapasok ko siya sa loob and I waited for him to say something.

"I found these two chocolate drinks in my house, so I figured maybe we share them together."

He smiled.

I looked at him as if I was reading his mind.

"What?"

Max asked.

"You're here because I said I'm scared. Am I right?"

"No. I just really want to share these chocolate drinks with you. These are really good."

I thought he's here to... nevermind. I'm assuming things again.

"Meron ka bang mainit na tubig?"

He asked.

"Yeah, I have. Wait here."

Kumuha ako ng dalawang mug and hot water, then I brought it to my table where Max is already sitting.

"Can I open this now?"

I asked while pointing at the two powdered chocolate drinks.

"Yes."

I opened it and put it in the two mugs. I put hot water on it and stirred.

Iniabot ko sa kanya yung isang mug habang yung isa naman ay sinimulan ko nang ihipan para iwas paso.

"Hot chocolate drinks are the best when it's raining."

"I agree."

"So you always drink hot chocolate kapag umuulan?"

No, I'm actually always hiding in my room under my blanket.

"Yeah, but sometimes I mix it with milk."

"Oh I see. I'll give it a try next time."

Tumango lang ako at nagpatuloy sa pag-ihip ng iniinom ko.

"You said you're a writer, right?"

He asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Why? I mean why be a writer?"

"Is it not a good thing?"

"No, I didn't mean it to sound that way. It's actually enchanting. I just want to know why you became a writer?"

"Besides the fact that I love imagining things and putting it into writings, I also want to live forever."

I answered.

"Live forever? Is that possible?"

"I'll be alive forever in people's memory. My words will stay here when I'm gone. Through my writings I want people to know that I was here too. I used to live here... right here."

Sagot ko habang nakaturo sa kinalalagyan namin.

"You talk like a book."

Komento niya habang nakangiting nakatingin sa akin.

"What kind of book?"

I'm not sure if it's a good thing or not. It's the first time that someone has said that to me.

"Poetry."

He answered and took a sip of his hot chocolate.

Napangiti na lang din ako at uminom.

Max and I talked more about some stuff until we both finished our hot chocolate drinks then he went home after the rain stooped.