The Cruise

Dear insansapinas,

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN PART 10

A story of friendship-this is my tuesday with morrie experience)

Kasama sa sulat ko sa boss-lawyer ang “don’t converse infront the doctor when he is not involved”.

"He felt more insignificant when he is treated like an audience. He is aware of what’s going on even if he does not talk. It is not true that he can not understand. He hears everything but he does not react until he is with someone who is afraid of him. It gives him the power. He thinks he delivers the message. These are the nurses who work just to draw paychecks. When they feel they are threatened, they simply walk away. There are several fish in the ocean. There are only a few who would treat the patients with  genuine care and love.”

Sagot niya. “Thank you. I love your dedication to your job. I will talk to the team.”

Hindi lang basta caregiver ang kinukuha namin. Kailangan may license sila as certified nursing  assistant or LVN. O kaya mga BSN na wala pang state license para maging RN.   Fingerprinted sila dahil mayayaman ang mga residents-patients doon na ang mga alahas at mga gamit ay nasa kanilang suite. Kailangan pa may liability insurance para pag may kaso siya ay sagot ng insurance company. 

Pasok ako sa suite. Nakaupo ang doctor sa kaniyang Harvard chair. Hinahaplos ang buhok.

“Bad night, doctor.” Tanong ko. Tiningnan niya ako. Hindi siya kumibo.

“ I know you can hear everything. I learned from my reading that the last sense to go for a man is hearing.  I believe your no-talk-just smile behavior is a strategy to find out who cares and who don’t.” I appreciate it that you are talking to me when nobody is around. As to why you do that, I want to interpret it that you treat me as a friend, a confidante.”

Nakikinig siya.

“But why do you hurt these young ladies who are taking care of you? Most of the time it is not their fault . Venting anger that is supposed to be directed to people you can not afford to hurt is not cool. “

“Because..,they…allow me. Sagot niya.

“ You mean, they should hurt you too?

Hindi sumagot si Doc.

"If you are angry with anybody, you can tell me. If someone is hurting you when I am not around, tell me."

Ngumiti siya na pinasisingkit ng mata. Pag-amin yon ng kaniyang mali.

Hapon. Dating si misis.  Tulog ang doctor.

Niyaya ko sa lugar malayo sa natutulog. Madaling magulantang yon.

Wala pa si JB. Nasa telepono raw. Kausap daw ang nakilalang girl sa cruise.

“ If I know this single girl in the cruise joins the trip to look for wealthy and educated husband.” Sabay haplos niya sa bagong parlored na buhok.

Taray, sa isip ko. Mabait naman ang matanda kaya lang talagang allergic siya sa mga babaeng umaaligid sa kaniyang unico hijo. Kahit na sa lady judge na tanggap ng pamilya at naghihintay na lang ng marriage proposal.

Minsan narining kong sinabi niya sa kaniyang amiga…

“She (the judge)  is adopting a baby because my son does not want to have one. She is preparing for a little family but she never came to visit my husband." Mabait  naman ang lady judge. Matalino pa dahil kabata-bata, naging judge na. ”

“The lady  that he met in the cruise must be beautiful.” Sulsol ko naman.

“Aw, she is hardly a princess. She rarely smiled. I feel that I have to drop a coin for her to ahow her teeth. She kept on ignoring me. She is more masculine looking  than J.” Sabi niya, sabay ang halakhak. Generous siya. Mamintas.

"Then midnight, I can’t find J. He must have slept over in her cabin. Isn’t that awful.” May pagkaconservative pa ang matanda. Akala niya madidivirginize pa ang anak niya eh nagkaasawa na ito noong istudyante pa lang. Divorced nga lang kasi panay ang hampas sa kaniya ng  gitara at palitan ng mga maanghang na salita. Wala  siyang ilalaban. Kumakain ng chili yon.

Mayaman naman si babae kasi foreigner. In fact siya pa ang pinapipirma ng waiver ng tatay nito na isang businessman, na hindi siya makikialam sa pera nito. Hindi pa nila kilala ang magulang ni J. Akala nila isang poor lang ito  na nakakuha ng grant o educational loan. Magdamit naman kasi eh panay denim lang at shirt.

Dumating si J. Halik sa mother, kahit sila ay parang aso’t pusa, alam ko they care for each  other.

“ I guessed, C here knows about the lady from UK who I met in the cruise. Do you want to know the details? harap niya sa akin. “My mom almost made it in TV, gossip about the hood.”  Tatawa-awa siya habang kumakain ng  sandwich.

Tumayo ang mother. Excuse raw na may Chinese painting class siya.

“What, mom, today is Thursday. Your painting class is MW. I just raided your fridge. The note is in the post-it. Hahaha”.

Muestra ako tumahimik siya at magigising ang kaniyang tatay.

“ Oh by the way, I received the memo from my dear sister. Clever idea. I wonder who suggested that.” patutsada niya. Someone must be  jealous."

Aray. Tapos biglang harap sa akin." Are you sure you are not a psychologist."

Nah, sagot ko.” It does not need a scientist to read body cues and infer from several observations to make a conclusion.”

Tumayo ako, kumuha ng orange juice at uminom sa harapan niya. It is a good anti-oxidant. It slows down damage of  cells especially those which are not used often. Try it.

Pinaysaamerika