Champorado

34

the final calm before the storm...

if ure here let me know :<

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"MISS ko na si Inggo," Maureen whines into the couch's pillow beside Jiya. "I hate this! I hate that he has to study for a few more months!"

Jiya would usually comfort her, kasi Maureen complains about this every time she visits their house, pero wala siyang gana ngayon kasi miss niya rin si Migo.

Nagkukulong ang dalawa sa condo ni Inggo when they're not on rotation sa hospital to study for their licensure exam. Their walls have Manila papers pasted on them, desks filled with books and review materials and cases, and their trash cans flowing with several Kopiko wrappers and ramen cups.

Migo sleeps there more nights in a week than he does here. Sila ni Inggo wake up, study, eat, study, go to the hospital, go home, study, sleep, and then wake up four to five hours later. And then they study again.

Maureen and Jiya visited in the past two months they've been reviewing to help clean up and stock their fridge with food, but they didn't move from their desks when they greeted them with a kiss—hindi nga gumalaw si Inggo, tapos si Migo, he only muttered, "Hi, baby." Sumigaw pa ang dalawang boys when they started to move stuff around—hindi pala ginagalaw ang mga review materials ng mga 'to. So the girls resorted to just—taking care of the fridge and supplying them with actual food and drinks.

Jiya saw her tiny box on his desk, right in front of him. She smiles.

Hindi na nasasagot ni Migo minsan ang mga texts niya, and it's lonely on their bed. When he does get some time to sleep after his rotation sa bahay nila, he grabs her, exhausted, and whispers, "I'm sorry, Valle. I miss you too. I just need to pass."

Jiya can hear the strain in his voice. She nods and hugs him tight. "Sleep, you need to rest so you can study pa."

He's gone when she wakes up. Jiya relishes the remnants of his warmth on their bed.

While Maureen's at work, Jiya visits their condo again and finds Migo dead asleep on his desk. Si Inggo, sprawled over his bed, book in hand.

She catches the timer on his phone sa desk niya. He has five minutes more to sleep. Power nap siguro niya 'to.

Jiya stays, kneeling by his side, massaging his scalp. She watches him sleep with a small smile, feeling her chest ache because she misses him.

His alarm blares. Migo squints his eyes open. "Valle?" he rasps.

Jiya shuts off his phone and squeezes his shoulders. "Hi, my love. Come on, wake up. You need to study na."

"Ayoko na," Migo murmurs, tired. He circles his arms around her waist and pulls her to his lap, breathing in as he buries his head on her shoulder. "My brain feels like it's going to explode."

Jiya smooths his hair gently and kisses his head, smoothing it with her fingers. "Better?"

Migo nods once. "One more."

She smiles and kisses his forehead, and then his temple, and then his lips. "You can do this, baby," she whispers, brushing her thumb along his exhausted eyes. "You came this far. Pwede mapagod ang utak mo, 'wag lang ang puso. You want your license, remember? You love medicine."

Migo nods, taking a few deep breaths. "I do."

Jiya strokes his cheek. "Okay. Go to the bathroom and wash your face. I have fresh clothes for you if you wanna change, and then eat first, may dala akong Tetsuo for you both. And then I'll make coffee and leave, okay?"