Ghost in the Present

Chapter 19

Two days before I leave, I accompanied my parents to the hospital dahil kailangan ni dad na magpacheck sa doctor niya. Sumama na rin ako para makapagpacheck na rin before leaving.

I was waiting for them when I suddenly remembered that I only got 48 hours before leaving, it's so disturbing, at kahit halos gabi-gabi akong umiiyak ay tila hindi pa rin nauubos ang luha ko. There are people walking past me and I don't want to cry so I tried to hold my tears back, at mabuti nalang ay nagawa ko rin. Iyon nga lang ay nakaramdam ako ng pagkauhaw kaya nagpasya akong maghanap muna ng vending machine o 'di kaya ay hanapin ang cafeteria. And maybe it was a good idea to shake my thoughts off my mind.

I was peacefully walking in the hallway of the hospital when I bumped into someone.

"Sorry, Miss!" It was a girl, na parang nagmamadali at may hinahanap because she looked so worried.

"Okay lang." I said while still looking at her.

"Sorry talaga Miss, may hinahanap kasi ako." She kindly added at tumango naman ako.

She left after that at ako naman ay sinundan nalang siya ng tingin, medyo gulat pa rin at may konting pagtataka.

"Whoa, that was close."

"Oh!" Muntik na akong mapatalon sa kinatatayuan ko no'ng bumungad sa akin ang isang pamilyar na mukha pagharap ko.

"Teka, familiar ka? Are you..." he said while looking at me dahil pati rin siya ay mukhang nagulat.

"Juan." I muttered.

I'm sure that he's a classmate of mine way back in high school, hindi naman kami close dati at lalo ng hindi magkaibigan, but he never treat me the way my classmates did, siguro dahil palaging absent at kung present ay lagi namang nasa ibang bagay ang atensyon niya. He's outgoing and he loves interacting with people, medyo pasaway pero magalang naman. We've never talked much, just simple interactions, but I could say that he got a nice vibe.

"Just JK, huwag ng Juan." He laughed, just like the way he always did back then. "Long time no see ah. Muntik na kitang hindi makilala."

I tried to smile. "Ikaw din naman."

Bigla naman akong may napagtanto kaya kumunot ang noo ko.

"Do you know that girl? 'Yong nakabangga ko?"

He looked away and smiled. "Well, yeah. But I don't want her to see me."

Kahit na may konting pagtataka ay tumango nalang ako at nag-isip ng kung anong pwedeng sabihin para naman hindi ako mukhang snob.

"Ah, gano'n ba." I laughed a bit. "Uh, dito ka rin pala nagpapacheck-up?"

Tumango siya.

JK and I talked more for a bit, hindi naman seryosong usapan, simpleng kamustahan lang naman. Siya naman ang nagtatanong at sinasagot ko lang. Nabanggit ko rin na aalis ako in two days.

"Uuwi na kayo?"

Tumango ako. "Uh, oo eh. My dad already messaged me."

He smiled at me. "Bye then, take care."

Ngumiti ako at kumaway.

"Ikaw din."

Tumalikod na ako at lalakad na sana palayo nang muli siyang magsalita.

"Amil."

Nilingon ko naman siya at nginitian. "Hmm?"

"I know we're not even friends but can I ask you a favor?"

Tumango ako. "Sure, ano 'yon?"

He smiled and handed me a small envelope. I thought it was for things like donation but I was wrong, pero tinanggap ko pa rin 'yon pagkatapos marinig kung para saan 'yon.