at long last, peace (medtech series #1)

twenty six

Warning:

Please don't self-medicate with the medications that are being taken by Telly. These were prescribed to her by her doctors. :) It'd be better for you to reach out to professionals for what treatment works best for you. Love lots! <3

**

"Here," Toby says as he passes me a bottle of water when I finally got out of the cubicle. Ang tagal ko ring nakaupo lang do'n kaya sobrang gusot na rin ng palda ko. Hindi naman madumi 'yung cubicle tsaka hindi rin basa kaya ayos lang din. Maliligo na lang din ako pagbalik ko sa dorm.

Napangiti ako at kinuha iyon. Sobrang dry ng lalamunan ko kakaiyak kaya ang sakit na rin, pero guminhawa naman kasi malamig 'yung tubig na binili ni Toby. I wanted to ask kung nasa'n si Olly kasi hindi siya pumasok ngayon which seemed a little weird. Minsan nga pumasok siyang may sinat noon. He didn't look like someone who'd skip classes.

"Olly?" Toby asks. Unti-unti akong napatango dahilan para matawa siya. "He's out with his Dad. Wala siyang sinabi kanina pero si Isaac na 'yung nagsabi na tradition na nila ng papa niya na lumabas pag September 29."

"Bakit daw?"

Toby smiled, "It's his mom's death anniversary," he says as he opens a pack of biscuits before handing it to me. Pakiramdam ko tuloy wala akong kamay ngayon kasi lahat sila nakaalalay sa'kin. Sila Corrinne at Bianca dapat kanina pa rin nakauwi pero bumaba sila para bumili ng pagkain namin bago ako makauwi. They didn't ask me what was happening... but they did tell me honestly that they overheard what our Chem professor said. Corrine was so furious that she wanted to tell Olly about what happened, but knowing him, baka sabihin niya sa dean kung ano'ng nangyari... and I didn't want someone losing their job for telling the truth.

But I was glad... that they respected my silence. I know I'd be able to tell them... but not now. I still have to gather more courage than the little one I have now. Maybe I'll have to preserve that for myself first.

It was already getting pretty late for us to stay at school kaya minessage na lang kami ni Bianca na do'n na lang kami sa labas kakain since nando'n naman na raw sila. Toby brought his car today dahil hindi raw siya maihatid ng driver nila ngayon dahil umuwi ng probinsya. 

Siguro nga kung may hierarchy sa school, si Rene 'yung nasa top dahil may hospital nga sila sa Pampanga at sikat na neurosurgeons 'yung parents niya... pero siguro kasama rin do'n si Olly. He was never the type to brag, but one time when his car broke down, binilhan agad siya ng bago ng Daddy niya dahil ayaw nga nilang kumuha ng driver. Biniro nga nila Toby one time baka drug syndicate sila, but apparently, his mom's family owns a hospital around Makati and they're grooming him to be the next Chairman, pero sabi nila it's up to him naman.  

Tapos kami siguro the rest of my friends ang magkakasama below them. We're not rich as them, kumbaga saktuhan lang... not the filthy and old money kind of rich. Ibang klase kasi talaga 'yung kila Olly at Rene, nakakalula.

"Ba't 'di pa kayo umuuwi? Hinintay niyo pa'ko, nakakahiya..." tanong ko. I was holding on the the hems of my skirt dahil nahihiya talaga ako na gabi na pero nandito pa rin sila para samahan ako. Tumingin lang sa'kin si Toby at natawa nang bahagya.

"We can't let a friend suffer alone like that," he says. "We're here with you, Telly. Whatever you're going through, we're here."

Napangiti ako at napayuko, sinusubukang pigilan ang mga nagbabadyang luha sa gilid ng mga mata ko. Mabuti na lang at nakisama sila ngayon dahil siguro na-drain na rin ako.

"Thank you... Toby."

For me, Toby will always be one of the purest souls I have ever met. Minsan lang kami mag-interact, pero ang bait niya. Kaya siguro nagkaro'n din ako ng crush sa kaniya noon. Hindi mo rin kasi mapigilang i-admire si Toby. Maybe I just felt like I was too lacking kaya unti-unti nakalimutan ko rin 'yung pagka-crush ko sa kaniya... besides, I didn't want to complicate things.