SINKING DEEP
(Quintessence)
"Yes baby, I'll be back in the Philippines after this. Wait for me, hmm? May inaasikaso lang ako dito.” I reassured her through the line. Umalis ako sa bansa to find the hospital na makakatulong sa kanya.
Ang sinabi ng assistant sakin na hospital ay hindi raw nila magagamot ang situation ni Rhea because of the cornea. They can't treat it.
“When will you gonna go back? I want you here..” sabi nito sa malalambing pero malulungkot na boses.
I wished I could bring her with me, but the fear of worsening her condition or exhausting her with constant travel held me back. It had been a week since I left her in the Philippines, tirelessly searching for the right hospital for her eye surgery.
"Baby, soon we'll be together. Everything I'm doing is for you. Just hold on a little longer. I'll be by your side soon," I reassured her over the phone.
Her breathing sounded a bit heavy as she responded, "Please be careful. I'll wait for you. I miss you."
"I miss you too. Remember to eat well. Your wifey will be back soon," I said, my heart aching with the distance between us.
"Miss Mercedez, Venezuella hospital is on the line," my assistant interrupted our conversation.
Confusion flooded me. "But they rejected us before. Why are they calling now?" I wondered aloud. Despite their previous refusal, I had visited the Venezuella hospital where I was treated four years ago, hoping for a solution. The fact that they were reaching out left me both puzzled and hopeful.
“I'll call you back, baby.” Sabi ko dito at tanging humm lang ang narinig ko, then she ended the call. Mabilis ko namang kinuha ang telephone at sinagot ang tawag galing sa Venezuella.
“This is Dr. Aaron from Venezuella Hospital, is this Freyja Mercedez?” the voice of a man resonated from the telephone.
Aaron? Wala namang Aaron ang kumausap sakin nung pumunta ako doon. Halos pinuntahan ko na rin ang mga renowned hospitals kaso wala talaga —reason why nasa labas ako ng bansa ngayon.
“Y-yes this is Freyja Mercedez speaking,” I responded.
"I am Dr. Aaron Venezuella, the owner of Venezuella Hospital. I was the one who cared for a person you're connected with, the one who donated her eyes to someone, Miss Rhea Blee Isfaela, correct?" he asked, filling me with an overwhelming sense of hope and happiness.
"Yes," my voice quivered as I replied.
"I can treat her," he declared.
I quickly hung up the phone, my heart racing with hope. "Fatima, we need to return to the Philippines immediately. Hurry, I can't afford to waste any more time," I urgently instructed her.
Nag-travel ako for almost twenty hours without resting, sleeping, and eating on time. It was evening nang nakarating ako sa Venezuella and a not-so-old man greeted me. He's wearing a doctor lab gown, obviously he's really a doctor. He confessed everything to me, that he was the one who took her eyes out at siya lang din ang makakatulong kay Rhea.
We reached an agreement, and I scheduled Rhea's surgery for the following day, which was fine by them.
Arriving at their door once more, I felt a wave of exhaustion and sleepiness washing over me. All I wanted was to collapse on the floor right there.
YOU ARE READING
Sinking Deep (GL)
RomanceGL-Sapphic Diclaimer: This story is written in Taglish. Rhea Blee Isfaela, an art professor at Silvestre University, is known for her sophistication and high standards. Her position as an art professor gives her influence, but it also makes clear th...
