Past: Feb 27 20xx
College Days.
"It's our third date, I guess." sabi niya habang parehong naka-taas ang dalaw niyang kilay, he's totally guessing.
"Date?" tanong ko habang naka tingin sakanya. Tumango naman siya.
"Our first and second date you left me alone, it's fine with me because I know you're busy with your applications para matanggap ka sa military," tumango ulit siya. Uminom siya sa kape niya, nandito kasi kami ngayon sa isang coffee shop. It's seven in the evening.
Hindi siya sumagot, alam niya sigurong may sasabihin pa ako.
"Tonight, it's actually not a date. You just want to talk to me." galing akong school, siya hindi ko alam kung saan siya nanggaling. Almost 2 weeks siyang nawala after nung iwan niya ako sa second date namin. Nakita ko siya kanina sa tapat ng condominium ko, ang sabi niya na may sasabihin siya kaya sumama ako.
Nagka kilala kami sa hospital na pag mamay-ari ng family ko. He thought I'm one of the nurses, so he asked me if it's okay to be his personal nurse. He told me that day that, someday he's going to be one of the special forces and he need a nurse to cure his wounds. Sabi ko sakanya,
"I'm still in college and I don't want to be a nurse, I want to be a doctor".
Since then, naging close na kami.
Pero tuwing date namin, laging hindi natutuloy. His dad has the highest rank, lagi siyang pinapatawag kaya laging di natutuloy ang date namin.
Tumingin siya saakin ng seryoso.
"I'm a trainee already. Meron kaming 2 months vacation." ako naman ang tumango sa sinabi niya. So, he lied about the application thingy.
"So, san ka nag-punta at bakit ka nawala ng for almost 2 weeks?" I asked him.
"It's forbidden to tell you." nag-paka wala ako ng hangin at tumango.
"Why?" I asked.
"Since trainee na ako. May orders akong sinusunod." sagot niya.
"Ahh, that's why it's forbidden." tumatango-tango kong sabi.
"Yeah."
I'm taking up Bachelor's Degree. 3rd year na ako. He's two years older than me, tapos na siya sa college di ko alam kung anong course niya. Pero ngayon pumasok na siya sa training para maging military or soldier basta kung anong tawag.
Bigla akong may na-realize tungkol saming dalawa.
"Someday you'll become a soldier and you're going to kill people's lives. While me, I'll become a doctor and doing my best to save the patient's life." seryoso kong sabi sakanya.
We're totally different.
"I'm just protecting myself, you, my family, people in our country," seryoso din niyang sabi. "Kung hindi ako papatay, ako ang mamatay."
Nanahimik kami saglit bago ako nag-salita.
"Sorry," nakatingin ako sakanya, ganun din siya. "Hindi ko gustong mapunta ang usapan natin saganito." nakatingin lang siya sakin. Nung wala siyang response, nag salita ulit ako.
"I should go now." paalam ko. Bago pa ako tumayo nag-salita siya.
"Nice knowing you," sabi niya. Tumayo ako at tumango.
"Bye." tuloy niya at lumabas na ako.
So, I guess it's the end of our short story.
'Nice knowing you too, Jase Yoo.'
✧✦
