First Rainfall of May [MEDICAL SERIES #1]

PROLOGUE

WARNING:

This story may tackle topics about:

1. Mental health awareness

2. Ending rape culture (victim blaming, catcalling, male rape, etc.)

3. Anti-bullying and violence 

4. Stereotyping and ending stigma

5. Doctor shaming

6. Other related social issues

Please read at your own risk.

DISCLAIMER: 

Hindi po agad doctor and lawyer ang mga characters. They will start as College students, to med/law students, hanggang maging ganap na doctor and attorney na sila. There are medical jargon but more medical terms will be encountered starting on Chapter 30. Terminology for medical terms (and prolly law terms) will be enumerated on the author's note.

Also, may mga bad words din po kayong mababasa so 'wag na kayo mabigla haha.

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PROLOGUE

"TANGINA mo, Sabrina!"

Nagulat ako nang salubungin ako ng malutong na mura ni Angelo. Kasama niya ang buong barkada namin: sina Travis, Chase, Derek, at Jayla. May isang kulang, si Kuya Burnik. They are four meters away from me and we're here in the lobby of our school kaya umani ng tingin mula sa ibang mga students si Angelo.

I just stood on the same spot near the stairs, looking bored, and waited for them to come closer. Humalukipkip pa ko at pinandilatan sila ng mata.

Nang makalapit na sila ay agad kong binatukan si Angelo. "Tangina mo rin! Ngayon na nga lang tayo nagkita-kita ulit tapos isasalubong mo sa'kin mala-chicharon na mura sa sobrang lutong?" masungit kong sambit sa kanya.

Nagkatawanan kaming magkakabarkada at ang mga ibang estyudyante naman ay napangiti na lang. They are used to us, ang barkada namin ang pinakamaingay since first year Law school, actually since College.

"Eh, paanong hindi kita mumurahin? Kita mo 'to?" Kinuha niya ang phone niya at pinakita sa'kin. He opened his facebook app and nag-scroll sa news feed. "Kada scroll ko, mga shared memes mo nakikita ko! Ikaw laman ng news feed ko!"

"Same!" second demotion ni Jayla with matching pag-irap. She's my bb, my bestfriend among them, hindi dalawa lang kaming babae pero dahil sa pareho naming ugali at pananaw sa buhay.

"Ito pa!" hirit na naman ni Angelo. He opened his notifications and scrolled it too. "Ikaw din laman ng notifs ko! Sabrina reacted to your post, Sabrina shared your post. Ano bang ginawa mo buong bakasyon?"

"Three things. I did three things this holidays. Scroll, haha, share!"

"Hanep naman talagang 'yan!" sabay-sabay nilang komento at sabay-sabay akong dinumog.

"Na-miss ka naming ulupong kaaaaaa!"

Nagyakapan kami because to be honest, na-miss ko rin talaga ang mga kutong lupa na 'to. Almost one month din kaming hindi nagkita-kita no.

"Teka, teka! Asan pala si Kuya Burnik?" tanong ko.

"Speaking of!" sambit ni Jayla kaya napatingin kami sa direction nang tinitignan niya.

We saw Kuya Burnik walking towards us. He's holding his abdomen and he looked so uncomfortable.

"Ano, Kyah? Success?" natatawang tanong ni Chase.

"Tangina p're, tubol!"

Sabay-sabay kaming nagtawanan.

"Ano bang nangyari sa'yo?" tanong ko.

"Ayun kasing lechon na handa nung New Year ilang beses nang ininit ni Mama tapos ako halos nakaubos. Nae-empatso ata ako," kunot-noo niyang paliwanag.

"Ano ba 'yan, p're! Burnik ka na nga, tubol ka pa!" Natawa kaming lahat sa hirit ni Travis. "Tara na pila sa elevator."

Habang nagtatawanan at nagkwekwentuhan ay naglakad na kami papunta sa elevator. Nagpahuli ako sa paglalakad at pinagmasdan ko sila. I smiled upon realizing how lucky I am for having friends like them. Sobrang mga genuine na tao, walang plastikan, walang inggitan, masaya lang.

I don't want to stereotype but it's a stigma na kapag law student ka, kailangan seryoso ka sa buhay, kailangan competitive ka, but it's funny na at the middle of this crucial environment, I found these happy people na nagiging beast mode pagdating sa Acads. Pero kahit ganun, walang naging kompetisyon sa'min, instead, we're pulling each other up.

I can't wait na maging abogado na kaming lahat.

"Ano ka na, ghorl? Keep up naman po sana sa paglalakad!" masungit na utos sa'kin ni Jayla.

Nagmadali na ko pero kakamadali ko ay hindi ko napansin ang nagmamadaling lalaki pababa ng hagdan kaya aksidente kaming nagkabangga, though hindi naman ganun kalala. We just bumped on each other's upper arm.

"I'm sorry!" I immediately said.

"I'm sorry din—" He lifted his head and I froze.

"Storm..." I said in my lowest tone of voice.

Hindi ako makapaniwala sa nakikita ko. Suddenly, everything seems so blur na tanging siya na lang ang maliwanag sa paningin ko. My heart beats rapidly as if I just run a mile.

"Sabrina..." he also said, almost whispering.

Totoo ba 'to? Nasa harap ko ba talaga siya? Nasa harap ko ang isa sa mga nagpatibay ng kagustuhan kong maging lawyer. He's wearing a white uniform, he's wearing contact lens rather than his usual eyeglasses, and he's holding a stethoscope.

A little smile formed on my lips. He is now a med student and on his way to reach his goal of becoming a doctor. Hindi niya alam kung gaano ako kasayang makita siyang tinutupad ang pangarap niya.

"How are you?" he asked.

Sasagot pa sana ko ngunit sabay kaming napatingin sa entrance nang marinig namin ang malakas na pagbuhos ng ulan. Biglang bumalik sa alaala ko ang naging pangako namin sa isa't-isa noong College pa lang kami. I was taking BS Accountancy at siya naman ay BS in Medical Technology, we both graduated with flying colors.

"Agua de Mayo," he said.

"What's with Agua de Mayo?"

He smiled at me and said, "Let's have our first kiss under the first rainfall of the month of May."

Napalunok ako. Should we? Could we? But according to our promise, "under" the rainfall. Pero wala kami sa ilalim ng ulan. Prepositions matter pagdating sa batas, malamang ganun din pagdating sa pangako.

Napatingin ulit kami sa isa't-isa.

We're no longer together, matagal na kaming nag-break. Should we have to keep our promise to each other, or just pretend to be strangers? Marahan akong naglakad palapit sa kanya.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

I snapped back and gulped. Shiyet! January pa lang pala ngayon at hindi May!

Mabilis ko siyang tinalikuran at tumakbo papunta sa mga kaibigan ko.

What the actual fuck, Sabrina? Nakakahiya ka, ghooooorl!