Destiny's Game

67

That pleasant surprise J had for M upon his arrival from the last conference in the US brought many changes to the couple's life. He didn't immediately mention to M that his parents had actually flown in with him. They had been having talks with J about their possible retirement in the Philippines soon after J had made amends with them and then introduced M as his girlfriend.

J had recalled reading about the types of tenants Ms. Anna wanted in her share house. Actually, he had initially planned to find a unit in Carlo's condo building which was also near the hospital but the price and proximity of the share house was more attractive. Then, serendipitously, he met M.

That Saturday, J spent the morning with M then said that he would go home to sleep and shake off the jetlag he had. He also didn't tell M that he wasn't suffering from jetlag at all. He accompanied his parents to visit the property and house they asked Mamita, Carlo's mom, to help them find. Over the next few days and up to two weeks after, J would slip out of the hospital for at least two hours at a time to help his parents settle in their new home. His excuses were that he was thinking of setting up a clinic in another venue. Mamita was also instrumental in finding the property where J and M are now living in.

A few weeks after their reunion and the end of their conferences, M was summoned by Dr. Rodriguez into her office. M became slightly nervous because she couldn't recall the last time she was summoned to a closed-door meeting with any of her supervisors.

"Kamusta kayo ni J? Di ba kababalik nya lang from the US?"

"...okay naman po kami...yes po..."

"...you and Patricia also attended that conference in Singapore, right?"

"Opo...we returned a week before J did..."

"How was the conference?"

M reported to Dr. Rodriguez what she had gained from the conference. A plan was now being set up so that M could include her new learnings in the seminars she conducted for the pediatric nurses.

"You know how I consider you like my own daughter..." Dr. Rodriguez said.

"O..po..."

"...are you feeling alright?"

"Po?"

"The other nurses and parents have been telling me that there's something off about you daw...medyo moody ka daw ngayon at laging nag-r-reklamo na inaantok ka..."

"Po?"

"Di naman kayo nag-aaway ni Richard? Hindi ka kaya stressed?"

"...kung meron po kaming misunderstanding, we try to make it a point to talk..."

"Tama...you should communicate...wag matutulog nang may galit or tampuhan...or at the very least, try to open up to let the other one know how you're feeling..."