Under the Stars

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 : Cafeteria talks

This is so unexpected. Rai laughed and smiled at her. "Marga? Hala, ikaw nga yan! Oo, nakakagulat ba? Sorry, hehe."

She still can't believe it! Rai is a patient? But how? She looks cheerful, she doesn't look sick... Tsaka, ayos naman siya nung nagkausap kami, paano sya nagkasakit?

She avoided Rai's gaze. "Oo, hindi ko alam..." Umupo si Rai sa kaharap na upuan ni Marga, just like what they did nung una silang nagkita. "Hindi ba halata? Ayos lang yun, ano ka ba."

Alam nya naman na she had no rights to know anything about Rai, pero, kaya ba siya umalis nung nakaraan kasi pasyente siya rito? "Oo hindi halata, kaya pala nung isang araw, umalis ka agad." Rai nodded, "Oo, nagmamadali kasi ako non, eh. Bawal ako tumagal na nasa labas ng kwarto ko, mapapagalitan ako, hahaha!" She answered. An awkward silence came after that, no one had the courage to start the conversation. For the both of them, this is unusual, no one saw this coming that Rai had to tell her that she's confined here, that she's a patient. Afterall, sinong magaakala na magkikita sila ulit? Rai also thought of not seeing Marga here again in the same place, same setting.

"So..." Rai gave up, she has to know whether it makes Marga uncomfortable after what she confessed to her earlier. "Are you okay? I mean, sa sinabi ko kanina? I know it made you shocked but..."

"It's okay, nagulat lang ako, hindi kasi halata sayo nung una nating kita and also, saglit lang naman tayong nagkausap, I have no right to expect na wala kang sakit e nasa hospital pala tayo." Marga assured her so that Rai can feel safe towards her. Lalo na ngayon nalaman nya na may sakit pala ito, hindi siya sure kung anong sakit ni Rai, but all she knows is, kapag may sakit, mahirap.

That's why she kept on having a healthy life, sabi sa kaniya ng mama niya, mas masarap mabuhay ng wala kang sakit kaysa bawat araw umaaray ka dahil sa mga nararamdaman mo.

Rai looked down, avoiding a stare from Marga. "Hindi mo na ba ako kakausapin, if ever na magkita tayo ulit, after this?"

Marga gave her a blank face. "H-hey galit ka ba, sorry natanong ko lang kasi..." Rai hesitated to continue what she's saying. "Kasi? Ano? Bakit mo natanong kung baka di na kita kausapin?"

Rai gave a heavy sigh. "You know... May sakit ako, people don't like being with sick people."

Marga laughed. "Bakit ka tumatawa? Seryoso ako sa sinabi ko!" naiinis na sabat ni Rai. "Ikaw naman kasi, you're so serious huh, hindi ka naman ganyan nung isang araw."

"Paanong di magiging serious, e baka hindi mo na ako kausapin, ganyan ginagawa nila sa akin kapag nalalaman nilang may sakit ako, nilalayuan ako." Rai replied with a low sad voice. Marga gave her serious tone, too. "Actually, nung sinabi mo kanina na, may sakit ka. Nabigla ako tapos hindi ko alam paano kita kakausapin-"

"Oh, tamo! Yan ang sinasabi ko, sorry na kasi huhu- Aray! Bakit ka naman nangangaltok Marga? Nag sosorry nga yung tao eh..."

"Paano ba naman kasi, puro ka sorry wala naman dapat ika sorry, di mo pa nga ako pinapatapos, sus."

"Edi sorry..."

"Isa, Rai!"

"Dalawa!"

Marga slapped her forehead. Lintek na yan, akala ko seryoso kaming naguusap dito. Hay! "Joke lang, tuloy mo na sinasabi mo bili." Rai grinned.

Marga shrugged. "Wala, ayoko na. Bahala ka d'yan." Matapos mo akong ganyanin, tawa tawa ka pa. Asa. Rai found it funny when Marga seems to be irritated at her, hindi niya alam pero natutuwa siya kapag ganoon, feeling niya komportable sa kaniya si Marga. She held Marga's hands. "Oh bakit mo hinahawakan kamay ko, binigyan ba kita permission? Ew, stay away from me." Biro ni Marga sa kaniya pero hindi niya pinapakita kay Rai na natatawa na siya, then now Rai seems to be the irritated one. Aha! Kala mo ha, bawi bawi lang 'yan, nuka chiks hayaan lang kitang pikunin ako.

"Sorry na nga kasi! Sabihin mo na yung sasabihin mo, sige na makikinig na ako promise no joke."

"Whatever, so eto na nga, hindi ko alam yung sasabihin ko sayo kasi, once, I have a very special person to me na naconfine sa hospital. She's my cousin. Bata pa ako nu'n, siya lang kalaro ko, tapos..."

"Tapos?" Rai is whole heartedly listening to Marga's story, she's giving her both ears to listen so that she can remember every detail, because this seems to be important for her.

"Wow nakikinig kana, yung itsura mo oh, haha!" Marga teased her when she noticed na Rai looked like a child with wide eyes open while looking at her when she tells the story. "Marga naman eh, ano kasi yun? Ikwento mo na kaabang abang kasi, bilis na..."

"Eto na, eto na..." Marga holds her laugh. Lt. Mukha kang nawawalang bata pala kapag nakikinig ng kwento, yung antukin mong mata biglang namulat! "Tapos one day nung bumisita ako ulit, kami lang naiwan magisa sa kwarto nya, binantayan ko siya. Tapos, sabi ko sa kaniya ayaw ko sa kwarto nya kasi puro puti lang nakikita ko, hindi maganda tignan, kaya ayaw ko sa hospital din kasi puro puti, walang kakulay kulay ay."

"Ahhh, ayaw mo pala sa hospital, eh bakit ka bumalik?"

"Patapusin mo nga muna ako, kulit mo ah."

"Ay, sorry sorry sige tuloy mo na kwento. Hehe."

"Sinabi kong wag na nga magsorry eh, kulit mo talaga hay ewan sa'yo." Marga put her face between her two palms while she continue telling her story to Rai. "Hmm, tapos ayun, unexpected. Bigla syang inatake ng sakit niya, hindi ko alam ang gagawin nun, nag panic ako. She started to collapse ng walang hinto, parang hindi na niya kontrolado ang katawan nya, ang ginawa ko lang niyugyog ko katawan niya, akala ko titigil, pero hindi pala sapat 'yun. Then..." Marga stopped, thinking whether she should tell this part to Rai or not?

Rai noticed that Marga felt uneasy. "Hey, it's okay lang if ayaw mo pa sabihin sakin, naiintindihan ko naman walang problema."

Marga looked at her. Rai is sincere with her words, she can feel that. Komportableng komportable na ba siya sa akin kaya siya ganyan o ako ang may kasalanan kung bat ko nararamdaman 'yan?

"No, sasabihin ko na and besides, you told me your condition too."

"Okay sige, ikaw bahala ah." Rai made her sure na it's up to her if she would tell or not.

"She died. Namatay siya ng ako kasama niya sa room, tapos wala akong nagawa. All I can do is to cry..." Marga started tearing up, the flashbacks from that past memories suddenly came. Rai didn't know what to do on how to comfort her. It must be hard for her since Marga mentioned that she was just a kid that time, they were both kids. "I'm sorry for your loss, sorry dapat di ko nalang pala tinanong..."

Rai gave her a handkerchief, Marga accepted it and use it to wipe her eyes. "N-no, no... It's okay, sorry naalala ko lang din. Siya lang kasi yung dahilan ko non kaya ako pumunta ng hospital, but after she died, mas lalo kong inayawan ang hospital."

"Pero, nung nagkausap tayo nun, dito rin mismo sa cafeteria, naging comfortable ako sa'yo, ewan ko rin, total stranger ka lang para sa akin eh."

"Wow sakit ah." Rai held her right chest looking like she's broken. "Engk, di bagay!" Marga replied.

Rai chuckled. "Pero, dahil ba sakin, kaya ka ulit pumunta dito? Ikaw huh, rinig pa kita kanina naiinis ka kasi... bakit ka nga ba naiinis kanina?"

"Hoy! Wag kang assuming, binisita ko ulit si uncle dito, tapos hinanap lang din kita ulit."

"Yun oh, hinahanap ako, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" asar ni Rai kay Marga at napikon din naman niya ito. "Yak, assuming! Layo ka nga!"

"Joke lang 'to talaga, pero may I ask, anong sakit nung cousin mo? Bakit nahospital?"

"Malalang kaso ng pneumonia, ayun tanda ko. Ikaw? Anong sakit mo?"

"Ako? Hmmm..."

"Oo, ikaw naman magkwento, kwentuhan mo ako." Marga fixed her posture and was ready to listen to Rai's.

Rai is still unsure if she shall tell this to Marga but still proceeded on telling her, "Brain tumor."

"H-huh? Totoo?"

Rai nodded in reply. "And retrograde amnesia..."