Two Cents of Love

PANIMULA

"Eir, Ija, Aalis na ako. Kayo muna bahala ni Phoebe sa bahay ha?" bilin ni tita sa amin bago siya lumabas sa pinto. Tumango naman ako.

I lived with my tita and my cousin for almost 4 years na since I was in junior high. My mom is always busy with her work as a surgeon in abroad that's why she entrusted me with my aunt. Tita Mich is Phoebe's mom and Phoebe is my cousin. Tita Mich left earlier to enroll us in our new University as SHS. We can't leave kasi due to COVID-19 Regulations. Only a parent is allowed to go to school.

"Ano nga ulit kukunin mo na strand?" tanong ni Phoebe while scrolling to her phone.

I sighed.

The truth is, I don't know how to answer Phoebe's question because I'm not so sure about my picked strand.

"STEM." I answered.

"As you should bestie! Same tayo huhu! I'm so excited na talaga! Sana classmates tayo no? Teka icha-chat ko nga si Kimi. I'll ask about her picked strand also!" Phoebe said with full of excitement on her face.

I hope I can relate to her. I'm not that excited as her. Siguro I always think twice because it is aligned for my future course or I don't like to end up like my mother.

I have a family of medicine. Starting from my great, great grandpa to my mom. And I think I am the next one to inherit the tradition in this generation to continue the Jones bloodline in med. I love medicine naman because since I was a child, my mom taught me lots about it and it made me think that medicine is cool. It is like a hero portraying a character to help other people who are sick in real-life situations. But that was then.

These past few years, as I grow old, I realized that being in the medical field, you need to be a workaholic person. You need to prioritize your patients first before yourself or even your family. You need intelligence and patience to master medicine. You need to exact all your efforts to this job and I'm afraid I don't have that kind of talent.

I can tell that I'm really not that stupid because since I was a grade-schooler until my JHS days, I always got straight A's in my acads. I am a grade-conscious person 'coz I don't want other people pitying me. I don't want my parents to be disappointed and lastly, I don't want to feel low.

"OMG, we are enrolled na! Look! I have my class list also! God! Classmates kami ni Kimi! AAAAAAAAAAAH!" tili niya. She almost dances with her excitement. So STEM din pala kinuha ni Kimi? She said she doesn't like math and science and she also said that she'll pick HUMSS kasi marami daw gwapo don. And guess what, she still chose STEM.

Well, there's a saying that, when best friends stick together, lasts forever.

"LOOK!" pinakita sa akin ni Phoebe ang classlist nila gamit and hawak-hawak niyang cellphone.

"STEM 1106

17. Jones, Phoebe Kate

18. Lourdez, Sheila Marie

19. Miyazaki, Kimi"

Pagbasa ko. She's not lying. Classmates nga sila. Now, I feel envious.

I opened our school website and sabi don only few sections are revealed pa. I don't see my name in other class lists so maybe mamaya pa yung sa amin.

I tried to reach my creamy latte at the desk beside Phoebe but suddenly she did not notice it and elbowed the cup. Now, the latte spilled all over my laptop.

Biglang lumaki yung mata ko. MY LAPTOP!

Nagulat din si Phoebe sa nangyari kaya nataranta siyang kumuha ng basahan at pinunasan ang nahulang kape. "I didn't notice it couz! Sorry talaga!" she exclaimed.

"Kung kailan pa mag sta-start na yung class doon pa masira ang laptop mo huhu I'm so sorry talaga! Hindi ko talaga napansin yung cup!" dagdag pa niya. Napangisi naman ako.

Ang cute niya kasi tingnan. Lalo na pag natataranta siya. "It's okay, It happened na, Ipaayos ko na lang tomorrow." I smiled at her to make her feel relief. Tumingin siya sakin.

"how about our homeroom orientation tomorrow? You will miss it couz! It's all my fault!" she grabs her hair with full of frustration. I pat her back to make her at ease. Kumalma naman siya.

"I said it's fine right? And what about the orientation? It's just school rules and stuff, nothing new. As long as it's not the class pa, I'm okay with it. It's not like you're having a quarterly exam on the first day right?" I said calmly. She hugged me.

"You're the best talaga! Btw, Kimi said na mag v-vc daw tayo later 10 pm." I nodded as I clean our mess. I picked up my laptop and go to my room.

Bigla akong napaisip. I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO REPAIR MY LAPTOP! GOSH!