THE MAN IN GREEN UNIFORM (Montenegro Series #3)

SPECIAL CHAPTER 4

Maevis' POV (Eros Montenegro-Connor's current girlfiend)

In a private VIP room in Clearwater Hospital.

Maevis knocked on the door pero walang sumagot kaya pumasok na sya.

She saw the 52 years old man, standing in front of his window, watching the little drops of rain against the clear glass in front of him.

"Sir Nick, I made you your favorite lunch po" she told him.

She is taking care of the old man's food and diet dahil nakiusap si Eros sa kanya. Pihikan ang matanda at masyadong istrikto at masungit.

He hates hospital food kaya naman kinakailangang siya mismo ang maghahatid at mag aasikaso rito. For some reason, the man seems important for Eros.

Lumingon ang matanda dahil sa sinabi nya.

"Sino ka? Sinong hinahanap mo?" tanong nito.

She sighed. Inaatake na naman ito ng sakit niya. The poor old man have dementia for about 3 years now. He is the longest patient who is staying there in the hospital.

"Hindi mo na naman ako makilala, Sir Nick! Ako ito, si Maevis, ang mabait at maganda mong tagapagluto."

"Nick?" kumunot ang noo nito. "Nick ba ang pangalan ko?" Lumapit ako kaya bahagya siyang napa atras kung kaya naman mabilis akong lumapit at inabot ang kamay niya.

"Kumain ka po muna, okay? Baka kapag nabusog ka ay maalala mo na ako at maituloy mo na yung kwento mo kung bakit hindi ka nag asawa."

Hindi sumagot si Sir Nick pero sumunod ito sa 'kin at naupo sa hospital bed niya. Ilang minuto pa ay kumain na rin ito. I turned on the TV to watch while waiting for him to finish his food dahil aakyat pa ako sa opisina ni Eros to report and update him about Sir Nick.

"She looks more beautiful than that girl."

Mabilis akong napalingon kay Sir Nick ng magsalita ito, kasalukuyang isang shampoo commercial ang nasa TV at may babaeng may magandang buhok na nakaputing dress.

"You mean yung first love n'yo po?" tanong ko, madalas nya namang masabi na maganda yung first love nya.

"My only love." he corrected me.

Mag isa na lang sa buhay si Sir Nick, he doesn't have any siblings, obviously patay na ang parents niya and he didn't had kids of his own dahil hindi siya nag asawa.

"Bakit hindi po pala kayo nagkatuluyan?"

"I came into the picture a little too late hija." sagot nito bago dahan-dahang lumunok.

"Late? Nalate po kayo?"

"But she walked down the aisle for me first" he looked so happy and proud while saying that. "She looked so beautiful in our prenuptial photos, she's glowing whenever I see her" mas lumawak ang ngiti nya. "When I'm gone, I will allow you to see our pictures but for the meantime, akin na lang muna iyon."

"But I am curious dyan sa first love mo Sir Nick! Mukhang gwapo ka naman nung kabataan mo, bakit hindi ka na lang humanap ng iba?"

"My love for her was so strong and the first time I laid my eyes on her, I knew." Tumango-tango ito. "I knew, I won't love the same again."

I somehow felt scared and worried, pwede pala iyon no? Yung magmamahal ka ng isang tao lang sa buong buhay mo, na hindi mo na kakayanin pang mag open up ulit kahit kanino. Kahit pa hindi kayo nagkatuluyan, you won't dare to love again, kasi alam mo sa sarili mo na siya lang, siya lang ang may kayang magpatibok ng puso mo ng ganoon.

So rather than trying to love again, you'll just spend the rest of your life reminiscing about the love you didn't end up with.

Love is crazy. It can be the best thing that happened to you or it can be the worst and most painful one.