TBW Novella: Happy Ever After

HEA01

DAX

Other people dream of visiting and living in big Cities. Travel around the world and make stops at the seven wonders of the world. Get a high-paying job. Get famous. Buy branded clothes. Wear expensive perfumes. Be the person everyone envies on social media. While Tri... she can have all those things in one snap of her fingers but she refused to have it. She's an heiress with millions of pesos in her bank account. She can be famous for how pretty she is. Earn without even doing the hard work. But instead of being that person, she's here. When she said that she wanted to see a bigger world, this is what she meant. To visit places that need help and saving. The world is too big for everyone to notice that there's a part of our world that screams for help. And here she is, seeing the bigger world from her own perspective.

"Doc Dax, may girlfriend ka na po?"

Naglilinis na kami ng mga gamit ngayon pero iiwan namin ang ilan dahil babalik pa kami bukas. This wasn't my first medical mission at alam kong hindi sapat ang isang araw para ma-accomodate lahat ng pasyente. And at the back of my head, I knew I'd like to stay here for a little longer more.

I lifted my head to see a young girl across my table. Kumunot ang aking noo at naalala na isa ito sa mga estudyante ni Tri. I found out that she has her own advisory class here with a total of twenty students she's responsible of. Tatlong taon na ang nakakalipas nang huli ko siyang nakita, nang huli kong marinig ang boses niya, at nang huli kong nakilala kung anong klaseng tao siya.

Hindi niya siguro alam pero pinangako ko na sa kung sino mang nakakarinig sa mga nasa isip ko na maghihintay ako sa kaniya kahit gaano katagal. And now, looking back, three years has never felt like it was already that long. Dahil nang muling magtagpo ang mga mata namin kanina, ganoon pa rin ang nararamdaman ko para sa kaniya. She changed, that's obvious. Pero mayroon pa ring hindi nagbabago sa kaniya... I'm not sure what that is, but I'm sure that there is.

"Iba ka talaga, Doc, kahit seven years old nahuhumaling sa'yo." Si Helia na nasa tabi ko at inaayos sa kahon ang mga gamot.

Hindi ko siya pinansin at binalingan ang batang babae sa harap ko. Nakaalis na ang ibang mga estudyante dahil malapit na ring magdilim at iilang guro na lamang ang natira kasama namin. Tinapik ko ang kaniyang ulo at nginitian siya.

"Bakit hindi ka pa umuuwi? Magdidilim na."

She pouted and lifted her hand to point at somewhere. Sinundan ko ng tingin ang tinuturo niya at nakita si Tri na lumabas ng classroom sa hindi kalayuan. She locked the door and the gate of the room before she turned around to greet her co-teachers. Kumpara kanina na nakalugay ang kaniyang buhok, ngayon ay nakatali na ito.

Umayos ako ng pagkakaupo at tinitigan nang mabuti ang scrunchie na suot niya. It looks familiar.

"Si Teacher Tri po ang naghahatid sa'kin sa bahay kasi malapit lang ang bahay namin sa kaniya!"

Ibinalik ko ang atensiyon sa bata at naabutan siyang nakabungisngis.

"Si Teacher Tri ang naghahatid sa'yo?" Ulit ko, hindi ko maitago ang gulat.

Not that it was so unlike her, I saw how she cared for other kids like they are her family. Maybe I'm surprised because it's been a while since I last heard from a kid about how much someone cares for them. Tri is the only person I know who genuinely cares for kids' welfare. She doesn't know it at that time, but I saw the real her. When she broke up with me and told me that she was choosing her dreams over me, I know what she meant.

I was hurt, I was in pain, and I forgot to live for a while because of that. But, then, I realized why she has to do that and consider myself to be the luckiest man to ever live because I get to meet someone like her in my life. She cares too much for other people. She always put others first before her. She loves too much yet she still thinks that she's selfish. I hope that changed now. Sana ngayon ay nakikita niya na kung gaano siya kabuting tao.