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Chapter 10

Santini Qien Escovar

"Eavesdropping is rude don't you think, Ms. Escovar?"

I nearly jumped and cursed in surprise from where I stood when someone suddenly spoke from behind me.

"D-Doktora!" I exclaimed a bit louder as her unimpressed expression greeted me when I turned around.

She raised an eyebrow at me, throwing me a suspicious look, "Care to explain your uninvited presence? Why were you eavesdropping?"

Lihim akong napalunok at nahihiyang napakamot sa kilay ko, "I-It wasn't intentional, Dok. I just arrived when you did, kaya mabilis akong nagtago sa likod ng puno para hindi mo ako mapansin."

"Why didn't you just leave then? Why did you have to listen to the entire conversation?"

Pakiramdam ko ay namumuo ang pawis ko sa noo dahil sa klase ng tingin na ipipukol niya sa'kin ngayon. Talaga namang hindi ko intensyon na makinig sa usapan nila ng kaaway niya!

"Actually, hindi ko naman narinig ng malinaw ang pag-uusap niyo dahil t-tinakpan ko ang mga tenga ko," napangiwi ako dahil sa walang kwentang alibi ko.

Great, Santi. Out of all the excuses you could think of, tinakpan talaga ang mga tenga? Ano ka? Bata?

Nakita ko ang bahagyang pagkunot ng noo niya na mabilis ding nawala. She brushed off the wrinkled sleeves of her lab coat and then gently smoothed out the folded lower part. It was only then that I realized her uniform was somewhat disheveled. Ngayon ko lang napansin na medyo magulo ang suot niyang uniporme. I figured she had just finished attending to patients because she hadn't removed the stethoscope still hanging around her neck.

I didn't realize I was just observing her movements until she snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"Done staring at me like a creep?" masungit na sambit niya, snapping me back to reality.

I immediately averted my eyes in embarrassment, letting out a forced chuckle and mumbled an apology.

"P-pasensya na po, Dok."

"Tsk," she clicked her tongue, "So, why are you here then?"

Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa kaniya nang tanungin niya ako. Napansin ko na nakapamulsa na ang dalawang kamay niya sa lab coat. Maaliwalas na rin ang mukha niya at hindi na tulad kanina na parang may kaaway.

"Avi has an appointment for her therapy session, and I'm here to accompany her," I responded, "I decided na dito nalang maghintay sa mini garden while she's at therapy dahil para akong sinusunog ng buhay sa sobrang init riyan sa loob." I added with a chuckle.

"Oh, about that. One of the patients' kids played with the air conditioner's main switch, that's why all of them are under maintenance for the meantime," she explained, remaining emotionless.

Napatango-tango naman ako, "Ah kaya pala."

Silence fell between us, only the sound of the wind blowing and the rustle of leaves falling from the trees could be heard. Walang ni-isa sa'min ang nagsasalita pero mukhang ako lang ang nababahala at nakakaramdam ng awkwardness sa pagitan naming dalawa.

Muli akong tumingin kay doktora at nakitang malayo ang mga tingin niyang tila nasa kawalan. Pero mukhang naramdaman niyang may pares ng matang nakatingin sa kaniya kaya napalingon siya sa'kin.

Nagsalubong ang mga mata namin, her eyes weren't as bright as Aviana's, they were emotionless, but they shared something in common-both were expressive yet hard to read.

She cleared her throat, "Do you have anything else to do, Ms. Escovar?"

"H-huh? Wala naman po Dok, hihintayin ko lang si Avi hanggang matapos siya," tugon ko na medyo nagtataka dahil sa naging tanong niya.