Take Me to Church

Chapter 7

"Finally! She had the balls to finally... finally ask you out!" sabi ni Bea being all giddy.

Natatawa naman si Den habang naglalakad. Pabalik na sila ng ospital. They figured out that they are in the same hospital. Den being a resident and Bea being an intern.

"So, when you said 'hindi ako yung number one' you meant... with her Father? Tama ba? Yun ba yun?" Bea.

"Uhhhm yea. He is her Father. How can I compete with that Bei? I'm not asking for her to choose me naman. I know she has her priorities." sabi ni Den na nakayuko pa rin habang naglalakad.

Napatingin na lang si Bea sa langit. It was past noon and she can clearly feel the sunlight on her face. "It was my reason too, Ate Den" sabi ni Bea na nakangiti sa kawalan.

Nakatingin lang si Den kay Bea as if asking her what do you mean? Bea noticed Den's action kaya she explained herself without looking at Den.

"Maddie. I have my priorities Ate. Para naman sa amin yun. I hope she was as understanding as you Ate. We could have made in through until now" sabi ni Bea and smiled bitterly "I hope she realize that everything that I am doing, all of this, is for us... for her"

"Bei..." yan na lang na nasabi ni Den.

"Alam mo Ate, sometimes I wonder kung totoo yung sinasabi nila na 'If two people are really meant for each other, they'll always find their way back"

Napahinto si Den. Parang nanikip ang dibdib niya sa narinig.

"Do you believe it Ate? Na kapag kayo talaga, babalik at babalik kayo sa isa't isa?"

Napangiti si Den and stopped walking. She faced Bea kasi stop pa naman yung traffic light, tatawid sana sila. Ten minutes na paglalakad na lang din kasi at nasa hospital na sila.

"I do, Bei. I also believe that people drift apart not because they're completely over with the other person but because they want to love them more"

Tumitig naman ng nagtataka si Bea kay Den "What do you mean?"

"Find it for yourself, Bei"

"You are such a mystery haha" sabi ni Bea.

The stop light turned red and the pedestrian light turned green. Dennise unconciously tucked her hand into Bea's arm. Tila di naman nagulat si Bea kasi base sa kinwento ni Den, takot talaga siyang tumawid.

They started walking again when a question popped into Bea's head.

"Wait wait wait" paghinto ni Bea sa paglalakad. Nagulat naman si Den. Napahawak siya sa dibdib niya. "Ate, how can I? I forgot to ask!"

"Stop pacing Bei. Ano ba yun?"

"Ate..." sabi ni Bea. Hinawakan niya ang dalawang balikat ni Dennise at malalim na tinignan ito sa mata. Napalunok na lang si Den. Kinakabahan siya sa asal ni Bea. "Naging kayo na ba ni Ate Ly after that incident?"

Nakatingin naman si Den kay Bea na nagpipigil ng tawa "Haha! Ano ka ba Bei?" tanong ni Den habang pumapalo sa balikat ni Bea. "Akala ko kung ano nang tatanungin mo haha"

Napatayo naman ng tuwid si Bea at napaubo. She collected herself. "So, ano na nga?"

Den's face became serious. "We..." sabi ni Den at napabuntong hininga "We actually became official after that." Dennise blushed.

"Agad agad? Haha"

"Well, bakit ba naman namin patatagalin if we are already in love with each other." sabi ni Den ta tumingala kay Bea.

"Good point pero di ba mas okay yung nililigawan ka muna?"

"She does... every single day" Den let out a smile remembering their past.

Napangiti na lang si Bea knowing that her new found friend is happy.

They are walking towards the hospital in silence. It was a little over a minute walk. The guard greeted them as they entered the vicinity.

"Good morning Docs"

"Good morning" sabi ni Den. She noticed that Bea didn' answer, so she looked at the latter. She knows the feeling. "You WILL BE a Doctor Bei" Den let out a smile and tapped Bea's arm. They were walking in the halls when Den cut the silence,

"Bei, mag th-three o'clock pa lang naman. Four pa shift mo di ba? Wanna stay in my clinic first? I'll be waiting for a patient pa rin naman at four. Let's hang out a bit and maybe you can meet my friend, Ella" paanyaya ni Den.

"Okay..." Bea let out a smile. She really wants good company at the moment.

They are infront of Den when something caught Bea's eyes...

Dennise Michelle G. Lazaro, MD
Pediatrics Oncology

"Wow..." sabi ni Bea.

Den was holding the doorknob and about to open the door when she noticed Bea staring at the plate attached to her door. "Those are just titles Bei" sabi ni Den and opened the door. She didn't have the chance to look at Den's face but she noticed the sad tone in her voice.

"Good afternoon, Doc" sabi ng secretary ni Den.

"Good afternoon Julia" Den let out a soft smile "Friend ko pala si Bea. Bei, Jia. My secretary 'slash' friend"

"Good afternoon" sabay bati ng dalawa sa isa't isa. Napasmile naman si Bea kay Julia na ngayon ay nakayuko. Parang nahihiya.

Den let out a smirk "Ji, call me lang inside when something comes up okay?" sabi ni Den pero kay Bea nakatingin "and... when my CML patient arrives, tell me. Okay?"

"Ahhh. yes Doc." sabi ni Jia.

"Bei, dito tayo." pagaaya ni Den kay Bea sabay bukas ng pintuan ng main clinic niya. Sumunod naman si Bea.

They walked inside the room and pinatong ni Bea and lab coats nila ni Den sa couch ng clinic niya. Dennise's clinic is a little bigger than a normal clinic. This is because she placed a little play area for her little cancer patients. There is a couch justbin case Den has personal visitors and chairs for the parents ofnher patients. May CR rin sa loob nun.

Bea also noticed the picture frames that were hanging on the wall just behind Den's swivel chair. Bea looked at the photos intently habang nagexcuse lang si Den para magCR.

So this must be Ate Den's family sabi ni Bea sa sarili while looking at a photo of five. She saw a young Dennise beside a middle aged man na nakaakbay sa kanya na yakapyakap ang isang batang lalaki sa harap nito you must be Marlo dagdag pa ni Bea. Nasa gilid naman ni Den ang isang babae na halos kaedad niya lang na nakayakap sa isang babae who seems to be her mother.

Bea is looking at other photos again nang nanlaki ang mata niya. Framed on that wall is a certicate na nagsasabing,

BURGER CHAMPIONS
ELLA DE JESUS and ALYSSA VALDEZ

Napangiti na lang si Bea sa nabasa. She noticed a photo beside that certificate. Dennise with two girls in what seems to be a burger house. The girls were holding large burgers in their hands habang si Den ang nakahawak ng phone na kumukuha ng photo.

San kaya si Alyssa dito? Tanong ni Bea sa sarili but as if on cue, someone answered behind her,

"Yung babaeng nakablack v-neck na nakabiktad ang sumbrero, siya si Alyssa" sabi ni Den na kakalabas lang ng CR.

"Mind reader ka ba? Haha"

"No. Obvious lang"

"So, is he Marlo?" tanong ni Bea pointing at the little boy na yakap yakap ni Den sa picture.

"Yes" sabi ni Den na naka ngiti. She remembers her brother.

"He's cute, Ate"

"He was" sabi ni Den turning her normal smile into a sad one.

*tok *tok *tok

"Come in" sabi ni Den.

"Good afternoon Doc, this is the lab report for Adrian De Guzman's follow up check up" sabi ng babaeng kakapasok lang sa clinic ni Dennise. Nakayuko lang ito habang hinahanap ang report sa stack of papers na hawak niya.

I know that voice. I'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Mads..."