Aphasia (The MD Series #1)

Simula

"For the top three of Class 2018, with a general average of 91.75... Garcia, Jethro."

"Oh my golly Kylie, si Jethro top three na lang." sabi ni Nicole sabay hawak sa braso ko. Jethro Garcia was our top one nung first year, I'm telling you he is so good. Especially sa Physiology may distinction nga yun galing sa department eh. Well, things change. Mahirap naman kasi talaga ang second year tapos he was our Student Council Vice President pa. What an achiever!

"Anong gagawin ko?" sarcastic kong sabi.

"Sungit mo naman! 'Di ba, crush mo yan?" itong si Nicole pinaalala pa. I am trying to get over him na nga tapos konting something lang tungkol kay Jethro andami na agad sasabihin.

"Nicole, alam mo naman na nung first year lang yun 'di ba? Bato yang taong yan. He does not feel the slightest bit of emotion. We won't happen. Never." Hay... naalala ko na naman yung mga paghahabol ko sa kanya dati. Since hindi naman kami classmates, never ko siyang nakilala talaga. Pure admiration lang kung baga.

-

First year, first day of classes. Kinakabahan ako pero ito na yun. One step closer to my dreams, welcome to Philippine Doctors' College.

Pagkatapos ng apat na taon, doktor ka na Kylie. May MD na sa dulo ng pangalan mo.

"Excuse me miss... med student ka din ba?"

Hala siya. Ang gwapo ni kuya. May dimples na lumalabas kahit nagsasalita lang. Medyo long hair pa, siguro dahil hindi pa nakaget-over sa summer vacation.

"Ah, oo." Hala, Kylie use your words. Wag naman utal, nakakahiya kay Kuya Cutie.

"Alam mo ba kung saan yung RH 204? Histology class under Dr. Tagle?" tanong ni Kuya Cutie habang naglalakad kami papasok ng Med Building.

"Oh. RH 206 ako. Neuroanatomy naman. Sabay na lang tayo." Nako, Kylie nagmagaling ka pa, bakit alam mo ba saang lupalop yun?

"I'm Jethro by the way. Good morning...?"

"Kylie."

"Good morning, Kylie. Excited? Ako oo." Ang bait naman ni Kuya. Super polite pa!

"Hello, Jethro. Nervous. That's one word to describe how I'm feeling today."

Naglakad na kami paakyat ng stairs. Nadaanan na namin sa baba yung famous corridor ng jars na puno ng specimens leading to anatomy lab.

"Nah. You'll be okay." ang positive niya. Yung sparks kaya positive din?

"Saan ka nag-undergrad?"

"Oh, here's RH 204 and that's 206! Sige...?" nakalimutan niya yung name ko? Ang bilis naman ata?

"Kylie. Kylie Gonzales. Section A."

"Yeah, right. Kylie. Sorry hindi ako magaling magmemorize ng names eh. Nice meeting you! Sige, pasok na ako."

And that was it.

Yun lang ang naging encounter namin ni Jethro nung first year kami.

Combined class usually ang A at C. B si Jethro.

Ang room assignment sa Physiology exam ay by rank. Magaling si Jethro apparently so sa star room siya together with toppers sa batch. And I struggled with Physio so second to the last room ako.

Napag-alaman ko though na tabi yung cadavers namin sa Anatomy lab, pero never naman kaming naging classmates. Anong sense?

I also heard na since alphabetical arrangement ang seats, bilang Garcia siya at ako ay Gonzales, same kami ng chair sa halos lahat ng subjects. Shocks, destiny! Asa, Kylie. Hindi ka na nun naaalala.

Siyempre, after uwian ng first day nung first year, nagstalk na agad ako sa facebook. Jethro Garcia. BS Nursing. Kaya siya magaling. Same school kami nung undergrad kaso Biology ang kinuha ko. Wala namang maitulong sa med! Konti lang yung laman ng wall niya. Wala masyadong pictures. Walang relationships. Puro mga tagged photos lang. Aba, hindi vain si Kuya!

So isang taon akong nagstalk lang from afar. Orgs-wise? Sumali siya sa isang fraternity. Mukhang masaya naman siya at nakaya niya ang initiation process. Ako, wala. Unlike in my undergrad, I'm no one in med.

I have two friends lang. Maxine and Nicole. I'm okay with the others pero sadyang hindi ko rin kasi ma-feel agad yung sense of belonging.

Mahirap mag medicine kung hindi ka decided that you really want it. That's what I learned in my first year. I had to work my ass off para ma-maintain yung scholarship ko. That was my only goal.

Si Jethro... he's having the time of his life sa med. Whenever I'd look at him, may sense of fulfillment especially when he got the first rank nung first year kami.

Come second year, he had a lot on his plate. He ran as VP, he won. He was groomed to be the next Lord Chancellor of his frat, he was fully committed. He was expected to be on the same top one spot, he was top three.

As I was looking at his face for some emotion, nakita ko yung disappointment sa mata niya. He was freaking sad for being top three!

"Nicole, look at his eyes."

"Sad ka naman para sa crush mo. Eh di inamin mo na rin! Todo deny ka pa nung second year!"

"Seriously, Nix. He's way too sad." parang may kung anong kumurot sa puso ko. Parang mas ako pa yung nasasaktan for him.

What can I do to make everything okay?