The Ex-Marine

1

Underneath your clothes there's an endless story,
There's the man I chose,
There's my territory

***********************

"Arman, gumigising na ang anak atin."

"Nurse, tumawag kayo ng doctor!"

"Oh god, salamat sa diyos."

She heard faint noises around her, her eyes wouldn't open too much, it was too bright...

Rexes Estelle remembered the very first time she got into the hospital, she was eight years old, nasa grade two. She hated the smell, but she loved the concern and care she got from her busy parents, when she was there, they were too hands on.

"Natatandaan mo pa ba ang rason kung bakit ka naaksidente?" Her co-student asked her. Nanalo siyang Ms. Engineering kung gaya't ini interview siya para ma feature sa kanilang school paper.

"It was the fire." She smiled, "My parents own a big factory, doon sa hacienda, I was out there waiting for my father, hanggang sa may malakas na putok na narinig, and the fire started."

She can still remember everything about that night kahit bata lamang siya noon. She can still remember how big was the fire, kung paano kabilis nitong tinutupok ang kanilang factory, hanggang ngayon ay naamoy niya pa rin ang samyo ng sunog na iyon. And how she thought it was gonna be the last of her life.

"I was... eight years old."

"Wala kang tinamong sugat mula sa insidente?"

"Actually, mayroon. May kahoy na tumusok sa aking balikat. Nakuha ko iyon ng nagtangka akong tumakas mula sa pagkaka trapped ko doon sa room."

Natatandaan niya pa noong natusok siya, she have never screamed like that in her eight years of existence.

"Can we... see the scar?"

She nodded, still smiling. Tinaas niya ang manggas ng kanyang blouse para makita ito ng mga estudyante.

"It's just a small scar now, naghanap kasi si mama ng dermatologist at pinapahidan ito ng ointment noon."

She had to put ointments for years! Ang sabi ng mama niya, gusto niyang maging flawless ito.

"Back again to the accident, Ms. Rexes--- paano po kayo nakatakas mula doon? Diba po ay na trapped kayo?"

Now it was the best part of the story. "A man... saved me."

Naaalala niya pa ang kalabog na nilikha ng sipain ng lalaking iyon ang pintuan para mapuntahan siya. May puting tshirt itong takip sa ilong. Nang makitang duguan ang kanyang balikat at inuubo na siya dahil sa suffocation ay agad siya nitong kinarga. She can still remember how safe it was being in his arms, ang alam niya'y tapos na ang pag hihirap niya, na hindi siya mamamatay.

Siguro kung hindi dahil sa kanya ay wala na siya. That man royally saved her life.

"Ang galing naman!" Sabi noong isang taga school paper.

"That man who saved you, magkakilala pa ba kayo hanggang ngayon? Do you see him when you go home?"

She haven't seen him in twelve years.

Ang alam niya ay umalis ito para maging isang sundalo doon sa america, iniwan nito ang nanay niya doon at nakababatang kapatid na lalaki. Rexes Estelle have seen his family kahit wala na siya doon. Palagi siyang napapadaan, kahit hindi naman kailangan. Her father would send sack of rice and some food for that family, ganoon kalaki ang pagtanaw ng utang na loob ng papa niya sa lalaking iyon. She even made friends with them, lalo na sa nanay nito na si Carol. Nandoon siya tuwing ginugusto niya. Paminsan minsan ay nagtatanong siya kung kamusta ang sundalo doon sa America, mahirap daw. Iyon ang sabi niya sa sulat. Pero kakayanin.