Why Can't It Be?

Chapter 50 - The Feeling

One year ago, around April...

Real was sitting outside one of the clinics at The Medical City in Clark. Kanina pa siya tapos sa kanyang appointment ngunit hindi pa rin siya tumatayo.

Real shakes his lower limbs anxiously. I shouldn't be here, he thought. He should be somewhere else not doing check ups.

Real bent slightly, resting his arms over his thighs. His hands almost clasped in between as if he was trying to pray.

He was in his civilian clothes when he should be wearing his green over alls with patches and badges pinned on them.

He should be wearing his aviators, he should be wearing now to cover his stinging eyes.

Real thought his hands should be on the wheels of the aircraft he maneuvers and not clasped in between his thighs praying that all of these are just nightmares he's going to wake up from sooner.

He should be in runways, in hangars and not in hospitals.

Real is an Air Force pilot. He was.

Now, that doesn't seem to be possible anymore. If the doctor's diagnosis will turn out to be true and final, he'll have to forget about his aeronautical career forever.

That seemed like a really long time for him to forget about it. It was his dream, his only dream ever since.

"Doc, are you sure? I mean...that can't be possible right? I've went through rigorous and really intensive training before I was accepted in the military forces. How could I have this condition all of a sudden? Hindi ko maintindihan." Real shook his head with disbelief and pain.

The news sounded bizarre the same way as it felt for him.

Huminga ng malalim ang doctor saka nagsalita "I'm really sorry Mr. Laurente. As you've said I am the third Cardiologist you've seek for opinion."

"So ganun na lang po ba yun? May problema ang puso ko and I have to accept it? Antayin ko na lang bang mamatay ako?" Real asked sarcastically. He was furious, not at the doctor but at everything. Nothing was making sense for him.

He clenched his fists trying to calm himself down. Nangingilid ang luha niya habang kausap ang doktor.

"No, that's not it Mr. Laurente." Dr. Perez, a cardiologist says. "Real, I see you are very distressed now and I understand that perfectly but there are options that we can choose to help you with your condition—"

"But none of those options can make my life normal again. I can never return to being a pilot again, right?"

"I'm afraid not." Dr. Perez lowered his head down.

---
Madalas ay magisa si Helen sa bahay. Abala ang panganay niya mng si Carlo sa sariling negosyo at ang bunsong si Real ay nasa Clark naka destino bilang isang sundalong piloto.

Limang taon na ito sa serbisyo. Tuwing pasko lang ito nakakauwi para magbakasyon sa Nueva Ecija.

Isang araw habang nag luluto si Helen sa kusina ay narinig niyang may pumasok na sasakyan.

She immediately went to the door to check and was surprised to see Real in his bag pack.

Bukod doon ay may dala rin siyang mga iba pang gamit na nakalagay sa mga kahon. Nakatambak iyon sa likod ng sasakyan.

"Ma, sinong dumating—"

"Kuya." una niyang nakita si Carlo.

It was Sunday. That explains why his brother was also there.