Come and Go (Part Two)

Chapter 2

You'd think a lot of things would change in the passage of time. But in reality, not much has changed. Elle remembered a common topic back when they were asked to do English essays in school.

How do you see yourself in ten years?

She had written things like:

I see myself as somebody who's successful and independent. I want to travel the world, learn new cultures, help the needy, and perhaps, raise a family of my own.

More than a decade later, she still hasn't ticked off most of the things she'd written. She still lived with her parents, hasn't travelled far, and was nowhere near starting a family of her own. The thought is a bit depressing actually.

Not to get her wrong, Elle was grateful for what she has and where she is. She loves being a nurse even if it wasn't in her original plan. Come to think of it, she didn't have a solid plan to begin with. She was the type of kid who just went with the flow. So when her parents said they dreamt of having a nurse in the family, she decided to become one.

Somewhere along her education, probably during her clinical experience as a student nurse, she fell in love with her course. The first time she caught a newborn baby after an 8-hour labor in the delivery room, held a chemo patient's hand while he was in pain, dressed the wounds of a badly burned victim, and talked to a mentally ill person about life...

These were some of the moments that ignited her passion for Nursing. And now that she's working as an actual nurse, she gets a sense of fulfillment from helping her patients and seeing them get better. To be fair, she has accomplished some things and she's proud of them.

Lately though, she feels like she's reached a plateau in her life. Everything's fine and steady but it's also turning into a routine. She would wake up, eat, go to work, and if she has spare time, talk with family and friends, sleep, then repeat.

Aside from this, she's also driven up to a fork in her career. The ultimate decision a Filipino nurse has to make: To go abroad or not to go abroad? That is the question. Many of her colleagues and friends have already flown to seek greener pastures in different parts of Asia, Europe, and America. She envied them for knowing exactly what they want and going for it.

She, on the other hand, felt stuck and unable to choose. Somewhere inside her still lives that go-with-the-flow kid who relies on the tide to decide for her.

"You're going through a mid-life crisis." Perry remarked, taking a swig of his lemon-flavoured beer.

It was her day off and she was meeting her college buddies, Migs Sy and Perry Samson. They were at Billy Jean's, one of their all-time favourite places to hang-out. It's a resto-bar owned by a woman named Billy Jean, who happens to be an avid fan of the late king of Pop and pays tribute to all his music. Their live band was currently playing Heal the World.

The song always gives her a nostalgic vibe. It was a song she grew up with and she can't help feeling a little bit old as she stared at her friends.

Migs who used to be buff in college, now gained some weight. He was still handsome with his boy-next-door, chinoy looks - Moreno skin, chinky eyes, and towering height. Although rounder around the edges, he still earns a second look from passers-by from time to time.

Perry, the official jester of the group, had let his curly hair long which he now keeps in a low ponytail and is starting to grow a goatee which Elle cringe at and dreams of snipping off with a pair of scissors.

"You mean mid-twenties crisis." Migs corrected.

"Oh right. I forgot Auntie Elle here is still in her twenties." Perry teased. "You can hardly tell."