Ang Multo sa Manhole 3 (completed)

Yogurt says 45

Yogurt says 45

Eleison's POV

Weeks have passed since I got tested and I just know in my gut feeling that I had to get used to Mark now, more than ever. I need to get used to him accompanying me in and out of the clinic, get used to him making me breakfast, get used to him taking care of me.

Naiinis siya sakin pag sinasabi kong mag day-off muna. Pinapalabas ko raw kasing "trabaho" lang ang ginagawa niya, which no matter how he disagree, is the naked truth. I tried to give him money for his effort, hindi niya tinatanggap.

He didn't want anything from me. No, sorry. Meron pala. He wants to bring my cd4 count to where it should be.

Ang healthy person daw kasi ay may 500 and above cd4 count sa dugo. And we're talking about per cubic millimeter ng dugo so 500 is plenty. 195 lang ang sakin.

CD4 is just like what the counselor told me – an antibody that defends the body against infections. But once na napasukan na ng hiv this cd4 will turn its back on you.

CD4 does not decrease its number by dying but by being hacked by the hiv. Ika pa ni Mark real-life zombie nga raw ang hiv, kasi once na makain niya ang isang cd4, gagawin niya rin itong HIV hanggang sa kumain pa ng cd4, and another and another hanggang kumonti ang cd4 at ang hiv, dumami. But with ARV, mapipigilan nito ang mga zombie na makapagreplicate pa ng marami, giving the surviving cd4 chance na magreplicate ng tulad nila hanggang sa dumami na uli sila.

ARV stands for Anti Retro Viral. Ito ang tawag sa treatment for HIV. Usually composed ito ng tatlong matatapang na gamot. May iba-ibang variation ang ARV but Mark suggested na yong LTE ang subukan.

I don't know what's with this drug that made the doctor even suggest na mag-stop muna ako sa pagpasok. In my head, I was like, gano'n ba talaga kalala ang side effects? Gagapang ba ako nito that even Mark agree with it? Pero I contest. Kung titigil ako sa pagpasok para na ring nagpaubaya ako sa sakit na to. I don't want to look and be looked at as sick. Gusto ko nagagawa ko pa rin ang mga gusto ko as if I don't have HIV, as if I'm like anybody.

Mark acknowledged my sentiment at nangako pa talaga sa doctor na strictly papainumin ako ng gamot sa tamang oras wag lang ako matigil sa pagpasok. Pero meron siyang self-established SOP( standard operating procedure) na nagsasabing siya ang magmomonitor ng pag-inom ko ng gamot. Para makasigurado siyang wala akong playa. Ito kasi talaga ang crucial part e, eepekto lang ang ARV by how you religiously submit to the treatment.

However, he doesn't seem to understand the word "lifetime" maintenance.

Eventually, ako rin ang magmomonitor ng pag-inom ko. Because eventually he will have a life without me. Eventually we will part ways and he would start a family. Ako? I don't know. Pero kung saka-sakali, ako ang magtetestify kung gaano siya kaalaga. He would be a good father and a good husband. I guarantee because I got to experience it firsthand.

Sh!t nagdadrama na naman ako. Ngayon pa lang he's giving me so much to remember. Perhaps he'd given me more than that before. If only I could recover.

But speaking of drama, ito ngayon ang sinisimulan ni Ana sa library by heading to my place and asking,

"Bakit buntot ng buntot si Mark sayo?" It was so loud and crisp na halos lahat ng naroo'y napalingon sa lugar namin. I never frequent the library, ever. Pero after nito for sure, hindi na talaga.

"Nakikita mo ba siyang nakabuntot ngayon?" tanong ko, acting as if I'm in-search for the guy. But of course, he's here. Naghahanap lang ng libro sa Filipiniana section.

"Wag kang pilosopo, Eleison. I don't mean now. But every now and then."

"Direct your concern to Mark hindi sa'kin." Sabi ko, turning away. But she slammed the table.