housemates (completed)

housemates 1 - moving in

"Noooo! Go away! Ayaw ko sa yo! Nooooo!" Wailed 4-year-old Coby as Dr. Richard examined him. Coby was in the pediatric ward due to high fever and diarrhea. He was closely being monitored so that he wouldn't get pneumonia.

"Okay...anong gusto mo?" Dr. Richard asked him as he struggled with listening to the child's chest.

"Nic...gusto ko si Nic lang..."

"Anak, wala si Nic today, nag-day off..." Coby's mom said. She had been carrying the sick child who was flailing in protest to Dr. Richard. "Sandali nalang si Doc tapos, tapos na..."

"Ayaw!! Ayaw ko sa kanya! Nic only!" Coby demanded.

Dr. Richard was finally able to finish his check-up but with much difficulty. Coby was his last patient for the day. Today wasn't his day. All the children under his care were either very sick and cried or complained a lot or were very playful that he had to come up with all sorts of tricks to settle them down. He was about to lose it when Coby protested.

---

He plopped down on the sofa in the share house he was renting a room at. Unlike other share houses which were  in a dormitory style building, this was a 2-bedroom detached house within a compound of other shared houses which were fully furnished. A new renter had just moved into the 2nd room and was in the bathroom when J arrived.

J dozed off on the sofa soon after he arrived because he woke up to darkness in the living room and some light coming in from the window behind the sofa where he was. He stood up to use the bathroom then went to the kitchen to grab the tub of yogurt he kept in the refrigerator. He was slightly surprised to see the refrigerator completely stocked and organized. He searched for his yogurt cup and found more than one cup on the shelf. "...there were two left this morning..." J thought.

He grabbed a spoon and plopped on the dining room chair, raised his feet on another chair, and started eating. A piece of paper on the table caught his attention.

He stood up again and searched for that salad she mentioned in her note. He got a fork from the drawer and sat down to eat.

"...kingina!" he thought. "...babae.." he shook his head as he looked at the note's letterhead. "...hmm...masarap sya..." he said after his initial bite.

---

"...ayaw mo nun, may babe ka na ulit..." Carlo, J's bestfriend and co-worker, said while they sat down for lunch at the hospital cafeteria.

"...paano kung killer pala sya...yung tipong may black widow syndrome..." J pondered.

"Gago ka rin e! Ano yan jojowain ka o aasawahin ka tapos papatayin?...morbid mo..."

"Eh what if nga e...besides, bakit sya pumayag na kumuha ng apartment na ganun ang set-up?"

"Eh bakit ikaw?"

"Well..."

"Dude, I'm sure she had the same idea in mind. Millennial siguro siya kaya okay lang sa kanya na maki-share ng apartment with a guy. Besides, ayaw mo nun, makakabawas ka na sa gastos mo sa food since sabi mo she cooks..."

"Eh what if makalat?...burara?...you know how OC I am."

"...naabutan mo bang makalat yung apartment nyo pagdating mo? Kelan nga siya lumipat?"

"I moved in Friday...she probably moved in Monday..."

"Probably?"

"Dude, pagod na ako pagdating sa bahay. I usually just head straight to my room and sleep..."

"Sabagay..."

"...come to think of it, ang linis nga nung apartment pag-uwi ko kahapon..." J thought after a while.

"So, nagluluto na siya, naglilinis pa...dude! naka-jackpot ka na agad! May instant yaya ka na!"

"Gago!"

"...ayaw mo nun? Sabi mo, the reason why you split up with Camille was because she was makalat..."

"...among other things..."

"Well, there you go. Besides, it hasn't been a week yet. Di mo pa nga nakikita diba?"

"Hindi...paano kung panget pala?"

"Ay wow! So kung panget sya, ano? Papaalisin mo?"

"Hindi..."

"Eh ano?"

"Ewan...bahala na..."

---

"Anong gagawin ko?"

"Lumipat ka ulit?" Belle, M's friend, suggested.

"Hindi pwede...hindi pa ulit...I don't have enough yet to transfer to a different place..."

"Hmm...wala ka pa namang isang linggo diba?"

"Three days...the contract says tenants can rent a minimum of six month...this is one of the most affordable places nearby..."

"Ayun lang...mukhang okay naman yung set up nyo e. At least you both pay half of everything. He, I'm guessing it's a 'he' based on his penmanship, doesn't really stay in the apartment for long. He's the type who comes home just to sleep."

"...walang laman yung ref...pati banyo malinis..."

"Eh ayun naman pala e. I don't see any problem..."

"I guess...but please, Belle, don't mention anything to anyone first. Lalo na kay Papa. Baka talagang ipasok na ako sa kumbento kapag nalaman nya na I've been living alone and now, the place I have has a guy housemate." M glared at Belle.

"Aherm!" Miss Gloria, head nurse of the pediatric floor, cleared her throat. "...get back to work you two..."

"Yes, Ma'am..." the two girls replied and walked in separate directions.