BORROWED TIME

3

"Ah, Jho?"

Binuksan ko naman ang pintuan ko ng marinig kong may kumakatok.

"Nay Tere. Ano po yon?"

I said habang pinupunasan ko pa ang basa kong buhok.

"Eto na yung mga papeles na hinahanap mo. Pinabibigay ni ma'am Det. Umalis kasi sila ng maaga dahil kailangan din nilang asikasuhin yung business nila dito sa US."

Then she handed me a big brown envelope.

"Ah ganon po ba? Sige po. Salamat po dito Nay."

"Walang anuman anak. Sige ha? Kung may kailangan ka lang, nasa baba lang ako."

I nodded and muttered my "Thank you" to her.

I sat down in my bed to look at what I am holding, papers about Bea's injury.

Isabel Beatriz P. De Leon
August 2, 1996
25 years old

Tama nga si tito. Magka-edad lang kami ng anak niya.

Injury/ies Suffered: Stable Fracture on the left leg and Comminuted Injury on the right leg.

Cause of Injury: Severe Car Accident
Date of Accident: December 17, 2020

Kinuha ko pa lahat ng nakalagay sa envelope and saw pictures of Bea's accident. She'll definitely have those leg bone fractures because of the way her car's hood crumpled like a paper after hitting a big truck.

I also saw her x-rays and yes, both of her legs were actually broken. Mas malala nga lang yung sa kanan dahil her bone was broken into tiny pieces. And as soon as I am done observing her x-rays and former tests, I already found out what is needed to be done for Bea to go back to her old ways.

I tried to check the Stanford Hospital, it's an orthopedic and surgical hospital here in San Francisco. It is actually a hospital connected to St. Anthony Medical Hospital in the Philippines. This is where some of the best Filipino Orthopedic Surgeons were brought by to work here in the US.

And luckily, it's just 30 minutes away from the De Leon Residence.

I also checked the hospital's background and the doctors I can collaborate with for this kind of case.

There are Filipino surgeons na pwede kong makausap one of these days to help me in Bea's injury.

I also had researches about Bea's Stable Fracture, which is a little bit easy to cure and her Comminuted Injury which is very hard to handle. Idagdag mo pa that she might have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder because of the way she acts. Hayyy. I think I'll be needing a Psychologist for this.

Nagpaka-busy ako sa laptop ko when I again heard a knock from the door.

"Yes, Nay Tere?" I said when I saw that it's nay Tere.

"Breakfast is ready na, iha. Hindi ka pa ba bababa?"

I looked at my wrist watch and saw that it's already 8:30 in the morning.

"Ay oo nga po nuh? Nakalimutan ko na rin pong mag-almusal dahil medyo marami pong ginagawa." napakamot na lang ako sa ulo.

"Gusto mo bang dalhan na lang kita ng makakain dito sa kwarto mo?" Alok nito.

"Ay hindi na po Nay, ahm, bababa na lang po ako. Aayusin ko lang po saglit yung mga gamit ko." I said and she nodded.

"Sige."

Pagkaalis ni Nanay Tere, agad ko namang in-off ang laptop ko at kinuha yung brown envelope para sana ibalik ang mga files sa loob nito ng biglang may nakita akong nahulog sa envelope.