Villain's Chance

CHAPTER 05 - The Day She Knew

FEBRUARY 2016

"So, ikaw si Emma Contez?" Tanong ko sa babaeng kaharap ko. I feel really bad today but I still chose to go on with this interview dahil in need talaga ako sa tao. I need to hire people as soon as possible so I can get everything working.

"Yes po!" Energetic niyang sagot.

Tinignan ko ang resume niya. She's 20, a year younger than me. She graduated noong 2015 from a 2-year vocational education. She's totally a fresh grad. Sinulyapan ko siya sandali tapos ay agad na bumalik sa resume niya. She seems very enthusiastic. Maybe I could really use her.

"Tell me about yourself." Sinimulan ko ang interview ko sa kaniya.

"I graduated from Silver College with a 2-year vocational course of Fashion Design." Panimula niya. "I have no real work experience, but I'm known as a hard worker."

Tumango-tango ako. "So what is your reason for applying?" Tanong ko.

"It is my goal to join in this line of work." Maikling sagot niya.

Makes sense. "But why here? Bakit hindi sa mga malalaking fashion company? As you know, nagsisimula pa lang ako." Mapanuring tanong ko.

"I believe that you don't need to go to well known companies to make your works known. Kung talagang magaling ka, kahit saang company ka pumunta, you will succeed, because success belongs to no one." Pahayag niya and I can't help but to stop for a moment. This girl is good. She's competent and what's more than that, we share the same views.

I sighed. "When will you be able to start working?" Tanong ko na ikinatunganga niya. "Po?" Tanong niya.

"What are you looking at? Akala ko ba hard worker ka?" It seems that she still hasn't grasp the situation.

"T-tanggap na ko?" Hindi makapaniwala niyang tanong.

"Miss Contez, I don't like repeating myself." I tell her.

Napatakip siya sa bibig niya sa tuwa at napasigaw pa ng "yes!" I shake my head. We might share the same opinions, but she's too energetic for me to handle. "Just know that you'll be working for the position of designer and secretary, since my business is seriously short on people." Pahabol ko sa kaniya.

"Yes, that's fine for me!" Masaya niyang sagot.

Humigop ako ng frappe na in-order ko para sa'min bago nag-umpisa ang interview, which I shouldn't have done. Sumasakit na naman ang sikmura ko. This won't do, I need to go home. I'm feeling worse. Tumayo ako but it felt like gravity was gone for a second, then I finally managed to get a tight hold of myself.

"Ma'am, okay lang po kayo?" Alalang tanong ni Emma.

I nodded. "Yes, I'm fine." Pilit kong sagot. "I'll call you again later. I'll look forward to work with you, miss Contez." Kasabay n'on ay ang pag-abot ko ng kanang kamay ko sa kaniya. I really don't know what's going on with me these days.

"Thank you ma'am Aleeza." Pagkaabot niya ng kamay niya sa'kin ay hindi ko na napigilan ang kaliwang kamay ko na mapahawak sa lamesa. Everything's so hazy pero hindi ko napalampas ang pag-aalala sa mukha niya. It's not befitting for someone who owns a business to show a weakness in front of their employees but I can't help it. "Okay... Okay lang--" Hindi ko na natapos ang sasabihin ko dahil naramdaman kong bumagsak na ko sa sahig.

"Ma'am! Ma'am Aleeza!" Narinig ko pa ang sigaw ni Emma, then everything went black.

From black to white, that's how I wake up. Mula sa madilim na kawalan, papunta sa puting kisame ng ospital. Kumpara kanina, okay na ko at para bang hindi ko naramdaman ang mga naramdaman ko kanina.

Nilibot ko ang tingin ko at sa kanan ay may matanda na nakasuot ng puting coat ang may kausap na nurse at mukhang napansin ng kausap niya na gising na ko. "Doc, gising na po siya." Bulong niya sa matanda kaya naman lumingon ito sa'kin. Bumangon ako. "Miss Aleeza Montez." Tawag niya sa pangalan ko. " I'm Ronaldo Salvatore, ang doktor na in charge sa'yo." Pakilala niya. Umupo siya sa stool na nasa tabi niya para mas makausap ako ng mas maayos. "How do you feel?" Tanong niya.

"I'm okay." I honestly answered.

He nodded and then looked at his charts. "Do you frequently faint, miss Montez?"

"Hindi naman. But I am anemic, so minsan talaga nahihilo ako." Sagot ko.

He nodded again. "Do you frequently feel full these days kahit na konti lang ang kinain mo?" Sunod na tanong niya.

I stopped and think. "Yeah." Wala sa sarili kong sagot.

"Do you also feel abdominal pains, or walang ganang kumain?" Tanong niya ulit.

I nodded. "Yes." Now that he mentions it, I experience that quite frequent these past months. "Is something wrong?" Nag-aalalang tanong ko. He's asking me all of this, that means he already knows something.

"While you were out, we conducted some tests on you and we found something." Paliwanag niya tapos ay ibinigay sa kaniya ng nurse ang isang tablet at ipinakita sa'kin ang isang picture. "This is your X-ray results." Panimula niya. "Now, do you see this part here," tinuro niya ang part kung saan kung hindi ako nagkakamali ay ang sa sikmura ko. "We have found a tumor."

Nabigla ako sa sinabi niya. It's like something I hear from movies but I cant imagine happening in real life. "Don't worry, it's not life threatening at the moment." Sabi ng doktor sa'kin nang mahalata niya na pang kinakabahan ako. "Buti na lang at nadala ka dito ngayon, that's why we're able to find it right away." Paliwanag niya para gumaan ang loob ko. "I suggest that you should take on a couple of tests so we can get a specific and better diagnosis. After that, then we can identify what's the best treatment for you."

"Wait, wait." Pigil ko sa kaniya. I just want to ask this and get a clear answer. "Are you saying that I have cancer?" Tanong ko.

"It's possible." He answered. "That's why we need to do more test, so we can have a clear diagnosis."

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Author-san's Corner

I'm not a med student kaya pagpasensyahan nyo na kung may mga mali sa information ko. Hahaha.

At kung meron nga, please inform me. X3