Snicker & Tears

60: December Heals

"Time is fast, isn't it?" Paul asked Sierra as they walked out of their building. "Parang kahapon Intrams lang tapos next week Christmas Party na? Real quick."

Sierra was silent.

"May napili ka na bang contest na sasalihan?" Paul asked.

Sierra didn't answer again.

"What if we joined Dance-Duo?" Paul asked again though the one he talks was very quiet. "Sayawin natin ulit yung sinayaw natin sa PE? What do you think?"

Sierra fastened her walk and left Paul.

"Luh?" Paul said, wondering. "Ingat! Buh-bye!"

When Sierra returned home, she went straight to the living room and approached the piano covered with cloth on top of it. She removes it and immediately fingers on the piano as she sits on chair ahead of the musical instrument. After a few hours of practice, she fell asleep.

•••••

Last day of the Christmas party, she joined the Music Fest and competed in the Piano category. She played the song- "Kundiman / Silent Sanctuary" and as she played the piano, on every note she hit she remembered Spencer.

"Aha! Parang 'yong kanta!" Spencer said and left a hand on the steering wheel. He took the cellphone out of his pocket and searched for the song he was referring to. He played the song-- "Kundiman / Silent Sanctuary".

He handed Sierra his cellphone and held it while listening to the song.

"A, 'yan! 'Yung kanta ng Silent Sanctuary! Na na na... asukal... na na na... mong magmahal..." Spencer said singing the song with missing lyrics and holding his hand in his steering wheel. "'Di ba?"

"Oo, gano'n nga." The girl answered when the song was heard and Spencer was right, the song was made with figures of speech.

"'Yon lang pala, e!" Spencer said happily that he could finally think no more about what the figure of speech meant. That would have helped him make a good poem.

Sierra ended up performing and applauded as she was the winner of the competition.

After that she left the performing stage and got in the car when she went outside the school.

Sierra silently watches the not tinted window of the car she was riding. She was in the backseat and sat listening to music from the car radio- "Huli Na Ang Lahat / Silent Sanctuary".

"You okay, dear?" asked Doc Cleto who was driving the car and was with his wife Sheramay at the front seat. Sierra just nodded at her father.

Five months have passed and the month of December is now. Sierra was able to continue her life with the help of her father Doc Aries Cleto who was eventually forgiven. While Sierra was studying, she was on and continued her treatment. Doc Aries Cleto, helping her daughter improve its condition, Sierra underwent various therapies such as insight-oriented psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and SAD Light Therapy. Sheramay- Sierra's mom, is feeling well now too, and is able to speak after undergoing treatments with the help of her psychiatrist husband.

In the middle of their trip Sierra remembered the night she attempted suicide and his dad, Doc Cleto, talked with her.

"Umalis ka na! Just leave!" Sierra shouted. "GET OUT!"

"I know you are like that because of your friend Spencer," said Doc Aries Cleto. "I heard what happened to Spencer and I know you are blaming yourself."

Sierra looks at the man who is still standing not leaving.

"I've known that kid for a long time, I am friends with his mother Guianna and I am very close to Spencer," Doc Aries Cleto longed to continue talking. "The day you bumped on Spencer, I was with him and you saw me, right? That day, I told him about you and your condition."

***
"Kilala ko siya. Naging pasyente ko siya dati at sa pagkakaalala ko she is a person with SAD disease. Seasonal Affective Disorder." The doctor said as he looked at Spencer's curious face.

"They are people who feel good and are normal during the summer or dry season where they acquired great amount of sunlight but they tend to get depressed or low energy during periods when there is not much sunlight available, like rainy seasons."
***

"And he told me, he didn't want you to be sad because of SAD disease, he said he would make you happy."

***
"That's too bad, grabe naman pala yung sakit na 'yan, Doc! Ayoko maging sad ang kaibigan ko dahil sa SAD, let me take care of her. And when she's fine, babalitaan kita agad. No need to worry, Doc." Spencer made a promise to Doc Cleto he was still talking with.
***

"I was happy with what he said, so I told him to do everything to make you happy. I know he's a good kid and he'll be nice to you, so I entrusted you with him as I look for the timing of how to talk to you, come back, and apologize to you."

***
"Oh, that's great. Mabuti 'yan, Peng! All right, promise me you will make her happy." Doc Cleto smiles saying those words as if he strongly agrees with Spencer's opinion.

"Areglado, Doc! That's just a piece of cheese to me!" Spencer said audaciously.
***

"He always talks about a friend..."

***
"Doc, alam mo, may tropa akong weird." Spencer's introduction to his old friend Doc Cleto. He is now at the doctor's clinic because he visited it.

"How weird?" asked Doc Cleto. The doctor is sitting on his gray swivel chair and placed both hands on the top of his table.

"'Yong para bang gumiginhawa ang pakiramdam niya kapag nakakapanakit siya ng iba or nakikita niyang nasasaktan ang ibang tao..."

"A feeling of enjoyment when you saw someone failed... is that what you mean?" Doc Cleto asked again and stopped working on the papers so he could look at Spencer.

Spencer nodded.

"Schadenfreude person..." replied Doc Cleto who had withdrawn then continued writing. "I think you're friend's being Schadenfreude..."