Love Me Like That

Chapter 1

01

"First, fix the expression and features. Madalas hindi na 'yan nabibigyan ng oras. But I have to tell you, that's the most important step before you began the whole process." Our instructor, Dr. Hani said as she stood tall at the center of the embalming room.

"Hindi ba dapat mag-pay respect muna tayo dito kay...sir?" sabi ni Kate sa aking tabi. 

Sa loob ng kwarto, limang team ang nakabilog sa limang mortuary table. And each team is circling a deceased body. 

We've been embalming for a few times now. Parte kasi ng training ang actual execution para makakuha ng license.

"Exactly." I answered. So even before we started, we silently uttered a little prayer. 

After that, Kate was the one assigned to fix the man's features.

"You're lucky, napaliguan na ang mga bodies ng mga embalmers ng hospital earlier. So mag-fo-focus tayo ngayon sa technical process." dagdag ng instructor habang sinisilip ang bawat grupo.

Lumapit ang instructor samin at ipina-alala ang eye caps. Kate reached for it on the surgical tray and inserted some on the man's eyes. 

Importante 'yun para hindi biglang bumukas yung mata kapag nagsimula na naming i-drain ang blood vessels.

I remember the first time we did an actual execution on a deceased body. Kate fucking forgot about eye caps and that brought chills to the whole team. 

Ngayon sanay na sanay na siya sa pag-lagay. She better be, I wouldn't want another nightmare.

We injected chemicals to prepare the body for the aspirator. 

"This is not the first time, but I still get chills when we touch bodies. Ikaw, Minerva? Nasasanay ka na?" Tanong ni Carl na ka-grupo rin namin.

Inangat ko ang tingin sa kaniya pero madali rin namang binawi iyon. We're not supposed to talk and must focus on embalming para hindi magkamali. But these small talks are unavoidable. 

Noong una, akala ko gusto lang talaga nila maging friendly at i-break ang wall sa pagitan naming mga members. But as we get to know and spend time with one another. I realized, those small talks were their ways to stay sane.

Kahit naman kasi gusto namin 'tong ginagawa namin. We're still humans who can feel emotion. 

I went near the aspirator to turn it on before answering Carl. "Well, I still threw up every now and then." sabi ko.

I saw Kate turned to face me and smiled. "That's good. At least alam mong normal ka pa." 

It's a running gag for us. Nagkaroon kasi kami ng instructor noon na siguro sa sobrang tagal sa embalming profession, masyado nang sanay sa mga patay at parang hindi na ma-ingat sa paghawak sa mga 'to. 

Also, he seemed like a perverted old man, I must say.

"I guess so. Ayokong matulad kay manong." I pertained to the old instructor in the past. 

We must value and respect the deceased. Always. We finished the process at ipinasok na muli ang katawan sa morgue cell.

"May shift ka pa ba dito?" Tanong sakin ni Kate habang papalabas sa embalming room. 

I'm in my last year of Med school. Internship na. I didn't quit, thanks to someone...

I just took up classes for Mortuary Science para makakuha ng license. It's just a year of training and hindi rin naman masyadong nangangain ng oras. It's just two times a week, tatlong oras lang din ang ginugugol.