Chapter Nine

           “Miss Asia Acosta?”

            She raised her hand when she heard the medical secretary called her name, “Here.”

            The secretary smiled at her, “Doc. Medina’s waiting, Ma’am.”

            Mataman siyang sumunod sa sekretarya, na noon ay pinagbuksan na siya ng pinto. Nginitian niya muna ang babae bago tuluyang pumasok.

            Muntik nang tanungin ni Awa kung tama ba ang napasukan niya, because the room looks nothing like a doctor’s office, it looked more like a lounge area.

             The table was sitting at one cornor of the room, it looked like it has never been seated on for centuries, and it looked like it needed some serious love, too. Tamanng size lang ang mesa, may swivel chair at isang visitor’s chair sa harap. Tanging computer at iilang folder lang ang nakalagay soon at isang desk calendar.

            The highlight of the room was the cushioned Cleopatra chair, facing the glass window with a great view of the sky and the mountains. May isang napakalaking bookshelf sa may left corner, isang pinto naman malapit doon, na hula niya ay para sa banyo. And there was a vinyl record player playing just behind the table.

            She had to give a plus to the bookshelf, because, boy, that looked like a sweet collection of books!

            Bumukas ang pinto sa may tabi ng bookshelf, nagkagulatan pa sila ng binaatang lumabas galing doon.

            “Um…”

            “Oh,” the guy smiled at her self-consciously, “you must be the next patient?”

            “Uh, yes…” she shifted on her heels uncomfortably because the dude keeps on staring at her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you’re still here. Hindi pa ba tapos ang session mo with Doctor Medina?”

            “I―”

            “The secretary said na naghihintay na si Doc, so sumunod naman ako rito, not knowing you’re still here.”

            “I, uh, I’m… the doctor. Apparently.” The guy smiled at her sheepishly.

            She froze on her spot.

            Hindi agad halos rumehistro sa kanya ang narinig.

            “What?” was her smart reply.

            “I’m Doctor Medina,” nahihiyang pakilala ng binata kay Awa.

            She swear, she could actually feel her jaw dropping down to the tiled floor.

            Kahihiyan, Asia Winnessa!

            Gusto nalang niyang lamunin bigla ng sahig na kinatatayuan niya, ora-mismo. She didn’t know how to even look at him now, nahihiya na siyang harapin ang binate.

            She couldn’t really blame herself for accidentally mistaking him for a patient. Sure, even everyone in the medical field is wearing casual attires, but the guy was wearing a short-sleeved polo shirt, a denim pants and a slip-on

            Sino ba naman ang mag-aakalal na doctor ito sa suot nito?

            Definitely not her.

            “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know!” pa-ulit-ulit na yumuko siya bilang paumanhin. For sure, her face is as red as a ripe tomato.

            “That’s okay,” pinigil na siya ng binata nang magtangkang yuyuko ulit. “I don’t mind, ilang beses na rin akong napagkamalang pasyente.”

            “Pasensya na talaga, Doc.”

            Tumango ito bago iminuwestra ang Cleopatra sa kanya. “Please take a sit here…?”

            “Asia, name’s Asia.”

            “… Asia,” tumango-tango ang binata sa kanya. “Upo ka muna saglit, I’ll just get your file.”

            It was Asia’s schedule for her monthly check-up, but it lasted only for a good thirty-minute session, kaya nagpa-book na rin siya ng schedule to a psychiatrist. Her last psychiatrist was transferred into another branch somewhere South, so she had to get herself a new one.

            Her usual check-up with the psychiatrist only happens twice or thrice a year, just to keep her mental health in check. To ensure that she had her mind and her emotions under her control, instead of the other way around. Awa didn’t want to run her company with her mind in total chaos.

            Napa-aga lang ang bisita niya sa psychiatrist this year, dapat ay sa second half ng taon na siya babalik but here she was, embrassing herself in front of her new psychiatrist.

            “You’re an Acosta?”

            “Yes, Doc.” Kinunutan niya ng noo ang doctor. “Why?”

            “Wala naman, just…” bumaba ang tingin nito sa folder na hawak. “I have a friend who’s an Acosta, I don’t know if you guys are related, though.”

            “What’s your friend’s name, Doc., baka alam ko kung sino’ng Acosta ‘yan.”

            “A certain Last Alaine Acosta.” He answered. “Does that ring a bell?”

            Bahagyang nanlaki ang mga mata niya sa narinig. “Last Alaine?” she almost choked the name out. “I definitely know her. She’s my cousin. How’d you know her?”

            “We were on the same block when we were freshmen, nag-shift lang siya ng course kaya hindi na kami naging magka-klase pero magkaibigan pa rin naman kami until now.”

            She remembered. Nag-shift ang magaling niyang pinsan into Customs dahil hirap na hirap daw siya sa Psycho.

            “What a small world.” Ngumiti siya sa binata. “How come I haven’t seen you before?”

            “I’m not… a social animal. I prefer to stay at home most of the time.”

            “For a psychiatrist, that’s quite… ironic.”

            Ngumiti lang pabalik ang doctor sa kanya. “Anyway, shall we start then?”

            “Take it away, Doc. Medina.”

            Surprisingly, Awa’s first appointment to her new psychiatrist had quite been well, if she does say so herself, albeit that embarassing second prior to the official session had made her wish the earth would just swallow her whole.

            She typed in a message for Last:

                        Voltes Five

                        Hindi mo sinasabi’ng may hot ka palang kaibigan, ah?

            Since she took the whole day off for check-up, ginugol niya ang oras para mag-update kahit isang chapter man lang ng on-going story niya sa isang online writing community. She dropped a quick message to her readers before she occupied herself with reading the second book of a fantasy story that made her hooked like crazy.

            When she finally caught up with the lastest update, she immediately contacted the author without second thoughts.

                        Asia

                         MY. GHAD!

                        WHAT IS HAPPENING???!!!

                        BAKIT SIYA DINAKIP ULIT?!

                        NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

            She nearly threw her phone into the wall when she was done reading the latest chapter update, sobrang bitin niya sa nabasa.

            Her phone beeped, madali niyang tiningnan kung sino sa mga chinat niya ang na-unang mag-reply.

            It was Ella. And yes, she asked if she was a she, a him or them. She had to make sure with her pronouns, though.

                        Ella Wp

                        The answer to your question will soon appear

                        as the story progresses HAHAHA kalma!

            Mas lalo ata siyang na-frustrate. The thing about reading a story that is still on-going, it makes you think: what would happen next? The suspense would kill you, that or you’d let your imagination run wild and just really start overthinking the whole thing.

                        Asia

                        But they already have so much in their plates

                        and I’m pretty sure the story isn’t even halfway across

            Tumunog ulit ang phone niya. but this time it was from her cousin, Aye.

                        Voltes Five

                        Aye: my radar detected the word hot

                        Last: huh? Who?

                        Me: @Aye rein your hormones girl

                        Me: @Last ay nakalimut lang?

                        Last: @Aye off-limits friends ko

                        Last: @Asia I have a lot of hot friends, Ate, sino roon?

                        Me: @Last ay iba, sanaol maraming hot friends!

                        Me: @Aye oh kumalma ka gurl

            Napa-iling siya sa nabasa’ng chat ni Aye. She understands that it kind of runs in the family, but in Aye’s case, it seems so… extreme. Parang nagiging addiction na nito ang pakikipag-sex. She’s worried that her cousin might get some virus from having different partners almost everyday.

            Malalim ang buntong-hininga’ng pinakawalan niya bago i-check ang phone na sunod-sunod tumunog.

                        Ella Wp

                        Mahaba-haba pa ‘tong kwento, nagsisimula palang tayo haha

            She gotta admit, writers are cruel sometimes. She could tell because she is one.

                        Asia

                        Can I just say, goodluck to the Guardians!

                        HAHAHAHAHUHU I wish them luck.

                        Sana, from here on out, lagi masarap ang ulam nila char

            Mabilis siyang lumipat ng thread papunta sa group chat nilang magpi-pinsan.

                        Voltes Five

                        Last: sino nga ate @Asia?

                        Aye: @Asia @Last I’m kalma lang kaya hmp!

                        Me: @Last the hot doctor

                        Last: I have three doctor friends, Ate, which one of them did u meet?

                        Me: sosyal ka talaga, pahingi friends!

                        Si, ano, ‘yung si Medina ano ba pangalan nun?

                        Last: ah, si Drew?

                                how’d u even met him?

                        Me:  well, he’s my psychiatrist now since lumipat ‘yung dati ko

                                    Skl hahahahaha

                        Aye: doctor, doctor, I am sick ror

                        Me: @Aye magtigil

After she exchanged a few messages with her cousins and Ella, she scrolled through her F******k newsfeed, accepted a few of friend requests, and shared some funny and inspirational posts to her timeline. She was about to turn her phone off, because it was siesta time, but a notification popped up: You have a new friend suggestion.

            She wouldn’t have minded it, like she always does, but, her hand, as if it has a mind of its own, clicked on the name suggested by Facebok.

            Liam Skye.

            Hindi niya sigurado, pero pamilyar sa kanya ang pangalan. She’s sure she’s heard, or probably read that name somewhere. Hindi niya lang matandaan.

            Before she knew it, she already clicked the Add Friend button.