Dahan-dahan ang lakad ko patungo sa kwarto ni Pog. Bago ko binuksan ang pinto tinignan ko pa ang pangalan sa pinto.

Peter Michael Go

Wow. Michael pala ang lolo mo... I slowly opened the door. It was 10:00 in the morning, he could still be asleep. Que Horror!!!!!!!! May babaeng nakaupo sa may kama ni Peter Michael Go. She was sleeping. She had her head on Peter Michael Go's bed. Matandang babae na sha. Sino kaya ang taong to? Wala namang kamaganak si Pog dito ah. Tumingin ako kay Pogie... Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! 40 years old na siya...

MALING KWARTO!!! Sabi ko na hindi naman Michael si Pog eh... Kaya nga P.O.G. eh...

Pumunta ulit ako sa nurse's station and tinanong ko kung anong room number ni Pog. So eto nanaman... The walking-slowly-carrying-a-big-basket-full-of-crap bit. Kumatok na ako sa room this time. Binuksan ng kid sister ni Pog ang pinto.

"Gaye che-che!!" Biglang hug sakin si Pog (smaller version kasi ni Peter). Fine, fine, Patty ang pangalan niya... Let's refer to her as Patty. "Tagal ka na namin hinihintay eh!"

Chumika ng chumika ang bata... The whole time di ako makatingin kay Pog. Si Patty lang ang tinitignan ko na para bang siya ang dinalaw ko sa ospital. Haha! Nahihiya ako kay Pog... Alam ko na nakatingin siya sakin and it was killing me. Parang yung feeling ng mga babae sa novels ni Judith McNaught kapag tinititigan sila nung lalake habang nagsasayaw sila sa great ballroom sa mga parties and soirees ng society. Yung tipong feeling mo natutunaw na yung buong katawan mo sa titig niya.

(Natalie Imbruglia: "Put that face away, I'm melting for you...")

Tapos dumating bigla yung huanapu nila para sunduin si Patty. May tennis lessons pa kasi ang bata... Sheeeeeet!!! Dississit!!

"O bat di ka makatingin?" sabi ni Pog with a weak smile.

Finally, tuminigin na ako sa mukha niya. It was horrible. Hahahaha! Hindi naman, pero kasi may mga sugat siya sa may left side ng mukha niya. Tapos dun sa may left cheekbone niya may plaster. Then his eye (left) was red kasi nung natusok siya ng glass tumagos hanggang sa mata. Buti nga hindi siya nabulag eh.

"Shet!" Was the first word I said. "Two-face!" was the second.

Tawa ng tawa si Pog and that sort of broke the silence. Pinapunta ako ni Pog sa tabi niya and humiga ako and niyakap siya. He told me what happened to him and I told him what happened to me and why I couldn't see him the past week. He said he thought still mad about the book.

"Hello!!!" I said. "Hindi naman ako ganon kababaw noh?"
"Malay ko ba!" He yelled back. "Sorry nga pala tungkol doon ah... Promise, once I get out of here I'll buy you that love book."
"Ano ka ba Pog," I rolled my eyes. "Kalimutan na natin yon!"
"Hindi, I made a deal with God eh," he said, I was still lying beside him. Suddenly, I couldn't look at him again. "I told Him he'd have to let me live and see you again just so I could buy you that book..."
"In exchange for what?" I asked.
"If He did," he continued, "I'm going to apologize to my parents."

WOW!!!

"Gagawin mo ba talaga yon?" tanong ko.
"Well, mukha namang He's keeping His end of the bargain eh," tawa si hayop. "And sisimba na tayo every Sunday ah?"
"Kapal mo ako lagi ako nagsisimba, ikaw lang naman ang demonyo eh," I said pinching him.

Well it turns out something good did come out of this whole experience. Ang lalakeng di nagsisimba at may fued sa kaniyang pamilya ay nanumbalik ang peace with the Lord and with his family...

Yun lang. Bow.