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MAEVIS' POV

Days passed by after that conversation, madalas ko pa ring maisip yung kwento ni Sir Nick at what happened to them. Bakit kaya hindi sila nagkatuluyan?

Nasaan na yung babaeng yun, anong itsura nya?

I am scared dahil bago palang kami ni Eros, I don't know much about him, he is a resident doctor in this hospital and I on the other hand is a nutritionist. Will Eros and I end up together? Will he love me like how Sir Nick love the woman he often talks about?

He doesn't talk bad about that woman, he will always say a lot of praise, and positive things about her, he said she is where she wants to be, that she is happy. At yun ang mahalaga para sa kanya, ang maging masaya yung first love nya.

Lagi pa rin siyang excited kapag naiisip at ikinukwento niya yung babae.

It kinda give me the vibe of right love, right person, but maybe at the wrong time? Sabi nya kasi na late sya eh.

Nagulat ako ng makita ko si Eros sa labas ng kwarto, bitbit ko ang platong pinagkainan ni Sir Nick.

"Hindi na naman niya naubos yung pagkain niya?" Eros asked.

It looks like he just came out from a surgery. Hindi siya ang direktang doktor ni Sir Nick pero he cares about the old man so much, ang sabi nya lang he is like a family to him.

"Oo, I tried pero these past few days mas paunti ng pauti ang food intake nya, dinagdagan nga ni dok yung fluids nya. To be honest Eros, pahina na siya ng pahina." I felt sad telling this to him.

He sighed, tila nag iisip ito ng maigi. Sir Nick must be important for him talaga.

"He will hate me but I will have to let her know." sabi ni Eros

"Huh?" confused kong tanong.

He didn't answer me at iniwan lang akong nakatayo roon.

***

Another two days passed by. Sir Nick, cannot even get out of his bed. He looks so weak. To be honest we are expecting this a long time ago, hindi lahat ng katulad niya ay nagla last long. Minsan, naiisip ko, maybe he is waiting for someone or something kaya nagho hold on sya.

--

I am bringing his lunch for today and as I was about to knock nagulat ako ng bahagyang bukas ang pintuan, sumilip ako at natigil ng may naririnig akong kanta.

'I can wait forever' by Air Supply is playing on the mini speakers on his room.

Iginala ko ang mata ko and my heart sank to see Sir Nick standing, and this time he is not alone. hHe was slowly dancing with a woman that is probably around his age. Tama nga si Sir Nick, up until this age, maganda pa din yung babae. She looks familiar to be honest.

Hindi ko alam pero hindi ko maalis ang tingin ko sa kanila. Ayaw ko sanang makiusosyo pero they looked so good tovether. Is this the woman he was telling me about? His first and only love?

I should feel happy for Sir Nick pero hindi ko alam kung bakit nakakaramdam ako ng kirot? Maybe because somehow, they could've been perfect together?

I bit my lip when I heard Sir Nick, sang the part of the song.

"I can wait forever if you will. I know it's worth it all to spend my life alone with you. When it looked as though my life was wrong."

"Nicholas, you know, you should've told me about your condition, why did you make Eros hide it from me? I should have been here for you, kahit ba man lang bilang kaibigan hindi mo naisip na mag-aalala ako?"

"I don't want you to worry about me, sabi ko naman sayo diba, I will always protect you" sagot ni Sir Nick. He looks so strong and okay now, hindi ko alam pero mas kinabahan ako.

"Nicholas"

"I will protect you from the pain, lalo na kung ako magko cause ng pain na yun sayo"

The woman started sobbing.

"Sssh, it is all right, nandito ka naman na. Yun ang importante"

When they finally stopped dancing, I finally had the guts to come in. I wanted to check in on sir Nick. He's showing signs I don't want to see.

"Oh, Maevis!" masiglang bati ni Sir Nick. He is sitting on his bed and the old woman is sitting on a single couch beside his bed.

"Sir Nick, I brought your lunch po," I told him trying to sound cheerful "Good afternoon po." I greeted the woman.

She smiled and nodded at me. My goodness! Wala man lang halos ka wrinkles-wrinkles! Masasabi mong dyosa ito ng kabataan niya, tama nga si Sir Nick.

"I know you're dying to meet her, here she is now, dahil sinuway ako ng nobyo mo but at least you get to meet her." Sir Nick told me.

The woman looked at me for a moment when Sir Nick mentioned the word nobyo.

I just smiled awkwardly dahil halata ang pagiging chismosa ko rito ngayon.

I was about to offer Sir Nick to eat pero tinaas nya ang kamay nya, dahan-dahan itong humiga, mabilis namang tumayo yung babae to help him lie down.

The woman sat down again, pero this time hindi na binitiwan ni Sir Nick ang isang kamay nung babae.

Nanatili namang nakatuon ang atensyon ng babae sa kanya, she looks so emotional right now. Does she know as well? Is she in the medical field too?

"Are you comfortable?" the woman asked Sir Nick.

Sir Nick nodded, hindi ko alam paano ako magpapaalam sa kanila. It was like I was stuck there.

Ilang minutong nakatitig si Sir Nick sa babae while holding her hand, and the woman couldn't stop herself from crying, pati tuloy ako naiiyak.

He smiled at her and held her hand tighter.

Hindi ko alam pero parang sumikip ang dibdib ko, it was if he was giving her a farewell look.

"Lagi ko itong naririnig sa mga kabataan na nurse rito, at sa tingin ko, gusto kong sabihin sa'yo ito."

"Ang ano?" the woman asked.

"If a multiverse really exists, I hope there is a universe where you became Celestine Snow Montenegro-Buenavista."

Nanlaki ang mata ko. Is she related to Eros? I wanted to ask but the woman started crying harder this time at napansin ko na lang na bumabagsak na rin ang luha ko.

"Wherein, I get to marry you and have our own family. A universe wherein I won't have to wait my whole life just to be with you dahil araw araw kitang kasama. I really hope there is a universe where the both of us are happy together." Sir Nick continued.

"You are such a good man, Nicholas, I am so blessed to be loved by you" the woman said in between her sobs.

"Loving you Celestine, was the best decision I have ever made, and I don't have any regrets on that" he smiled at her. "Don't cry too much for me, my love"

After he said that, he kissed her hand and then he finally closed his eyes.

Sir Nicholas Collin Buenavista, died at the age of 52. He might be single and alone but he loved one woman his entire life and that is a real man right there.