30 Days with Fina by JellOfAllTrades

Chapter 24

I felt a nudge on the side of my head and I instantly woke up, feeling alert. I looked at Fina and found her smiling at me.

"May kailangan ka?" I ask her. "Nagugutom ka ba? May oatmeal saka tinapay pa tayo jan. Kung nauuhaw ka ikukuha kitang tubig."

She chuckled. "Nanaginip ka kasi kaya kita ginising,"

"Eh?" I wondered out loud. I don't remember any dreams. I just felt a nudge and I woke up. "Di naman ako nananaginip eh."

"Umuungol ka kanina lang," Fina said, seriously. "Okay ka lang?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I rubbed my eyes awake. "Ikaw? May nararamdaman ka ba?"

"Okay lang ako." She smiled, reaching for the Rubik's cube beside me. "Tulog ka na ulit."

"Hindi na, gising na ako eh."

"Okay. Turuan mo na lang ako. Paano na ulit yung second layer?"

I adjusted my seat closer to her bed and held the Rubik's cube in her hand. Looking at the colors of the second layer to figure out where she's having trouble.

"Hindi ko mapapunta tong yellow dito sa red." She pointed out the colors.

"Alala mo pa yung steps? Down, right, up, down, left, up, down, left, up?" I instructed, showing the steps on the cube.

Fina nodded and smiled brightly at me when I did what she wanted to do. "Pwede din yun sa kaliwa diba? Mirrored nga lang?"

"Yup,"

For the next few minutes, I watched Fina's reactions as she moved the faces of the cube to solve the second layer. We managed to do the first layer earlier this morning. Fina is a fast learner and we're already working on the second layer by late afternoon although she keeps on forgetting the steps when she takes a nap.

"Kanina ka pa ba gising?"

"Medyo," Fina yawned. "Nabobore na nga ako dito sa hospital."

I looked around the room to find anything that can interest her and saw Mrs. Romulo's Bible sitting at the foot of Fina's bed. I reached for it and flipped its pages.

I stopped at Exodus and read the first line that caught my attention, it says:

He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who heals you."

I snorted, not believing it. Because if this was real, then Fina wouldn't be lying here on a hospital bed.

"Hoy, anong binabasa mo jan?" Fina nudged at me.

"Wala," I put the Bible down.

Fina reached for the Bible and browsed it.

"Fina?" I called her attention. She turned towards me and smiled her cheery smile. "Can you tell me a story?"

"Anong story?"

I shrugged. "Anything. Pwedeng tungkol sa'yo or nabasa mo. Basta magkwento ka para di tayo mainip."

Fina thought about it for a moment and then she smiled when she figured out what to tell me.

"Alam mo ba yung story ni Jacob at Rachel?"

"Am I supposed to know them?" I ask, wondering.

"Nasa Bible sila."

"Nope. Never heard of their story." I answered. "Alam mo namang hindi ako nagbabasa ng Bible eh."

"Okay, sige. I'll tell it to you by memory. Baka antukin ka pag binasa ko from the Bible eh."

"Good point." I chuckle.

"Okay, the story goes like this. Si Jacob ay napunta sa lugar nila Rachel kasi hinahanap niya yung kamag anak nila doon. Habang nagtatanong siya, people pointed out to Rachel na umiigib ng tubig sa balon."

"Meaning to say kamag-anak niya si Rachel?" I ask.

"Pinsan ata? Ganon."

"Incest!" I chuckle again but stopped when I saw Fina's annoyed look. "Okay, go on."

"Nung nakita ni Jacob si Rachel, na-love at first sight siya kaya nagpakitang gilas siya by pushing the well cover single-handedly."

"Mabigat yun noh?"

"Pwede ba, wag kang singit ng singit!" Fina pinched my nose. "Ang kulit mo!"

"Aray ko naman eh!" I leaned away from her. "Bawal mag-comment?"

"Walang kwenta kasi yung tanong mo, ano ba yan." Fina rolled her eyes at me. "Akala ko ba matalino ka?"

I laughed at Fina's reaction. "Nagpapatawa lang po. Ang seryoso mo eh. Kwento ka na ulit."

"Ayoko na," She turned away from me.

"Sige na, please?" I pouted, trying to look pitiful. But Fina just laughed at me and even pinched my nose again.

"Di bagay sayo."

"Magkwento ka na. Di na ako sisingit, promise!"

"Psh. Nakalimutan ko na kung asan na tayo,"

"Nasa hospital po," I answered. Fina glared at me so I smiled. "Tinulak na ni Jacob yung well cover single-handedly."

"Wag ka na nga magpatawa, baka masapak kita eh."

"Aba, nahospital ka lang nananapak ka na? Anong nangyari sayo Fina?"

She just stuck out a tongue at me. But I knew she's just joking. She would never do anyone any harm so punching me will never happen.

"Kwento ka na," I urged her.

"Nung umuwi si Rachel, kinwento niya sa tatay niya yung nangyari sa may balon. Nagmadali si Laban, yung tatay niya na puntahan si Jacob at dun na sa bahay nila pinatira. Naging bisita nila si Jacob ng isang buwan at sa panahon na iyon, lalong nainlove si Jacob at Rachel sa isa't isa."

I nodded, internally struggling because I wanted to ask who would name their son 'Laban'. But Fina doesn't want me to interrupt her again so I shut up.

"Nung hiningi na ni Jacob kay Laban yung kamay ni Rachel para mapakasalan ito, hindi niya afford yung dowry kasi wala naman siyang pera."

"Wait, what's a dowry?"

"Yun yung ibibigay mo sa pamilya ng babae para pumayag silang pakasalan mo yung anak nila. Parang yun na rin yung bayad mo sa kanila for taking care of her."

I nodded despite wanting to argue that the dowry thing sounds like buying the daughter off her family and that just seems like the daughter is a farm animal you can easily raise and sell. "Okay, go on."

"So, walang pera si Jacob kaya napagusapan nila ni Laban na magtratrabaho para sa kanya si Jacob ng seven years and then after that papayag na siyang ipakasal yung anak niya. Pero noong natapos na yung seven years, dinaya si Jacob kasi ang ipinakasal sa kanya ay yung ate ni Rachel na si Leah."

"Pano niya di nalaman agad yun?" I murmured.

"Kasi may takip sa mukha si Leah noong kasal tapos nalasing din si Jacob." Fina answered, smiling sweetly at me.

"Oh," I nodded, understanding. "So, anong ginawa ni Jacob?"

"Kinausap niya si Laban tapos nagkasundo silang magtratrabaho ulit siya ng seven years para kay Rachel."

"May divorce na noon?" I asked, feeling dumb at the moment.

"Dalawa yung asawa ni Jacob," Fina answered. "Polygamous marriage. Pwede naman yun noon basta afford mong buhayin yung pamilya mo."

I blinked, feeling a slight relation to the story. Though my polygamous activities in Manila are not as serious as Jacob's.

"Ano na sunod na nangyari?" I asked, wanting to know more of the story.

"Wala, yun na yun." Fina replied. "Pero nakailang anak din si Leah kay Jacob samantalang nakadalawa lang si Rachel."

"Minahal ba ni Jacob si Leah?" I asked.

"Not as he loved Rachel."

I nodded. "Okay,"

We stared at the Bible for a few seconds, out of topic to talk about.

"Jell," Fina tapped my hand. "Bakit may singsing ka sa hinliliit mo?"

I touched the small golden ring on my pinky finger and thought sadly about what happened to Mamita and I. "Binigay sakin to ni Mamita noong bata pa ako. Kasya pa to dati sa ring finger ko pero dahil nga lumaki na din ako, sa pinky finger ko na lang sinusuot. Sabi niya binigay daw to sakanya ni Granpa noong bata pa lang sila."

"So family heirloom na siya?"

"Parang ganoon na nga," I agreed. "Noong binigay niya to sakin alam na namin na ako yung gagawin niyang tigapagmana. Ito daw kasi yung regalo sa kanya ni Granpa noong first anniversary nila. Originally, binili daw to ng parents ni Granpa para sa kanya noong bata pa siya, mga ten years old siguro siya noon kaya matanda na rin to noong binigay na niya kay Mamita."

"Antique na pala yan."

I nodded, twisting the ring on my pinky finger.

"Kumusta nga pala kayo ng Mamita mo?" Fina inquired.

I looked away. "I don't really want to talk about her."

"Are you sure?" Fina held my hand. "Minsan kasi mas madali kapag may napagsasabihan ka and you know I'm here for you."

"I know, it's just..." I frowned, not sure how to explain my thoughts. "Ang hirap lang kasi hindi niya ako matanggap and she keeps on doing stuff that isn't really that good. Legal naman pero evil lang talaga."

"Evil is a strong word," Fina noted.

"I know but you can use it on her."

Fina raised an eyebrow at me but I just dismissed it. "Iba na lang pagusapan natin, pwede?"

"Ano namang paguusapan natin?"

"Yung Rubik's cube mong hindi mo pa rin mabuo-buo." I teased her and she just pouted at me.

For the next hour, I taught her how to solve the cube, finally getting to the third layer. After that, I fed her dinner and let her sleep.

Just shortly after Fina fell asleep, her mother came, having just finished her job as a laundry washer. I offered her food but she said she already had dinner.

Mrs. Romulo kissed Fina on the forehead as a greeting and then sat down on her usual chair. I noted the dark circles under her eyes for the days we have spent here in the hospital watching over Fina. And after a hard day's work, she looks so exhausted.

"Mrs. Romulo, okay lang po ba kayo?" I asked her. "Kasi kung pagod po kayo pwede naman po kayong umuwi muna at ako na magbabantay kay Fina."

"Hindi, okay lang ako. Salamat." She smiled wearily at me. "At saka Tita Nani na lang ang itawag mo sa akin. Ang tagal na nating magkasama dito Mrs. Romulo pa rin tawag mo sakin."

"Okay po, Tita Nani." I smiled at her.

Tita Nani gazed at Fina so affectionately I felt like I was invading them or something by just being there with them in the room. With them working so hard to earn money for Fina's treatments, you can really feel how much they love their daughter. Mr. Romulo has been driving around town for two days straight now and I think the only sleep he's had is that few hours he'd visit at the early hours before dawn.

"Pangatlong beses na siyang magce-celebrate ng birthday sa hospital." Tita Nani said, brushing a lock of hair on Fina's cheeks.

"Really? Kelan po ba ang birthday niya?"

"Bukas na," Tita Nani said sadly. "At wala man lang akong maihahanda para sa kanya o kahit regalo man lang."

I thought about it for a moment. I don't really want Fina to spend another birthday in the hospital but I can't do anything about that so why not celebrate here? I have some money saved up in the bank that I can use.

"Parang hindi naman po ako papayag na hindi makapag-celebrate si Fina ng birthday niya. First birthday niya 'to na kasama ako kaya gagawan ko na ng paraan." I announced.

"Anong plano mo?" Tita Nani asked and I saw her eyes twinkle in delight for her daughter.

I asked Tita Nani to go out of the room with me to discuss Fina's birthday in case Fina wakes up and hears our plans for her celebration.

I felt good about myself because not only am I helping Fina but I am clearly making her parents happy too. And maybe I've never been as attached to anyone as needy as Fina but helping her feels like the best thing I've done with my life.

And maybe, she's the best thing that happened to my life, too.

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A/N:

After I post Day 25, matatagalan na yung susunod kong update. Ang gagawin ko kasi isang bagsakan na yung Day 26 hanggang ending para di na kayo mabitin. Baka di niyo kasi kayanin yung mga mangyayari at kuyugin niyo ako para sa susunod na update. HAHAHAHA

Saka check niyo yung FB ko (Jell Esguerra) once in a while kasi pag tumigil na ang ulan at pinayagan na akong lumabas ni mommy, unang una kong pupuntahan yung playground na pinupuntahan nila Fina at Jellane. Pipicturan ko yung place para may idea kayo kung anong itsura ng meeting place nila. Saka pipicturan ko na rin pala si Pong Pagong para sa inyo :3

Ilang araw na ako dito sa Calauag pero di pa ako makagala. Umuulan na nga nagkasakit pa ako. Kinukulong tuloy ako ni mommy sa bahay -____-

Hintayin niyo na lang yung pics ha? Malapit na akong makalabas, promise! HAHAHAHA