Chapter 3: Three
PART THREE: DIANE
"Are you sure you are alright working right now, Diane. You just came home and you are now working." My father said worryingly.
We are in the car going to the hospital. Since it's still early wala pa masayadong traffic. Hindi alam nina Hellen at Michael na nasa work na ako kasi tulog pa sila noong bumangon ako.
I'll make it up to them for lunch. It's not nice to walk out of your children while sleeping, specially if I am their only parent.
"Yes papa, it's fine." I gave him a reassuring smile. "Wala naman akong magawa sa bahay. That's why I need to work. I didn't go to Oxford just to study you know."
Papa chuckled. "I know."
The car enters the hospital and Manong Iseng parks the car in front of the hospital entrance. Papa and I got out of the car and scan our fingerprints in the Biometric Fingerprint Scanner.
"Dianne Dominique!" My father called my attention. I raised my eyebrow.
"Mauna kana sa opisina mo. May kunin lang ako sa clinic." Dad said while gesturing a nurse to come.
"Sure." I nodded.
"Good Morning Dr. De Villa."
As I pass by, everybody in the hospital greets me with the widest smile they have. I didn't see this hospital for two years. I was the Surgery Department of De Villa General Hospital and right now I still am. My mother is the substitute Surgery Department Head and since I am here I am the head now.
I enter my office, not the office in Surgery Department but the office beside the Director's Office, my father's office.
The sweet vanilla aroma enters my nostrils. The same fragrance I use, as always, but somehow the vanilla aroma in my office is something I didn't smell for a long time. Feels like home. I smile and put my bag on the table.
"Looks the same way you left it, ey."
I turn around to see my father standing in the door post.
I small laugh escapes my mouth. "Lo es. La misma fragancia, los mismos libros, la misma pintura, el mismo todo".
"Y con eso estoy feliz. Es bueno que estés en casa, hija". Dad gave me a pat on the shoulder.
"Es lindo estar en casa, papá".
Dad darts his eyes around the room and turn to me. "Quizás quieras deshacerte de algunas de tus cosas. Las que más te molestan".
Desecha algunas cosas. I don't understand, everything that is inside this office is very special to me. What does my father mean 'disponer algo que me molesta'. I wear the most confused face in my life.
"No entiendo. ¿Qué quieres decir?"
Dad walks around the room. "Mira a tu alrededor, Diane. Especialmente tu escritorio, desecha algo que ya no necesitas".
I did what my father said and spotted a lot of pictures of David and me. I finally get why dad said 'dispose thing you don't need'. I took out the pictures from the frame and throw them in the trash bin.
"Le diré al mantenimiento del hospital que queme esos más tarde, ahora tenemos nuestras rondas".
"Sí, sí, eso sería genial.."
We walk out of the office to do our rounds.
"Let me be the first to welcome you back on your first day Dr. Dianna Dominique Xiao De Villa. Welcome back Chief." Dr. Robert said giving me a salute and the room fills with applause.
After my rounds the doctor in Surgery Department gathered for a meeting to formally welcome me back as Head or Chief of Surgery Department.
"Welcome back, Doctor." My friend Lucy Gomez greeted me.
"Well, It's nice to be back." I took a seat on my desk.
First day pa lang sa ospital, marami na akong gagawin. May dalawang operasyon ako ngayon at maraming akong pasyente. Work, simple definition for this word is busy.
I open my computer and immediately saw an unread message from my father. What could it be? Is it something urgent or useless. My father often sends me messages that is sometimes not relevant. Me and my sister used to hate it but we just laugh it out.
1 unread message from: Manuel Martin Fatima - De Villa [manueldevilla@jaguarempire.com]
Meet me in my office after your surgery.
Oh, so he used his other email address. The company email address from Jaguar Empire Marketing. I think I need to go to Jaguar Empire tomorrow, third day in the Philippines. So many things to do, so many people to see.
I send a message to him.
To: manueldevilla@jaguarempire.com
Fr: dominiquevilla@jaguarempire.com
Alright, I'll come. Don't time me because I have a lot of food on my plate.
Everything is really calm here is De Villa General Hospital. I remembered the last time I worked here things were chaotic, miracles do happen especially if you've just arrive in your home country.
I massage my head. I must admit doctor life in not a joke. It may be your first day but you are absolutely drenched with work. Bothers, I might stay here for a night shift since I have a lot of patients to handle. Must make it up to Michael and Hellen. They must think their mommy might not care for them.
"Hey, Dominique are you alright you seem to be under the weather. What's wrong?"
I look to see my friend putting a cup of tea in my desk.
"You do remember that I hate coffee. It upsets my stomach." I reminded.
She gets the cup of coffee and put it in her desk. "Oh well, I guess that's mine then."
We both chuckled.
I don't remember when does it feel to have a friend because, as a matter of fact, I didn't treat the doctor back in Canada as friends but as colleagues and acquaintances. I don't normally get close to the people I don't know for too long. Gladly, I have two friends, Lucy and Miranda.
Lucy and I are doctors while Miranda is the Marketing Head of our company Jaguar Empire Marketing. The three of us started as enemies but eventually because friends.
"So, how are you. I miss you so much. Hindi mo sinabi sa akin darating ka for Christmas." Lucy said.
I smiled. "I didn't come here for Christmas. Yes, it's December but I'm not here for that holiday. Okay."
"I'm still guessing that you are here for Christmas, though."
"Stop kidding and go to work."
Lucy clicked her tongue. "Yes, chief."
I was going to say something to Lucy when a nurse bursts into the door of Surgery Department. Okay, pause, lemme guess, emergency, I know.
"Doctors! Grave news!" The nurse panicked. "Doctor Escudero just has a heart attack when treating his patient."
Yep, I literally knew that was coming. All the doctors in the room started chit-chatting. Alright, hang on a minute, this is not what a professional doctors act like, when an emergency comes. Act fast.
"Hey!" I called everyone's attention by bagging my palms on my table. Each of them stop talking and look towards me.
"This is not how doctors act like!" I scowled and they look at me with guilt on their faces. "Escudero had a heart attack and we need to help him.
I turned to the nurse. "Did you admit him?" I asked.
She nodded. "We put him in a room."
One of my expertise is solving a problem when in comes. My father taught me that, strictly and thanks to him I know how to handle problems like an Albert Einstein. The nurse gave me the chart.
Oligodendrogliomas, a common type of brain tumor and it's a grade two brain tumor. Lucy and Dr. Edwin can take care of that, they are Neurologists anyway. Me and Dr. Jade can take care of Frederiko Escudero.
"Okay. Doctor Gomez and Doctor Tumanguil will be the ones who will taking care of Escudero's patient while Magpantay and I will be taking care of Escudero."
The two neurologist gets the chart from my hand and went on their way. Meanwhile, me and Magpantay went to Doctor Fred's admission room. We knocked at the door and saw the weak body of the doctor in.
"Hey, old friend how are you doing?" I sat down the chair beside the bed.
"Can't say that I am good but I will be, I don't want to quit my job as a doctor. I still wanna live, De Villa." He said.
"How long?" Dr. Jade asked.
"For as long as I can live." The old man answered.
Can't blame you though. Everyone wants to love for along time but the truth is, we can't. That is why people always say 'Live life while you can', in your case you're gonna live. You still have patients to treat and opportunities to achieve.
"You know very well that it's not your first time having this kind of situation," said Jade. "You've been working so hard."
The old man just silently sigh.
"I know that but I still want to work. I want to show to my daughter Emily that being a good doctor is about having perseverance and determination."
"I have you know, perseverance and determination are synonyms. They are of the same meaning but nice example you give to your daughter." I said.
Dr. Escudero was going to say something when the sound of the pager interrupted him.
Paging Doctor Dominique De Villa, please proceed to the Director's office. Doctor De Villa, please proceed to the to the Director's office. Thank you.
What is it now, I thought he wanted to see me after the surgery. And right now is not after the surgery. Maybe it's something urgent.
I stood up and look at the two doctors.
"I better get going the—my father doesn't want—waiting."
"It's nice of you to invite us for lunch, Dominique." Randa said.
I invited both of my friends for lunch at the mansion. My twins would be thrilled to see their godmothers that will be great so that they won't ask. Where the world in the world is their daddy. It's obvious that he is with his girlfriend, enjoying his life with his new family, perhaps. And pretty sure he is in the same ground as our cuz what I've heard from his secretary in Canada is "Madame, sir David is not here anymore. He is in the Philippines."
"Well, the twins would like to see their ninang after a long time. I said. 'They probably miss you."
"I'm gald that they didn't asked for David." Lucy said. "For sure they would be sad that they didn't see their biological father."
That shut me up. Yes, the twins searched for their father, they even pleaded me if they could see David and how will I know where the hell is he when I don't even know where he lives. I know very well that he is not living with his parents and sister in their mansion, he likes to live in his own roof especially if they are not in good terms right now.
As a matter of fact, after our divorce the relationship between David and his family went downhill. My in-laws--I mean ex in-laws said that David was shameless for cheating on me. I'm glad that they are on my side but they are not my family anymore and because of that I didn't agree on shared custody with Hellen and Michael. At isa pa, alam ni David na makasaliri ako. Ibig sabihin ang akin, akin lang.
A few minutes lates, we arrive at the mansion and just as I expected, Manang Fe prepared in front of the mansion's swimming pool as always. I miss this kind of lunch, noong kasal pa ako palagi nalang kami nag-order nangg pagkain and that's not good, it's fast food. Don't get me wrong, I seriously love meat but meat causes diseases if you eat them so much. That's why I prefer vegetables over meat. A balanced diet in particular.
"Mommy!" The twins ran up to me and gave me a huge hug.
"Hey gemelos, cómoestas." I gave them a tight hug. "¿Te portabas bien cuando mamá estaba en el trabajo?Hey gemelos, cómoestas. ¿Te portabas bien cuando mamá estaba en el trabajo?Hey gemelos, cómoestas. ¿Te portabas bien cuando mamá estaba en el trabajo?"
They nod their heads. Alam ko naman na palaging behave ang mga anak ko kasi nagmana sila ni mommy. Maliban na ang kanilang mukha. They totally look like David, like no joke pero at least may sa akin naman. Unfair naman kung kay David sila lahat nagmana kahit ang ugali sa kanya.
"Hola, Hellen y Michael." I turned around to see Lucy and Miranda spreading their arms to hug the twins.
"Tinang Lucy!" / Tinang Randa!"
The twins ran to their godmothers and gave them both a hug. This is a much better sight than them meeting David. I know what the twins feel to not see their dad but it's for the good. Can't blame me for hating David so much.
I sat down in the chair and signal at them to come sit with me. The breeze of this side of the house where the swimming pool is located is the best place to eat your lunch or spend time with some friends or even your family.
I remember not once but always, daddy usually meets with his colleagues or any company partners or doing some shenanigans—here in this spot where we are going to eat. It has a nice view of the living room, swimming pool and the light of the sun.
"Mommy, what is this food?" Hellen asks pointing the soup with fish in it.
I pointed back. "Oh, that. That's sinigang. It's for Tinang Miranda because she is diabetic."
Yes, Miranda is diabetic. She was diagnosed with diabetes when she was just 10-years-old. Her uncle is also diabetic so I bet my medical degree that it is genetic.
"Hindi mo kailangan na sabihin sa mga bata na diabetic ako. Sabihin mo lang na ayaw mo nang isda."
I fold my arms and look at her disbelief.
"Alam na nila na away ko nang isda pero hindi nila alam na may diabetes ka." I said.
"I also don't like fish. It's gross." Michael looks at the sinigang in a gross manner.
The adults chuckled.
"So let's eat. I am starving." I said while digging up my food.
"Mommy, you said that you need to pray before you have to eat."
I stop eating and and do the Sign of the Cross and the others do the same thing. By the way, talk about getting lectured by your own child.
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