My mother, being the friendly person that she was, had made a handful of friends while she was confined in PGH. Amidst the stench of death across the ward, a sweet scent of humanity persisted. After all, we are all social beings, despite our physical afflictions. I’ve had made an acquaintance or two during that time.

One day while I was preparing to leave for work, a voice called from behind me. I turned and saw a gaunt woman in her 30s, seated on the bed next to us, nibbling on a pack of wafers.

“Mama mo?” she asked, looking at my mother.

“Opo,” I answered politely.

“Gaano na kayo katagal dito?”

“Mahigit na pong dalawang buwan.”

“Anong sakit ng mama mo?”

Back then this was difficult for me to answer. We had been in the hospital for months on end, but still there was no clear diagnosis for my mother’s condition.

“Hindi pa po namin alam eh. Ina-alam pa po ng mga doctors niya.”

She went silent for a moment until I asked her the same question.

“Kayo po?”

She pointed at her enlarged feet.

“Namamanas yung paa ko, kaka softdrinks ko kasi.”

She had logs for feet. It looked like a pair of glossy sand bags hugging her calves.

“Mahilig kasi ako sa softdrinks. Nakakarami din ako ng bote sa isang araw. Wala kasi akong masyadong ginagawa sa bahay, kaya kain Lang ako nang kain,” she added.

“Noong isang araw pa kami sa ER. Pahirapan talagang makahanap ng bakanteng ward. Buti nalang at naadmit akokaninang umaga dito.”

Tell me about it, I thought.

“Gusto mo?” she handed me a pack of biscuits lying beside her.

“Okay lang po. Kakatapos ko lang pong kumain,” I refused awkwardly.

“Ano po ang gagawin para magamot po yan?”

“Naghihintay pa kami sa sasabihi ni doc. Kaso sabi niya baka kailanganin ko nang magpa dialysis kung patuloy pa rin akog iinom ng softdrinks.”

She took a few more deep breaths before continuing.

“Sa ngayon iniinuman ko lang ng gamot. Titingnan nalang daw bukas kung um-okay.”

“Ahhh,” I nodded.

“Baka mas gumastos pa kami pag natuloy sa dialysis. Wala pa naman kaming pera para dun.”

“Sana nga po hanggang gamutan lang po yang paa niyo,” I told her.

“Kaano-ano niyo po yung bantay niyo?” I asked.

“Anak ng kapitbahay namin. May katandaan na kasi nanay ko, di ako kayang samahan.”

“Asan na po yung bantay niyo?”

“Nasa labas, kumakain ng tanghalian.”

“Aalis ka din ba?” she glanced at my backpack on the bed.

“Opo. May trabaho pa po kasi ako.”

“San?”

“Sa Makati po. Medyo malapit lang po dito. Isang sakay lang ng jeep.”

Striking a conversation with a stranger in the hospital was a pleasant surprise. If I didn’t have work that afternoon, I would have stayed and continued the exchange. But as much as it was a welcomed distraction, a salaried diversion was waiting for me in the office.

“Sige po, alis na po ako. Pagaling po kayo,” I smiled at her as I left the ward.

When I returned the next day, a new patient was sleeping next to mama’s bed. I hope the medicines worked and they were sent home already.