It was a Friday. I knew there will be a lot of people in RITM so I went there early. When I arrived, I got my number, had my CBC request form stamped with OHAT (to get it done for free), and went straight to the clinical lab for blood extraction.
It was a waiting game after that. I had to wait for the result of the CBC before I could see a doctor and get a prescription. It wasn't my first time in RITM, so I knew that it's likely for me to stay there the entire day, and I was mentally prepared to wait.
That time, ARG was still in one of the rooms at the basement of the building at the back. We were supposed to wait there until our number was called. Perhaps out of boredom, I left ARG and went up to the consultation clinic to follow up on the result of my CBC. I was walking along the corridor when a guy standing in the corner in front of the clinic caught my eyes.
He was not easy to miss, it was a narrow corridor after all. In fact, it was more difficult NOT to notice him. He was wearing a bright yellow, bodyfit t-shirt, and he was using a white jacket to cover his hair and his neck like a scarf. But the jacket was not enough to cover his handsome face, and his tshirt hid little of his toned body and beautiful skin. What a turn on! He was a magnet to my eyes, until I realized that he was also looking at me! Being the snobbish person that I was, I quickly turned my gaze away from him and walked straight into the clinic. After I went out, he was no longer where he was standing, to my disappointment. I didn't see him anywhere even after walking around and back to ARG, so I thought he might have already left. Haay, wala na si pogi.
So I went back to my business of waiting for my CBC result. Boredom kept me moving around. I couldn't stay long inside the ARG waiting area. I'm suplado, I admit, introverted and aloof, and I don't feel comfortable engaging in small talks.
So i went back, again, to the doctor's clinic to follow-up on my CBC. Unfortunately, it still wasn't in. I was about to go out when the door opened, to my surprise: si Pogi! We were right in front of each other, and our eyes met, but the suplado in me took over. I looked away, excused myself, and walked out the door. Torpe!
He went inside the clinic, and I sat down on the benches outside. I told myself I won't lose my sight of him anymore. So I waited. After sometime, I stood, right in front of the door, so that it's me he sees when he goes out.
While I was there, some guys tried to talk to me. I didn't want to be rude, so I entertained them. While I was talking to them, lumabas si Pogi! He saw me, yes, saw me busy chatting with others. Arrrgh! So he went past me and sat at a bench just between the cashier and the pharmacy.
I pretended to ignore him, but kept stealing quick glances. A few guys tried to talk to him where he sat, and he did talk back, but I noticed he was just being nice. I knew because the conversations were short and looked awkward. A few times, I caught him look at my direction, and I wondered, does he like me? I guess there's only one way to find out.
When the last guy talking to him left, I mustered all the kapal ng mukha, and sat beside him. I was very careful. Nahihiya akong madikit sa kanya, but I felt he was waiting for me to make a move.
It took me a few minutes to muster the courage to talk. "Hi, kanina ka pa?" That's how it started. I introduced myself and he told me his name. Let's call him S. We talked, and talked, and talked. I easily got comfortable with him. We talked about our condition, what we do, all the getting-to-know-you drill. And then I felt his arms touch mine. Skin to skin. ODK, we were flirting! I was surprised how fast things went, but I knew the attraction was mutual.
Then his cellphone beeped. He received a text message and as he replied, I knew from the way he texted that it was from someone special. Shet, mukhang taken. I thought, di bale, we can be friends. Besides, I was dating another guy that time. (Dating, yes, but I was still single then.)
We hung out together until I finally got my CBC result. It went down to 130 from 140, but it was still within normal range so I was given three-and-a-half months' refill for zidovudine, along with nevirapine and lamivudine.
I stayed with him even after I was finished. He was still waiting for a companion to finish his business in RITM and he told me I can hitch a ride with them to Alabang.
While waiting, we walked around and went outside, to the hallway going to the canteen. It was raining so we just stood near the steps, and there, the kulitan continued. We started to be touchy, but in a romantic way. It was going well, it felt good. I was happy.
His friend finished his business and went to where we were. Since it was raining, he drove his SUV and picked us up. S was in the passenger seat, while I took the backseat.
I found out that the guy he was with was involved with an NGO that helped pozzies like us, and that this NGO was assisting him. We talked casually during the ride, but the touchy-ness didn't stop. My hand reached for S, and his hands reached for mine. (Imagine this: he was seated in front, while I was at the back. I covered my arms with my backpack so that his friend wouldn't notice.)
It was only a quick ride, full of excitement and kilig. As much as I wanted the ride to last a bit longer, just so I could hold his hands some more, I had to get off in Alabang. They dropped me off in front of Starmall. I said my thanks to him and his friend, and told him I'd text him.
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That's how my friendship with S started - sa kulitan at landian. I knew at the very beginning it won't develop into something deeper, because he was already in a committed, long-term relationship, so I kept in touch with him without expectation.
After the day we met, we would text only occasionaly. Casual kumustahan, casual good mornings and nyties. He doesn't text much, and few in words. But I already expected that, so I didn't stop. But I also tried not to sound too persuasive.
I guess the friendly texts worked because after a few days of trying, I was able to invite him to meet. (I just arrived from Baguio for a vacation then, and what I actually told him was that I brought him peanut brittles as pasalubong. Aaah, the convincing power of pasalubong! Works like a charm.)
We met at Cash and Carry in Makati. This was exactly 6 days after the first day we met. I have two containers of peanut brittle in my backpack, and waited in front of Mercury Drug. After a few minutes, he arrived - kilig na naman ako! He was wearing a ball cap, and was wearing it backwards, which gave him a boy-next-door look.
We strolled around the mall aimlessly, talking about ourselves and our situation. We talked about our meds. He described his pillbox. He talked about his room. He talked about where he lives. He talked and talked and I felt good just listening to him. I knew it, I like him.
We found our way to the foodcourt and decided to have our dinner there. I forgot what I ordered, but I still remember what he ordered: salmon. How can I forget? As soon as we finished dinner, he started to itch and his face reddened! He was allergic to salmon, and he probably didn't know! He decided to go home after that and was in such a hurry, we forgot about his peanut brittles!
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I left for abroad a few days after that "date" and I didn't manage to see him before I go. But we still kept in touch through whatsapp and facebook. But as usual, we only said casual how-are-you's. I was busy then, and he was, well, his usual tamad-magtext self.
I was away for about a month, when a medical emergency occured, forcing me to go home. I was developing blisters in my arms, and I thought it was nevirapine rashes and a call to Dra. Magayanes convinced me to have it checked.
My bosses were very understanding and allowed me to fly back home the following day. I told S about what happened to me, and he got worried. Then I found out he was confined in RITM, getting blood transfusion for anemia.
I visited RITM the following day after I arrived, not just to have my rashes checked, but also to visit S. Then I found out what I had wasn't nevirapine rashes - I had herpes zoster. I also found out, after a CBC, that I was dangerously anemic.
That's a turning point in my life, and perhaps the catalyst to which my friendship with S deepened. S and I were going through the same trials. (I first mentioned S in my blog entry, "False Alarm!")
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Our relationship has developed into something Friendster can only describe as "It's complicated!". We are not officially a couple, but we are. I love him very much, and I never thought I'd feel the same way again after I contracted this disease. I'd like to thank him for coming to my life, for giving me the inspiration I need, for making me laugh and for laughing at my sillyness, for being there when I need someone, for taking care of me, for bringing me to the hospital, for cooking me dinner, for the love, the hugs and kisses, for the understanding, for the honesty, for being my best friend and for being the partner everybody would be wishing for.
Today, he's back in the province. Wala na namang connection sa Internet. I miss him. I miss you. I'll be back home in a few weeks, and there is no one I'm dying to see more other than you.
Today, he's back in the province. Wala na namang connection sa Internet. I miss him. I miss you. I'll be back home in a few weeks, and there is no one I'm dying to see more other than you.
