Chess Pieces Aftermath: Gray Sanford

Chapter 12

I was really glad nang dumating si Mrs. Cristobal para sa session n'ya. I was worried when I first saw her. Naka-cast kasi ang kaliwang braso n'ya at halata ang mga sugat sa mukha na papagaling na. But Mrs. Cristobal reassured me that she's okay.

She's been in a car accident. She was driving her way home from work late night dahil nag-overtime sa trabaho. When she was in the intersection, tumigil s'ya para sa traffic lights at hinintay na mag-go sa way n'ya. Pero may isang motosiklo na hindi pa tumigil at humabol pa kahit naka-orange na ang traffic lights sa lane na 'yon. Sumalpok ang motor sa kotse ni Mrs. Cristobal. Mrs. Cristobal tried to control the wheels but failed at sumalpok sa poste.

Hindi gaanong naging malala ang naging lagay n'ya. Her air bag saved her. Pero kinailangan pa rin n'yang mag-stay sa hospital for a week. At ngayon nga ay kinailangan din magpatingin sa psychologist to ensure that she could go back with her daily life if she seems fit already.

Her first session was with Mrs. Esteban bago ang session na 'to. Nag-alala pa ako na baka mahirapan ako kay Mrs. Cristobal pero mabilis s'yang nag-open up. She looked fine pero hindi pa rin ako nagpakakampante. She might be hiding her pain, or her trauma caused by the accident.

"Tell me what you did when you wake up this morning. Everything. Even the little details na natatandaan mo," I said. "So from the moment you wake up until you set your foot inside this room."

Mukhang nag-isip pa muna si Mrs. Cristobal kaya hinayaan ko lang s'ya. I know how random my request is pero kailangan ko 'to para mas maobserbahan pa s'ya. I need to see if there's any changes in her daily life after the accident.

"I opened my eyes," Mrs. Cristobal started. "I woke up, naramdaman ko kasi na gumalaw 'yung kama. I saw my husband getting out of bed. He was heading to the comfort room. Naghintay lang ako. Pagbalik n'ya, tinulungan n'ya kong bumangon. It's hard for me to get up on the bed since I still can't use my left arm properly."

Tumango ako. I took a mental note about that small changes. Sa simula pa lang ng kwento n'ya ay nandoon na ang mga pagbabagong nangyari pagkatapos ng aksidente. She's still not okay.

"He opened the window curtains. Nakita ko na maaraw. Then he helped me to go to the comfort room. Tinulungan n'ya ko sa pagligo... kahit sa pagbibihis. He's the one who picked these clothes for me."

Pareho kaming napatingin sa damit n'ya. She's wearing a light blue longsleeve chiffon blouse na pinaresan ng itim na slacks. She looked comfortable with her clothes. I got the impression na sa mga ganoong damit s'ya komportable. Napangiti tuloy ako.

It was her husband who picked those clothes for her. That shows how attentive he is to her.  He picked clothes that he knows his wife would be comfortable with. He seems to notice little things about her.

If that isn't love, then I don't know what it is.

Mrs. Cristobal continued telling me her routine this morning. I was still observing pero napapansin ko na parang nahihiya s'ya sa tuwing sinasabi n'ya kung paano s'ya tulungan ng asawa n'ya sa pagkilos. She looked like she felt sorry for her husband that he has to help jer with everything. Kahit nang sabihin n'ya na ipinag-drive s'ya ng asawa n'ya papunta dito at naghihintay sa labas na matapos ang session n'ya.

This is one of the issues for trauma patients due to accidents. They felt bad for themselves and for the people around them. They must've thought na nagiging pabigat sila para sa mga taong tumutulong sa kanila. They felt guilty that they've been in an accident kahit hindi naman nila ginusto iyon.

That, and their trauma related to the accidedent. Hindi ganoong detailed ang kwento ni Mrs. Cristobal nang makasakay s'ya sa sasakyan. Wala rin s'yang nabanggit na pinag-usapan nila ng asawa n'ya habang papunta dito. It just shows that she was focusing on herself rather than her surrounding that time. I guess that she was feeling scared as she remembered the accident and was trying to calm herself.