A/N: First of all, this was written in haste over four hours because I was told the deadline was the very next day. Sigh. Oh Ms. Vitug. Special thanks to Timmy who kept me awake throughout the entire ordeal.
BSN 4 – D: CLASS PROPHECY
After a hard day’s work, I sat down on the floor of my apartment, nursing a mug of milk tea with an exhausted smile. I buried my face in my hands, feeling their coolness soothe my tired eyes. I felt my husband sit beside me.
“Long day at the hospital huh?
“Yup.”
“Hey…what’re you smiling about?”
“You wouldn’t believe me dear.”
“Go on, hit me.”
“Well, the person of the year on TIME magazine...she was my classmate.”
“You’re pulling my leg aren’t you?”
“I’m not kidding, she was our class president! She’s always been industrious. I’m sure she’s kept that trait as an ICU nurse. Her tenacity and passion for work must’ve made her a role model for the nurses under her, as the Chief Nurse at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.”
“Many of your classmates work in the US?”
“Take Julia Ibuna for example. She’s now head nurse of the Orthopedic Unit, at the Mayo Clinic too. Pauleen Baltazar works under her; I hear she’s a very effective training officer. Come to think of it, a lot of my classmates ended up working at the Mayo Clinic. There’s Cora Balon who’s the Chief Nurse of the ICU, she’s the lady who franchised 33 branches of Starbucks and holds stocks in some production companies in Hollywood. Julien Lainez works as an ER nurse there. I think I saw her children on TV once, they dance as fantastically as she does. The Head Nurse of their Surgical Intensive Care Unit is Joyce Ann Ilao. She’s also an entrepreneur; she’s opening her own business soon.
Aside from the Mayo Clinic, a lot of my classmates also ended up at the Presbyterian University Hospital of Ivy League schools, Columbia and Cornell. Kristine Zarsaga, co-owner of a string of clubs where you usually spot the hottest celebrities and also a co-founder of the Loother’s Foundation for the Homeless, is on their Board of Directors. Sweet Arianne Abella is the Head Nurse of their Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, she also owns a franchise of Starbucks together with Pamela Albarracin who is the Head Nurse of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and Keithleen Chavez, who works at another hospital, Eisenhower Medical Center as the ER nurse. Lively Stephanie Canlas is the Head Nurse of the Renal Intensive Care Unit.”
My eyes widened and realized that I was yet again, most probably talking my husband’s ears off with all the names of hospitals and positions and numerous achievements. He looked at me and sighed.
“Better out than in. Come on, I know you have to get this out of your system. Women can be such talkative creatures.”
I grinned impishly and continued.
“Ayra Reyes works as an ICU Nurse at the UCLA-San Francisco Medical Center. I’m sure all the persuasion she had to do as our class treasurer helped her to become their Head Nurse. Gaizka Sardoma also works there; she’s one of the most sought-after nurse anesthetists in the US. Melchaedes Namuco works there too, I think she’s shadowing Ayra while the hospital expands its’ ICU, she was trained together with Angeline Lanting at Manila Doctor’s. That’s not all, they all co-own this new fashion magazine, I forgot the name, and you know I have a goldfish memory but it sounded catchy. This fashion magazine is headed by Heather Najarro, the modern day equivalent of Christian Dior, the famous fashion consultant. If I remember correctly, they’re also launching a UK edition of their magazine courtesy of Ariane Javier who works as the nursing director of one of the hospitals in London.”
“London? Some of you actually got accepted to the UK?”
“Does it seem so impossible?”
“No, I guess not. Do continue.”
“Lesley Lamirez works there too, as the Head Nurse of the ER although I hear she’s returning to the Philippines to visit the dance studio and resort owned by the ORIF, our champion nursing dance group. Anyway, going back to the US, the UCLA group keeps in touch, they still greet each other with a cry of ‘Warashite!’ Cora, Ien and Gan keep in touch with Sig, Labs and Dani every 19th of the month with dao. They call it ‘The Perfect 6 monthly meeting.”
“Warashite? Perfect 6? Don’t you have one too, what was it, Fab five? Do all of you name your groups of friends?”
I laughed.
“We have a lot of groups with their own peculiar names in our class. There’s also the Palaboys and guess what, they actually named their hospital in Canada after that! It’s funny, Palaboys General Hospital-PGH. Just like the Philippine General Hospital. There’s Catherine Crisostomo who is the Head of their Nursing services, she was the one who worked as a Clinical Instructor at St. Paul, she specializes in Cardiovascular cases. Marie Anne Co, better known as Joelie, is the Chief Nurse of their DR and Nursery, it figures, she loves children. Gemma Delos Santos is the Chief Nurse of their OR and they get around 100 cases per day! Their Oncology Unit is headed by Charlene Joy Gallos who probably runs the place as well as she ran Pampangga during our immersion days. Last I heard, she’s going to spend some time in Sweden with her best friend and her family. Kayla Gutierrez is in Sweden too, she’s in her last year of residency training in Pediatrics there, My distant relative, Maria Angeline Lopez is the Chief Nurse of the Medical-Surgical Units. Yes, you heard right, Units. Don’t know how she manages that but she does it. Most of their medical departments are headed by their group too, my study partner, Dawn Malbas is now the Head of the Surgery Department. The class secretary, Katrina Dilig is the Head of Forensic Medicine while brainy Mary Joyce Duerme is the Head of Anesthesiology. Working with Joelie is Marivin Lim who heads the Pediatric Department. Rounding off their group is Gregy De Vera who followed her heart into Dentistry. They make quite a formidable team don’t you think?”
“I don’t know these people as well as you do but they sure sound like achievers.”
“Someone even got into Italy. Guineverr Gonzales works as the company nurse for...guess what, Ferrari. She drives a Ferrari around on company calls too.”
“Whoa, that’s pretty cool. Did anyone stay in our motherland?”
“The student council vice president, Dexter Soguillon did. He’s one of the most visible public health nurses in the Philippines. Danica Zabala bought the White Cross Orphanage where we used to go as student nurses and totally improved it. She’s helped out by Cora Balon and her own 16 franchises of Brooklyn Pizza. Another one of us who works closely with children is Aira Allas. She owns the day care center in Global City together with her pediatrician husband. Sarah “Shuren” de Guzman is now the Head Nurse of the Philippine Heart Center and an Anastacia Giron Tupas awardee. Ralph Joseph Sia, resident swimmer, works as a perioperative nurse at the Nat’l. Kidney Transplant Institute. Kristine Ilagan was just sworn in as one of the new Chief Nurses at St. Luke’s Medical Center. Eula Charisse Lejos resides in Tagaytay. She owns another apartment near the Philippine Children’s Medical Centre though because she’s the Head Nurse of the PICU.”
“How about your other friends?”
I smiled sadly, remembering how hard it was to say goodbye to each other at the airport. This was a feeling echoed not only in my class but throughout the batch.
“The class’ baby girl, Arianne Reyes, is now the Head Nurse of the Massachussetts General Hospital in Boston, the leading top institution for Psychiatry in the US. She brought her family there and she’s financing her younger brother’s nursing education. She helps sponsor the Philippine Red Cross here. Also, Karen, who migrated to New York to be the Head Nurse of the NYU Medical Center ER. She’s been helping out with her younger siblings’ education too. Angelica Durias is the Chief Nurse of OR at Princess Margaret Hospital in Canada. They’re all happily enjoying the good life with their families.”
“By any chance, did any of you not pursue nursing?”
“Well. Yes. The brilliant thing about nursing is that you can choose not to be a nurse but you will always carry the training you have as a nurse in whatever you do. Sigrid Manuel is an example, she’s saved a few lives while working as a flight attendant at Lufthansa. Another is dearest Shereen Krystelle Alvarez who is a very successful businesswoman, she has stocks in both Zara and Topshop. Yet another is Kristina So who owns a restaurant chain that’s wildly popular with the young crowd.”
“To top it all off, they’re all happily married and /or about to get married. Some of them even have children now who are probably as cheerful and good-looking as their parents.”
My husband looked bewildered, not that I would blame him. Hearing class of 46 different, all talented, all flourishing individuals makes the achievements seem nearly expected, nearly normal.
“I’m sorry dear. That was a mouthful.”
“Yes but it’s alright, I understand. I’d be proud to have classmates such as yours too.”
His brow furrowed and his eyes searched mine.
My husband cupped my cheek in his hand and asked me “Are you happy with what you are now, ten years after?”
I placed my hand on his and smiled.
“Why wouldn’t I be? I’m finally at peace with myself.”