"Jinyo Wakes"

 "Jinyo Wakes"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

Jinyo woke up clutching her head , the sun was shining directly on her forehead for sometime now that it began to feel dry. By the look of things it was already mid day. Well no one said that there would be guests here today so she guessed that she could take her sweet time.

Her stomach made that gurgling sound that it usually makes when she has had less and less to eat. Her trainee days were long over but she could still remember those periods of starvation and it seems every month she still cant stop herself from not eating anything at all during this day. Her body expects a weigh in! She laughed at how absurd that sounded. Well at least I can decide to look for food if there was anything in the Inn.

Her Mother had told her that she would be alone at the place as other staff were busy in the other locations and this one was at least a few kilometers from the nearest big hotel. People used to love going here when her Dad was alive partly because the man knew how to treat guests. Her mom seemed like she would fit in into one of those cyborg movies where humans were being hunted down to extinction.

Another absurd thought. At least all her thoughts were turning to other things. All except for that person. But then she realized that it was turning into that space again and she swerved it right at the thought of looking for food. She forcefully jumped to her feet from the bed and regretted it a couple of seconds later when she felt that wave of vertigo hit her. 

"You can be such a stubborn headed idiot you know that?" She remembered him saying. "The Doctor said no more dancing but that also means no more sudden jerking movements like that as well."

She knew he wasn't here but why did those words still sting her? Probably because he was right at that moment. She let the wave of dizziness pass while sitting still and closing her eyes. "Breathe slow and deep" he told her again. And she did."See. It will pass soon. Hang in there."

She remembered crying the first time she realized that she was so helpless in this condition but he just smiled at her during those times. He would sit just a little further away and look straight at her as if gauging something. And when the unsteadiness passed he was there to offer his hand. The same hand she was reaching out for now.

She felt a tear drop and as if ashamed hurriedly wiped it away but she felt another and another until her hands were not fast enough to keep them from dropping on the brown carpetted floor. She sat there on the bed looking at the door that seemed to be miles away though she could have easily crossed that distance and be on her way out. 

She gently shook her head , "I can't let that idiot win. If I begin to miss him again..."