A Life Costs Fifteen Peso

How much does your life costs?
How can I forget the pathetic look of her eyes? They were bulging, teary and reflect a chain of miseries and intolerable pain.
At last, vacation is over. Now is my time to get back to my life in the city as a Medical Technology student. I was on my way when I passed an old neighbor’s house; a Just-Enough-To-Protect-Them-From-Any-Kind-Of-Weather-Type, rustling, paints are fading and everybody can see the inside from the outside. There she was, a woman in mid 50’s whose body is the actual mirror of her sufferings. She was sitting on her old wooden rocking chair, rubbing her chest, coughing continuously and she was oblivious to her surroundings due to the pain that she was trying to tolerate. It took me a little while before I decided and since it’s been more than half a decade when I last saw her, I greeted my warmest “hello ate Tess.” Then she stared at me for a moment, I was certain that she was trying to remember who I was. “Ay si Lyka pala ito..dalaga na ah..” and she threw me a big smile. I thought that stopping for a while and having a little chit-chat with her would be a nice idea since I was not really in a hurry.
She suffered a mild stroke a couple of years ago, and from then on change rapidly came to their lives. She had been hospitalized only for a while even though her condition was really sensitive at the time because of poverty; her husband is a retired member of the army and the couple were blessed with four children.
I was wearing our school uniform at that time and I suppose that she decided to take advantage of that knowing that I know few things about medicine. “Sumasama ang pakiramdam ko Lyk. Pa B.P naman..”
“Sige ho..kaya lang, wala po akong dalang gamit..meron ho ba kayo..?”
“Wala Lyk eh.. akala ko kasi may dala ka..ang sama kasi talaga ng pakiramdam ko..” and tears were flowing upon her eyes.. I felt her pain, it was so intense. And I felt bad about myself because I couldn’t give her the help that she needed.
“Ayos lang Lyk..itutulog ko nalang ito..” and she still managed to smile.
Millions of voltage stroked my heart like a lightning. I felt so worthless. I wanted to help the person but I can’t. Good thing I was with my mom and she knew that I was troubled at that moment. “Ah diba may dumadaan dito araw-araw na kumukuha ng B.P..?”
“Oo..kaya lang may bayad eh..ayos lang ito..” faint smile grew from both sides of her lips, “itutulog ko nalang..”
“M..magkano po ba ang bayad ate Tess..?” God, I felt so goddam stupid.
“Kinse Lyk eh.”
Huh? It costs fifteen pesos and it seemed like a million to her that she couldn’t afford. I felt my soul left my body. To many, fifteen peso doesn’t count. But to this woman, her life costs fifteen peso.
“ayos lang ito Lyk..salamat.. itutulog ko lang ito..ayos na..”
“ah..nahihilo po ba kayo..?”
“Oo Lyk eh..”
“Uminom ho kayo ng Pineapple Juice ate Tess..nakakababa po yun ng blood pressure.. saka umiwas ho kayo sa mga matataba at mamantika…” I felt so miserable. Advices were the only thing I could offer her. But mom whispered to me, “sige tuloy kana..ako ng bahala..lilibre ko nalang si ate Tess ng pang B.P..” then she tap me on my shoulder. I adore my mom a lot. It was a relief. I just couldn’t help thinking of her and it left me a big impact.