Ever since she successfully got through her Board Exam, she could not flush it out of her system. She has not muttered a word that didn't concern medicine, technical terms, and all that scientific crap you can only find in three-inch thick books. Sometimes, she would just blurt out scientific terms whenever words came up. From plants, to trees, to medicines, down to different diseases, she had a say for them all. I could not imagine she all knew it by heart. Her 3 a.m. study habit must've really paid off. Good for her. As for the rest of us, all we could do was listen, and endure.
Unfortunately, she was actually having fun seeing us disgruntled and clueless after hearing her rat-a-tat like an automatic. I think, it has become an obsession. And let me assure you that she wasn't just showing off.
Instead of using the plain old terms for things, she would reel off their scientific names, Binomial nomenclature, if you will. Words that I could not even pronounce.Perhaps I'm just exaggerating. But it's pretty much like it.
We went to Tagaytay to visit once again, the convent we went to last month. The weather was bad, and so was my hair. My hair seemed to be stuck forming one whole bunch --- immovable, and dry. It's a complete mess I tell you. Anyway, as usual, every plant we passed by snagged my ate's attention. The first few hours was bearable. But after she sounded monotonous and loud, we all became irritated. She was like one of those pesky kids in candy stores who hid behind their mother's leg, and kept repeating any word that came up their heads. Like the one Bitter-pill and I encountered at the Metro Rail Transit Station last July 21. There was this little girl who babbled all the way to the station where we jumped off. For instance, the moment the doors opened when we reached the Santolan-Annapolis Station, she craned her neck over to see what the sign read, then sunk her waif body back to sit, and started muttering, "Santolan, Annapolis, Santolan, Annapolis, Santolan, Annapolis"--- fraught with real child's bluntness.
Anyway, my sister was absolutely like that. Pushy, but guileless. I mean all she thought was just to have fun. "Psidium Guajava!", she yelled when we drove past a couple of guava trees. "Cocos Nucifera!", when my dad pulled over to look at some plants to buy. "Hibiscus Rosaninensis!", as she spotted a gumamela nearby.
She was getting annoying for being so senseless. But the next several minutes were even worse. Tamarindus Indica! Zeya Mays! Ifomea Aquatica! Allium Sativum! All of them were getting in my serves. I scrunched my eyes shut as white-hot anger shot through my veins. Just as when I was about to explode, she suddenly became quiet. Apparently, she ran out of scientific terms, or maybe, she ran out of things to name and translate. Thank you God.
I implored my father to drive faster. Five minutes later, my mom asked dad to pull-over 'cause she was going to buy something for her amigas. I looked over to see that we were fast nearing a fruit stand. "God why me?!"
I have this friend who I don't see anymore. She had migrated to the United States to study and work and die there. Probably even have her litters there. (Sorry for the language, I just hate her) Until now, I can't get her out of mind. No, she did not bring me the sexual awakening of my life, nor did she give me a big welt on my face and call me asshole. I just hate her for being so... condescending. She assumed she's superior than everybody. Ugh. She would pick on anyone and knowingly label them idiots AS IF she's the smartest head in the herd. She like seeing everyone grovel and approach her for favors. The sweet sound of flattery and favor was the loveliest melody she ached to hear. I really didn't give much of a damn (or a fart) about it, but I just couldn't stand the fact that she's getting swallowed up by this delusion. Pathetic. She was absolutely pathetic.
If ever we meet again, and she does the same thing to me, I'd just say, "Keep telling yourself that (inspired by Romy and Michele's High School Reunion) Because that's the only way you'll survive." and make sure that it would stick right to her face.
