these are the events that transpired today

Setting: Around four in the afternoon at the Institute of Medicine. It is the day after the last day of exams, the day after the last day of classes before the Christmas break. There are no more students in the whole building. The offices, although open, are empty. Only the guards by the doors remain at their posts.

Characters:
Resident – smug female who delivers each line with a sneer or more denigrating, a smile; bored and power-tripping
Harassed medical student – AKA me

Harassed medical student enters the department office in full view of the resident who ignores her completely. The harassed medical student ventures farther inside the office and tries to catch the attention of the resident who refuses to look up.

Harassed medical student: Doc . . .
Resident: (no reply)
Harassed medical student: Doc . . .
Resident: (grunts)
Harassed medical student: (looking meek and smiling) Doc, nandito po ba si Dr. X o si Dra. Y (Doc, is Dr. X or Dra. Y here)?
Resident: (smugly) May nakikita ka bang tao dito? Do you see anybody here?)
Harassed medical student: (still smiling) Nandito po ba sila ngayong araw (Are they here today)?
Resident: (sneering) Mukha ba akong secretary? (Do I look like a secretary?)
Harassed medical student: Nasaan po yung secretary Where is the secretary)?
Resident: Di ba Christmas party ngayon (Isn’t it that today is the Christmas party)?
Harassed medical student: Ah. (Enlightened pause) Thank you.

The Harassed medical student exits the department office.

Harassed medical student: P-tang ina! P-tang ina! P-tang ina! (sarcastic) Merry Christmas to you, too!


In the light of the Christmas season, I will refrain from narrating the events that happened in the next office I entered, the Dean’s office. Let’s just say an almost threat was conveyed to stop me from pestering the Dean, combined with an almost slamming of the door in my face.

Hay, buti na lang pasko (at mabait ako).