I didn't have to wait long for someone to invite me over and in a while I was rotating in 3 - 4 different groups, which eliminated the boredom and increased my bonding moments with most of my classmates. One group had dormitory beds and mono bloc chairs where we propped ourselves up, another had gourmet coffee, deli-bought stuff, air-conditioning, and servants at our beck and call, and yet another group studied out in the open lawn and adjacent steep sloping street with a balut vendor patiently waiting at the opposite curb knowing that it was just a matter of time when these raunchy dudes got hungry.
A cup of hot coffee, Marlboro, feet in a basin with cold water, intermittent breaks for brisk walking, a small towel dipped in ice-water and placed on the head, tooth picks or match sticks to hold the lower and upper eyelids apart - were some of the tricks that we tried just so we didn't drift off to dreamland. We disciplined each other, got into arguments, and some would pair off like lovers, and studying in groups was now getting to be popular among us. There were some though who could not concentrate when in a group and these loners somehow managed to eke out their survival in undisturbed and drowsy solitude, and in no time lagged behind in tackling the assigned chapters.
It was in one group study that a classmate had an "aha moment" and he declared that finally he realized that being a successful doctor only need either of two things: you are intelligent or you have good public relations (PR). He than added by saying: "Sunni you have a good PR. Hmmm... that sounded good to me, but the other guys present won't have any of it, because they said that it meant that I was not intelligent. We had a good laugh when Anatole tried to defend himself after that.
One morning, a few days before examinations, I was approached by a classmate and she invited me for group study at her home. This lady was tall and lanky, with a lipstick-stained cigarette between her fingers, she came to school on stilettos and had a chauffeur who was asleep most of the time in a sleek sedan at the parking lot. She said that she needed to brush up on some practical anatomy concerns and she thought that I could help her. Before I could think, my head nodded the approval and then I realized too late that this could be a problem for me. How does a hillbilly behave in a group of high society ladies? I was actually dreading the setting of the sun at this point, but when 9:00 came the hillbilly was seen reluctantly knocking at her impressive gate.
We got on with the study amid bowls of delicious snacks and drinks. Her bedroom was huge and air-conditioned with a sofa against the wall, some fuzzy expensive carpets, a study table and of course a very soft and sweet smelling bed. At about midnight - like most nights in Davao in those days, the lights went off. She announced that we take the opportunity to sleep knowing that in about half an hour the lights would come on again. I was thinking of going out to the living room when she said that I could lay down beside her on the bed. I feared that I might look like an intruder in their sprawling living room with the lights off, so I thought it wise to concede to her gesture - but you bet that I kept as still as a scared skunk while lying beside her. I could feel my heart shaking the bed with each beat and I could feel hers too. Before we knew it the lights came on and we resumed our review in anatomy.
A few weeks later I thought that the incident at the group study in the bedroom would be the last of its kind when another classmate invited me to her parent's posh home at Juna subdivision for group study. This time I was more relaxed, and that night we got along well studying in the kitchen until I felt really sleepy and asked for a break of about 20 minutes of sleep - on the couch in the adjacent darkened living room. I drifted immediately into a deep sleep only to be awakened by someone unbuttoning my shirt. I peeped through half-open eyelids and realized that a 'vampire' was going through her moves on my neck and body. It was apparent that my classmate wanted to reward me for my efforts in helping her with the lessons. I was not aware if word was going around the grapevine that I was a big help in study groups although I kinda suspected it.
Before the sun rose that morning as I rode back home, I vowed never to turn down invitations for group study - ever.
No comments:
Post a Comment