A friend once told me that angels do exist and that they walked among us. No, they didn't have white feathered wings. For him, it was a girl wearing jeans and a baby tee.

Mine wore a deep blue scrub suit wearing grey Nike Shox, sitting patiently beside me on a multicolored jeepney.

As I sat there, I couldn't stop pretending to look outside, just for me to have a small glimpse of what a real angel looked like. It was my first time to see anything so real, yet, surreal at the same time. For once, I wished that the hellish jeepney ride would encounter very heavy traffic and take three hours to get to where we had to go rather then the three minute ride it usually takes.

I got down from the jeepney, and I walked towards my building, trying to stop the urge to look at her and be twenty minutes late for class. But I decided to get late five minutes more just so that I could see that angel walk the opposite direction towards the hospital grounds. I just watched her walk away, her hair bouncing lightly as vehicles whiz through the boulevard.
It was chaotic. Students in white uniforms rush towards the school gates (apparently late), "I love you" and "Fire! Fire! Ratatatatat" horns fill the city air (coming from buses and jeepneys), and the light rumbling of the LRT as it monotonously follow its tracks, were only few of the many annoying things in this urban jungle.

That was for normal days. This was not a normal moment. As I stared at her carefully cross the street, everything slowed down, everything went still, everything was silent.

I moved on with my life, happy to have seen an angel. But as I kept on thinking, the memory of her face started to fade. I don't remember how she looked like, or what color her eyes were. All I remembered was her hair, her deep blue scrubs, and her shoes. The empty feeling it left me for the rest of the day made me want to search for her, and maybe, just maybe, get her name. I didn't expect it though, because angels don't stay, they come and go.

I got out around three in the afternoon because I was informed (after thorough investigation) that people who wear deep blue scrubs are either OR (operating room) nurses or Psych nurses. I waited at the hospital side, hoping that I might get the indulgence of seeing her again. I lit up a cig and just stood there, watching the chaotic harmony of the city.

"Excuse me" said a voice behind me. I looked back and I saw a woman wearing a black shirt (the print had arrows everywhere which eventually led to what seemed to be an Arial Font ME at the center of the shirt), blue jeans, and black Havaianas flip-flops with pink floral design. She was holding a pink Jansport backpack (which seemed like it was packed with a lot of stuff) over her right shoulder. I was a little embarrassed to look at her as I was in the middle of inhaling my cigarette, so I tilted my head as to not blow the smoke on her face.

"Can I have a light?" she continued, ignoring my orbiting eyes and seemed to notice my embarrassment.
I simply nodded and gave her my lighter (Damn, why did it have to be pink? And why the hell didn't I light her cigarette?).

She lit her cig, puffing a few, before she returned the lighter.

"Thanks" she said.

"No prob"

As we were basking in our awkward silence, smoking our respective cigarettes (hers was menthol, green strips by the filter), amidst the hustle and bustle of the city, I looked around pretending to be waiting for something to happen, wondering if I should go and engage in small talk.

"So, you just came from the hospital?" I started. It took half a stick of tobacco to finally say something.

"Yeah, I had to do my duty. Hassle."

"Ah. Thought you were sick or something."

"No, I'm a nursing student in this school."

"Really? Why aren't you in white uniform, just like all the other nursing students?"

"Kakagaling ko nga lang ng duty. OR nurse ako eh." (Just finished my duty. I’m an OR nurse.)

"Talaga lang ha. Kamusta naman?" (Really huh. How is it?)

"It was OK."

I simply nodded, not knowing what to say next.

"Kaw, nurse ka rin ba?" she asked me as she smokes her cigarette. (You, are you a nurse too?)

"'Di noh" (Of course not.) I retaliated, then I tapped on my name plate. "I'm a medical student" I proudly say.

"Ah. OK"

She puffed her last puff and threw the butt by her feet and stepped on it. I've been finished with my stick a minute ago.

"Sige, alis na ako" she said, and she walked away. (Ok, I’ll be on my way now)

"Ingat" (Take care) I replied, not knowing what to say and if I should stop her from going.



I was standing there by the parking lot and watched her get on a jeepney and disappear among the sardine packed people inside

.


Angels. They do exist, and they come and go.