Sunday Sessions (1)

It was that down time in July when I first saw her. She was wearing a blue dress and a pair of flip flops. She look out of place but she doesn't differ from us...she's here...one of us...so I thought...
"Any progress in the past week, Mr.Salvatierra?" Jojo, the in house psychologist asked me. I stared at him feeling empty. Progress? In a week? What the hell is he talking about? I can't sleep at night, my body shakes as it craves for the stuff, I am haunted by the ghost I made and Rupert...I still hear Rupert's voice from the ceiling, screaming at me. "Mr.Salvatierra?" Jojo asked again. Suddenly, I felt the carpet beneath my bare feet; I wasn't hallucinating. This is real, I am here on a lock down...stuck in rehab. I muster my thoughts so that I can answer him nicely and as I was about to begin and interruption came in the room, wearing a dress and flip flops. All of us turn our attention to her, she's an absolute out of place and with the look in everyone's faces...I know I'm not the only one thinking that way. She amble to the empty seat next to me, all eyes on her like they saw a glowing object but to me she's no different from all of us in this session. A piece of waste of the society thrown in here by able families either to be kept from the skepticism of their hypocrite connections or they want us to get well because they thought we are sick. She lightly settle on her seat; she smelled sweet, like I was basking in lavender and cherries. I look at her intently...it felt like I met her before...but she's too clean to be any of my acquaintance. She met my gaze and smiled back at me. I know I should feel apathy towards her but her gaze send me to confusion; there's no fear or panic. Her smile doesn't agree with what her eyes are telling me...intense depression were there. She was the first one to resign from the moment we had and turn her attention to Jojo, who repeated his question to me. "Mr. Salvatierra?" He nudge his head and raised an eyebrow at me. "I..." I pursed my lips and tried to relax "...I don't know." I respond and then I rest my back on the seat. The session ended without Jojo introducing her to the group. I was actually expecting to get her name but I couldn't bring myself to ask her. We emptied the room but she stayed. I watch her from the glass doors but she didn't do anything to amuse me, she just sat there with her eyes on the floor."Who are you? and what have you done to get in her?" I whisper the question to myself then, she looked at me like she heard what I just said; then she smiled again, it felt awkward and I step back a little and immediately drop my eyes to the floor. Who is she...

Sunday Sessions (2)

"Who is she?" I heard my rehab mate ask another fellow in their table. "I have no idea, she look clean though...unlike the other chicks here." The fellow with sunken cheeks respond then the two of them laughed. Who is she?...I ask myself as well and dig my spoon in the chocolate pudding and watch it sink. I left her sitting alone in the conference room. She smiled at me, no one does that to me; I scare people but she...she looked at me, like I'm some one worth knowing and I was the one scared and nervous. The guys continue to chat and I sat alone at the corner of the cafeteria. I look outside the window and there she is, her dress in contrast to the brightness of the day and the green grass. She is standing under the Acacia tree wearing earphones, eyes closed and a notebook in her hand. I watch her...she stand still like the scene can be captured and put into a post card. She is not beautiful, but when placed in a crowd she'll be set apart from them. Then came Jojo, approaching her...he tapped her at the shoulder she turn to him and smiled. i watch them more carefully now, he said something; it must have been bad because she suddenly frown then she gazed to the window where I watch them and she caught me. I duct my head...why the hell am I hiding? I felt stupid that I ate the chocolate pudding against my will. I snapped out of myself and look outside the window; she was gone...she and Jojo were no longer there. I felt my heart hammer against my ribs...what I'm feeling the very moment is worse than my withdrawal. I stood up and hurry to the doors of the cafeteria, my hand barely touched the handles when the doors pulled open. She was there...we stood face to face, her head level to my shoulders; she looked up at me. "What's the hurry?" she asked and I looked away. I saw her smile from the corner of my eyes. "Okay...I'm sorry, I should've introduce myself first." she continued, still holding the door open while I'm trying not to have eye contact with her. "I'm Leigh..." she extended her right hand but I ignored it. "...okay, looks like you don't want to be acquainted." she let her hand drop to her side and smiled again "...go ahead, I don't want to stop you from going anywhere." she moved aside to let me pass and ungentle man as I am, I ignored her and hurried out the door. I heard the door closed behind me and I tried to catch a glimpse if she's still there but she went inside the cafeteria.
"Leigh..." I whispered to the walls of my room. What is she doing here, I could've ask that when she introduced herself to me but I'd rather ignore her that time. I sat on the bed...I am somehow thankful for my corrupt father that he's able to get me this private room in this facility...still thinking of my encounter with her. Eaten by the thoughts of her when suddenly I heard Rupert's voice again "What the hell are you doing! What the Fuck! Stay away from her!" I shut my eyes and screamed at him "Get out of my head!!!" but he kept going on until I can no longer get hold of his screaming. I ran outside my room and to the halls, his voice reverberating from the walls when something solid hit my head and everything turned black...

Sunday Sessions (3)

I woke up in the clinic. I try to sit up but my head suddenly sting and made me dizzy that I lay back on the bed and closed my eyes."Why were you running?" a gentle voice said."Shut up!" I respond then slowly, I open my eyes and look at the face of the one who asked me. She pursed her lips and prepare herself to stand up. Immediately, I felt sorry on how I acted. "Don't leave..." I let my words trail off. She paused to look at me and went back to where she was sitting. I couldn't look straight at her; she didn't smile at me like what she always do when she sees me, this time she just sat there staring at me. I sat up to look at her. Her eyes were drowning in sadness, "I'm sorry..." it made me feel bad that I apologized. "Don't be..." she began "...this tears are not meant for you." she held her head up and smiled at me denying the pain she's feeling. "Are you real?" I asked her, she laughed at me. She raised her hand and lightly tapped my cheek."Why? I'm not an apparition or one of your hallucinations..." she replied and laughed again this time I laughed with her even when there's nothing funny with what she said...her laugh is viral. She catch a breath and stopped laughing. "How long have you been off the junk?" I was taken off guard there. I stared at her and she kept her eyes on me as well. I hesitated at first, but I thought she's no different than me...so I shared..."I've only been here for two weeks..." I began "...you? how long have you been off the junk?" she threw me a questioning look. "I'm not a junkee...sorry" I found myself dumbstruck with what she said. Not a junkee?.."...what are you doing here?!" I asked; i must have said it out loud. She jumped a little; her eyes confused with the question. "Do I have to be a junkee to get in here?" she asked me again I felt like a stupid person. I couldn't answer her...she's right...I didn't see it that way. "Well...no..." I began stuttering "...well...why are you here anyway?"She pull out a camera from her bag and took a picture of me, I was surpised and blinked because of the flash. "...what the..." she just giggled and put the camera back in her bag. She stood up and started to walk away..."I guess I'll tell you why the next time I see you..." she said as she walks out of the clinic. She left me hanging on the thought of the next moment we're gonna have...I smiled...I never felt this way...not ever.