Momma Shirley

I was quietly sitting in my usual nook at our Pediatric Unit on the 8th floor unmindful of what was happening around me.

I was bored to death, holding my iPhone, tapping it intently and silently checking my Facebook account for some interesting personal messages. It was practically handy for me to have the iPhone and able to check every messages I have at my Facebook account.

With only two patients to care, facebooking was the best outlet for me to kill and pass the time aside from reading my paperbacks. But apparently, I don't have my books so I resorted to check my Facebook messages.

I intentionally brought my Pediatric  Advance  Life  Support   (PALS) book, planning to review for my class on Wednesday and Thursday, but by mere looking on the very thick book, my appetite to study was gradually dissolved. It seems that it is not the right time to study and I feel that I am currently lazy to absorb some facts right now. My mind feels so numb about something I don't know.

I was so absorbed thinking about the big dent in my car's fender...... how I acquired it......I don't know..... and was still puzzled about its origin. I felt so dejected.

I felt compelled to blame myself heavily, trusting my landlord to use my car today. Now I can't stop thinking about my car's fate today plus the expenses I will incur if I will have it fixed. Aaah..... too much problem. I am in a deja vu.

On the otherhand, couple of nurses were loquaciously talking across the hallway discussing things about their own patient. I can hear them talking about their patient wheezing badly and needing a bronchodilator handheld nebulization treatment and Shirley had to call the respiratory therapist for immediate delivery of the aerosol treatment.

I was busy refilling my patient's chart and was too engrossed with what I am doing, like facebooking. I autistically created my own world in that small corner listening and observing to all the things that was going on around me, sometimes answering the non-stop ringing of the phone and also the continuous beep of the call lights made by the patient and their folks.

The unit was been so slow since yesterday. We only have three patients tonight. And I was charge tonight. I have two assigned patients while Xiuming has one and was also precepting Shirley for her second night orientation. That means that Xiuming is open for an admission just in time for Shirley to practice admitting and refreshing the routines of admitting a patient.

Shirley was been working with us before when she decided  to move to Portland, Oregon to be near her newly married son. But because she was not happy with her job there and because of the bad treatment of the nurses in the hospital she worked at plus the meager income she was earning there she regrettably decided to go back here in Los Angeles.

I was actually thinking about her when she was gone and luckily after a year and a half of missing her I didn't even expect that she's coming back again. I thought I couldn't see her anymore.

My friendship with Shirley was close to being maternal. I used to call her Momma Shirley. There was no malice with our teasing each other. I  considered her as my second mom and she considered me her adopted son. Now I can even bond more with her now that she is back.

I used to confine with her my heart aches as well as my personal problems and she used to tell me about her lovelife. We also used to go out and enjoy our conversation over apple martinis and margaritas at El Cholo's. There was no secret left undone and can't hide when we're together and when we're with each other.

She is my momma dearest and my refuge at work. She and Ate Loida, my second half sister at work, were my protectors and my pillars. They were my heroes. We all giggled over green and silly jokes and poked fun at each other as well as make jokes at our superiors. There's never a day that we don't smile, giggle, laugh, scream with delight, and enjoy our moments together.

We used to help out each other, too, when someone was busy and needing help, share our individual sentiments, happiness in life and work, as well as success at every endeavour.

I'm glad you're back again with us Momma Shuuurleey....