Maktoob: Destined - Part II

I wrote Part 1 of 'Maktoob: Destined' in February 2018. It was a creative fiction from my imaginative mind. Though, if the story were to happen in real life, I would be elated. Then again, stories like this only happen in the Korean-drama world. Really, 진짜.

Anyway, after watching Hospital Playlist and feeling all nostalgic, I had this urge to find Dr E. It's been more than two decades since we last spoke/met. Though I lost touch with him, I did think of him from time to time. Dr E has no social media presence. I heard bits and pieces of news about him--he became a surgeon; he was working in a hospital in Africa; he became a missionary, etc. But nothing was confirmed. I don't have his email or telephone number. Many a times, I wanted to write to the hospital that he was allegedly working in. I even hoped that I would bump into him whenever I accompanied my father for his hospital appointments. Alas...

Once, I met Dr D at a clinic before I left for the United States. We were surprised at the accidental meeting many years after the cheating incident. He mentioned that I was so thin (I was) and that I should eat more. Yeah, sure. Did you even bother asking me how I was when you cheated on me? Bleah. I know, let bygones be bygones. When Dr D added me on Facebook, I accepted. We would message occasionally, I asked about his family members (his aunt was my Math teacher) and generic things about his life. I asked him about Dr E. He said that he had lost touch with Dr E and that Dr E had changed. Changed? Like what? Dr D didn't say much; he just said that no one knew what had happened to Dr E. 

I had this nagging urge to find Dr E. I didn't know why. Nothing came up on my internet search. I kept thinking of him and wondering where he was and if he was alright. Damn you Hospital Playlist! Suddenly, I remembered a name of Dr E's friend who is also a doctor. I didn't even know his surname, I just remembered one name as it was quite unique. I found Dr Unique-name's email and contemplated to write to him to ask about Dr E's whereabouts. However, every time, I wanted to type the email, I hesitated. How teenagerish was this?! Some weeks passed. Heck it, I thought. I was sincere in wanting to get in touch with Dr E. He is a dear friend and I should reconnect, n'est pas?

It is quite funny how I still kept some of the things that Dr E had gifted me. Some of the sea shells he found during his diving trips got broken when I moved houses. Even though I was doing major decluttering, I don't know why I kept some things like the hand painted ornament egg.

Quel surprise! Last week, I received a message from Dr E. He had probably thought that I was dying and hence the urgency to reconnect. I can't blame him as my email to Dr Unique-name was a tad dramatic. 

I met Dr E after a family's wedding three days ago. He looked the same, albeit thinner and older. We talked and talked on the grounds of my old neighbourhood. It was as if we never left. We exchanged news about our lives and what we had done. Both of us have changed from the time when we first met and hung out. I could understand why Dr D said that he has changed. To me, Dr E is changing to be a much better man (not that he was horrible, he has always been a gentleman and kind doctor). And as a friend, I will support him on his journey and will try my best to be there for him.

I shared with Dr E about my MCAT, volunteering in medical relief missions and in hospital in Pennsylvania etc. I said that I had wanted to be a surgeon like him and do the things that he had done. Dr E has never belittled me, unlike some people from my own community. 

Dr E believed that it was in God's plans that we met again. I agreed. Maktoob.