"IHA, ano'ng sayo?" Nabaling agad ang atensyon ko sa tindera.
"One hotdog with bun and bottled water, please. Thank you po."
Binigyan ako agad ng tindera sabay abot ng bayad. Dahil wala ng vacant seats sa canteen, nakishare nalang kami sa mga kaklase namin na parang nagkakasiyahan.
"Pwede makishare ng seats guys?" Si Gale na ang nakiusap at wala namang problema.
"Sofia, mahilig ka ba sa theatre shows?" I nodded when Marlon asked me na sa pagkakaalam ko ultimate crush nitong kaibigan naming si Gale.
Napatingin ako kay Gale na abot sa dalawang tenga ang ngiti. Ngayon ko lang siya nakitang nagkakaganyan. Ganito pala kiligan ang isa pang bruha kong kaibigan, palihim nga lang ‘di gaya ng dalawang nag-aagawan. Obvious na obvious eh, huling-huli ang mga kiliti. Sabay-sabay akong binigyan ng makahulugang tingin ng mga kaibigan ko at nang makuha ko ang gusto nilang ipahiwatig ay napatango ako ng wala sa oras.
"When and how much? Give me 6 tickets."
Napangisi sa saya ang mga kasama niya at tinulak-tulak pa siya. Ano namang trip nila? May crush ata sila sa mga kaibigan ko.
"This coming Buwan ng Wika, 3 pm sa auditorium tapos 30 pesos each person."
Walang hintong sabi ni Marlon saka binigyan kami ng six tickets. Binuksan ko ang wallet sabay bigay ng 180 pesos. Libre ko na sa kanila ang tickets since hindi pa naman ako nakakapaglibre.
"Pumunta kayo ha," masiglang sabi ni Marlon at nagsitayuan na sila sabay alis leaving the five of us.
"Thank you rito Sofia ha," ani ni Gale na halatang sobrang saya at naeexcite.
"Bakit six tickets ang binili mo? Don't tell me may isasama ka?" maarteng sabi ni Queenly and I shrugged lazily without crossing my gaze at her.
"Hayaan mo na girl, wala namang masama 'di ba?" singit ni Judy na hindi nakatingin sa amin kundi sa entrance ng canteen.
Napalingon naman kami sa pinto ng canteen para malaman kung sino ang sinusundan ng mga mata niya. Binatukan siya ni Queenly kaya napaaray ito at muntikan na naman silang magkagulo kung hindi pa sinamaan ng tingin ni Jonnah. Para silang mga tuta na masunuring tumango at itong si Judy na parang kinidlatan ay nilapit ang mga ulo namin dahilan para magkabunggoan kami.
"What's this? Brainstorming?" reklamo ko na nilapatan naman ni Judy ng hintuturo ang labi ko.
"Si Kurt, bagong crush ko." Judy whispered with her eyes beaming with sparkles and giggles.
"Yes, he got the looks, but I don't like the attitude," I kept my voice down but Judy just rolled her eyes completely ignoring what I said.
"Mahangin daw, that's what I've heard from the other section." Jonnah added but Judy seemed so into him and who are we to hinder that?
We sat properly when Kurt approached us asking if it's fine to sit with us. Parang nastarstruck naman ang mga bruha at tumango-tango lang. I gave space to Judy para sila na ang magkatabi at kilig na kilig naman ang bruha.
"Hi."
Teka, sinong kinakausap nito? Si Judy ang may crush sayo kaya do'n ka sa kanya tumingin 'wag sa akin. Napilitan akong ngumiti at sinenyasan si Judy na make a move para hindi sa akin nakatuon ng atensyon ng crush niya. Buti naman at nagets niya kaya sila na ang nag-usap. I opened my FB account at nagpost ng status. While they're having a conversation, nag-iiscroll lang ako sa phone.
Tinype ko ang pangalan ni Adrian at inadd friend ko siya. Nakaroyal blue tuxedo siya sa profile niya tapos ang nasa background is a picture of him and a girl na hindi ko kilala. After mga 5 minutes, inaccept niya agad.
"Wow!" I gasped but no one noticed me.
Dahil nacurious ako, I tap the picture at ang nakatag do'n was Abegail Louisse Garcia. Porcelain-like skin, round eyes with a shade of brown like peanuts, slender nose, archy brows, small oblong face, and rebonded black hair at chest level. Inistalk ko siya while waiting for the kalandian time beside me to end then I stopped scrolling to play the video. She's playing the guitar at ang title ng kanta is hindi ako familiar. At the end of the song, Adrian appeared on the video and kissed her on the cheeks.
Ang saya-saya niya sa video, ano kayang nangyari? Napaisip naman ako bigla, siya pala 'yong Abby na sinasabi ni Kuya Kevin last time.
Tinago ko sa bulsa ng aking palda ang phone nang marinig ang school bell, hudyat na tapos na ang recess time pati na rin ang kalandian dahil seryosong edukasyon na naman. The subject is history and guess what? Almost all of us fell asleep not just because the subject was boring but to the fact that the teacher's voice was monotonous. Para kaming dinuduyan at mahirap kalabanin ang antok lalo na kapag napapapikit na rin ang teacher.
My eyes roamed around the classroom, some were yawning, which was really contagious, some were forcing their eyes to actively open, and probably 10% are still listening that includes my friends excluding Queenly since she already fell asleep. Ayaw na ayaw niya talaga ang history kaya kinurot ko ang tagiliran niya para magising kahit papa'no. Siyempre mahina lang, enough for a sting.
"Ano ba! Inaantok ako eh!" she mumbled then buried her face back on the armchair.
The morning class ended with a blast of fun because of the lively MATH class and it’s time for lunch. Sisimulan na sana naming tikman ang dalang macaroni salad ni Gale when someone entered the room. Napalingon naman kami para malaman kung sinong epal ang nagdedelay ng pagkain namin. The fork I'm holding fell on the floor when he entered the room at the exit door. Binabawi ko na pala ang sinasabi ko, hindi pala epal ang pumasok. I kneeled to pick up the fork and rushed uncomfortably to the sink to wash it.
"Adrian, gusto mo? Salo ka sa amin." Tinaasan ko ng kilay si Jonnah pero iniwasan nila ang tingin ko at binigyan ng kutsara si Adrian.
Bumalik ako sa upoan ko kung saan magkatabi kami. Hindi tuloy ako makakain ng maayos kasi parang nacoconscious ako sa presence niya. I don't know exactly what's happening to me but after the practicum, I felt something strange in my stomach that was getting out of control. My temperature raised abnormally and the fact that he's sitting next to me made my heartbeat accelerate thrice uncontrollably. I shook off those thoughts to calm my nerves and focused on the food on my plate. While chewing the food, I can't help but stole glances at him quietly as he tasted the salad minutely.
‘Lord, what is happening to me? Please help me restrain myself.’ I prayed mentally.
"Adrian, may extra tickets kami sa theatre show for this upcoming Buwan ng Wika... baka gusto mong manood?" Gale asked then glanced at me with her black eyes flaming with encouragement.
Pa'no naman niya nalaman? Ang bilis naman ng radar niya. I fired a what-are-you-up-to look but she just shot me back a convincing look. Kukunin ko na sana ang ticket sa wallet ko 'tsaka ibibigay sa kanya nang mabilis siyang tumanggi.
"Hindi ako mahilig do'n sorry." Nadisappoint naman ako kaya ibinalik ko nalang ang kamay ko sa table.
"Ang bagal kasi eh," Queenly muttered under her breath and faked a smile.
"Thank you dito, alis na ko." Tumalikod siya ng gano'n kadali at hindi man lang lumingon.
Wala akong imik the whole afternoon class. Nakikinig ako sa teacher pero hindi ako masyadong nagpaparticipate kasi wala akong gana.
"Bakit nakasimangot ka diyan?" Siniko ako ng katabi ko habang nagsusulat at dahil left-handed ako, lumagpas ang ballpen sa next line ng notebook. Kainis talaga 'tong si Queenly minsan.
Inismiran ko siya at hindi pinansin. Nakakainis kaya. Alam niyo 'yong feeling na nasiko ka ng katabi mo ng hindi sinasadya tapos hindi talaga maiwasan na magkamali ka kasi left-handed ka. Madalas talaga 'yon nangyayari sa 'kin pero nasanay na ko and that's why hindi ako pwedeng maubosan ng correction tape. I immediately get annoyed when my notebook and reviewers are full of superimposition and erasures. I want to keep all my notes clean and readable.
"Okay class, next week we will have a pretest about the Periodic table. Goodbye class."
"Goodbye Ma'am Sarmiento!" Hindi magkasabay na paalam namin kasi mabilis na nagsitayuan ang mga boys at nag-uunahan lumabas paglagpas ng teacher sa main door.
Buti naman at natapos na ang last subject at uwian na. Malapit na kami sa covered court nang matanaw namin ang kumpulan ng mga estudyante malapit sa bulletin board.
"What's cooking?" I asked, intrigued.
"Let's check our marks girls!" aya ni Jonnah na kahit tapos na ang klase ay mataas pa rin ang level ng energy at excitement.
Gusto ko ng umuwi at magpahinga pero hinatak ako ni Queenly dahilan para masali ako sa mainit na kumpolan. Hayst! Ayoko talaga sa lahat ang nakikisali sa mga ganito. Naiirita agad ako, umiinit pa naman ang ulo ko. At the top of the board ay nakapaskil ang mga announcement for the upcoming Buwan ng Wika. Sinundan ko lang 'yong mga papers na nakapins at napatakip agad sa bibig dahil hindi ako makapaniwala sa nabasa ko.
Top 1 ako sa first quarter ranking sa overall Grade 10 population. Naalala ko tuloy 'yong Grade 7 na bumati sa 'kin kanina. Kaya pala pinagtitinginan kami kanina dahil sa quarter rank. Now I get it. Sumunod naman sa 'kin si Adrian Martinez with just 3 points difference.
Top 5 si Jonnah, 6th place naman si Gale, 10th si Queenly at 12th si Judy. Nakasakay kaming lima sa Top 20 ng Grade 10 ranking kaya napawi ang simangot ko at napalitan ng sobrang saya. After taking a picture of the ranking, I send the pics to my parents. Sigurado akong matutuwa sila sa magandang balitang dala ko ngayon.
Nagtinginan kaming lima gulat na gulat at pinoproseso pa rin lahat ng nakita. Umalis muna kami sa kumpolan at pagkatapos ng tatlong segundo, sabay-sabay kaming tumili at nagyakapan na parang mga baliw. Bahala na kung pinagtitinginan kami, wala kaming pakialam basta masaya kami.
"Congrats Sofia! Magdonate ka naman ng brain cells mo sige na please!" pabirong sabi ni Judy at mas tumaas pa ang energy niya kumpara kanina pagkatapos makita ang ranking niya.
"Galing natin girls!" bati ni Gale at naggroup hug ulit kami at nagtatalon-talon sa sobrang saya.
Lumabas kami ng school na hindi alintana ang mga titig ng mga estudyante at nagmamadaling umuwi para ibalita sa mga magulang namin ang magandang balita.
I know it's too early to celebrate but even little achievement can really make a big difference. My parents always told me that all great success documented in history started with the smallest achievements. Pagdating ko sa bahay, dumiretso agad ako sa kusina at niyakap ng mahigpit si mama. Nagulat siya sa ginawa ko at tinigil muna ang paghuhugas ng plato.
"Ma, I have good news for you!" pathrilling kong sabi ko with all the excitement.
"Sige nga, ano iyon?" she replied while patting her hands on the dry towel.
"TA-DA!" I showed her the picture of the ranking, and she painted that face with awe.
"Congrats! Thank you anak, I'm so proud of you." She hugged me and the cute thing is, Mary also wants to join. And we share the most loving and comforting hugs of all.
The hug of a family.
Kumalas kami sa yakap when we heard the messenger's ringtone. Napatakip sa bibig si mama sa sobrang gulat nang makita kung sino ang tumatawag at dali-dali itong sinagot.
"Tumatawag ang papa mo." Naluluha niyang sambit sa amin at dali-daling sinagot ito.
Umupo kaming lahat sa dining at nilagay naman ni mama ang phone sa table. Naging emotional agad si mama just by hearing Papa's voice. On the screen, kunti nalang 'yong mga sugat ni papa, hindi na siya maputla unlike the last time and wala ng mga tubes na nakaattached sa katawan niya except for the dextrose and catheters.
"Papa!" Mary squeaked.
"Sofia anak, nakita ko 'yong ranking mo sa school. Co-congrats anak! I lo-love you. Next year... uuwi na ako pagkatapos kong makare-recover. Ma-mahal Pwag ka ng mag-alala, malakas na ulit ako." Papa managed to smile to show how proud he was despite his woeful situation.
Niyakap kami agad ni mama ng napakahigpit. She remained silent but her tears tell us how happy she was. She's been through a lot since my father's accident. She's a survivor, the bravest woman I knew.
"We love you pa!" I sobbed.
"Papa I miss you." Mary squeaked again as she reached the screen giving papa a flying kiss.
"Hello there Engracia Family! Don't worry, Mr. Engracia's recovery is doing good so far." The Australian Doctor waved on the screen while a nurse administered the medication on the clear IV tube.
After the VC, I post a text to my story with a blue background.
‘Thank you Lord for all the blessings = )’
Right before I fell asleep, I had this realization of how important parents are. How I want to see them happy and how I don't want them to get disappointed.
Our parents are the ones who watch us every step of the way. They are our support system towards reaching our dreams and backing us up when we fail. They never leave us alone in pain and they deserve more than respect and love. Our achievements no matter how big or small is the source of their strength and happiness so why would we deprive them of that?
Our family is not perfect but I'm very lucky and grateful to have one.
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From: Adrian
Congrats!
Napalikwas agad ako sa kama pagbasa ng chat niya sa messenger. Kinusot-kusot ko pa ang mga mata ko pati ang pisngi ko to make sure na hindi ako nananaginip. Binalik ko agad ang tingin sa screen at binasa ko ulit. Hindi pa ako nakuntento at binasa ko pa talaga ng paulit-ulit.
"Oh my gosh! It's real, I'm not hallucinating."
I smiled like an idiot and threw myself back in bed. On second thought, why am I overreacting? Congrats lang naman ang chinat niya sa 'kin.
"Snap out of it, Sofia," I reminded myself.
I hummed while taking a bath and enjoyed my breakfast. I dried my vibrant light brown hair and curled the tip to add some style and tucked my bangs sideways. I looked at myself in the mirror and applied a fair amount of powder on my face and a cherry red lip balm. I plumped my lips then took a selfie then post it on my story with a caption 'Good morning'. I looked at myself again in the mirror for the last time and appreciate my natural beauty that I don't usually do.
Anyway, baka malate na ko. I waved goodbye to mama before we hopped in the cab with my little sister. Nang nasa tapat na ko ng school, I took a deep breath and keep a positive vibe. Today is the start of something new. I greeted everyone I met a good morning wearing a sweet smile.
"Good morning class!" I imitated our adviser kaya napalingon lahat ng classmates ko akala nila teacher nga 'yong dumating. I smiled and took my seat.
"Girl, ang saya mo ata ngayon?" maintrigang tanong naman ni Queenly.
"Nothing...Why? Is it bad?" I imitated a classical theatre voice.
"I smell something fishy," Queenly replied while putting some pressed powder that finished her attractive almond skin.
"Just a lot of endorphins released in my body." She rolled her eyes by my alien reply and closed her compact powder.
Sadly, the morning class ended but he's still not around. Absent kaya siya? Sayang naman 'tong effort ko hindi man lang niya mapansin. I tried to keep up my mood and set aside being sad because of his absence Dumaan muna ako sa AVR at hahabol nalang sa canteen to check if nando'n siya but no sign of him.
"Nasa'n kaya siya? Absent ba talaga siya?" I looked down gloomily.
Pumasok rin ako ng library to check if he's there but still the same, wala siya kaya dumiretso na ko ng canteen.
"Nahanap mo na ang hinahanap mo?" My brows furrowed at Queenly's sudden question.
"Huh? Wala naman akong hinahanap ha." I tried not to look transparent.
"Sus! Alam ko na ang mga galawang ganyan oi. 'Di mo ko maloloko girl!" maarteng sagot ni Queenly.
"Wala means wala okay," I denied although what she said was true.
"Umamin ka nga sa amin, crush mo ba si Adrian?"