2
LETICIA POV
I happen to wake up 5:00 in the morning. Well this is my first day in Hernan University. I prepare some breakfast for myself. As for you to know I'm independent highschool students. I can cook for myself. Wash my own dishes and clothes. I can live all by myself. I can survive.
I prepared some toasted bread and a cup of coffee. After I finished it, I washed the dishes and off to my bathroom. Doing my typical routines. And wore my uniform.
10th grader uniform is color purple. Short pencil cut skirt which is purple, white top and purple blazer. I saw my reflection in the big mirror and fuck. I look like a fucking Ube ice cream. Though I have a fine skin color. Sabi ng iba kitang kita sa itsura ko na isa akong anak mayaman. I just shrugged when I hear that. Maputi ako. And yes, makinis din. I'm about 5'5 of height.
No choice. I have to wear it. It's in the rule. Na kagabi ko lang nabasa. Bago ako matulog ay binasa ko na ang form dahil bukod sa napaka mahal na tuition fee ay nakalagay din duon ang mga rules and regulations. Syempre Mas nag focus ako sa grade 10, dahil nga yun ang grade ko. Though naintindihan ko naman ang mga rules ng senior at college.
I can recall some rules like. Students should wear their uniforms. Students should know the curfew hours. Students should respect the teachers etc. And most and for all kase naka type sya ng capital letters and naka- bold pa 'STUDENT SHOULD STUDY WELL' yan yung nakasulat. Yun lang ata ang gusto nilang iparating kaya ganon. Ewan ko din.
Lumabas na ako sa dorm ko with my backpack ofcourse. It contains my school supplies. Some notebook, paper and pen. At sabi sa form mamaya sa mismong room namin ibibigay ang mga books.
Pumasok ako sa building namin at hinanap sa bulletin ang pangalan ko. And there i saw it. Santiago Leticia Mariz room- 3 gold. Napansin ko na laging 3 ang napupunta sa aking number no? By the way nabasa ko mga section. May sampung section pala. First is gold, silver, yellow, white, pink, purple, blue, red, orange and black. Colors ang name ng section. Naka rumble ang mga names namin. Ang pagkaka gawa ng section ay Hindi base sa grades or IQ na nakuha namin. Pa'no ko nalaman? Mine is 225 and I read some IQ on my section like 110,106,105 etc. Hindi naka ayos. And Hindi ko alam kung bakit.
Nagpunta na ako sa naka assigned na room. Which is room 3 na nasa second floor. Nag elevator ulit ako kase ayaw kong mapagod.
As I open the door of room 3 some eyes landed on me but I just shrugged it. I didn't give them even a bliss glance. I just don't want to make friends. I want to study not to find friends. But if it happen to have atleast one. Then be it. I will be thankful if I will have a friend.
I sit on the available chair. Last row on the right behind the mirror. I just bow my head that rested on my wrist. After a couple of minutes woman enter our room. Assumed to be our teacher. I lifted my head up and face our teacher.
"Good morning," she said without giving a glance. She just write some letters on the board. As she wrote it there's nothing but a silence. The room filled with silence. Ang maririnig mo lang ay ang pagsulat nya pati na rin ang tunog na nanggagaling sa aircon.
"You'll be calling me Ms. Camilla. I'm your English teacher, " we nodded
"Introduce yourself. Full English. And describe yourself using personification. As you know personification are used to describe something exaggerated. I assume you know that already because your in 10th grade?" She said. Nakakabuset ang daming arte. P'wede namang magpakilala nalang ng simple e.
Miss Camilla is beautiful she looks like a 18 year old teenager. Pero I know may edad na din sya. Her wrinkles define her age. She's wearing a white top and black slack that fit her small waist. She also wear black stilletos.
"Santiago Leticia Mariz." I stand up as I hear my name being called.
"Goodmorning everyone. I'm Leticia Mariz Santiago. 15 of age. Loves to sing as the birds do. Read some books represent myself as a bookworm. I love to sit in a high place to fly like some butterfly. I'm a short temper like a hungry lion. Heaven roar with flashing electricity that's happen when I'm angry. Thank you," I said and take my seat. The introduction continue and supposed to finish but when the last student stand up she was shaking, her knees were shaking same as her hands. Sweats all over her face. She seems scared.
"What's the matter Angela Oscar?" Our teacher asked her
"N-Nothing I'm sorry. U-Uhm.H-Hi everyone. I'm uh I'm Angela Oscar. 15 years old," that's what she said and bowed her head
"Where is the personification?" Miss Camilla asked her.
"I-I'm sorry Miss Camilla. I happen to forget personification. Nakalimutan ko po kung paano gumamit," she almost whispered while talking.
"Forget? How can you forget personification? We always use personification,almost everyday to define an exaggerated things! How could you?! This is a simple introduction and yet you can't do it properly! Didn't you know the importance of this?! It will reflect to your rank! Didn't you know that?!" Miss Camilla exclaimed. Nakakaawa naman si Angela. This is our first day pero ganito 'yung nangyari sa kanya.
"Maam I'm s-sorry," nakayukong sabi ni Angela.
"Sorry? You fr*king stupid student! Tell me pano ka nakapasok sa school na 'to kung ang b*b* b*b* mo ha! Napaka t*nga mo naman. Ang dali lang ng pinapagawa ko 'di ba? All of them did it properly. Why can't you do it?!" Sobra na. Hindi na tama. I can't help but to stand up. I want to defend her. Miss Camilla reach the limitation. She smart shame her.
"What is it?" She raise her right brows while looking at me.
"You're being too much," I calmly said to her. I know it is rude but she's being too much. Mali na sya. Mali ang ginagawa nya. Hindi dapat ganon.
"What?" She asked
"You're being too much. Mali ka na, Ma'am. Hindi ka dapat ganyan. Mas lalong hindi matututo ang isang estudyante kung ganyan mo sya itatrato. Oo, mali na nakalimutan nya ang personification pero Ma'am your words were too much. As a student it hurts. I do know it. What can't you accept her apology? Instead of yelling at her why can't you teach her? She can learn , I know. Didn't you know how to calm?" Sabi ko sa kanya. I know I did a wrong move. Mas lalo syang nagalit.
"At anong alam mo sa tamang pagtuturo? I graduated--"
"That's it, Ma'am. You graduated with your license as a teacher. You should atleast know how to use your patience. You should have manners. You graduated pero parang mas may manners pa sa iyo 'yung mga taong namamalimos sa kalye," sabi ko sa kanya. Natahimik sya saglit. Little did I know nag ipon lang pala sya ng lakas para mag sisigaw na naman.
"Y-you! Anong karapatan mo para pag sabihan ako?! I am your teacher! Hindi ka ba tinuruan rumespeto ng mga magulang mo?" Look who's talking about the word respect. She didn't even know how to respect others. Masyado syang mataas.
"You're saying about respect? Did I hear you clear? Pinapangaralan mo PO ako para rumespeto? Pero ikaw na sarili mo hindi mo maturuan rumespeto. Ma'am respect can be earn. If you want me to respect you, earn it Ma'am. Naibibigay po ang respeto. If you want me to respect you, learn to respect others even if they lower than you. Ma'am kahit sino, ano ay nirerespeto. Ang respeto ko po at ibinibigay ko sa mga taong sanay din rumespeto. And you're not worth of my respect. Mas gusto ko pang respetuhin ang mga aso sa kalye kesa sayo na hindi sanay rumespeto ng kapwa," I took a deep breathe after my speech. Hindi ko gusto na sagutin sya. I know how to respect pero kung ganitong klase ng tao ang makakausap tungkol sa salitang respeto? I'm sorry but I will prove you my point. Kahit na anong pilit mo sa akin na respetuhin kita kung hindi ka karespe- respeto hindi ko mabibigay sayo yun. Alam kong mali yung ginawa ko pero mali din ang ginawa ni Miss Camilla. Kahit na teacher na s'ya sana sanay pa din syang rumespeto ng mas nakakababa sa kanya.
"You brat. Sige. Gusto mong respetuhin ko kayo? You were saying that I should earn your respect? You're my student right? Prove me your one. Answer my question. If you can answer it, ok, I will lower myself. I'll teach with patience. You ready?" Hindi ako sumagot sa kanya. Nakipag titigan lang ako. English ang subject nya kaya paniguradong may kinalaman sa English ang itatanong nya.
"What is the most definition word in English?" She asked. Napakunot noo ako sa tinanong nya. Letche mapapasubo pa ata ako dito. Ang gusto ko lang naman ay respetuhin nya kami pero ba't ako naging kawawa sa huli?
"Why? You know it aren't you? Ang dami mong alam di ba? What can't you--"
"Set," I cut her words
"Pardon?" She raised her brows
"The English word with the most definitions is set. According to Guinness world record, "set" has the largest number of meanings of any words in English language with 430 different senses listed in the 1989 edition of second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. The word "set" record with an entry running 60,000 words or 326,000 characters, and no other English word has come close since," natigilan sya sa sagot ko. Hays. Mabuti nalang talaga at mahilig akong magbasa ng libro kung hindi nako patay ako dito.
"C-class dismissed, " she said and hurriedly grab her things and left the room. I just sit down on my chair and sigh. Hay nako first of school na trouble na agad ako. Gusto ko lang naman na huwag nyang sigawan yung estudyante e, ba't sakin sya nagalit? Hindi naman ako brat. Oh, well, uhm, daddy always say that I'm stubborn and brat but hey I just want to defend myself. May mali s'ya at alam kong may mali din ako. Parehas kaming may mali e.
Ito ang mahirap bilang isang estudyante. Kapag hindi kami sumagot nasasabihan kaming bobo at walang alam. Kapag sumagot kami ay hindi nila nagugustuhan. Mas lalo pa silang nagagalit. Laging misinterpret ang nangyayari. Hindi kami nabibigyan ng chance para linawin yung point namin.
"H-hi," napa angat yung tingin ko nang may nag salita sa gilid ko.
"Uhm," sya 'yung Angela kanina. S'ya 'yung pinagalitan e
"Why?" I ask her even if I know kung bakit sya nandito sa harap ko.
"I-I'm sorry. Napagalitan ka dahil sa katangahan ko. Sana kase hindi ka na nangialam. Okay lang naman e."
"So you're telling me that I'm wrong? That it's my fault?" Sabi ko sa kanya
"N-no. No that's not what I meant. Look I was saying--" mabilis nyang bawi
"Just kidding. Okay lang. May mali din si Miss Camilla. Hindi dapat s'ya ganon. Dapat mahaba ang pasensya niya sa mga estudyante. Look, don't call yourself 'tanga'. Hindi ka tanga. Nagkamali ka pero hindi ka tanga. Okay lang ako," I smiled to her. Giving her the assurance that I'm ok.
"Thank you. Oh by the way I'm Angela Oscar," she said
"Yeah. I know I've heard it. I'm Leticia Mariz Santiago," I smiled again.
"Maybe, uhm, can I, I'm. You know. I don't have friends here and uhm.. Can i. I mean can we? Ow wait uhm can I call you as my friend?" I chuckled after she said that. She almost look pale. Hindi naman ako nangangain.
"Yeah sure," sabi ko sa kanya. Nanlaki yung mata nya na parang gulat na gulat sa narinig nya.
"Yeah sure? I mean yeah sure. You mean we're friends? I mean it's great to be friends with you. Oh my god. Thank you," nakakatawa sya. Paulit ulit tapos parang hindi s'ya makapaniwala. Well okay pa din naman kahit may kaibigan di ba? I mean, it happen to have a friend so be it.