FLIP - 1
"Hija? Lumabas ka na at kumain. Kanina ka pa hindi lumalabas dyan sa kwarto mo."
Amara heard sister Fely knocked outside of her room's door and urging her to step outside to eat.
After that scene in the hall, she lost her courage to join with the other orphans because of what happened to her. She used of being bullied when she's living in the street back then but now was totally different.
Dati okay lang sa kanya na binubully ng mga bata na may kaya sa buhay nang dahil sa wala syang magulang, bahay o pagkain.
Aside from what happened to her back then, nothing seems to bother her until she came here in the orphanage. She felt bad for herself that kids were bullying her from her external appearance. An ugly fat orphan.
"Busog pa ako, sister!" tugon niya.
"Sigurado ka ba?"
"Opo!" sagot uli niya habang nakahawak sa tyan na kanina pa kumukulo.
Nagtitimpi siyang hindi lumabas at makisalo sa iba para kumain. Kailangan muna nyang magbawas ng timbang at pumayat bago lumabas ng kwarto na ito.
Meanwhile, sister Fely just sighed in defeat on the other side of the door. "Okay. I'll just put this tray of food here in front of your door. Kumain ka na lang kapag nagutom ka, okay?"
She didn't get a response from Amara who's been lying in bed all day so sister Fely just take her leave to supervise the other kids.
Ara heard her foot steps away so she immediately went to her door and open it slightly like she's spying on something.
When she saw nothing in the hallway where her room is, she grab the tray with food and drinks.
Habang siya'y ngumunguya sa pag kain, binuksan niya ang maliit na TV sa harapan ng kanyang higaan at nanuod ng palabas. Inilipat niya sa kada channel na meron sa TV. Hanggang sa may nakakuha ng kanyang atensyon.
She tilted her head to the side. "Bakit sila tumatambling?"
She asked while wondering why the gymnast on the show are dancing with their apparatus and gracefully move their body as they turn and tumbling.
With an outmost curiosity, she stood up and leave her food unfinished so she can copy the moves of those gymnastics.
But with her big belly, arms and legs, she can't able to turn herself around with balance while the one feet is elevated.
"Ayoko na! Ang hirap!"
She gave up after she couldn't copy the moves and go back to eat while still watching the gymnastics competition in Athlete University.
ARA was so consistent on watching and learning the moves of those gymnast everyday to the point that it became her number one hobby while spending her everyday life like a prison in her room.
Day after day, nothing goes change with her attitude by staying and locking herself in her own room. The nuns are even confused why she's being like that. But only to sister Fely, she's comfortable with that's why Ara was only talking to her and no one else.
At the moment, Ara was still full awake in the middle of the night. Waiting for everyone to fall asleep especially the nuns that checking every orphan if they all in their room before they go to sleep.
When the clock strikes at 1am, she step barefoot outside her room to go to the main kitchen. There, she sneaks around and find something to eat.
She silently clap in delight when she found some leftover foods beside the garbage can.
"Mmm, ang sarap..." she murmured while savouring the food inside her mouth.
"Hoy."
Ara literally stop from moving when someone speaks behind her. Lumingon sya dito para tingnan kung kanino ba galing ang boses ng lalaki.
Ngunit wala syang makita maliban sa dilim kaya hindi niya makita ang mukha nito.
Kinapa niya kinuhang monay sa mesa at walang pag aalinlangan na kumaripas ng takbo paalis ng kusina ng walang ingay. Mabuti na lang at kabisado nya ang daan kaya hindi sya nababangga kahit madilim ang buong paligid.
"Muntik na ko dun ah," aniya ng makapasok uli sa kwarto nya.
Napangisi si Ara nang makakuha pa sya ng monay kanina bago umalis sa kusina. May panghimagas pa sya at ang kinain nya ngayon ay hanggang bukas na uli. Maghihintay na lang sya sa kung sino ang mag iiwan ng pagkain sa harapan ng kanyang pintuan.
She slept at past three a.m. in dawn. She was watching some techniques on gymnast but she end up sleeping while watching within two hours.
"AMARA?"
Ara yawned when someone knocked on her door. It was sister Nelia. She's sister Fely's best friend.
Halos nakapikit pa syang lumapit sa pinto.
"Ano ho, iyon?"
"May bisita tayo dito ngayon at kailangan lahat ng mga bata ay lumabas sa kanya-kanyang kwarto kaya, pwede ka bang lumabas saglit, hija?"
Lumabas?
Tila nag sink in lahat sa utak niya ang sinabi ng madre saka siya tuluyang nagising ang diwa.
"Ayoko po!" parang takot na takot niyang sambit.
"Hija, kailangan talaga ito eh, please? Lumabas ka muna jan."
That doesn't change Ara's mind.
"Ayoko nga po sabi eh!" pagmamatigas nya.
Sister Nelia just blew an amount of air. "Okay, if that's what you want, then so be it. Just don't regret in the end." aniya sabay alis na sa harapan ng pinto.
Napakunot ang nuo niya sa sinabi nito. Anong sabi nya? Regret? Magsisi? Saan?
Well, she knew that she speaks English but she didn't understand what the nun's pertaining to. She can understand only a few words in English by watching television.
Minutes later, someone knocked on her door again. Sa isiping si sister Nelia ulit iyon para kulitin siyang palabasin, inis niyang sinabihan ang nasa labas.
"Ayoko nga pong lumabas!"
No respond and only a chuckled she heard.
"Bakit? Kase natatakot kang bullyhin ka na naman?"
Ara halt when she's familiar to that voice. Sya ba yung kagabi?
"Sino ka ba? Anong pakay mo saken at bakit mo alam ang dahilan kung bakit ko ayaw lumabas?"
Humilig ang batang lalaki sa pinto sa labas. "Basta alam ko lang. Teka, ayaw mo talagang lumabas? Kahit ngayon lang?"
"Bakit ba? Ano bang meron sa labas?"
"May darating daw na mag asawa at balak mag ampon. Kaya kailangan nating lumabas para kung sino man ang mapili na ampunin nila sa atin, swerte nalang sya. Alam mo bang madaming nag aaaway para lang mapili na ampunin sila? Kaya lumabas kana dyan kung ayaw mong mabulok dito sa bahay ampunan." mahabang paliwanag ng bata.
But even though he explains everything, Ara won't change her mind. Ever. She's serious on what she's been doing. As long as the her world is quiet and peaceful, everything's fine to her.
She was about to speak when the boy introduced himself to her.
"I'm Ean, by the way. Ikaw?"
"Ara." maikling sabi nya.
"Hi, Ara. Kung nauuhaw ka, may iiwan ako dito sa labas ng pinto mo. Sana magustuhan mo."
Nakarinig sya ng yabag papalayo kaya napagtanto niyang umalis na ang lalaki.
Gusto pa sana nyang itanong yung tungkol sa mga darating. Pero naisipan din nyang wag nalang. Tutal wala naman din magkakagustong ampunin sya. Sa taba at pangit ba naman nya?
She just sighed and decide to distract herself by watching some gymnast techniques and routines but her mind was totally bothered about her physical appearance.
With that, she stood up and do some exercises to help her body get shrink in no time. She's so desperate to loose some weight and be flexible like the gymnastics so that's what she did every day.
AMARA
Nanginginig at pinapawis ang mga palad ko habang kaharap ko na ang sinasabi ni Ean na Dean ng AU. Sinusuri pa nito ang card ko at mga records galing sa pag se-self study sa bahay ampunan.
But thanks to Ean and to his adopted father, I was able to studied here with connection from Henry Santos. A swimmer coach that's why Ean is a swimmer.
"Why do you want to attend this Athlete school?"
Nagitla na lang ako sa biglaang pagtatanong ng Dean. Ni hindi man lang ito ngumiti. Napakacold pa nga ng aura nya.
"Uh,"
Nasulyap ako sa labas kung nasaan naghihintay si Ean. Inisip ko uli yung sinabi nya sa akin kanina na bakit ko gustong pumasok sa paaralan na to? yun daw ang unang itatanong ng Dean.
Tumikhim ako. "It's my choice, Dean Mendez."
Teka, tama ba sinabi ko?
"Your choice?" kunot-nuong tanong nito.
"Yes."
"Then why is that?"
"Ho?" bakit daw yun yung gusto ko?
"Because I want an Athlete-- I mean, I want to, uh, became Athlete. Here." tinuro ko pa kung saan ang kinauupuan ko.
Hindi ko maipaliwanag kung nagustushan ba ng Dean ang sagot ko pero yon talaga ang totoo. Mamatay man ang Dean.
Napailing na lang ito at may chineckan sa papel na nasa harapan nito.
"Next question. How will you contribute to this campus?"
Wala ito sa binanggit na tanong ni Ean kanina ah! Patay tayo jan.
"Ah, eh, I would do my best!"
"What? You're doing your best? Best by doing what exactly?"
Bakit ba ang daming tanong? Ganun ba kahirap para makapasok dito?
Kinagat ko ang kuko ko at napatingin sa kisame at nag isip ng isasagot.
"By... by... by cooperating! Yes, by cooperating!" napatayo pa ako sa upuan nang mahanap ang tamang isasagot.
Magsasalita sana ang Dean nang may kumatok at pumasok sa Dean's office. It's the Dean's secretary.
"Dean, the next interviewer is here."
"Is that so?" napatingin ito sa akin. "You may go out."
"Po? Tapos na po yung limang tanong nyo sa akin?" sa pagkakatanda ko, dadalawa pa lang ang naitatanong nya. "Sabi po kasi ni Ean lima ang itatanong nyo."
"I have no time for you, Ms. Jacinto."
"Ah ganun po ba? Teka, pasok na po ba ako sa AU?"
Nag face palm ang Dean. "The result will coking up later. Just wait in the lobby."
I nodded and went out of the Dean's office while wearing a happy smile on my face and slightly jumping as I walk towards to Ean.
Sinalubong din ako niya na may nagtatanong na pagmumukha. Tila gusto na malaman kung nakapasok ba ako.
"Just wait in the lobby daw. Yung yung sabi niya."
Bagsak ang balikat nito at iginiya ako papunta sa kinauupuan niya kanina para duon maghintay ng results.
"MISS Jacinto, in the Dean's office please."
Agad akong napatayo nang sabihan ako ng sekretarya ng Dean. Halos magdadalawang oras din kaming nakaupo at naghihintay nung results kaya beke nemen makapasok na ako.
Walang patid ang pagkakangiti ko nang sumalubong ako sa Dean na nakaupo sa swivel chair niya at nakahilig ang ulo sa sandalan.
"Nakapasok po ba ako? Tanggap na po ba ako? Ano pong kailangan kong dalhin sa first day of cla--"
"I'm sorry," she cut me off.
"Ho?"
"I will go straight to the point. You aren't able to studied here in AU, Ms. Jacinto. Thank you for your time. You may go."
"P-Po?"
"Secretary, please escort Ms. Jacinto to the school's gate."
Hinawakan ako ng sekretarya niya sa magkabilang balikat at hilina sa palabas ng Dean's office pero bago pa man kami makalabas, nagpapigil ako.
"Dean, I can't accept this!" I half-shouted and kneeled down in front of her making her stunned.
"Wow, you actually complete an English grammar." she complemented me but I didn't care.
"Please po, tanggapin nyo na po ako... gustong-gusto ko po talagang makapag aral dito... kahit ano po gagawin ko basta makapasok ako dito!"
"You're that desperate?"
Paulit-ulit akong tumango habang magkasiklop ang mga palad ko.
"But sad to say, there's no more slot for you. The other transferee had already passed in my interview so the last slot goes to him."
Napatanga ako. "So, hindi pala ako nakapasa sa interview nyo? Dean naman eh! Please, please, please! Gusto ko talagang pumasok dito! Promise, gagalingan ko sa pag gy-gymnast! Saka, hindi nyo po ba alam na lalo po kayong gumaganda at bumabait kapag ipinasa nyo lahat ng interviewer nyo?"
Ilang minuto kong hinintay ang sagot nya hanggang sa napabuntong hininga sya at sinabing...
"You're passed."
My eyes literally open wide. "Yes! Thank you, Dean!" lumapit ako sa kanya at humalik sa pisngi nya.
"Aah! Ew, get off me!"
Humiwalay kaagad ako at nagpasalamat ulit ng paulit-ulit. Lumabas ako ng Dean's office at ikinuwento lahat kay Ean ang nangyari.
"Haha! Kailangan ko lang pala syang bolahin eh! Grabe lumuhod pa ako dun ha."
He also laughed and handed me my jacket and cap. I have to hide myself from the outside since Ean help me to escape at the orphanage.
"Hey, why don't you check your apartment? I think I can't be able to go there with you since Dad called me earlier and said that we're having a training. Pero ihahatid muna kita don gawa nitong gamit mo."
Wala akong nagawa kundi ang tumango. Madami na siya at ang ama niya na naitulong sa akin kaya ako na ang dapat kumilos ngayon.
"Okay!" I exclaimed.
I've waited him to drove me to my apartment nearby the school. When we arrived, he still help me to bring my luggages -- that he gave me -- inside the apartment.
I look around inside. Ang ganda, mas maganda pa sa Hope Orphanage. I grinned. I can do whatever I want here since... I'm alone.
~amph1trite~