Two weeks into hell, I mean school.
As promised hindi na ako na late, muntik muntikan lang naman. Same as ever, everyone is inside the room, some chairs are displaced from arrangement. Magkakaharap yung magkakaibigan. May nagseselpon tapos yung iba kumakain.
As I sat down, a loud laugh echoed inside the room, though it looked like I’m the only one who cares. It’s Kyle, hindi halata pero maingay yan, down to earth at friendly. Faye is his seat mate which is maingay din. I can hear their conversation a bit. Enough to pick up some information but I can’t understand the main idea itself.
I was about to head for the restroom when my feet decided to collide into each other. The floor is cold when it’s still early, I figured as I braced myself enough to not suffer from a concussion, and surprisingly may amoy itlog.
“Yung itlog ko”, sabi nung nasa harapan ko.
An egg fell in front of me as I recollected myself. It’s hard boiled, the shell is cracked, some of it crumbled as I picked it up but still in good condition.
“Hoy Henry ano nanamang ginagawa mo”, Eden helped me up as I dusted my clothes. “If you want to hug the floor, do it yourself, wag ka na mandamay”, tawa niya.
“Mandamay?”, nalilito kong tanong bago ko siya tinignan.
Nakanguso siya, I followed the direction she pointed and it fell to Cassie and Selena. Cassie is awkwardly sitting on one of the chairs, pouting while looking at me. Selena on the other hand is picking a plastic cup from the floor.
I wondered what they are doing for a second before realizing what I’m holding.
“Hala Sorry”, inabot ko sa kanila yung itlog.
Come to think of it, I feel like I bumped into something before I fell. I handed it closer to them and they accepted it.
“Be careful next time Henry”, Selena calmly replied.
Humingi ulit ako ng tawad. “Papalitan ko nalang”, sabi ko.
“Loko, don’t worry about it, tsaka accident is accident, ingat ka nalang next time”, Cassie insisted.
“Sigurado ka?”, tanong ko ulit sabay hugot ng wallet, nakakahiya kasi.
“Hoy, hindi nga, tsaka hindi naman nadumihan, pwede pa to”, she waved her hands and declined before laughing. They both then continued to their seats.
I left the room feeling embarrassed. Imagine talking to someone for the first time and you almost ruined their day.
The corridors are full of students. They are all lively and living the most out of their high school life, nothing surprising with that. May naglalandian na agad nang kay aga aga but again, there is nothing surprising with that.
This is high school, peak of teenage life, exploration, and excitement are natural. Abnormal lang ako sa part na hindi ako lively at lagi lang sa bahay kapag walang pasok.
What’s more surprising is Selena, everybody views her as their older sister, mabait at maasahan but she doesn’t actually have a circle of friends, not all can get passed her deep thoughts. I had once asked her how she computed our math assignment last year but she’s too lost in her inner world that she couldn’t hear me.
I don’t know what Cassie did but I know it’s good for Selena.
I arrived in front of the male restroom without even noticing. May hindi nagbuhos, may mga upos ng sigarilyo, naglilinis naman mga school janitor but the other students still finds a way to do these kinds of things.
I decide to circle around the back after I’m finished with the restroom. There was a mini forest that’s a bit close to the office and administrative building. It always gives me peace of mind, except when the classes are already on going and the other grades and sections can see you.
I saw Ma’am Mabini as she traversed her way to the office.
“Good morning ma’am”, bati ko sa kaniya.
“Good morning”, Out of respect I carried her bag to the room as she headed to the office.
When I got back, the room felt like it shifted. It’s like a moving maze, leave it or don’t look at it for a second and everything changes place. Though the classroom is wide with all the chairs, the spares, shelves, durabox, trashcans, and dustbins, we always find a way to make it looked cramped.
“Andiyan na si ma’am”, sigaw ko. Tinignan lang nila ko saglit ayaw ata maniwala. Tinaas ko yung bag ni ma’am and it sync in. They immediately tidied the room and put everything into place.
Yung mga cleaners ngayon lang nag walis, yung mga nag momobile games kinuha agad mga basura at nagtapon, tapos yung iba pasimpleng nagpupunas kunwari ng bintana. I just stood there, watching how fast they acted.
Hindi ako cleaners eh, but some did not even flinch and continued what they are doing. Spoiler alert they are in my seat. As a good person like myself I walked up to them, smiled. Tapos inagaw ko yung upuan ko, with a simple, “Ehem…”.
They did nothing because it’s their fault, “Ay sorry”, sabi lang ni Christy. I just smiled at her again then sat.
Ma’am arrived a minute later then class started, so is the next one and the other one until we reached the Filipino subject. Mythologies, tungkol sa mga Diyos at Diyosa ang mga topic for the first grading, interesting for the most part, I’ve always been interested in mythologies, specifically Greek mythology.
Though, ang kabuuan lang naman ng Greek mythology ay kasalanan ni Zues. Pinatulan na ata niya lahat ng gumagalaw, if theres a hole theres a way, kung wala gagawan niya ng paraan. The origin is actually funny but the stories that come with it are interesting.
“Anong masasabi niya sa kuwento?”, tanong ni Ma’am Garcia after matapos ang discussion.
No one dared to raise their hands, kung may mga instances man na tatahimik kami ito yun. Silence that we don’t always procure, everyone is waiting for someone to save the day habang pinangingilagan ang mga mata ni maam.
Then emerging from the silent ruble of lazy students scared to raise their answers, a hand was raised. The chosen one, nawala ang tension sa hangin nang nagtaas ng kamay ang aming tagapag ligtas.
“Okay, Marlon, anong masasabi mo sa kuwento ni Cupid at Psyche?”
“Uh, dapat po alam nating mag tiwala, gaya nga ng sabi sa kuwento o yung tema ma’am, walang pag-ibig kung walang pagtitiwala, ito ang pundasyon ng pag-mamahal. Dapat matuto tayong magtiwala sa partner natin dahil kung puro suspisyon nalang ay walang mangyayari at walang magtatagal”, maikot pero tamang sagot ni Marlon.
Ma’am look satisfied with the answer so she did not ask any further. Nakahinga na talaga kami ng maluwag.
“Okay, very good”
Yes, very good. Kasi ayoko mag recite, buti nalang talaga at meron si Marlon na masipag mag recite. Sasagot naman ako kapag tinawag, alam ko yung sagot, sadyang hindi ako naghahanap ng problema. If I’m not called bakit ko bibigyan ng problema sarili ko, tapos pano kung mali pa sagot ko.
“Ngayon na alam niyo na ang nangyari at mensahe ng kuwento, magkakaroon tayo ng mini task”, Ma’am Garcia closed her book, opened her foldable fan na parang si Inang Magenta sa Enteng Kabisote.
“Magkakaroon kayo ng dula dulaan”.
The sound of disappointment reverberated throughout the room. Akala ko makakahinga na kami ng maluwag, or at least mag shoshort quiz lang.
“Ma’am naman dula dulaan agad?”, reklamo ni Rigil, “Halos kasisimula lang ng klase eh”, pabiro niyang dagdag.
Hindi ko siya masisisi, I have the same thoughts as I hid my book and brought out a notebook. Magkakagrupohan nanaman at feeling ko magiging leader nanaman ako, like almost every grouping nalang, sana pwede din maging pabigat.
“Eh bakit kasi, mag dudula dulaan nga daw, nasa lesson plan yan diba ma’am?”, Lito said.
There was a brief moment of silence again, everyone stopped o their tracks, looked at Lito with burning gazes, and shouted two Hanss in chorus. Nasa likod ko siya kaya hindi nalang ako lumingon.
“Bida bida”
“Jollibee”
Bumulong nalang din ako ng bida bida kasi totoo naman. Then smiled because it is hilarious, luckily he does not seem to be bothered.
“Tahimik na…”, saway ni ma’am habang hinahampas hampas niya yung lectern to get our attentions.
Everyone kept their mouths shut and ma’am continued.
“Walang naman sigurong absent ngayon diba, ilan kayong lahat Kyle?”
“Exactly 30 po ma’am”
“Sige, simulan mo mag bilang Wallace, simula sayo papunta sa likod tas next line until mabilang lahat till row three”
One, two, three… Twenty-nine, thirty and we are done counting.
“Lahat ng even numbers tumayo”. Hinanap ko yung tubigan ko kaya hindi ko nakita kung sino sino mga tumayo.
“Mga odd”, I stood up as I took my last gulp. I’m number 19. I sealed the bottle and checked who my group mates are. With the ball point pen in my hand, I was prepared to start noting everyone down.
Hope is what I felt as I took a closer look, all my doubts went away. It’s as if the sun is shining down its warm and caring rays as the trumpets of heaven is sounding from the distance.
Rejoice, hindi ako leader, pabigat ako for this task.
“Sana all”, sabi nung mga naka upo. “Unfair ma’am, magkasama si Henry at Kyle”, reklamo nila.
“Wala ah, nagbilangan naman eh, by chance lang yan”, I simply said, but I’ve been screaming out from happiness inside.
“We can’t do much about it, plus chance niyo to para iprove na kayo niyo kahit na yung mga laging nagleleader magkasama ngayon”, sabi ni ma’am.
I’m just 3rd on ranking, I doubt na I have produced something worth to be proud of sa mga hinandle kong group project. Kumpara kila Kyle at Selena, I’m just nothing.
“Kung nasulat niyo na yung mga group mate niyo, ito ang gagawin, representative ng mga group punta dito sa harap, at bubunot kayo kung first half o second half ang isasadula niyo”.
Si Sonny na ang bumunot para samin tas si Rigil na din sa kabilang group. “Ayusin mo bumunot Sonny”, sabi ni Kyle sa kaniya.
“Group Odd, first half, Group Even, second half. To be performed next next week, Friday. Matagal na preparation na yan ha, galingan niyo, hindi na din tayo mag ququiz about sa topic na to”, ma’am declared, grabbed her shoulder bag, said goodbye, and left.
“Mga Odd, walang uuwi agad mamayang hapon, magmimeeting tayo, iiwan namin yung uuwi agad”, sabi ni Kyle.
“Bukas, Sabado, 8 ng umaga”, that’s what’s planned, “Meet up sa Elementary”.
It’s a blessing to have him as a leader, he made the script, directed and all. In exchange, he’ll be the narrator at hindi siya aacting. I would also do that if I’m the leader, I can’t act, but I guess this time wala akong choice.