Her Inevitable Fall

KABANATA 7

Nagtuluy-tuloy ang pagtakbo namin ni Reye mula sa kalye ng aming building papunta sa park at muling pabalik dito. Pero ang pagkakaiba sa una ay tatlo na kame nang sumunod na araw. Kahit si Reye ay gulat na gulat nang nakita ang kapatid na nasa labas ng lobby at hinihintay kame upang makasabay.

Nung unang sabi niya sa akin na sasama siya sa morning jog namin ni Reye ay tinawagan ko 'sya upang pigilan sa pagsama. Mahihirapan akong mapilit si Reye na tanggapin ang trabahong alok ng kaniyang pamilya kung parati siyang nakabuntot sa amin tuwing magkikita kame. Pero parati niyang rason ay hindi naman 'sya masyadong didikit sa amin sa pagtakbo kaso parang nao-awkward ako at nagi-guilty kay Reye. Since hindi ko talaga siya mapigilan ay pumayag na rin ako.

Katulad na lang ngayon habang tumatakbo kame ay nasa likod namin si Thyrone. Si Reye naman ay nagkwekwento tungkol sa araw niya kahapon.

"Ang galing naman ni Henry!" komento ko sa kaklase niyang gumawa ng action research para sa kompanya nila. "Pero ano naman ang isinagot mo sa professor mo nong tinanong kaniya ng ganoon?" tanong ko sa sagot niya sa tanong ng professor tungkol sa kalagayan ng kanilang kompanya.

Ngumiti siya sa akin at lumapit para bulungan ako sa tenga, "Ang sabi ko, the company has the best management. My brother is securing it kaya malabong magkaproblema kame. Pero 'di ko sasabihin kay kuya at baka lumaki ang ulo."

Tumawa ako sa kaniyang sinabi. "Mukhang bilib na bilib ka sa kuya mo, ah? Huwag mong gayahin yan, ha? Mas mabait ka kaysa sa kaniya," paalala ko sa kaniya.

Umiling-iling si Reye sa aking sinabi. "Paborito kaya ng pamilya si Kuya," kwento niya sa akin. "Kaya nga si ate Beamille na pre-pressure sa achievement ni kuya. He made such a standard for us his siblings. Kaya nga si Mama at Papa gusto na maging tulad kame ni kuya," malungkot niyang pagpapatuloy.

After several runs with him. I came to know how pressured he was in his family. Hinawakan ko ang braso niya and encouraged him, "I feel you're pressured by your family. We are different from each other but I tell you, each one of us has our weaknesses. You might see your brother as someone's perfect. But I know he has hidden weakness which might be your strength."

"I doubt he has a weakness. He's too perfect," he insisted.

"Are you sure?" I questioned. "People thought I'm perfect. I got no flaws in my body. To tell you the truth, I got more imperfections. That I only knew," I continued.

He shook his head. "You? You're perfect that's impossible," he said in disbelief.

I smiled at him. "One of the pieces of evidence of my imperfection just happened during my talk at your university. I think you have noticed it. No, I think everyone had noticed it," I said narrating the incident months ago. "I failed to answer your professor's question. Honestly, I don't know the answer to his question. People believed that I could answer everyone's questions but I simply can't."

He nodded, "Yeah, I've noticed that. But the students didn't mind it."

"Because you were already hungry. All the students were hungry but your professors weren't," I laughed. "And I was saved by the bell because someone has to come in and continue the program."