Chapter 5
I'm not in the mood today. Nag-aaway na naman sina Mama at Papa. I sent my brothers to school and they kept on asking about what is happening to our parents. Ano ang sasabihin ko? Ako mismo walang alam. Narinig ko silang nagsisigawan, mukhang nagseselos na naman si Papa.
I have no idea kung sino ang pinagseselosan ni Papa. No'ng nasa dating bahay pa kami namin noon, I never saw them or heard them fighting this hard. Simula no'ng lumipat kami dito sa lungsod na ito, do'n na nagsimula ang palaging pag-aaway nina Mama at Papa.
Our lives were fine before. Everything didn't used to be this bad.
I'm sitting alone under the mango tree. Hindi pumasok si Dave ngayon. Siguro hindi maganda 'yung pakiramdam niya or may emergency. There were days that he was not around in school but whenever I'd ask him the reason why, not even once he answered me.
What a coincidence! Kung kailangan ko sana ng taong mapagbuntunan ng pagkalito, wala naman siya. Maybe this is the way God is telling me that I must not be dependent on him. Just the thought of him being at my side, I always feel like everything's going to be fine.
Ako ang naghanda ng agahan namin kanina. My parents were busy fighting so I need to take of my brothers. Binaunan ko ang mga kapatid ko kanina kaya nagbaon na rin ako. Kinuha ko ang baon ko mula sa aking bag. Kanina pa ako tulala dito na dapat sana'y kumakain ako ng tanghalian.
I sat in an Indian position. I placed my tupperware on my lap for me to be able to start eating. Good thing that I brought my own lunch because my parents did not gave me allowance for today.
Wala akong ganang kumain. Ang dami kong iniisip. Susunduin ko pa 'yong mga kapatid ko mamaya dahil ganito naman palagi kung mag-aaway sila. I'm having a hard time on how am I going to print some pictures for my assignment that needs to be passed tomorrow.
"Leona?" I startled when I realized that someone is in front of me.
It's Mazro.
"Oo, si Leona ako noong play natin but my real name is Jenim Essa." sabi ko naman.
Tumango siya. "Anong ginagawa mo rito?" tanong niya.
"Kakain na sana ako ng pananghalian."
"Why here? The canteen is not crowded." he said.
"Why do you care? Okay lang naman ako dito." sabi ko.
I don't even know why he bothered me. It is said that he is not the type of person that approach people first. Mukhang hindi naman totoo ang mga pinagsasabi nila. Palagi naman akong kinakausap nitong si Mazro, sumusulpot nga kung saan-saan, eh.
"Oh! I don't come here to have a talk with you. Inutusan ako ni Ate na i-inform ka about sa meeting ngayon sanang lunch break. I was finding you everywhere and here you are, under the mango tree."
"I better get going." sabi ko at sinimulan ang pagligpit ng pagkain ko.
"No, kumain ka muna. I'll wait for you." he said.
What they say about this man is not true. Maybe they just don't see this side of him.
"Thank you." I said.
Hindi na ako umayaw pa. I need to eat for me to have energy. Baka lutang lang ako do'n kung hindi ako kakain.
He rub off a root of the mango tree and sat down. There's this distance between us but it's still enough for us to hear each other if ever we speak.
"What took you so long? Twenty five minutes had passed since the bell rang for lunch break and you didn't even get to start eating." he said.
Wow lang, ha.
"Sorry, ha. Dami ko kasing problemang iniisip. Di kasi ako kagaya mo na ang sarap ng buhay." I sarcastically said.
Kung maka-tanong naman siya.
"That's why I asked, right? And for your information, hindi lang ikaw ang may problema sa mundo." sabi niya.
I didn't turn into his position. Nakatingin lang ako sa lupa habang sinusubuan ang aking sarili ng pagkain. I kind of feel uncomfortable eating knowing that he's at my side.
"Spill it." he added.
That caught me. Tumingin ako sa kinaroroonan niya. He's looking at me, too. His face is blank. No emotions shown.
"Why would I do it?" tanong ko.
Si Dave lang ang pinagsasabihan ko ng problema. Siya lang ang taong pinagkakatiwalaan ko. For over a year, he never broke my trust.
"Gagaan ang pakiramdam mo?"
"Walang mangyayari. Kahit sasabihin ko pa sa'yo o hindi, walang magbabago, problema pa rin."
I sighed.
"Alam ko. Just say it, maybe I can help." he said.
He convinced me. I decided to opened up a little bit about how my day had been.
"My parents had a fight earlier so I need so take care of my brothers. Sobrang malas lang dahil ang dami ko sanang dapat gawin ngayon, assignments at iba pa. Alam kong isa sa kanila ang wala sa bahay ngayon, could it be Mama or Papa. They failed to give me allowance today and kailangan ko pa naman sana ng pera to print stuffs."
Nagpakawala ako ng buntong-hininga.
"Palagi bang nag-aaway ang mga magulang mo?" tanong ni Mazro.
"Noon, hindi naman. No'ng lumipat na kami dito, napadalas na. There were fights that they settled before the sun set and there were some that lasted for days." I said.
He never removed his eyes on me. Nakikinig siya ng maigi sa mga pinagsasabi ko. The feels is almost the same with Dave but I share all of the details with Dave, unlike with Mazro.
He nodded. "Okay so... I can help you with the printing, we have a printer at the house and pwede akong magsabi ng driver namin na sunduin natin ang mga kapatid mo. In that way, you will have more time to do your assignments and take care of you brothers." he said.
"'Wag na, nakakahiya sa'yo. I'll make a way myself." I said and smiled at him.
I appreciate it, though.
"No. Sinabi ko na tutulong ako kung pwede. I can't stand hearing your problems without doing anything even if I can."
Siguro hindi naman mali ang tumanggap ng tulong. God gave me someone who can help me when the person I thought I'll be needing isn't around.
"Salamat." sabi ko.
He... smiled.
^_^
