The Endgame and Mischief

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Chapter 26
Under the crescent moon, mind bleeds.

The whole classroom is under the spell of bliss knowing this is the day after our three days' examination, as if this is the aftermath of the storm that made the coastal road in pure plague.

After checking our papers, it is the commencement of recording our scores. Hindi ako nakakuha ng mataas na score katulad nina Robert na magaling sa math at bilang lamang sa daliri ang mali. But before checking earlier, Alexander assured me that whatever the outcome of my Exams, he's proud of me, that I should be proud too because that is my hard work and I did my best for the past days and weeks,

He told me that I don't need to prove myself to others, because I hold the truth in me, I shouldn't be devastated to myself, since I couldn't be the student I wanted to be, the crucial thing in here is, I did what I can and I keep trying.

Agad kumunot ang aking noo nang kinuha ni Shabina ang kaniyang papel mula sa aming guro at sa pagbuklat niya ng kaniyang test paper ay siyang pagsibagsakan ng kaniyang balikat.

Mula sa aking kinauupuan ay namataan ko kung paano niya kinagat ang pang-ibabang labi at doon nagsimula ang pamumuo ng kaniyang luha. Huminga ng malalim ay walang paalam siyang lumabas ng Classroom.

Naalarma ay agad akong napatayo dahil sa kaniyang kilos na nag-iiwan ng bakas sa akin ng pag-aalala.

"Alexander, ikaw nalang kumuha ng test paper ko, CR lang ako,"

Hindi ko na siya hinayaan pang makapag utas ng katanungan at lumabas na—pasalamat nalang ako kay Layla dahil sa kausap niya si Ma'am dahilan upang hindi ako mapansin.

Saktong paglabas sa Classroom ay naabutan ko ang kaniyang bultong nilamon ng pinto sa Fire-exit. Walang pagdadalawang isip akong tumakbo patungo doon.

The last thing Shabina will have to do today is to be alone, I've been in that kind of situation once, where doubts became too adhesive to your thoughts that self-encouragement didn't work, because how could you encourage yourself, when you're full of doubts? Where there's no certainty, and everything seems hopelessness?

You couldn't lift yourself, when you're the one who's dragging you down.

Sa pagbukas ko ng pinto ay doon narinig ang mahihinang hikbi, mga palahaw na komokontra sa katahimikan na lumulukob sa bawat hakbang ng hagdan.

Sa dahan-dahang paghakbang ay humigpit ang aking hawak sa railing nang makita kung paano manginig ang kaniyang balikat. Nakatalikod ang kaniyang pigura mula sa akin, ang mga kamay ay nakatabing sa mukha habang parang bata na inabanduna ng mundo na umiiyak.

I have nothing to deny, that I indeed envy Shabina's personality, she was my best friend, and I've known her for being toughed, and when things hit her unexpectedly she'll just smile and shrugged her shoulders, she's the person that always hold the quote that 'Life goes on'

I always look at her as carefree and resilient one, that I forgot until this moment that she's a human too, she's no superhero, she isn't wonder woman not to cry...not to be in pain...not to be hurt.

She has her own weaknesses too.

Hindi nagsalita ay tahimik akong tumabi sa kaniya. Binalot siya ng yakap at siyang pagpatong ko ng baba sa kaniyang balikat.

"Shabby,"

Ngunit nagdahilan lamang iyon upang mas lalo siyang maiyak, ang paghinga ay mas lalong lumalim habang umiiling.

I saw how devastated she is right now, I can see how she's shattering into pieces, that even I am holding her right now, pieces of her were scattered in the wind, whispering to me that I can do nothing but to stand with her.