Just Me

chapter12

Alex

"Arggggh! I can't focus!!! Maghapon na kong paikot-ikot dito pero wala pa din akong naaaral kahit isang subject man lang!!! ARRRGH!!!" Sigaw ko habang binibigyan ng isang malakas na straight punch si Powchee.

"Alex! Tama na yan! Kawawa na si Powchee oh bugbog sarado na sya sayo. Walang kalaban-laban sayo yan. Wag mo sa kanya ibuhos yang inis mo!" Sabi naman ni Ate Yanny pagkatapos hinablot nya si Powchee at niyakap as if protecting him from me.

"Ate manhid yan, wala yang pakiramdam. Hindi yan nasasaktan kaya akin na yan. Kailangan ko sya ngayon to vent out my frustrations. I need to feel well tonight so I can study tomorrow. Finals is just one week away!"

"No. Maghanap ka ng ibang bubugbugin mo but not Powchee!" Sagot ulit ni Ate Yanny but this time tinalikuran nya na ko.

"But Ate Yanny! He's just a stuffed toy!" I said helplessly.

"Powchee is not just a stuffed toy! He's like a brother to me!" She said teary eyed.

"Anong nangyayari dito? Bakit kayo nagsisigawan?" Tristan said confused habang buhat-buhat si Cody.

"Ano kasi kuya-"

"She kidnapped Powchee and turned him into a punching bag!" Ate Yanny scowled.

"But honey Powchee is just a stuffed toy, it doesn't have a feeling-" Kuya Tristan tried to defend me saying the exact same thing but was cut shortly by Ate Yanny.

"Enough! Pareho lang kayong magkapatid! Hindi nyo ko naiintindihan!" She spun around and stomped her way into their room and close the door with a loud bang.

I gave my brother a meaningful look as if saying "anong nangyari dun?" But then he just shrugged and said "Baka meron?" Meanwhile Cody remain silent as he stare at us clueless of what just happened.

Naglakad ako papasok ng kwarto ko atsaka umupo sa kama. Sumunod naman sakin si Kuya atsaka ibinaba si Cody.

"Ano bang problema?" Sabi nya sakin. Nakatayo lang sya sa harap ko habang nakalagay ang dalawang kamay sa bewang.

"Wala. Nappressure lang kasi finals na. Medyo tagilid midterm grade ko e. Kailangan kong bumawi."

"Pano nangyari yun? You're a bright student. One of a kind-"

"Ewan ko. Maybe I was but not anymore. Pakiramdam ko kinakain ako ng mga subjects ko. Hindi pa ko nahirapan ng ganito sa tinagal-tagal ko nang nag-aaral. I feel so weak. So little. Nakaka-bobo sa feeling alam mo yun?"

"C'mon Alex. Sige sabihin na nating bobo ka nga- (I gave him a deadly glare at that)"...

"Okay-okay hindi na (he said while raising his hands)" ...

"Ano pano ba. Basta sabihin na ngang hindi ka na katulad ng dati but I've never seen you as a quitter. Mom taught us to never surrender no matter how bad the situation is. I know you'll find your way around"

"Madaling sabihin mahirap gawin"

Lumapit sya sakin sabay inipit yung mukha ko sa may kili-kili nya.

"Ano ba Tristan! Hindi ka pa ata naliligo e!" Sabi ko struggling to get out of his grip.

"Hindi pa nga! HAHAHA" pagkatapos pinakawalan na din naman nya ko.

"YAK KA!" sabi ko habang tinutulak-tulak sya palabas ng kwarto ko.

"Wait. Wait. Seryoso na to. I suggest you should try to look from a new perspective. Go out with your friends and loosen up a bit."

"Sus. Wala kang originality. Line yan ni Tadashi e."

Medyo namula naman sya sa sinabi ko clearly not expecting me to know that he loves animated movies.