Balisa ako sa unang klase, hindi rin ako gano'n kasigla noong sabado at linggo. Lahat halos ng mga estudyante sa school ay iyon ang usapan at kung pwede lang ay ayoko na iyon na marinig. It gives me creeps and shiver.
"Class, I strictly suggest everyone that once your class ended, diretso na kayo sa dorm o sa kung saan man uuwian niyo. Be sure that someone is with you. Delikado na sa University ngayon, marami nang nakakapasok. 'Wag na kayong palisaw-lisaw."
No one even mentioned the name of that person who died and it made me crazier. It became a news blackout considering that this is a university that has a clean record, an ideal one that was known to have the safest environment. I don't even have any clue. Kahit ang mga kaklase ko ay walang alam.
"Senior daw ba yung namatay?"
"Hindi ko alam."
Tiningnan ko kung papasok ba siya sa nag-iisang subject na mag-kaklase kami. Nagsimula na ang klase at walang lalaking pumasok sa kalagitnaan ng discussion para dumukdok lang. Pumikit ako nang mariin at hinawakan ang kamay kong nanginginig. Pull yourself together, Bora.
It's not that kid, it's not that kid that I once pointed my knife with.
Umayos ako ng tayo nang matapos na ang discussion. Sungil daw yung lalaki na 'yon, tapos once a week lang kung pumasok, half-day pa. This is the biggest university of the whole region, the probability of us crossing each other again isn't that high.
Aksidenteng napatingin ako kay Don, matalim lang ang titig niya sa harap ng board at hindi nagsasalita. Tumayo na ako at lumapit sa direksyon niya pagkatapos isukbit ang bag sa balikat.
"Saan tayo?" tanong ko sa kanya.
Nag-angat siya ng tingin sa akin at napakurap. Di kalaunan ay nagpilit na lang siya ng ngiti. "Kahit saan, bahala ka. 'Wag doon sa maraming tao."
He's the one who punched that guy last week. What's in his mind? Is he also upset thinking that it might be him who died?
"Do you know something?" tanong ko kay Don sa kalagitnaan ng paghahalo ko ng pagkain. "It is the school's biggest nightmare, no one didn't know who or what. I'm asking you if you know something."
Tiningnan ko siya, nakabaling lang ang atensyon niya sa kabuuan ng soccer field sa harap namin at tahimik pa rin. He's a son of one of our professors, he must have heard something. Natigilan siya nang tumikhim ako.
"Let's not talk about it, it's too negative," he said. "Eat."
"How can I eat properly in this kind of situation?"
"Siya ba ang iniisip mo?" napatingin ako agad sa kanya sa sinabi niya iyon. "Si Yandiel, siya ba ang iniisip mo?"
"Parang..." Nagkibit-balikat ako. "Hindi ko rin alam. Pero alam kong kasali siya doon, ayaw ko na lang rin manghimasok," sagot ko.
"So, you're thinking that he's the one who died," he concluded, I gulped as I quickly nodded my head. "What made you think that it's actually him?"
Nagkatinginan kami. Bumalik sa isip ko lahat ng nangyari noong mga nakaraang araw. The way I dragged him forcefully out of that place, the way Donielle threatened and punched him several times that caused him getting scars and blood all over his face.
Regardless of everything, he just laughed and said limited words.
"He looks careless," I whispered. "He seems so carefree that life on his side wasn't a big deal. What if he knows he's being killed, yet he's not even doing anything to defend himself?"
"That's up to him. Wala siyang pake, eh. Matanda na siya, kaya na niya ang sarili niya."
The way Donielle talks about him, it seems like they've known each other for a long period of time.
BINABASA MO ANG
Covenant in the Wilderness
Spiritual2013, where about 55% of college students suffered injuries from hazing. For more than two months, Deborah Yuenne, an ordinary college student of education found herself watching out over this group that they called fraternity, where members share c...
