CHAPTER SIX
I WOKE up to the continuous and loud knock on the door. Wala sa sariling napabangon ako sa higaan at nagulat nang mapagtantong wala ako sa bahay. Maya-maya pa, naalala kong nasa kwarto ko pala ako sa loob ng mansyon. That was a good sleep, I even forgot where I am.
Dahan-dahan akong naglakad papunta sa may pinto at binuksan iyon. Bumungad sa akin ang malawak na ngiti no'ng babaeng nagdala sa akin kanina rito sa kwarto ko. Napansin kong madilim na sa labas. Anong oras na ba? Buong araw ba akong natulog?
"Good evening, young lady. Kailangan mo nang maghanda para sa hapunan kasama ang Headmaster," sabi niya saka pumasok sa loob ng kwarto ko. I almost frowned when she opened the lights inside my room. She, then, opened the middle door of the armoire. Hinayaan ko na lang siya ro'n at pumasok sa banyo. The bathroom is spacious but cold. I couldn't imagine taking a bath in the morning here.
Naghilamos lang ako bago lumabas. Naabutan ko ang babae na nakaharap sa shoe rack at mukhang namimili ng sapatos. When she noticed me watching her, she beckoned for me to sit in front of the mirror. Which I hesitated but still did. Naupo ako sa harap no'n at nagsimula na siyang ayusan ako. I'm not on my best mood to talk so there's this eerie silence the whole time.
I couldn't still grasped the idea that I am one of the most unlucky people who will play on the league. Hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin tuluyang nagsi-sink in sa isip ko na napili ako. And up until now, I still don't know how to react. From here, I could hear some conversations from the maids. They are envious of how the Headmaster treats us. But I think there's no reason for them to feel that. We would eventually die anyway.
Matapos niya akong ayusan, pinatayo niya naman ako para isuot ang isang formal dress. It's a white long dress that lies on my ankle. See-through ang palda at ang mahabang manggas nito. The simplicity of it makes it more elegant. Nakalugay ang mahaba kong buhok at kinulot ang ibabang parte nito. Ipinasuot niya rin sa akin ang isang pares ng puting takong.
"You're all ready, young lady. Sasamahan na kita papunta sa dining hall," sabi niya saka nauna nang lumabas sa pinto. Agad naman akong sumunod sa kaniya. Sa dami ng mga pasikot-sikot dito, hindi ko alam kung makakabalik pa ba ako mag-isa sa kwarto ko. I could hear them- the other members- already talking to each other at the dining hall. After a few turns, the maid finally opened a huge double door. Not as gigantic as the main entrance door but it's huge. She gestured for me to enter and when I did, she bowed her head and walked away.
The dining hall, as I thought it would be, is spacious. There's a long rectangular table in the centre of the hall. Looking up, my eyes met the dazzling light of the three chandeliers above. They might not be as grand as the chandelier at the receiving area but they still looks beautiful. The white walls were decorated with some posters of foods and such. There are ten chairs around the long table and five of it were already occupied.
"Ikaw ang nahuli kaya dyan ka. Ayaw naming makatabi ang Headmaster," sabi ni Mafi. Napasimangot na lang ako at naupo sa upuang nasa gilid, kaharap si Kingston. Muli kaming nagkatinginan at agad din naman akong nagbawi. Hindi pa nga pala ako nakakahingi ng tawad at nakakapagpasalamat sa kaniya. Nevermind, he doesn't seem to like that topic anyway. Ibinaling ko na lang ang paningin ko sa mga pagkaing nakalatag sa harap namin ngayon.
"Grabe 'no? Parang may fiesta," bulong ni Mafi sa akin. Natawa ako dahil hirap na hirap na siyang pigilan ang sarili niyang huwag tikman ang mga 'yon. Magkatabi kaming tatlong babae habang kaharap naman namin ang mga lalaki. Mafi, Shin and I continuously engages on a conversation about different topics.
"Talaga? Kayo may-ari no'ng Tyrey!?" Gulat kong tanong kay Shin.
"Oo nga! Kaya Ty kasi taylor tapos Rey naman apelyido namin. Kaya Tyrey," paliwanag niya.
