Written On A Canvas

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Think about it. Your parents are working so hard just to send you to school and this is how you repay them? By being incompetent students?"

Halos walang may tumitingin kay Sir Regan, 'yong History teacher namin, habang nagse-sermon ito sa unahan. Apparently, most of us didn't do the homework he assigned to us last week. Isang linggo ang duration ng gawain na iyon pero hindi pa rin nagawang makapasa ng iba kong kaklase.

I glanced at Alyanna who was just scribbling on her notebook, waiting for Sir Regan to stop talking. Isa rin 'to sa mga hindi nagpasa. She didn't reach out to me for help so I assumed she did it. But as it turned out, she didn't.

"Grade 10 na kayo pero ganito pa rin mga ugali n'yo? Kailan ba kayo magbabago?" pagpapatuloy ni Sir. "Sa walong taon kong pagtuturo, you're the worst section ever. Grabe ang disrespect niyo sa akin."

Prente lang akong nakaupo at nakatingin kay Sir. I have nothing to worry about. I passed my homework the next day it was given so I won't have to worry about it.

"Alalahanin n'yo. Graduating kayo sa junior high. Take my class seriously kung gusto niyong maka-move up." Padabog na kinuha ni Sir ang mga libro niya at lumabas na ng classroom kahit hindi pa naman time.

Napailing nalang ako. Why the need to be so dramatic about it? It's not like siya lang 'yong subject namin. There are a whole lot others who demand from us, students, because like he said, we are graduating. He didn't even give my classmates the luxury to explain themselves why they failed to pass.

"Why are you so quiet?" I turned to Aly. She was just playing with her pen now. Tamad itong nakasandal sa upuan niya habang kagat-kagat ang daliri ng isa niya pang kamay. She's strangely silent today.

I only got a slight shake of her head as a response to my question. She took out her phone and fixed the way she sits after. Hindi ko nalang siya ulit kinausap at nag-advance reading nalang para sa susunod na subject.

Ilang sandali lang ay pumasok na ang sunod na teacher atn nag-simula na siyang mag-klase.

If I can describe what happened since last year, I'd say it's normal. Walang masyadong naging problema. Hindi ko na nga namalayan na 10th grader na pala ako at malapit na ang first quarter exams. The people around were fine, too. No major incidents. It's like the year just passed and now we're here.

"May laman na ba Research niyo?" salubong ni Jaime sa amin nang lumabas kami ni Aly matapos ang klase. Recess time na. Kasama niya si Angelica dahil sila ang magkla-klase. Oo, nahiwalay kaming apat. Pero ayos lang. It wasn't really a big deal.

I nodded. "Oo. Bakit?"

"Wala. Kinakabahan ako sa pre-oral defense," sabi niya at umaktong nanginginig.

Habang nag-uusap ay nag-lakad na kami sa corridor para pumunta na sa canteen. Pinagitnaan kami ng mga babae ni Jaime at tanging ako, si Jaime, at Angelica lang ang nag-uusap.