Love Grows Where His Camila Goes

46

46

Camila’s POV

It was Friday, I came home tired, but I had to cook dinner for my daughter. Yaya was out for her day–off, and I was left alone together with Camile and Kuya Jojo.

“Mommy! Look!” Camile excitedly showed me her notebook, just to point on what she just wrote on it while she was there in her class. “There’s a reminder from my teacher, Mommy!”

My lips parted and looked at her notebook. She looked at her notebook as well. Naningkit ang mga mata niyang tinignan ang sarili niyang sulat. Umawang din ang labi niya bago tumango–tango.

“Parent Teacher Conference Meeting or PTC Meeting is will be held on Saturday of February 18, 2017.” Camile slowly read, her eyes were focusedly on her notebook. “And, a sf6 giving.” She added as she looked at me with so much curiousness.

“Oh, did you do your best on your performance?” I instantly looked at her when I heard that sf-9 viewing will be held as well on this coming Saturday.

She pouted at me. Instead of answering my question, she answered me with another question. “Mommy, what’s sf6 giving?” She asked curiously, her eyes were a little bit widened and circled.

My eyes widened a little bit as well before smiling at her. “Sf6 is the card, anak. When a quarter ends, the teachers will give me your card. It’s where your grades were all written.”

“Oh,” Her eyes widened and smiled like she had known again another information from me. “I only knew a card, but, not the sf6 thingy.” She let out a small chuckle after saying that.

After eating our dinner, we had to watch a news in our television for a while. The news were mixed, the others were about drugs, massacres, accidents and crimes happening in the country. I have no choice but to switch the channel because I have my daughter whose watching with me.

“Love,” I called her when I noticed that she was about to sleep. She scratched her eyes and looked at me with her sleepy eyes. “Let’s brush your teeth, so you can finally sleep on our bed.” I said with my soft voice.

She yawned first before nodding her head to me. She held the hem of my dress so I held her shoulders to guide her towards our comfort room. After brushing her teeth, we immediately walked up the stairs and went in our room.

Hindi pa nga nakakalipas ang ilang minuto nang makatulog agad sa aking tabi si Camile. I caressed her hair when she was asleep. I stay awake for almost one hour, and I used to think about things that will never happen in the future.

I had to woke up early, because the meeting will be started later at 7 AM in the morning. I learned how to move faster because I was always chasing time because of my job and my responsibilities to camile.

I already saw Yaya on the kitchen, and she was already preparing our breakfast. When I go out from the room, I already took my bath. And, my things that I needed were always ready before going out of my room.

“It only took you one day for a day–off, Yaya?” I asked while having a coffee.

She put two plates on the table, she was from the kitchen. She looked at me and smile. “Wala naman na akong babalikan sa probinsya para magday–off pa,” nakangiting saad nito sa akin. “Ang mga anak ko ay may kani–kaniyang pamilya na rin. Siguradong nakalimutan na rin naman nila ako.”

Ramdam ko ang pait sa tono ni Yaya nang banggitin iyon. May katandaan na rin si Yaya, siguro mas pinili niyang manatili rito dahil kahit papaano ay may kasama pa siya, hindi tulad sa probinsya niya. Mag–isa lamang siya roon.

“Nawiwili rin ako sa iyong anak na si Camile. Napakabibong bata,” nakangiting aniya, umiiling–iling pa. “Eh, ikaw ba? Balita ko ay promoted ka raw sa kompanya na pinapasukan mo.”

Agad niyang inilipat sa akin ang pinag–uusapan. “As they should, Yaya! I always did my very best.” I sad while grinning at her.

Mahina siyang naglabas ng tawa, umiiling–iling muli sa akin. “Iyan! Iyan ang isa pang nakuha ni Camile mula sa iyo! Masiyado kang bibo!” aniya na tinuro–turo pa ako. Ngumiti siya muli sa akin, mapait ang pagkakangiti niya. “At, ang iba ay tiyak na sa ama na nito namana.”

Bumuntong–hininga si Yaya, naroon pa rin ang isang ngiti niya sa akin. “Hindi ko makalilimutan kung gaano naging magalang at mabait sa akin ang taong iyon. Sayang lang dahil mabilis din kayong natapos.”

Ngumiti ako pabalik sa kaniya, matapos kong napataas ang aking tingin sa kisame para pigilan ang pagtulo ng nagbabadya kong mga luha. “May iniwan naman siya, Yaya. Magalang din, at mabait tulad niya.”

Matapos ang masinsinang usapan na iyon ay kumain na ako at umalis. Agad akong bumaba ng sasakyan nang makarating ako sa eskwelahan. Marami na ring mga magulang ang pumapasok sa eskwelahan, pawang nakabihis nang kaswal.

I greeted the guard of the school when I entered the school. Hindi kasi pinapapasok iyung mga magulang na may hindi kaaya–ayang damit, kaya kailangang kaswal talaga ang suotin namin.

“Good morning, parents,” anang guro nang makapasok sa silid–aralan. Naroon ako nakaupo sa may pinakagitna dahil doon naman nakaupo si Camile.

Matapos ang ilang minutong paghihintay ay sa wakas, tuluyan nang dumating ang pinakahinihintay na guro ni Camile. Tumingin ako sa buong silid at napansin kong may isa pang kulang na magulang ang hindi pa dumarating.

“Sa tingin ko ay huli na namang makakarating ang magulang ni Polyn.” umiling–iling ang guro nang banggitin niya ang bagay na iyon.

“Anyways, it was nice seeing you all here, parents.” nakangiting sambit nito.

Tumango naman ako, at ngumiti pabalik kahit na hindi naman dumapo sa akin ang tingin ng guro. Nagsimula muna siyang makipagkwentuhan sa mga magulang bago niya simulan ang meeting.

Napailing na lang din ako dahil hindi ko kilala ang mga magulang ng mga kaklase ni Camile. “Matatapos na rin ang taon, at sasalang na naman sa bagong baitang ang inyong mga anak.” nakangiting anang ng guro sa amin.

Umupo na ang guro, saka inilabas ang mga sf6 ng mga batang estudyante. Nagtaas siya ng tingin sa amin nang kumuha siya sa isa sa mga sf6 na iyon.

“I will announce the honors once I gave you your child’s sf6.” The teacher announced as she started to call their last names.

“Madrid, Polyn!”

Nagtaas ako ng tingin nang marinig ang pangalan ng batang babae, wala pa ring sumasagot sa guro kahit ilang beses na siyang tumawag doon.

Umiling ang guro bago niya ilapag sa gilid ang card ng bata. “Wala pa rin.” Muli siyang nagsalita at tinawag ang pangalan ng anak ko. “Monreal, Camile Johann!”

Nakangiting naglakad ako papunta sa kaniya, naningkit naman ang mga matang tumingin siya sa akin. “Aba, may anak ka na, Camila?” nagtataka niyang tanong sa akin.

Natatawang tumango ako sa guro nang magtanong siya. “Yes, Ma’am.”

Abala siya sa pagtingin sa card, pero nagagawa niya pa ring makipag–usap sa akin. “Nanguguna ang anak mo sa klaseng ito,” Inayos nito ang suot na salamin bago nagtaas ng tingin mula sa card. “Manang mana nga sa iyo ang anak mo.”

Isang tipid na ngiti ang sumilay sa aking labi nang makita ang mga marka ng anak ko sa card. Hindi ko na ikinataka na kaya niyang magkaroon ng straight na line of 9 sa card.

Nailipat ko agad ang aking tingin sa may pinto  nang bumukas ito. Umawang ang labi ko nang makita kung sino ang bumukas ng pinto ng silid na iyon.

Bumilis ang tibok ko nang magsalubong ang tingin namin. “Madrid, Polyn. Ma’am?” He said while his eyes were both stucked on me. His familiar soft voice immediately enter my ears.

It has been a long time since our eyes met. I looked at him, only to feel the suffocating air in my lungs. He used to look at me with so much passion and care. But, now, my eyes can only envision coldness in his eyes, and nothing else.

&.&