Wayback Home

Chapter 6

Glimpse

I yawned as I glanced at my wristwatch. Nakakainip. Ilang minuto na rin kaming nakaupo rito habang pinapanood namin yung kunehong pulis sa projector.

"Liyah, paabot nga oh."

I glanced at Bea to see what kind of shit it is this time. Papel iyon na lukot-lukot na parang may laman ng bato. I look at her.

"Ano nanaman ba 'to?"

"Basta! Abot mo na lang kay Ady!!" I rolled my eyes. They must've be so bored to trip on those things. Sabagay, kahit nga ako na determinado makapag sulat ng maganda refelction about sa movie na'to, nawawalan na rin ng gana manood e.

I glance at the cafetarie beside the gym. Tahimik. Walang tao. In front of the white building of a cafeteria is a bare lawn designed to be a green-space for that part of the school. Tabi ng cafeteria ay isang three-story building na may lalan na anim na silid sa bawat palapag. In the next two years, it will be our batch's building, which I find to be boring. Konkretong lang ang tanaw sa buiding na 'yon, at kung di ako nagkakamali, sa second-floor ang grade level ng hayskul ang nandon. It's first floor is a part of the elementary department samantalang yung third floor naman ay sakop ng library, computer laboratory and music room. Kung tutuusiin, maraming ganap sa building na 'yon pero para sa akin, mas gusto ko pa rin yung kasulukuyang silid namin sa CJB.

Malumanay ang ihip ng hangin samatalang maalinsangan ang panahon. Tirik ang araw pero hindi sobrang hapdi sa yapos nang balat ang sikat nito ngayon, tama lang para sa panahon.

Along the green-space are two flag poles  for our national flag and our school flag. Tuwing umaga, natutuwa akong pagmasadan yung senaryo nito, lalong lalo na kapag madilim-dilim pa. It feels peaceful, pero ngayong oras, it feels even more. It looks romantic. It feels so romantic.

Ang araw na sikat na sikat, yung mga damo na alagang-alaga nang mga "nanay" namin dito sa ekwelahan, pati yung balanse ng kulay ng puting cafeteria at mga kulay abong gusali. It feels like home.

"Huy" Bea's poking my right leg.

"ALIYAH!" Bea poked aggressively.

"Oh!?" I responded out of the blue.

"Akala ko ba panonoorin mo'tong movie?"

"Ha? Oo nga. Nanonood ako." I cleared my throat.

"Nanonood ka nung araw sa labas? O may pinapanood ka jan sa ibang grade-level? 'Wag mong sabihin na mas bet mo yung mas bata sa'yo? Pedophile ka?"

I just stared at her indifferently. Ang daming satsat. "Just shut up, Bea."

"Shut up your face."

"Napaka-mature mo talaga!" Sinamaan nya ako ng tingin.

"Just please, just focus on your thing. Don't mind me."

"Whatever" She turned her back on me while gesturing something at Quina, her other friend in the other section. Kapag napagalitan nanaman ito ni Ms. Conch for sure bi-bingo na sya sa faculty. Napakadaldal.

I tried diverting my attention on the projector in front. Hindi ko makuha yung buong istorya ng pelikula, actually, kanina pa nga at patapos na 'yon ngayon. Bukod sa tirik yung araw at hindi malinaw yung palabas sa projector, nahihinaan rin ako sa volume na todo na raw sabi doon sa control room.

Hindi ko na nga mabasa yung subtitle, hindi ko pa marinig na malinaw yung audio. And good lord as much as gusto ko mag-recit mamaya, I will just embarass myself sa buong klase kapag nag-brief review kami sa classroom kasi wala naman talaga akong na-get bukod doon sa kanta na "Try Everything." 

10:30 na. Recess na dapat namin ngayon kung regular schedule kami pero mukang magkakasabay-sabay pa yung buong hayskul sa break. Ugh. Iniisip ko pa lang na makikipagsiksikan kami sa pagbili ng empanada na-i--i-stress na ako. Sheesh.

"Liese, Lyan!" I whispered while poking their backs. Ugh. Ang hirap namang malayo sa mga kaibigan kapag school program! Ito yung ayaw ko kapag ganito e. Sobrang strict pa nung adviser namin kasi pinaglalayo-layo talaga, swerte lang 'tong dalawa ngayong nagkatabi. Kainis.

"Huy! Liese, Lyan!"

"Oh, bakit ba?" Finally. Lyan turn to me na medyo natatawa pa galing sa tinitignan nila kanina. Curious, I glanced on that side before speaking to her. Sa upuan ng mas matandang batch samin sila nakatingin. Wala naman akong nakita. I wonder what it is.

I shrugged my head.

"Oh, ano ba?!" Lyan hit my left arm holding her shoulders at the back.

"Uhm, samahan mo ko CR" She rolled her eyes after glancing on her watch. "10:35 na oh, malapit  na mag break!

"E, naiihi na ako!"

"Edi mag CR ka! Nasa akin ba inidoro?"

I rolled my eyes. Kainis naman.

"Anong oras ba recess?"

"Uhmm, 10:40 daw sabi ni Ms. Conch." Liese's responded na medyo nangingiti pa. Sawa na sa tinitignan nya dun sa upper-batch.

"Ah, okay." I feel so bored. Hindi naman ako talaga naiihi, gusto ko lang tumayo rito sa upuan ko. Nakakabagot na. Sobra

I stretch out my feet, twisting them to one side and then to the other when I heard both Liese and Lyan squeal. I pouted my lips, envious that  I was seated far from them. Ugh, kainis na.

I shifted my eyes to where they are looking when I figured I couldn't quite decipher where their line of vision from this angle. 

Huh?

"OMG"

I said rather a bit louder than I was supposed to when Bea turned her attention to me. "Oh, ano nanaman yan?"

"Nothing." While still not diverting my eyes from the boy.

Sa huli nakupo, medium-skinned, pointy-chiseled nose with a thin lip seriously staring at the screen. He's on the backs so I suppose he's on the last section of their batch. So there's a possibility that he's on the same floor as me. Pero parang ngayon ko lang nakita 'to?

I turned around to think about where I'd seen him. Right! Kanina rito sa harap nung dumaan yung first section ng batch nila! I look in front to see the boy who passed in front kanina. Oh. They look similar! I glance again at the boy at the back, good lord! This time, he's smiling. Shems, ang pogi!

He's smiling so I noticed that he's wearing braces. Damn. I think this boy at the back is fairer than the ones in front. Are they twins?

Pero shemay, if he's seating accordingly, it really means na sa last section sya ng batch nya nakabilang! Ka-floor ko!

Omg!! What a good start for this school year. I giggled.

"Aliyah!" Liese and Lyna called me.

"Tara na!" Liese said aggressively while motioning me to stand up.

"Huh?"

"Tanga, recess na. Tara sa comfort room."

"Oh, okay."

I look in the screen, tumataas na nga yung mga pangalan. Tapos na nga so I stood up.

Shit. Ang pogi nung naka brace!