Beginnings Beyond Comfort (Erudite Series #4)

Kapitulo 1

Droplets of water touched my shoulder. I quickened my phase of walking. I sighed hard when I arrived at my building. Why did it have to rain just when I forgot about my umbrella? Naambunan tuloy ako!

Last night, I was reading when I fell into slumber. Then, when I woke up, I hurried because I slept in. So, I forgot to put my umbrella in my bag. I switched bags last night because I would be carrying my laptop today, at hindi ko agad napansin na hindi ko pala nasuksok ang payong ko sa bag ko.

Hindi ko alam bakit bigla na lang akong hindi nagising sa alarm ko, nakakainis.

"This is a first, how come ngayon ka lang?" Mario asked me when I sat down. "I overslept," I took out my notes and read.

"Whoa! The almighty and all-strict Diwata Yvon Mahalina slept in? Has life suddenly sprinkled some magic in the world?" overacting-ly, Mario said.

"No, I was just finishing something last night. Our prof in Ethics sent an email about another reading last night. So, I read it."

"What?! Hindi ko nakita!" he hastily opened his phone and checked his email.

This was something I learned during the first week of classes.

May time kasi na habang nanonood ako ng AOT, nag-notification sa akin ang email ng isang prof tungkol sa dagdag reading for the meeting the next day. Pero delayed notif 'yon. It was around 11 that time, tapos napabasa ako hanggang two ng madaling araw dahil 40 pages 'yon. Now, I checked my emails daily.

"Wala na, wala na akong magagawa. 'Tang ina naman kasi, ba't 'di nagno-notif 'yong email, e, naka-on naman notifs ko," reklamo ni Mario. "Late talaga madalas 'yon, better if you just check yourself."

Bumusangot si Mario at ginamit na lang ang phone niya habang naghihintay kami sa prof namin sa Ethics. Wala na talaga siyang magagawa. It was 7:08 in the morning and seven o'clock was our class time. Mabuti nga at hindi pa nakararating 'yong prof ko bago ako dumating, e. Kundi may tardy na ako.

When our professor arrived, nagpa-recitation siya tungkol sa readings. Then, he discussed a summary. Mario had such a satisfied face after that because he wasn't called for recit.

"Ang sarap gumala, ngayon!" masayang wika nito habang papalabas kami ng classroom. "Kagagala mo lang kahapon, 'te," pambabara ng kaklase naming si Annika.

"So?" mataray na balik ni Mario, "Nag-breakfast ka na, Diwa?" umiling ako sa tanong ni Mario at napatitig sa kiosk na madadaanan namin na nasa gilid ng Rizal Hall, aka RH, ang building ng college namin.

"Bibili ako ng pagkain, una na kayo, but save me a seat, please." I told them before walking away.

Bumili ako ng agahan at kumain saglit. Mabilis akong kumain, kaya hindi problema sa akin ang ganitong situwasyon. Nakarating naman ako sa klase agad pagkatapos no'n, 'yon nga lang, pawis ako. Sobrang init talaga rito, 'yong sinag ng araw, tapat na tapat sa campus.

The prof handed the attendance sheet to my block mate in front. Then, the class began. Math was my second subject today. After lunch, I had a history class that I dreaded.

Iyon kasi ang may pinakamahabang pinapabasa, e. As in hindi bababa sa 30 pages 'yong isang reading. E, usually, tatlo or mas marami 'yong readings. Nakapapagod kayang aralin 'yong bagay na hindi mo naman gusto. Ever since I was a kid, I disliked history. It was long and boring to learn about. Can't I just learn about what I actually needed for my future career?

Besides, what's the use of knowing the past when people just repeated mistakes?

"Para malaman ko kung nakinig kayo, quiz tayo, five items!" lahat ay halos napasinghap sa narinig mula sa prof namin matapos ituro ang pag-multiply at pag-divide ng polynomials.