Sweet Talker

Moving Up

(KASSOPOEIA's POV)

"Ate, I'm scared. Malapit na ang graduation and syempre ilang days na lang i-aannounce na yung honor rolls" I said while brewing coffee for my sister.

Kassopoeia Denice is what my parents named me, it is inspired to the Onomatopoeia word that's why I have a complicated spelling of name and almost everyone who tries to read it immediately thought of just calling me Kass or Denice as they can't pronounce my name well unless they know the word Onomatopoeia.

I am a consistent with honor student, I graduated as the top 1 in my elementary and I'll make sure that I will still stay on top today that I'll be graduating in junior high school.

"Aysus! Matalino ka kaya I am sure that you'll pass, malay mo top 1 ka pa" Sabi ni ate habang nanonood nang kaniyang paboritong youtube channel the CongTV. Maya maya ay tumawa na siya ng malakas kung kaya hindi ko na inistobo.

Sigh, slowly putting the brewed coffee in front of her and go back to what I was doing earlier. Drawing is one of the things that helps me to calm down and nakakapagpawala ng boredom ko. It is my hobby and I am proud of my art.

25 minutes later

My phone ring so I opened it and my best friend's face appeared on the screen. "OH MY! OH MY! Girl magbasa ka naman sa GC!" Dindy frantically said. Confused with her excitedness, I opened our class' groupchat.

Ma'am Gretta: "Congratulations Newton, you all passed"

Ma'am Gretta sent a photo.

With High Honors: Kenzy Flores 96.12

Kassopoeia Denice Bonilla 95.26

I didn't read it all, I AM WITH HIGH HONOR? Sumigaw ako ng malakas na abot hanggang sa kabilang bahay. This makes me happy and makes me jump, and cry because of happiness.

"OH MY GOOOSH DINDY! PUMASA AKO!" That's the only words that came out of y mouth but she knows that I am really happy. It can be seen in the reaction in my face. I stopped screaming but my mouth is still in the form of O.

"Yes bestie! We all pass! Congratulations." She said. We are both smiling and doesn't even know how to stop in this time and situation as this makes us feel like we are high up above the sky and is riding a cloud in the shape of our favourite animal.

"Oh my gosh, I didn't expect this" I said

"Echos ka bes, you know that you and I expected that you'll be part of the top 5. H'wag ka ngang plastic" sabi niya na syang nagpatwa sa aming dalawa ng malakas.

Sa wakas, makakatulog na ako ng mahimbing mamaya.

We talked for almost an hour but it ended because we both need to do our house chores.

NAKAPIKIT at hindi makagalaw dahil sa inaayusan ako ng make up artist na kinuha ng aking ate para sa graduation. Nalaman ko na ako ang mag pe-prayer para sa graduation kung kaya ito'y talagang pinaghahandaan.

Ilang oras na lang at mag uumpisa na. Ako ay naka uniporme.

"Ate, I'm scared. This will be my first time to be speaking on the stage 'coz this didn't happen in my elementary graduation" I said anxiously. The make up artist spray a setting spray on my face and I'm done.

She looked at me, "Kaya mo 'yan" pineprepara ang mga gamit na dadalhin namin tulad ng mini fan at tubig.

"I don't know" Looking down at my heels and gently put my feet in it. "Okay na ba yung prayers ko?"

"Oo. Duh!" sabi niya ng pataray na may kasabay pang paghawi sa buhok niya. "Pinacheck ko na rin at pinadagdagan sa co-teacher"

"Okay thank you"

Joey- The make up artist said "Bongga sis! Pretty mo" made me calm a bit and cheered me up.

Tinawanan lang ni ate ng sarkastiko na para bang kinokontra niya ang sinasabi ni Joey.

"Gaga ka 'te, pretty naman talaga ako! Si Joey na ang nagconfirm non" inunahan ko na siya ng sagot dahil alam ko naman kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng tawang niyang 'yon.

"Naku! Niloloko ka lang no'n, uto uto ka naman" mas lumakas ang tawa niya.

Sa likod ko naman ay si Joey na nag aayos ng kaniyang mga gamit ay napatawa sa sagutan namin ni Ate. Masyado kasing bata na akala mo ay hindi na si Ate nagtatrabaho kung makasagot sa akin ng ganoon.

"Bilisan mo na diyan at isang oras na lang dapat nasa school ka na"

Nakaayos na ako at handa ng umalis, siya na nga lang ang hinihintay ko dahil palagi naman siyang late kung kumilos kaya bakit niya ako sinasabihan nito? Hay naku.

Pumasok ako sa kwarto ko at tumapat sa electric Fan habang hawak hawak ang aking cellphone para magscroll sa tiktok kasi kung hindi ay ma bobored lang ako sa paghintay sa kanila mag ayos. Hindi naman ako gano'n ka excited, mas natatakot pa nga ako.

Hanggang ngayon ay hindi ako mapakali kasi baka ma mental block ako sa unahan. I have stage fright.

One hour have passed and I am still scrolling through my phone until my ate bangs my door indicating that we should go to my school because the ceremony will start in a minute. It's 7 am right now and the program will start later at 7:30 am.

I prepared myself. Inhale, exhale.

This is it, this is the big day. A day that I will forever remember.

Hawak hawak ang aking cellphone sa kanan na kamay at maliit na bag sa kaliwa ay lumabas na ako ng kwarto.

"Tara?" tanong ni ate.

Tumango lang ako dahil ang kaba ay syang onti onti ng dumadaloy sa buong katawan ko na nagpahirap sa akin na magsalita kahit isang oo lamang. Nararamdaman ko na ang pagbilis ng pagtibok ng aking puso.

Si ate ay pumasok na sa likod ng sasakyan habang ako naman ay binuksan ang pinto ng upuan malapit sa driver's seat at inunang inilagay ang bag at cellphone dahil paniguradong pagagalitan ako ni Daddy kapag hindi ko 'to ginawa.

Pagkapasok at pagkaupo ko ay sinuot ko na ang seatbelt. Titig na titig lamang ako sa bintana ng sasakyan habang hinihintay si Daddy na pumasok na sa kotse.

Dahan dahan na umandar ang kotse dahil hindi naman kalayuan ang paaralan ko kaya hindi kailangang magmadali. But my heart kept on beating fast.

LET'S ALL STAND UP for the prayer that will be lead by Kassopoeia Denice Bonilla.

I sighed. This is it.

Kahit kinakabahan ay pinipilit kong makapunta sa itaas ng stage at pumwesto sa Podium para basahin ang aking prayers. Nanlalamig ang mga kamay at onti onting nanlalabo ang paningin

"Let us put ourselves in the holy presence of God" I start. "In the name of the father, and of the sign, and of the holy spirit" while doing the sign of cross.

The students below did that as well.

"Heavenly Father. Surround us with your grace as we gather here today to celebrate a step forward into reaching our dreams. Bless this day and those who are here, especially us, students, who are moving up with hope so we can move forward into the next chapter of our lives with braveness and open hearts."
mahinahon kong sinasabi dahil ito'y mga katagang nais ko talagang iparating sa panginoong diyos

kahit na hindi ako gano'n ka naniniwala rito pero dahil ito'y isa sa mga araw na gustong gusto kong maging maganda at isa sa pinaka memorableng okasyon sa akin- moving up kaya naman binibigay ko lahat ng simpatya at pagmamahal na mayroon ako sa bawat katagang binibitawan ko sa aking prayers.

"Dear God, may you bless each student here with goodness and love and empower us to walk into the future with faith, hope, and great love guided by your light. May this day give us confidence and be a memory that burns bright within us as we embark on life's great adventure. This we ask in the mighty name of our Lord, Amen"

"CONGRATULATIONS Kassopoeia! Desurv" a facebook friend commented. I just uploaded a new profile picture since I am officially graduated, I also need to change profile because of it.

What happened earlier made me feel exhausted even though all we did was be overwhelmed by the joy that the ceremony made us feel. Napahikab na lang ako. Inayos ko ang unan at handa ng matulog.