Beyond the Heart's Grasp

Kabanata 11

Kabanata 11

It's been a day since I left the hospital. Aloha stayed by my side until I was discharged, and in the evenings, she went home. But after her classes, she would head straight to my apartment.

She doesn't know how to cook, so whenever she visits me, she always brings a dish that her Tita supposedly made. Hindi na ako nagtaka dahil masasarap ang mga pagkaing dinadala niya sa akin.

Naghanda na ako sa pagpasok ko. I had been absent for three days, and I shouldn't miss any more days. I really wanted to take my exams and make the most of the semester break.

"Good to see you back," Monice immediately approached me when I arrived at the classroom. "I went to the hospital yesterday, but the nurses said you had already been discharged."

"Really? Sorry, hindi ko agad nasabing nakauwi rin ako agad."

"Ayos lang," she said. "Ano palang ginagawa ni Velasco dun? Siya ba nagbabantay sa'yo?"

I nodded. "Oo."

"Close na pala kayo, no?"

"Yes."

Tipid siyang ngumiti. "Kumusta ka naman na ngayon? Nahuli na ba 'yung gumawa sa'yo nun?"

"I'm good. Nasa kulungan na rin 'yung holdaper."

She nodded. "Mabuti naman kung ganoon,"

Matapos ng pag-uusap namin ay pinapunta ako ng mga teacher sa faculty room kaya hindi ako naka-attend ng mga klase ko. I took the exam in the faculty room, may dalawang student council na naroon upang magbantay.

Kahit papaano ay natandaan ko pa naman ang mga ni-review ko. Malaki ang tulong ng paga-advance study noong nakaraang linggo. Plus, I managed to read some of my notes last night.

I managed to fit two days' worth of exams into the few hours I spent in the faculty room. I wanted to finish it now because this is our last week for the first semester.

"We'll be in a group for research in the second semester," Monice told me as I returned to the classroom to get my bag, just as everyone was leaving. "Uuwi ka na ba diretso?"

"May dadaanan pa ako, bakit?"

"Oh okay, see you tomorrow."

I just nodded and smiled.

I left the classroom and quickly went down the building. Naglakad ako papunta sa building ng mga Junior High School pero napansin ko na halos wala ng mga estudyante sa kani-kanilang mga classroom. Saan naman kaya ang isang 'yon?

I initially thought of checking each classroom, but I felt awkward with the students I passed by, who kept staring at me. They probably wondered why I was in their building.

"Huy!" when I turned, I saw Aloha. "What are you doing here?"

I just shrugged my shoulders.

"I want to show you something. Tara!" I was surprised when she quickly pulled my hand out of their building.

"Look," she handed me some papers, and when I looked at them, I saw her almost perfect scores on the test papers.

"Congrats!"

"Thank you," she said, smiling.

"I told you, you can pass."

"Thank you for helping me pass." she was still smiling genuinely. "Celebrate tayo?"

"Okay,"

She pulled my hand again, leading me out of the campus to the street food vendors. I laughed to myself at how simple this girl is.