The Captain's Only Sea (Cavanaugh #4)

Kabanata 10

Kabanata 10

Soaked

"Uh. . . Mr. Vargas-"

"Ma'am, babae po itong estudyante ko."

Sa mga oras na ito ay ni kaunting kaba ay wala akong nararadaman. I did nothing wrong. Iyong mali lang na ginawa ko ay 'yong pagpulot ng maruming upos na sigarilyo. There were germs and other bacteria on it with the boy's saliva. Lesson learnt then, I should not pick up anything from the dirt.

Unless if it would be money? That's an exception. I must take it because there's a reason why I might accidentally find cash on the ground. Maliban din kung wallet at may lamang mga card at I.D., malamang sa dapat talagang isusuli 'yon.

I held back my snort. Pati iyong Guidance Counselor ay napagkamalan akong lalaki. Lahat naman.

At the moment, inside the School Guidance Office, I was sitting on a seat in front of the desk where the Guidance Counselor, which was a woman, was sitting across it.

Si Ma'am Salve naman ay nasa likuran ko. Literally, she got my back.

"Ms. Vargas, can you explain this video of you holding a lit cigarette at the back of the school building?" The Guidance Counselor showed me her phone's screen for me to see the video that she referred.

Kung ano ang mga pangyayari kanina ay sa gano'n ko nga nakikita ito sa bidyo ngayon.

Ako lang ba? O dahil lang sa mamahalin iyong cellphone na ginamit nilang pagkuha ng video ay nagmukha akong guwapo'ng babae roon? I know that smoking would never be cool in the eyes of many, but why does it look good on me when I did not even use the cigarette and was just holding it? I had never seen myself that way before. Rarely even look at my reflection in the mirror.

Hindi ko na tinapos ang panonood at sumagot na may galang sa boses. "Pinulot ko lang po 'yon, ma'am."

"That's ridiculous, Ms. Vargas. You can't just pick up something like that. You must be using it." Her stare pierced through me with apparent accusation in her eyes.

"Huwag po muna nating husgahan ang bata, ma'am," agap ni Ma'am Salve na pinatong pa ang kamay sa balikat ko na tila sa paraang iyon ay pinoprotektahan niya ako.

Pakiramdam ko ay mali'ng opisina itong napasok namin ni Ma'am Salve. Akala ko ba ay taga-payo ang mga tao rito? Bakit nanghuhusga na? Oo nga naman. Sa dinami-rami ng mga nagsisinungaling sa mundo, may mapagkakatiwalaan pa ba at magsasabi ng totoo? I can not really blame them.

Sino ba namang magnanakaw ang umaamin, 'di ba? Gano'n lang din 'yon sa paggawa ng kasalanan. No one will confess.

"It's obvious in the video. Wala rin namang iba'ng estudyante roon? Siya lang ang nakuhanan ng video. Hawak niya pa mismo ang maliit na sigarilyo kaya sino ba dapat ang aakusahan natin?" giit nito sa kaniyang malambot na boses.

"Anak, sabihin mo ang totoo. Maniniwala ako sa'yo. Tutulungan kita," Ma'am Salve urged me.

But I did not open my mouth to speak. I kept my lips tightly closed.

They waited for a minute or two for my response. Nababakas na ang pagkainip sa mukha ng may katandaang Guidance Counselor. She was trying to dominate over my blank and empty stare at her.

Unnewsworthy happening. I would never tell this to Kaia and Papa. This is such a waste of time. I should have been studying science subject by now or eating lunch and get ready for my afternoon classes.

Instead I was stuck in here. Catechized and interrogated.

"Ms. Vargas? We did not ask for your presence here only for you to act this silent. We're asking for your word. Explain this so we will know how to guide you. Do you have a problem? Family problem? When did you start smoking?" The Guidance Counselor probed with her thinning patience.