The Captain's Only Sea (Cavanaugh #4)

Kabanata 16

Kabanata 16

Course

"Ms. Vargas, define 'Marine Archeology'."

Inaantok ako sobra. Two hours lang ang naging tulog ko para matapos ang thesis. Hindi pa ako naligo. Pakiramdam ko ay mahihimatay na ako sa kalagitnaan ng klase. Nakalimutan ko pa'ng kumain dahil sa pagmamadali at baka ay ma-late pa ako ng pasok sa klase.

Ganito pala 'yon? Noong high school pa ako ay ang competitive ko pa pero nagpapakopya naman ako kahit papaano kung may hihingi ng sagot. Ayaw kong may otso sa grades ko.

Tapos ngayon? Bahala na basta makapasa.

All the students in this class were eyeing me already. Nilibot ko ang paningin sa laki ng silid aralan bago ko binaba ang tingin sa professor.

Kakaiba kasi itong classroom dito. Parang hagdaanan, 'yon ba'ng sa mga sinehan. Iyong nasa pinakalikuran ng klase ay elevated 'yong sahig. I was currently sitting at the back, the top.

I stood from my seat to answer. The professor probably noticed me looking really sleepy, and she wanted to wake me up.

"Marine Archeology is. . ." Nangapa pa ako ng salita dahil sa antok ay hindi ako makapag-isip ng maayos. I was glad that my brain worked nevertheless. "The study of past human cultures. Specifically, human interaction with the ocean, seas, lakes and rivers through the study of its associated physical remains, be it shipwrecks, aircraft and watercraft wrecks, decade and century old vessels, shore-side stuffs, port or harbour related structures, cargoes, human remains, such as their bones and skeleton, lost cities swallowed by the ocean, and even. . . ancient treasures. To make it short, it is the study of everything related to history of seafaring."

"Adequate," puri nito. She has the american accent since she's a citizen here. "Deepest part of the ocean?"

Hay. P*tangina. Antok pa ako. Ang dami namang tanong.

Pinipilit ko na nga lang palakihin ang mga mata kong singkit.

Agonizingly, I stopped myself from yawning. I would not like to disrespect the professor. "The 'Challenger Deep'."

"Location?"

"Beneath the western Pacific Ocean in the southern end of the Mariana Trench."

"Depth," she added sternly.

Ako ba talaga ang hinahamon niya? Sobra'ng basic ng mga tanong niya. Simula trese anyos pa lang ako ay alam ko na ang mga 'yon.

Umayos ako ng tayo at mariing tinitigan ang matandang propesor.

"According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Challenger Deep is approximately 10,935 meters or 35,876 feet deep," I answered confidently with the toughness in me.

Satisfied, the professor nodded. "Very good, you may take your seat—"

"In 1960, it was the first time humans dived down into the Challenger Deep. Who are those brave souls? Navy Lieutenant Don Walsh along with a Swiss oceanographer, Jacques Piccard, made it down there in a United States Navy submersible. Yeah, a bathyscaphe named the 'Trieste'," A halfhearted smiled was drawn on my bored-looking face. "Even the famous James Cameron, a Canadian filmmaker, and Victor Vescovo, that completed the 'Five Deeps Expedition', went there."

I got the majority of the class impressed. Halatang karamihan sa kanila ay hindi alam iyon. Dahil kung alam na nila iyon ay hindi na sila mamangha pa sa mga pinagsasasabi ko. Some were not responsive. Those were the smart students who already know about the fact I said.

"Excellent, Ms. Vargas. Thank you for that informative speech of facts that you shared with your classmates. . ." The professor praised me, she looked a little shy and embarrassed at me. "Now, let us focus back in the subspecialties and subfields of archeology, shall we?"