["PLAY THE KING" IS ACT TWO OF THE "PLAY" SERIES. PLEASE READ "PLAY THE QUEEN" FIRST.]
It's been four months since Priam Torres, the once unpopular president of the Elysian University Student Council, assumed office. Thanks to his chief-of-staff Cas...
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FABIENNE
FINALLY! TAPOS na rin ang circus na impeachment trial. Nakahinga na rin nang maluwag ang USC. I could hardly imagine kung ilang sleepless nights ang dinanas ni Priam at ng ibang USC officers dahil do'n. I was so happy they could finally leave it behind and move forward.
But Priam wasn't a hundred percent happy about it. Halatang-halata sa itsura at aura niya no'ng nagkita kami nitong gabi. Pilit ang kaniyang ngiti kahit gaano pa kalawak i-stretch ang mga labi niya. He won the battle, but at what cost, right? Kinailangan pang mag-resign ni Valeria para ma-save siya at ang USC. 'Di ko alam kung gaano sila ka-close, pero malamang nasaktan at nalungkot siyang iwan ng kaniyang VP.
Instead na sa maingay na food hub o sa busy na arcade place sa mall, sinuggest kong pumunta kami sa campus park, malapit sa man-made lagoon. Magandang mag-stroll at tumambay ro'n lalo na't sariwa ang bumubugsong hangin dahil sa mga puno. Maybe he wanted some peace and quiet after everything that had happened. Gusto ko ring mabigyan siya ng time na mag-reflect kung kailangan niya. Walang problema sa 'kin kung uupo lang kami at 'di mag-uusap hanggang sa mapagdesisyonan naming umalis na.
"It's a Pyrrhic victory," he said out of the blue. Nakatulala siya sa lagoon, tila pinanonood ang paggalaw ng naka-stuck na tubig ro'n. "We won the trial, but it inflicted so much damage on us that it made me feel as though we had also lost."
"But a win is still a win, right?" I glanced sideways at him over my shoulder. My palms were flat on the bench while my feet swung. "Don't deprive yourself of the joy of victory. You know what optimists always say? Look on the bright side."
Napahikgik siya bago yumuko at bumuntong-hininga. "You're right. Nothing will happen if I sulk in a corner. What's done is done anyway. Ang dapat kong gawin ngayon ay magpasalamat dahil naka-survive kami at ipagpatuloy ang laban. I know that's exactly what I have to do, but maybe I need someone to tell me those words." Lumingon siya sa 'kin at nagtagpo ang mga mata namin.
I wouldn't forget the time he comforted me lalo na no'ng down na down ako. He was there during my most challenging days, becoming my beacon of warm light in the cold, depressing darkness. He even went out of his way just to reassure me and protect me. Kaya kahit may rehearsal pa kami ngayon, nagpaalam ako sa production manager na mag-e-excuse muna ako. Nataon na wala si Direk at 'di totally required ang presence ko kaya puwede akong pumuslit.
I caressed his back and beamed at him. "I know you know what you have to do. Pero just in case na kailangan mong marinig: Some things are beyond our control, and sometimes they happen for a reason. Valeria resigned dahil alam niyang 'yon ang tamang gawin at dahil gusto niyang magpatuloy kayo sa inyong ginagawa. What's important right now is to put this behind you and move forward. Malamang gano'n din ang gusto niyang gawin mo."
Muli siyang yumuko at nagbato ng pagilid na tingin sa 'kin. "I'm trying."
Valeria and I might have had some misunderstandings in the past—and they were mostly one-sided—pero nalungkot akong malaman na kinailangan niyang umalis ng USC. She probably didn't want to do it, but she had to. She might have had an unreasonable beef with me, pero alam kong isa siyang competent student-leader. Priam wouldn't have chosen her as his runningmate kung 'di siya gano'n kagaling.
