Chasing the Wild Waves (Student Series #1)

Kabanata 20

Namumugto ang mga mata ko pagkagising ko. I woke up in my own bed. Hindi ko makakalimutan iyong sinabi ni daddy. He took all my cards at kahit na kuhanin ko pa iyon sa kanila ay hindi ko na magagamit pa ang mga iyon. My eyes are swollen, and I don't have enough sleep because of it. How can I buy my things? How can I buy my makeup? How can I buy clothes?

Lumalalim at lumalalim na talaga ang pagtatampo ko sa kanila nina mommy at daddy. On February twelve, my seventeenth birthday. I only celebrated it with my grandparents. Nagpadala lamang sina daddy ng pera, pero hindi naman sila pumunta. April will be the opening of our class. One more week left, at heto ako ngayon.. hindi alam ang gagawin. Paano ako makapag-aral nang maayos nito? I don't have my money with me anymore! Kinuha na ni daddy sa akin ang lahat-lahat!

Abala ako sa pagmumuni-muni nang bumukas ang pintuan at pumasok si daddy. Iritadong binalingan ko siya at pinakita ko sa kanya ang pagmumugto ng aking mga mata. He sighed and ignored me. He went to my bedside table and placed the tray there. He sat on my bed and looked at me.

"Kumain ka na," he said. "Stop being dramatic, Carolina."

"Dad, paano ako makakapag-aral nito?" nagmamakaawa kong tanong kay daddy. Please, daddy!

"Kay Ryder ko ibibigay ang baon mo. Dapat marunong ka nang magtipid dahil hindi ganoon kalaki ang ibinigay ko sa kanya."

"Bakit sa kanya na naman, daddy? Why can't you just give it directly to me?" I asked.

"Dahil alam kong uubusin mo lang naman ang pera mo, Carolina, you should learn to budget your money from now on. Hindi ako tumatae ng pera, Carolina," he told me. "Now, stop your drama and just eat."

"Dad, next week kasi ay pasukan na—"

"And then?" He cocked a brow.

"Dad, baka maraming babayarin," I reasoned.

Umiling siya. "Si Ryder na ang bahala riyan. Siya mismo ang pababayarin ko kung may babayarin man, hindi puwedeng ikaw."

"Dad, he's the school president. He has a lot of things to do, and I am not his responsibility to take care of," pagdadahilan ko pa.

"Hindi mo 'ko madadala sa parason-rason mo na 'yan, Carolina. Kapag sinabi kong si Ryder na ang bahala, siya na. Naiintindihan mo ba?"

For the whole week, it feels like I have lost all my energy. Wala akong pera! Saan na ako kukuha ng mga pambili ko ng shopping nito? I would be glad if dad would slap my face with the money. At iyon na ang masasabi kong pinakamagandang sampal na ginawa niya sa akin. But.. that's impossible. Hindi na talaga mababago ang isipan ni daddy na ibalik ang cards ko. Hindi talaga siya naawa sa akin.

"I personally enrolled you in Accounting, Business, and Management strand," si mommy nang kumain kami ng aming tanghalian. She just got home from school. "So there is no need for you to enroll yourself."

"What about my friends, mommy?" I asked. "Baka nasa ibang strands na sila? Kung ganoon, hindi kami magkaklase?"

"All of your friends are enrolled under Technical Vocational Livelihood; the boys are in Electrical Installation and Maintenance, while the girls are enrolled in Information, Communication, and Technology. I saw them earlier lining up on the line of EIM and ICT."

Tumango na lang ako. Why is it so unfair? My friends can choose whatever, and what about me? Well, it's okay since I am still undecided. I don't know what strand I should choose, but mom already enrolled me in ABM. It's okay, though, since someday I know that our company will be under my name and my parents will leave it to me. I am still in senior high school. Maybe, eventually, I will learn to love the strand that was chosen by my parents for me.