Littlewood (Saint Teresa Academy)

Chapter 1: Procrastination Gets You Locked Up

This wasn't Meg's first time to be shoved and locked inside a cabinet.

She had been locked in all sorts of them—a cabinet full of cleaning supplies, science laboratory supplies, school supplies. Today, she had the unfortunate experience of being trapped inside the art supplies cabinet located in the art studio of her high school—Saint Teresa Academy.

This wasn't how she was planning to spend her Friday afternoon.

As soon as she realized that she had been locked inside the cabinet, she made a lot of noise and ruckus upang marinig siya ng kung sinumang dumadaan sa labas ng art studio. Halos mayupi na nga ang steel door ng cabinet sa kaka-ulit niyang pagsipa upang gumawa ng ingay. Bahagya na ring sumakit ang lalamunan niya kakasigaw, ngunit walang dumating upang tulungan siya.

That wasn't surprising at all. At this time of the day, classes were long finished, and most students and faculty were on the other side of the campus, busy with various after-school culture or sports clubs. Bakante na ang karamihan sa mga kwarto sa building na ito kung nasaan ang art studio. She would have texted Gabby, her roommate, ngunit naiwan niya ang kaniyang cellphone sa kaniyang bag—which was unfortunately outside the cabinet.

From the faint light coming from her wristwatch, Meg watched as 5:00PM drew closer, telling her na mahigit isang oras na rin siyang nasa loob ng cabinet. Good thing na may slats ang pinto nito kung kaya't hindi siya na-su-suffocate, but she could feel every bead of sweat dripping down her back. Strands of her shoulder-length hair were stuck at her nape, making her itch.

On any other day ay chill lang siyang maghihintay hanggang sa may dumating na ibang tao at tulungan siyang makalabas sa cabinet—ganoon sya kasanay na ikinukulong sa masisikip na lugar. But that was a sad reality she refused to unpack this moment. May iba syang inaalala, because today was not any other day. Today was the deadline for the submission of her midterm piece for one of her subjects, Art II. By 5:00PM, kailangang maipasa na niya ang kaniyang pyesa kay Señora Lackey, her class instructor. She thought of her art project na nakalahad sa easel kung saan niya ito iniwan.

Hindi naman siguro yun mawawala or masisira doon, diba?

Now she was starting to panic. What were the odds that the person who shoved her in the cabinet earlier—she didn't see the culprit's face as she was turned away—would do something to her art piece?

Meg's last remaining hope to get out of there was to wait for the custodian who routinely did the cleaning in this building every day at around this hour. As if on cue, she heard the art studio doors sliding open, followed by the sound of something heavy rolling across the floor. Agad-agad na muling gumawa ng ingay si Meg upang mapansin siya ng sinumang pumasok. She shouted for help and pounded the door with her hands.

"Ay, maryosep!"

It was the voice of a school custodian whose name, from what Meg knows, was Nimfa. A clanging sound followed this exclamation, and Meg imagined her dropping the mop or broom she was holding. She felt bad na tila ginulat niya ang ginang. Footsteps mixed with the echoing of metal moved closer. Then a clanging of keys. Maya-maya lamang ay nagbukas ang pinto ng cabinet kung nasaan si Meg.

Ah, thank God!

"Dios mio, hija. Tinakot mo naman ako!" Ate Nimfa was hugging the long mop handle to her chest. She was one of a fleet of custodians that help maintain the cleanliness of the Academy at isa sa mga lugar na madalas niyang i-maintain ay ang building na ito kung nasaan ang art studio.

"Salamat po, Ate Nimfa! Pasensya na po kung nagulat kayo. Buti na lang po dumating kayo, kundi baka dito pa ko natulog! Thank you po talaga."

Dali-daling nagtungo si Meg sa work desk kung nasaan ang kaniyang bag at art supplies. Nakahinga siya ng maluwag nang makitang naroon pa ang kaniyang piyesa at tila wala naman itong dumi o sira. She frantically packed her stuff and haphazardly covered her canvas with a cloth to protect it. Wala na siyang oras para ilagay pa ang ilang detalyeng gusto sana niyang idagdag sa piyesa niya. She glanced at her wristwatch and saw that it was two minutes past 5:00.