DESTINED

Chapter Eighteen

I managed to get out of the AFU Jeep without uttering another set of cusses, thanks to the driver who drove even before the seats were all occupied and almost instantly after I perched on the front seat. Mukhang napansin niya kasi ang init ng ulo ko sa sobrang lakas ng pagkakabagsak ko ng pinto nito kaya hindi na siya nag-aksaya ng oras para maghintay ng ibang pasahero. It’s not like this happens every single time I get mad since most drivers don’t really care on their passengers’ mood but maybe, he’s different - the considerate one who seem to understand that we’re having some of the worst days of our lives.

Pumasok ako sa loob ng dormitory. Bumungad naman sa’kin ang iba kong dormmates na tatawa-tawang nakaharap sa tv na para bang wala silang pasok. Or maybe, they don’t really have a class? Just the thought that their Professors haven’t showed up yet irritates me. Bakit ba hindi sila nabiyayaan ng masisipag na mga guro tulad namin? It’s so unfair!

“Life is undoubtly unfair, Chenee.” I said to myself then went upstairs to go to my room.

Nang nasa loob na ako ng kuwarto, inilapag ko sa ibabaw ng wooden study table ang aking bag, bago tuluyang nahiga sa malambot kong kama. I placed my hand over my eyes, to let them rest for awhile after such a day.

Grabe, hindi ko aakalaing sa ikalawang linggo pa lang ng klase para sa second semester ay mararanasan ko na ulit ang salitang ‘stress’! Surely that word is inevitable especially for college students but I do not expect it coming and intoxicating me this early. Katatapos lang kaya ng sem break kaya siyempre may konting hang-over pa! Isa pa, sobrang saya ko pa kaninang madaling araw dahil sa surpresa ni Kester, hindi man lang nila ako binigyan ng kahit konting panahon para alalahanin ang nangyari at i-replay ito sa utak ko.

Panay hilot ko sa aking noo para mabawasan ang sakit sa ulo ko but that mere action won’t do anything at all especially when what happened earlier keeps on bugging my mind.

Sa sobrang daldalan namin ni Kester kahapon, pasado alas tres na yata kami dinalaw ng antok at natulog ng tuluyan. Consequently, I woke up ten minutes before my first class starts! I still had to take a bath, change into a uniform, eat my breakfast, and of course, time travel back to this dimension. At lahat ng iyon, pati na ang pagsakay ng AFU jeepney ay hindi kakasya ng sampung minuto. So I was late, thirty minutes late exactly. I thought it was alright since it’s just our third meeting but when I took a glimpse of what they were doing inside, I realized it was a big mistake thinking everything was gonna be fine. May exam pala si Sir. It was a damn surprise quiz! Sa totoo lang okay lang naman sana eh kaso ang haba pala ng exam that I had to look up the wall clock, checking the time left every now and then. I scribbled my answers as fast as I could, the thirty minutes I just wasted still haunting me.

When lunch time came, I wasn’t able to eat not even a cookie. I devoted my time in answering the open-ended questions in my book because I just heard from the other class that they had an oral recitation. Ang mas lalong kinainis ko pa ay hindi na nga ako nakakain, hindi pa ako natawag! So what was my sacrifice for then?

Kaya ayon, bad trip ako ngayon. Nakakatawang isipin na kahapon ang saya saya ko na parang mapupunit na ang labi ko sa sobrang pagngiti tapos ngayon, kulang nalang ihagis ko lahat ng gamit ko sa inis at galit.

Napabuntong hininga nalang ako at inilagay sa likod ng ulo ko ang dalawang palad ko. Dilat na ang aking mga mata, nakatingin sa kisame ng kuwarto.

Ayoko mang isipin pero hindi kasi maiiwasan, eh.

I have been travelling to the past for more than three months already. At kahit mali mang sabihin, but I feel like I just wanna stay there for the rest of my life. I mean, if I were to choose I’d rather not go back here. Kasi kung doon, I’ve got nothing else to do but smile, laugh, and love. Kasi nando’n si Kester! Habang dito...