Prologue
"Kalilah Skye Castillo, Journalist of the year! Regional schools press conference qualifier. 1st place in division school press conference news writing filipino! Best in Science! and with high honors!" our adviser announced.
It was our moving up event. From grade 10 to senior high school. My eyes were teary as I started to walk to the stage. Out of almost 3000 grade 10 students, I finished second.
Nang maka-akyat na, I saw a lot of students sitting and watching me. My classmates was smiling and clapping their hands on me. Isa-isang sinabit ang mga medal ko sa akin. While taking a picture, hindi ko maiwasang hindi mapatingin sa bleachers, ang lugar kung saan naka-upo ang mga magulang or guardian namin. I saw them looking at their child, smiling. I saw how proud they are. Samantalang ako, walang kasama.
Ako lang ata ang estudyanteng walang proud na magulang.
"Congrats, anak!" my adviser said after the picture was taken. I just smiled at her.
Nang maka-uwi ako sa bahay ay sumalubong sa akin si mama. She was doing something in her laptop. She frowned when she saw me.
"Oh? Naka-uwi ka na pala? Pumunta ka pa doon? Wala namang kwenta mga award mo!" panimula niya.
Hindi na ako sumagot.
Sinalubong ko lamang ang mga nanlilisik niyang tingin. Hindi naman ako mananalo kung sasagot ako. Kahit anong explanation ko sa kanya at alam kong sarili niya lang ang paniniwalaan niya. Magsasayang lamang ako ng laway ko at effort sa pagsasalita kung makikipagtalo pa ako.
"Tignan mo nga ang medal mo! Apat lang! Yung anak ni Myrna, hakot award! Ikaw! Ang dali dali lang ng junior high tapos high honor ka lang?!"
"Ako naman po second sa batch namin." halos pabulong na sagot ko.
"Wala akong pakialam kung 2nd ka pa! Nag-m-matter lang sa akin ang award mo kapag first ka! Lahat tayo rito sa pamilyang to laging una! Laging best! Hindi pangalawa lang! Ako at papa mo! Grumaduate kaming summa cum laude! Yung ate at kuya mo ay palagi ring top! Palagi mo nalang pinapahiya ang pamilya natin! " she shouted. "Lumayas-layas ka lang sa harapan ko at naiirita ako sayong bobo ka!"
Mahigpit kong hinawakan ang medal ko at yumuko habang lumalakad papalayo sa kanya. Ayokong makita niya ang nagbabadyang mga luha sa mata ko.
"Lagi nalang pangalawa, tatanga-tanga." dinig ko pang bulong niya.
Since then, palagi ko na yang naririnig sa kanya.
Bobo.
Tanga.
Walang kwenta.
Walang utak.
Lahat ng maiisip mong masasakit na salita, nasabi niya na sa akin.
When I went upstairs, I saw kuya Kile and ate Konah. Nag-aalala silang lumapit sa akin at pumasok sa kwarto ko. Nang makapasok ako sa kwarto ay agad nila akong niyakap. Napahagulhol nalang ako.
"B-bakit ganon? G-ginawa ko naman yung lahat pero h-hindi niya makita.." nahihirapan kong saad.
"Hush.. you did your best, Kalilah. We are so proud of you. Huwag mong pansinin ang sinasabi ni mama! Her opinion doesn't matter." Ate Konah said.
Ilang beses nila akong inaalo pero mas lalo lang lumalakas ang hagulhol ko. I don't understand it. Bakit niya gagawin yon? She's my mom. Paano niya nakakayanan na pagsalitaan ako ng ganong kasakit na salita? Bakit ang hilig niya akong ikumpara sa iba? Bakit galit na galit siya sa akin? I did my best ngunit gawa pa rin ng iba ang nakikita niya.
Simula nung araw na yon, ipinangako ko sa sarili ko na laging i-aim na mag-top.
"Shet! We're SHS na! Sana may poging taga-ibang school na lilipat sa atin no?" irit ni Tatrina.
"Sawang-sawa na ako sa mukhang nandito!" it was Missy.
"Sawang-sawa na rin kami sayo."
They are both my friends since grade 7. Block section kasi kami non kaya kung sino ang classmate mo since first year ay sila na rin ang classmate mo hanggang fourth year. Sadly, sila na naman ang classmate ko ngayong senior high.
"Ouch! It really hurts ang magmamahal ng ganito!" Napairap nalang ako nang bigla siyang kumanta.
Binalik ko nalang ang pagbabasa ko habang naghihintay ng first class. I am reading in advance para may alam na ako agad sa i-l-lesson. We are taking Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in short, STEM.
Napahinto lang ako sa pagbabasa nang biglang dumating ang teacher namin.
"Since it is just our first day! We will have a game! I printed out all the emotions in the movie Inside Out! I know you all know that, right?" Ms. Pavon smiled at us, our homeroom teacher.
"This will be part of our introduction! We will introduce ourselves! Your name, age, what school are you from last school year, why did you choose this strand and what do you feel on our first day of school! Who wants to go first?"
I raised my hand immediately.
One technique I learned is to be confident. I learned to accept that it is fine to have mistakes while presenting. Hindi naman kasi lahat ng pagsasalita or pagtayo mo sa maraming tao ay dapat maging perpekto at hindi nagkakamali. Just be confident.
Palpak kasi ako sa recitation noon. Matataas ang lahat ng performance task, written outputs and exam ko kaso bumabagsak na kapag kailangan na mag-present sa harap. Every time na may ganyan ay lagi akong nanginginig.
"Strong and optimistic, that's what I always thought about myself. Hi! I am Kalilah, but you can call me Kali. I am 17 years of age and I graduated junior high from this school also. My passion revolves around solving math problems, reading some medical books and watching documentaries that's why I choose this strand. I hope I can get to know you more and have interactions will all of you! Good morning, everyone!"
"Tanginang yan! Introduce yourself palang, tinaas na agad standard." I rolled my eyes when Missy said that.
"Napaka-OA mo, letche ka!" Tatrina rebutted.
"Kung ako kasi yan, sasabihin ko lang "Hi, my name is Misha Sylvia Delo Santos, 17 years old and
I choose STEM kasi nandito po mga kaibigan ko!"" humalakhak siya.
Hindi ko na sila pinansin at binalik ang atensyon sa pagbabasa.
We are 40 in our class. Naka-divide sa tatlo ang mga section ng STEM dito sa amin. Tig-lilima per category. Lima para sa section ng mga gustong mag-engineering, lima para sa architecture at lima para sa medicine and allied health field. I am from medicine and allied health. Pero kahit divided ang mga sections, tinatake pa rin namin ang subject ng lahat. Except sa isang special subject ng architecture.
"Good morning! My name is Terrence Daniel De Vore and I'm 17 years old. I graduated from one of the schools in Manila. I choose STEM because it is aligned in the course I want to take in college. That's all, thank you."
That was a short introduction but it caught my interest. Nag-angat ako ng tingin at hinanap ang nagsasalita. Nang mapatingin ako sa likod ko ay nakita ko siya. Magkatapat na magkatapat ang upuan naming dalawa. He is around 5'10 to 6 ft tall, i think? Sobrang tangkad niya para sa age namin ngayon. His skin is fair, his eyes is brown, his nose is sharp and he have a thin pinkish lips. His hair was a bit messy. He is also wearing a glasses.
"Shet! Manila boy!" pasigaw na bulong ni Missy.
"Sarap!" gatong naman ni Tatrina kaya napairap ako.
He's attractive, I guess.
YOU ARE READING
Something about you (SH Girls #1)
Teen Fiction"She have the beauty and brain." that's what people often say to Kali. She wasn't that competitive because she knows she can excel at everything. Not until she met this quiet and academic inclined guy, Terrence. And the rivalry started.
