"Congratulations, Mr. Yanez. You got the highest grade on midterms," sabi ni Sir Cania habang iniabot sa akin ang test booklet ko.
Narinig ko rin ang pagpalakpak ng mga ka-block ko. Some of them were smiling, while others just rolled their eyes.
Habang bumabalik ako sa upuan ko, ramdam ko ang mga mata ng buong klase na nakatingin sa akin. Nakangiti ako, pero may bahid ng pagkailang. Hindi ko inasahan na makukuha ko ang pinakamataas na grado, lalo na sa subject ni Sir Cania na notorious sa pagiging mahigpit at demanding.
Pagkaupo ko, agad akong tinapik ni Veronica sa balikat.
"Nice one, Dee," sabi niya habang nakangiti, tila ba proud na proud.
Si Lawrence naman ay ngumiti at nag-thumbs up mula sa kabilang dulo ng row.
"Thanks, guys," bulong ko pabalik habang tinitiklop ang papel at itinago ito sa bulsa ko.
Ngunit bago pa tuluyang mawala ang ngiti sa aking labi, narinig ko ang mga pabulong na usapan sa likod.
"Siyempre, magaling na nga, gusto pang magpasikat," narinig kong sabi ng isa sa mga kaklase ko, na sinabayan pa ng pagtawa ng ilan.
Agad kong naramdaman ang pagtaas ng tensyon sa paligid, pero hindi ko na lang pinansin. Alam ko namang hindi lahat ay matutuwa sa tagumpay ng iba. Muli kong binuksan ang test booklet at pilit na tinutok ang sarili sa pag-re-review ng sagot ko, habang pilit na itinatago ang halo-halong emosyon na pumapasok sa isipan ko.
I wanted to cry. I knew everyone knows me because of my dad's name. My dad has been in the engineering industry for 15 years and he made his name known in that field in that time span.
I wanted everyone to see me as myself. I wanted them to know me because of my hard-work too, not just a shadow of my dad.
When the class ended, I quickly went out from the classroom. Nang makarating ako sa garden ng university, umupo ako sa isang bench. Agad kong kinuha ang cellphone ko mula sa bulsa at nag-scroll sa contacts para hanapin ang pangalan ni Gabriel. I wanted to tell him how I was feeling, how hard it was to carry the weight of my dad's reputation while trying to carve out my own path. But as my finger hovered over his name, I hesitated.
Maybe I shouldn't bother him with this. He's been so busy lately, barely getting enough sleep with all the deadlines he's juggling. But at the same time, I knew he'd understand. He always does.
Huminga ako nang bago malalim saka pinindot ang call button. After a few rings, I heard his familiar voice on the other end, sounding slightly breathless as if he had rushed to answer.
"Hey, Dee. What's up? Everything okay?"
Sinubukan kong magsalita pero parang may bumara sa lalamunan ko. I could hear the faint sounds of the drafting room in the background, ang mga mahihinang boses, at ang mga ingay ng lapis na dumidikit sa mga drafting paper.
"Are you busy?" I finally managed to ask. My voice sounded small even to my own ears.
"Not too busy," Gabriel said. "Are you okay?" He then asked, bakas na bakas sa kanyang boses ang pag-aalala
That simple question unraveled me. I hadn't realized how close I was to breaking until I heard the genuine worry in his voice.
"I... I just needed to talk to you," I whispered, the tightness in my chest making it hard to breathe. "It's just... everything. I can't—"
Narinig ko ang paggalaw ng upuan sa phone, ang tunog ng mga papel at ang pagbukas at pagsara ng pinto, tanda na lumabas si Gabriel mula sa drafting room.
BINABASA MO ANG
That Summer Night of August
Любовные романыYanez Series #1 Aurelius Dee Yanez stood at a crossroads, uncertain about committing to a Civil Engineering program. Throughout Junior and Senior High, he excelled academically, a straight-A student, yet his journey lacked companionship. A painful p...
