Beyond the Heart's Grasp

Kabanata 16

Kabanata 16

I woke up early as is my daily routine, pero
pinag-iisipan ko kung tutuloy ba ako sa pagpasok sa school ngayon or hindi muna. Hindi naman dahil sa nahihiya ako, kundi dahil sa inis ko sa mga taong madudumi ang pag-iisip sa school. But, I shouldn't let that affect my studies.

Paakyat pa lang ako ng building and many students looking at me. Halos lahat yata ng nakakasalubong ko ay titingin sa phone nila then ibabalik ang tingin sa akin. I just ignored them at binilisan nalang ang paglakad hanggang sa makarating ng classroom.

I thought I had escaped the eyes of the students earlier but I got the same from my classmates when I entered the room.  At gaya kanina, ignored them and just distracted myself by reading the book habang wala pa ang first subject teacher namin.

"Can I talk to you?" And as Monice often did, she was the only one who dared to talk to me.

I nodded and let her sit in the seat next to me.

"Diego, look," seryosong panimula niya. "We all know that you are running for the highest honor in our batch, at ilang buwan nalang ga-graduate na tayo," dugtong niya, seryosong-seryoso siya sa sinasabi niya.

I immediately got where this conversation's going. I'm pretty sure, she's aware of the rumors.

"And that girl—Aloha Velasco... kilala siya rito sa school as ma-tropa, at walang pakialam sa pag-aaral, kaya nga isa siya sa kailangan mong tulungan with her failed subjects, right?"

My jaw clenched. I don't want to hear those kinds of words about her. Alam kong hindi ko naman mapipigilan ang impression nila kay Aloha but they don't know her as I know her.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to calm myself down.

Huminga siya nang malalim.

"I'm sorry, alam kong nakikialam ako but..." she took another deep breath. "I'm just reminding you, Diego. I hope you don't let your good image here in school be ruined just because of her." she said directly. "I'm really just concerned, Diego."

Hindi ako nagsalita. Tumayo na siya at tinapik ang balikat ko. Binigyan niya ako ng tipid na ngiti bago bumalik sa kaniyang upuan.

Buong oras ng klase, I forced myself to focus on it. Ngayon lang ata ako nagpapasalamat sa mga gawing binigay sa 'min dahil masiyado akong na-busy doon para makalimutan ang mga nangyayari.

Nagmadali akong lumabas nang ideklara ang pagtatapos ng klase. Naglakad agad ako palabas ng building namin at dumiretso sa building ng mga Junior High School, which where the eyes of the students went on me. Ignored them and went straight to Aloha's room.

Patapos pa lang yata ang klase nila nang maabutan ko. Mula rito ay nakita ko siyang nakikipag-usap sa mga kaibigan niya, they're laughing. When she turned to where I was, she stopped laughing in surprise. I smiled at her, but instead of receiving a response from her as she often does, she looked away and went back talking with her friends.

I frowned.

I waited for their class to end hanggang sa maglabasan na sila. Huli siyang lumabas kasama ng mga kaibigan niya. Nagulat pa nga siya nang makita ako roon, akala niya siguro ay umuwi na ako.

"Aloha,"  I called her. Nagtinginan ang mga kaklase niya maging ang mga kaibigan niya. Tumingin siya sa mga estudyante at para bang nag-aalangang lumapit sa 'kin. "Sabay tayo," I said when we faced each other.

"Kasabay ko kasi sila," she replied, pointing at her friends.

I looked at her frowning, she sighed.

"Susunod ako sa resto, Diego." she said. "Mauna na kami,"

Hindi na niya ako hinintay makasagot at nagmamadaling naglakad palayo kasama ang mga kaibigan niya, wala akong nagawa kundi ang panoorin silang maglakad palayo. Naiwan akong naguguluhan.

Ano bang problema? Okay naman kami.

Napapailing nalang akong naglakad papunta sa parking at nag-drive papunta sa Digo's. Hindi ako sanay na ganito sa akin si Aloha.

Pagdating ko sa Digo's ay naabutan ko siya sa Employee Area na nagpapalit ng uniform. Tumigil siya sa ginagawa nang makita ako.

"Can we talk?" I asked her. She finished what she was doing and faced me. "Iniiwasan mo ba ako?"

Hindi agad siya sumagot, tinitigan niya lang ako.

"Is it because of—"

"I'm sorry, kasalanan ko," she interrupted. "Kasalanan ko kung bakit pinag-uusapan tayo sa school. Ang kulit ko kasi,"

"You care?" I asked. "The Aloha I know, doesn't care what others say."

"Oo, kung ako lang," she replied. "Wala naman talaga akong pake. Kaso, damay ka. Hindi naman kaya ng konsensya ko 'yun,"

"E, wala rin naman akong pakialam." pagsasabi ko ng totoo. "Mas importante pa ba 'yung sasabihin nila kaysa sa pagkakaibigan natin?"

Napapikit siya at bumuntong hininga. "Siyempre hindi. Ayoko lang pinag-uusapan ka kasi ang taas ng tingin nila sa'yo, e.... at feeling ko, bumababa 'yun kapag kasama mo ako."

"What? No!" I answered with a frown. "That's nonsense! Saan mo nakuha 'yan?"

She took a deep breath. "Feeling ko kasi, bad influence lang ako sa'yo."

Umayos ako mula sa pagkakatayo at tiningnan siya nang diretso sa mata. I stared at her for a few seconds before I laughed a little.

"Bakit?"

"You just make my high school life memorable."

"Ayan na naman tayo sa unforgettable memories na yan," she rolled her eyes. "Pinaninindigan mo talaga?"

"You were the one who offered me that, remember?"

"Yes, but not in that way, okay?"

I sighed.

"Okay, but can you stop avoiding me? It's making me feel weird." I stated. "As long as you don't care about them, neither do I."

She looks amused. Her facial expression changed, back to what I often see in her. She snorted to hide the smile on her lips.

"I'm sorry for what happened. And I'm sorry for how I treated you earlier. I thought, avoidance is the best answer."

I smiled at her and gently patted her head. "Apology accepted,"

Muli siyang ngumuso at napansin ko ang pamumula ng pisngi niya.

"You know," she said. "I've been thinking."

"About what?" I asked.

"About how different things are now. You and me, and all of this," she said. "I never thought I'd get along with someone like you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Someone like me?"

She grinned. "Yup. You know, Mr. Perfect Student, Valedictorian material."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't know about that. I just try not to fail."

"Well, whatever you're doing, it's working," she said with a smirk. "I don't get why you're still hanging out with someone like me. I'm not exactly the most 'perfect' person."

"No one's perfect, Aloha. But if you ask me, I think that's what makes you... you."

Ngumuso siya para takpan ang ngiti, bahagya akong natawa. "Balik na tayo sa work," I said and went to the locker to change my uniform.

We did our job without any heavy feelings between us. Hindi ako mapapanatag kapag may unresolved issue kami ni Aloha. Ngayon lang ako nakahanap ng taong mac-consider ko na kaibigan. And more than that, she's my anchor. She's more than people think.