I Like You, Teacher

Challenges in the Relationship

Gab's POV

After that incident, naging mas careful na ako. Iyak nang iyak si Aira every time makita nya yung mukha ko. Ewan ko ba. Pogi naman ako. Bat sya naiiyak?

Tapos naman na klase ko kaya I went on straight sa basketball court na lagi kong pinupuntahan. I really don't put much thought pag pumupunta ako dito. Not thinking that Krystal might pop up here anytime. I just didn't care anymore. About her.

While playing napansin ko naman na may umupo sa bench. I didn't glance at it. I just continued on playing. I played and played hanggang sa napagod na ako.

Umupo naman ako kabilang bench and dun ako nag punas ng pawis. I got curious na kasi parang hindi nagalaw yung nakaupo sa bench kaya I turned my head to see.

It's....

Aira?

Anong ginagawa nya dito? Lumapit naman ako sakanya and she's just staring at me.

"Why did you look?" Naguluhan naman ako sa tanong nya.
"That was a test, stupid" Kinurot nya naman ako. Tumabi naman ako sakanya.
"She always comes here, right? Ito yung meeting place nyo before." Napasandal naman ako sa upuan.

Ayan na naman sya. She sometimes talks about the past. She was the one who told me not to talk about it anymore pero sya 'tong binibring up 'to. And after that, magagalit sya.

"I just have a question. Just answer it honestly" Hay nako.
"Wag na natin pagusapan yang mga ganyan. What matters is that I'm here with you and I love you." Tumingin naman sya sakin.
"Really? After what you've done, that's what matters?" She asked.

"Di naman ganyan ibig sabihin ko eh. I'm just saying... mahal kita. Marami man tayong napagdaanan, at the end of the day, mahal natin ang isa't isa" She rolled her eyes. May topak din minsan 'tong girlfriend ko eh.

"When things were getting better with you and her, have you ever thought of me?" She asked again.
"Just answer it honestly" She continued and patted my leg.
"Honestly? No" Tumango naman sya pero I can see that her eyes are sad.

"You suddenly broke up with me without a valid reason and di mo pinansin yung mga efforts ko to get you back. When I stopped seeing you, that doesn't mean na I've totally forgotten you. Pero nasaktan ako eh. Nasaktan din ako" I think it's better to hear our thoughts na din about sa mga nangyari samin.

"Kaya sabi ko, siguro I deserve to be happy naman na. After all the years of just being with myself, I thought I should give myself a try to be happy again" I said.
"But when I saw you, that completely changed everything. I realized na "ah, andito pa rin pala talaga sya sa puso ko" kasi akala ko wala na eh. Well, pinaniwala ko sarili kong wala na." Tumingin naman ako sakanya.

"I'm grateful kasi bumalik ka sakin. After what I've done to you, pinatawad mo ako and you let me enter your life again" Hinawakan ko naman kamay nya and I saw her smile. Yung ngiti nyang yan, nagbibigay spark sa buong pagkatao ko.

Aira's POV

Pag pasok ko nang faculty, bigla namang tumahimik yung mga taong nasa loob kaya napatigil ako sa paglalakad. It feels like nasa akin lahat ng atensyon nila. Parang indirectly, tinititigan nila ako.

Nagulat naman ako nang bigla akong hinila ni Nadz palabas ng faculty.

"Did you see it?" Naguluhan naman ako sa tanong nya.
"I guess hindi pa" Binigay nya naman sakin yung phone and I looked at it. It's a screenshot of a posted picture of me and Gab with a caption "Teacher ko noon, girlfriend ko na ngayon". It was sent in the group chat of the faculty.

I looked at Nadz.

"Sino nag post?" I knew that this day will come pero I didn't know na it's gonna be today.
"A kid from Grade 12, napadelete ko na sakanya but still, nasend sa gc natin" I'm trying to figure out kung anong unang gagawin ko.

I know some of my students saw the post already. Ayoko ng issue, really. But with the kind of relationship that I'm in right now, hindi naman yun maiiwasan.

After that, umakyat na ako sa second floor para sa unang subject ko. Again, pag pasok ko tumahimik silang lahat.

I took a deep breath.

"Good morning, class" They also greeted me back.
"Who among you have seen the posted picture of me?" Nag hesitate naman sila kung mag tataas ba sila ng kamay.
"It's okay. Just kindly raise your hands" I smiled at them.

Marami naman sakanilang nag taas ng kamay, yung iba medyo nahihiya pa.

"Honestly, totoo yung post na yun. That guy, Gab, was my student before. He was in grade 11 when I became his teacher and he's also my boyfriend now" Nagulat naman sila. Siguro hindi nila inexpect na totoo yun.
"Alam ko mali. Even if we turn the world upside down, it's still wrong. I know what I did was wrong pero kahit alam ko yun, I still did it anyway. That's because I love him. We love each other" Umupo naman ako.

"I don't know if I should be saying these things to you guys but know that my capability as an educator doesn't change just because of that. I value my students and I make sure that I give you the best education that I can offer" Tinignan ko naman sila.
"I'm sorry, students for disappointing you" I said sincerely. Di naman ako nag eexpect na magiging positive yung response nila.

"Okay lang yan, maam. Magaling ka po mag turo, yun ang mahalaga para samin" Napatingin naman ako sa isa kong student. Ngumiti sya. Sunod sunod naman silang nag sabing "okay lang".

Pinipigilan ko lang na wag umiyak kasi nasa harap ko sila. I'm so happy right now. Alam ko, hindi lang maiintindihan pero sila, pinili nilang intindihin yung side ko.

-
After my class, pumasok naman ako sa faculty para kunin na yung gamit ko. Konti na lang yung teachers since uwian na. Nagsimula naman na ako mag ligpit kasi nakakapagod 'tong araw na 'to.

"Ano ba yan? Pati estudyante pinatos. Hindi na nahiya" I clearly heard the new teacher's "whisper" pero di ko na lang pinansin. I just minded my own business.
"Dahil sakanya, madudungisan pangalan nating mga teacher. Mukhang hindi napalaki ng maayos ng magulang" I heard another teacher said.

Nainis naman na ako kasi mga walang sense yung mga sinasabi nila and nagbubulungan silang dalawa pero rinig na rinig ko yung mga pinagsasasabi nila.

"Pwede ba? Kung magbubulungan kayo, make sure na wala sa tabi nyo yung chinichismis nyo and also, pinalaki ako ng maayos ng magulang ko" I got all the courage to say that. Kung ano ano mga pinagsasabi eh.

Mukha naman silang nagulat sakin. Siguro, they thought that I will just let them talk down on me like that. No. Especially when my parents are involved.

"Anong maayos? Eh kung maayos edi sana hindi ka nag boyfriend ng estudyante mo" Inirapan naman nya ako.
"Yes, pinalaki akong maayos ng magulang ko. Kasi kung hindi? Baka nasampal na kita kanina pa." Tumayo naman sya.

"Sumosobra ka na Miss. Lim ah? Ganyan ba mag salita ang matinong teacher?" She said.
"Bakit? Ikaw ba? Matinong teacher ka ba? Would you mind telling our co-teachers kung pano ka nakapasok sa school na 'to without applying" She was taken aback with what I said.
"And also, mind telling us, kung bakit lagi kang bumubuntot sa principal where in fact, you're married" I heard everyone in the room gasped.

Oh well. I wasn't planning on saying all of these things but she acted up.

After that, I went out of the room. Pag labas ko naman, para akong nakahinga ng maluwag. Mali naman talaga ginawa ko pero wala silang right na idamay ang parents ko or anyone who's close to me because it was my own decision.

I don't know if I should tell Gab about this. Ayoko na kasi syang paproblemahin pa because in the first place, it's not a problem anymore. Technically speaking, hindi ko na sya student. I'm no longer his teacher.

And kahit ano pang sabihin ng ibang tao, I'll always choose him. I'll choose him over and over again.

Nag ring naman phone ko and I saw that it's from Gab.  And when I answered it, I can hear him from the phone that he's sobbing. I asked what's wrong and bigla naman ako nanigas sa sinabi nya.