The Beginning

Prologue

"Lunch na po!"

I looked at the clock and gasped when I realized 'di man lang namin namalayang mag-aalas dose na pala. Tinitigan ko ang green board na puno ng drawing na gawa namin ng mga classmates ko.

"Ayos na siguro yan, dagdagan lang ng konti sa mga may space pa" sabi ko.

I got the colored chalk and added more mini butterflies under the tree Vanessa draw. She's the one who had the idea na mag drawing kami sa board na iiwan namin sa entrance ng school for the event tomorrow.

"Bakit nandito ka May? hahahaha"

Vanessa laughed so hard while pointing at the monkey she just draw hanging from the branch of the tree. Lahat kami nagtawanan at  yung iba nagdagdag pa ng drawing and telling each one of us na isa-isa kami doon.

"Mga ates, kain na raw po muna at ipagpatuloy nalang daw po mamaya kung hindi pa po kayo tapos."

We stopped laughing and saw Diana who is calling us para mag lunch na kasi alas dose na talaga.

Inayos ko na yung ibang gamit at nilagay sa isang lagayan para 'di ako mahirapang dalhin. Tumulong naman yung iba to arrange and clean the table we used para mabilis.

"Mauuna na ko ha itataas ko pa 'to sa 4th floor eh." I told them.

"Sige sunod nalang kami." May said while they were moving the board.

Naglakad na ko pabalik ng building. But while walking I saw Andrea at the gate with Sister Silvia, our school guardian.

Why is she with her? I moved my eyes on my way and slowly walked as I passed the gate trying not to look at them once more. But before I enter the building I looked back and saw she was staring at me.

It was like she's telling me something with those stare.

I just noticed that there's another person outside the gate and as far as I remember, it was her sister. Why is she here too?

I suddenly felt my heart beating fast which made me think something is wrong. Even I wanted to stay there and wait, I told myself I already need to go inside the building and that is what I did.

Instead of going up. I went straight inside the refectory and as usual, maingay at sari-saring usapan ang maririnig mo. Ipinatong ko sa isang table yung mga gamit na dala ko and I sat on my chair. The food is already prepared I will just wait for some of my classmates before eating.

I saw Jessica looked and smiled at me so I gave her a smile back. Why does it seem normal to everyone but I feel something really wrong? Yung nararamdaman kong kaba nandoon pa rin hanggang dumating na sila Vanessa and we started to eat.

"Iyong food ni Andeng ipasok daw sa kitchen."

Napakunot ako when I heard that and the kitchen coordinator got her meal and went inside the kitchen. Ang daming tanong na tumatakbo sa isip ko.

"Oh bakit pinasok food niya?" tanong ng isa kong kaklase.

"Tinawag kasi siya ni Sister kanina baka nagpasama, siguro later pa siya mag-lunch pagbalik." one of Andrea's classmate answered.

Even though I heard that, hindi nawala yung kaba ko instead mas lumala pa. My hands started to get cold and I don't know what to do. I didn't even have the appetite to finish my lunch kahit 'di pa ako nangangalahati because I wanted to know why it is happening.

I was staring at their table and her usual chair. The sight of her not being there is not helping. I feel more nervous for every second.

Why is she with our guardian at the gate?

Why did her sister came here?

Why was she staring at me that way?

Full of why's. I looked around for the nth time but why does everyone seems fine.

What's happening doesn't add up.

Everyone is done having their lunch. Unti-unti na ring nababawasan ang mga estudyante sa refectory. The next thing I know I was left there waiting. I was wishing she will go back and tell me what was her stare about.

The clock says it is already 1 pm.

I wanted to wait more even though I know we still need to preapre a lot for tomorrow's event. I went upstairs just to get a pen and a paper and also got back to the refectory to wait. I wrote something while waiting but the clock is running and it is already 1:30 pm.

Kahit ayoko pa, umakyat ako para maligo. While taking a bath I have already thought of the possible reason why she was at the gate and didn't have her lunch.

I was at the dorm fixing my hair after taking a bath when the telephone rang. I walked closed to it and answered "Hello po?"

"Hello, si Allyson nandyan ba? call her at kakausapin ko" it was Sister Silvia.

"This is Allyson po Sister."

"Oh mabuti, please go down sa office nandito ako."

"Okay po Sister."

I felt something weird but I am still wishing she was there too. Dali-dali akong nag-ayos ng sarili para bumaba but the telephone na kakababa ko lang ay nag ring ulit. It was my classmate, Leny, who answered the call. I looked at her as she called me.

"Si Sister kausapin ka raw." sabi niya before handing the phone to me.

"Yes po Sister?" I answered.

"Oo nga pala, magdala ka na rin ng damit mo for 3-5 days."

"B-Bakit po? Saan po pupunta?"

"We're going somewhere, sasamahan mo ako" that's what she told me.

That made me thought of something I wanted to believe.

Something I wished but not.

A possibility I hoped but hurts a lot.

Little did I know inside the car, we were already headed back home.

Away from the school.

Away from the person that I love.