Love For Dummies (On-going)

Chapter 1 - First Step

Chapter 1

FIRST STEP

“Welcome to Nahm Senior High.”

Binasa ko ng malakas ang nakasulat sa archway ng school entrance. Kung tama ang aking bilang, ito na yata ang panglabing-anim na beses kong pagbasa sa nakasulat roon. At di pa rin ako makapaniwalang nakatayo na nga ako sa harap ng school na iyon.

Once again, binasa ko na naman ang nakasulat. My seventeenth time.

Wala pa ring pagbabago. Whoa! Ninenerbyos pa rin talaga ako. Namamawis na ang mga palad ko pati buong katawan ko ay parang naninigas dahil hindi ko man lang magawang gumalaw mula sa aking pagkakatayo. Siguro kung may competition ng stop dance at sinabing stop, ako na ang panalo. Wala akong kagalaw-galaw eh.

Bakit ba ako ninenerbyos? Papasok lang naman sa school. What’s the big deal kamo?

Well, to me it’s a very BIG BIG BIG BIG deal.

I know, you will laugh at me kapag sasabihin kong first time kong pumasok ng school.

Sighed… I hoped you didn’t laugh. (-_-)

 All my life, parents ko ang teachers ko. Mathematics, Literature, Science, Geography, Social Studies, English, Physics, Education,  etc. –  I learned all of these from my parents. Marami silang tinuro sa akin, and honestly, I enjoyed and cherished all the moments I was with them having fun with the lectures. They made all the subjects enjoyable kasi. Walang boring moment ika nga.

Dahil naalala ko na naman parents ko ngayon, di ko maiwasang muling malungkot. I lost my parents six months ago. They died in a car accident. Galing sila sa isang business trip at pauwi na ng bumangga ang isang delivery truck sa sasakyan nina Daddy. Lasing ang driver nun. Nadala pa rin naman sa hospital ang aking mga magulang kaya lang di na rin umabot pa. Ilang linggong mugto ang mga mata ko dahil hindi ko matanggap na nawala na ang dalawang taong ilang taon ko ring nakasama. Paanong sa isang iglap ay nawala na lang sila. It’s hard to just swallow and accept everything.

After my parents’ death, lumipat ako sa bahay ng lolo ko na siyang natitirang kamag-anak ko. Grandpa Pop – that is what I call him. I love Grandpa Pop katulad ng pagmamahal ko sa parents ko. He used to visit me in our place every year and spend time with us. It is because of him why I managed to move on and pass the pace of mourning for my parents. Kung wala siguro ito, hindi ko na alam ang gagawin ko. That’s why mas lalo pa akong naging malapit kay Grandpa Pop mula ng tumira ako sa bahay nito. Masaya itong kasama at madalas ay pajoke-joke pa ito.

By the way, it was Grandpa Pop who enrolled me in this school. He said that it’s time for me to experience a normal high school life and meet new friends. Dapat daw ay maranasan kong maging normal. Naalala ko pa ang pag-uusap namin about sa pagpasok ko ng school.

I was in the garden digging the soil when Grandpa Pop approaches me.

“Yuri, I think it’s now the time for you to enter a school,” sabi nito sabay squat sa tabi ko.

“School?” I stopped digging and looked at him.

“Hindi mo alam kung ano ang school? School is a place where you study to learn,” he explained seeing my puzzled look as if it’s my first time hearing that word.

Duh! It’s not my first time hearing that word. But what I only knew about it is errrrrr---- through books of course (-_-). At least I know for a fact that it’s a place to study, to learn, and gain knowledge – though I’ve never been in one before. Ang hindi ko lang gets ay kung bakit ko pa kailangang pumasok sa school. Okay naman na akong hindi pumasok sa school eh.

“Grandpa Pop, syempre alam ko kung ano po ang school ano,” natatawang paliwanag ko. “But Grandpa, I don’t’ want to go to a school. Hindi po ba puwedeng sa bahay na lang ako turuan katulad ng dati?” I asked him hoping he will answer with a yes.

“NO.” He firmly answered without any hesitation. “I’ve been telling your parents to enroll you in a proper school, pero hindi sila nakinig sa akin. Ang sabi nila ay mas may kapabilidad silang turuan ka kaysa sa kung sino mang mga guro daw diyan sa mundo. Ngunit hindi talaga ako sang-ayon sa desisyon nila. Look at you now; you don’t even have any friends. You don’t even know how to socialize and mingle with your own age.”

Napanguso ako sa narinig. “I have a friend,” I proudly stated.

“Sino? Si King?” Then he laughed so loud pati si King na tahimik na nagpapahinga ay napatingin dito.

“King is my friend,” insists ko pa rin. Kasama ko na si King since noong seven years old ako.

“King is your pet. The friend I’m talking about is a human my dear.”

“I am friends with all the people in this house,” I reasoned out, wanting to win this argument.

 “That’s a different thing,” sagot naman ni Grandpa Pop. “You should have a friend na kaedad mo.”

Kaedad?  (-_-)

Wala nga akong friends na kaedad ko.

“But why do I have to go to school? Maaari naman akong magkaroon ng kaibigan kahit hindi na ako papasok pa sa school.”

“Yuri, pinapadali ko na nga sa iyo ang lahat. School is the best place for you. Aside from gaining a friend, you will experience how to be normal.”

“I am normal,” confused kong sabi.

"You are not normal.”

“How can that be? I look normal. I have two eyes. One nose. One mouth. Two ears. Two hands. Two feet. I look normal Grandpa. Anong sinasabi mong hindi ako normal? And oh, I’m not mentally retarded.”

Nagbuga ng malalim na hininga si Grandpa. Nahihirapan siguro itong mag-explain sa akin.

“You will know what is being normal once you attend that school Yuri.”

“But –”

“No more buts,” he interrupted me. “You will go to school starting next week and that is FINAL.” His tone is firm, yung tonong nagsasabing tapos na nga ang usapan.

After that he didn’t give me a chance to say a word and left me there as he hurriedly went inside the house. Hahaha… Ayaw pahabol sa akin ni Grandpa. Alam kasi nitong hindi matatapos ang diskusyon namin kapag nagkaroon ako ng chance na magsalita.

“Omo… I’m going to school,” I uttered still dumbfounded of my soon to be fate.

“I can do this! Aja!” I said to encourage myself to enter. “No, no, no, I cannot!” I nervously countered back. Sadly, I am such a coward. I am afraid of many things – many things that my Grandpa Pop said to be silly to be afraid of. Sabi pa nito because I am Yuri Park, I should have more confidence in myself. I don’t understand him there. Isipin ko lang daw na ako si Yuri Park at iyon pa lang daw ay dapat lumakas na ang loob ko. Sa sinasabi ni Grandpa parang may magic sa name ko.

Naniwala naman ako dun.

“Ako si YURI PARK!” bigkas ko sa magic words na mula kay Grandpa.

Mukhang effective nga yata ang incantation ko dahil lumakas nga loob ko at dahan-dahan kong iniangat ang aking kanang paa at iniapak iyon paharap. I smiled when I finally stepped forward.

“Whoa! I did it!” I yelled in excitement dahil naovercome ko ang kinatatakutan ko.

That was my first step.

The FIRST STEP that changed my life into a rollercoaster ride.

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Sakurainbloom: Uhm... feel free to criticize, positive man oh negative. Kapag may nakita kayong maling grammar, typos, etc. icorrect niyo lang po ako. About dun sa corrections, imessage niyo na lang po ako dun para naman po hindi puro corrections na lang yung comments dito. Hahaha... lam ko po kasing marami. Hahahah.... XD

So yeah, thanks sa mga may mabubuting pusong naglaan ng time para sa chapter 1. XD