What If I Waited?

Chapter 2: Transfer

Arianne
.........

Today is Monday... and I need to transfer... I'm still slang on my tagalog but... I can do it if I really focus on it. "Are you ready Mae?" Tanong ni Eomma sakin. "Yes Eomma." I told her while I went inside the car. "Take care Mae. Waine will be there to wait for you." She told me. "Yes Eomma."

Nagpunta kami sa school na ipinatransfer ako ni Eomma. When I went inside the campus... lahat napatingin sakin. Waeyo?

"Siya yung transfer student na bago dito no?"

"Oo nga... mukhang hindi siya taga rito."

"Yeah... pero still ang ganda niya."

It's always like this in the first week of school. I'm always in the center of attarction. I just kept walking until maabot ako sa faculty room. "Ah... Arianne Mae Gonzales right?" Sabi ng isang teacher. "Yes."

"Come with me. Estudyante kita" she smiled.

"Okay po." I told her.

Nang maabot kami sa classroom... she made all her students keep quiet. "Introduce yourself." Matipid na sabi ni teacher. "Hello everyone... I'm Arianne Mae Gonzales. 15 years old, sana... maging magkaibigan tayong lahat."

"Marunong pala siya magtagalog?"

"Hindi ko naexpect ah? Akala ko magnonosebleed tayo. Pero... ang fluent niya pala sa tagalog noh?"

Ngumiti nalang ako at umupo sa isang upuan sa likod. Everyone's attention is on me.... this is so tiring. Nang matapos ang klase ko agad akong pinalibutan nila. "Taga saan ka nga pala Mae?" Tanong nila... "I was born here pero.... I was raised in Korea. Kakabalik lang namin nung Saturday."

"Waah... taga Korea ka pala?! Kaya pala ang ganda mo!!"

"Eh bakit ka pumunta dito sa Pilipinas kung maayos naman ang buhay mo sa Korea?"

"Namatay kasi ang Lola ko. Tapos... may gagawin kaming project dito."

"Ahhh.... nakameet ka na ba ng mga korean groups?"

"Oo... I bump into them everyday. Kilala naman nila ako."

"Suwerte ka!!!"

"Milady"

Tawag ni Waine... "MILADY?!?!" Sigaw nilang lahat. "Yes Waine?" Tanong ko, "You have a visitor." Waine comes at such bad timings. "Tell him or her I'll get back to him later."

"But this is important Milady." He said as he went in the classroom and handed me a phone. I stared at the phone number.

09*********

Is it Producer? Or is it Manager? I answered it. But when I was about to answer the call the phone just went blank. What is wrong? "Waine, I'll just come back to that later." Napatulala lang ang mga kaklase ko sa akin. "Mayaman ka pala." Sabi ng isang lalaki, "Andrei! Kaya nga GONZALES hindi ba?" Say ng isang babaeng--Si.... Cathy!! "Oh? Mae!! You're here too?!" She said as she hugged me.

"Yes." Matipid kong sagot habang nakangiti sa kanya, "Nagkita na ulit tayo!!" She exclaimed... I don't know why but I'm homesick. I still the things we did in Korea. Me and my friends there.

Habang nagpunta kami sa Cafeteria ng school, one voice caught my attention.

"It couldn't be her bro."

It's his Voice. I couldn't be mistaken. Alam na alam ko ang boses niya.

"Mae is her name right?"

It is his voice... but where is he? Wala akong makita. Nasaan ka ba? Magkikita pa ba ulit tayo? "Mae? Are you all right?" Cathy asked me. She was already halfway through the hallway but I could hear her clearly. "Yeah, I'm fine." I replied.

Could I even find you? Or could you find me?

-------------

#KeiferSantos