"She kind of reminds me of you," Loren chuckled as she noticed my level of annoyance had went up a notch with Tots' antics. "Matapang, masayahin, makulit..."
"Maloko," Kathy who was seated across us butted in without even looking at us. She had been too preoccupied fiddling with her phone that it surprised us that she suddenly came to life... and was in fact listening to our conversation. If I didn't know Kathy, I would think she was "seeing" someone. She was smiling and blushing for no apparent reason. O baka totoo nga ang tsismis na lumalovelife 'tong si Bersola.
"Magulo," Nicole grumbled. She watched Tots chasing the other rookies who were passing around something.
Ang sarap talagang maging kaibigaan netong si KB at Nicole, promise.
"Momsie, o. Ayaw nilang ibalik 'yung phone ko." Tots pouted as she ran to Pia for help. She crouched a bit and she hugged the pint sized libero.
Kung maka Momsie ang damulag na 'to akala kung sinong maliit na bata! Hindi nga abot sa balikat niya 'yung Baby ko.
"Akalain mo, baby ng baby Pia mo si Carlos. Ibig sabihin noon apo mo 'yan," Loren laughed as she pointed out our team tradition where the seniors adopted and took the rookies under their wings like babies. "Nagmana nga sa pinagmanahan."
"Sino na naman ang pasimuno ng kaguluhang 'to?" Pia raised her voice and an eyebrow at the 'kids' who were all bigger than her... though that doesn't make Pia any less intimidating or scary.
"Hala! Nagsumbong sa nanay niya. Lagot ka, Chopi," Maris threatened and waved a finger at Sheena.
"Bakit ako? Sa 'yo kaya galing 'to," Sheena immediately gave back the cellphone to Aiesha.
"Hindi ha!" The other middle blocker was surprised as she held the phone. "Binigay lang 'to ni Mae sa akin kaya ko binigay sa 'yo."
"Wala akong kinalaman diyan," Mae denied and handed the phone to Justine who seemed to enjoying her ice cream and oblivious to what was going on around her. Anak-anakan nga 'to ni KB.
"Pakiaalam ko naman sa telepono ni Tots," an annoyed Justine retorted and tossed the phone to Isa. Luckily, Isa had quick reflexes and caught the phone as it flew towards her and Maris.
"Uy! Kayo, tigilan niyo na 'tong si Tots," Pia told off the younger Maroons.
"Eh kasi. Sabi ni Nyora kunin daw," Isa stuttered as Maris fled before she can hand over Tot's phone.
"Kinuha mo naman," Maris answered, emphasizing the fact that it was Isa who was the culprit.
"Sinabi mo kasi," Isa could only scratch her head and repeated her alibi like a thief caught in flagrante delicto while the others giggled and tried to look as innocent as they could.
"Alam niyo namang hindi 'to nahihiwalay sa telepono niya. Security blanket niya yata 'yan kaya hanggang sa pagtulong, 'yan ang katabi," Pia trying to comfort Tots who was still clinging to her side.
"Kasi parati nag-aabang ng tawag at text. Hindi naman tinitext. Hindi din tinatawagan. Tama na kasi ang pa-cute. Feeling mo lang na cute ka... pero sorry, hindi talaga," Mabu sarcastically said with a straight face.
"'Yan pa isa. Pareho kayong pa-cute," Loren leaned in and whispered.
Pia laughed out loud, hearing what Loren said. "At malandi!" Pia added.
"Sinong malandi, Momsie?" Tots candidly asked the same exact time I barked the same question to Baby Pie.
"Bato bato sa langit," Monica laughed out loud.
"Ang tamaan malamang guilty," Ayel harped while trying to be inconspicuous beside Kathy.
"Parang bumblebee lang 'yan na kung pagbabasehan ang laws of physics ay 'di dapat eto nakakalipad dahil sa shape at proportion ng katawan niya. Short, stubby at maliit ang pakpak kay impossible etong makakalipad. Pero hindi alam ng bumblebee 'yun," Kathy theorized while we all waited for the punchline... if ever that was a joke.
That was a joke, right?
"In other words, ang malandi hindi kelangan malaman kung kelan siya lumalandi," Vina paraphrased Kathy's lecture.
Then there was a collective Ah! from the youngsters.
"Hayaan niyo na 'yang si Caloy. 'Di niyo ba napapansin na maganda ang laro niyan pagmaganda ang view sa kabilang court?" Jewel pointed out. "Noong first game nagpasikat sa bagong kapitana ng UE. May sulyap pa sa mga taga bench. O 'di ba, naging player of the game."
"Kaya pala ganada ng laro laban sa lady eagles at lady spikers," Pia tugged Tots' right ear. "Never say die daw ang attitude ni Caloy, 'yun pala nag-eenjoy sa view. Ginawa mong speed dating ang volleyball, sa bawat rotation namimili ka ng makakadate."
"Paano kasi nagpapapansin kina Ate Maddie at Ate Mika. Gustong gusto niya kung sila sumasabay sa kanya magblock at sabay todo hampas niya ng bola. Sa sobrang pagpapapogi points, nakakalimutan mag-iba ng atake kaya parateng naseseromonan ni Coach," Isa complained with her usual sweet childish accent... or is it her Visayan accent?
I don't want to speculate why her (Tots') numbers were down when they played the Lady Tams and the Lady Falcons. Loko-loko talaga ang batang 'to.
"Kanina sinustalk si Ate Alex pagkatapos ng game. Humabol pa ng selfie. Ayaw pa sanang pakawalan kaya lang natakot ng dumating si Coach Kung Fu," Isa disclosed and showed us the photos in Tots' phone.
"Kaya pala kanina ka pa tanong ng tanong kung sino sa mga Tigresses ang kasama ko sa dorm," Loren said and pointed to me, "Dito ka sumabay kung gusto mong tumambay sa España,"
"Ate Neta," she smiled mischievously.
Ayoko!
"Hala ka! Sabi ni Coach kelangan daw magfocus sa laro," Isa reminded Tots' whose eyes glowed as if it was a real invitation to begin with.
"Selos ka naman agad," Tots teased complete with a pogi pose.
"Ah ganun!" Isa shot back and threw the first thing that she got her hands on... which I think was Kathy's power bank, hitting Tots on the side of the head. Good thing that it was a rather small power bank inside a padded pouch. Bad news, Isa was a dead shot.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for Kathy to react. She carefully laid her phone on the table. We could hear the sound as she cracked the knuckles on her both hands and slowly clenched her fingers into the palm. "Hmmmm... paano kaya 'to low batt na phone ko... at binasag niyong dalawa ang power bank ko?"
Isa and Tots, looking frightened, pointed to each other while wordlessly blaming the other for the debacle.
"'Wag na kayong magturuan at pareho kayong me sala," Kathy interrupted the two. "Patatawarin ko lang kung sino sa inyo ang pinakamataas ang score sa game laban sa Lady Bulldogs."
"Paano po 'yung isa?" Tots hesitantly asked. Her face turned white as she handed Kathy the corpus delicti... este the subject of the crime. In other words 'yung malas na power bank na ngayon tumutonog na parang mga dice habang inaalog ni Kathy 'yung pouch.
"Takot ka naman pala sa Ate Kathy mo," Pia taunted.
"Kung sino 'yung masmababa ang points, kelangan i-explain at demonstrate kung paano nakakalipad ang bumblebee," Kathy said in a calm yet very authoritative manner.
Tots stood close to Isa and asked in a soft hush tone, "Ano daw? Tutubi?"
YOU ARE READING
A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED
FanficBetween being an athlete and law student, there is hardly time for anything else. You train... you go to class... you practice with the team... in between, you either study or you cram. If you get lucky, maybe you'll find time to have a life as we...
