I Don't Wanna Fall In Love

Chapter 3 --- Connection

▬ DARREL'S POV

Expected ko na ang mga naging questions sakin ng mga students ko. Almost a year ko na rin kasing ginagawa ang activity na ito na sa tingin ko naman ay isang effective way para maging open sakin ang mga students ko. I want to feel this certain connection with my students. Gusto kong maging komportable sila sa pagtuturo ko. Hindi kasi effective ang teaching kung distant ka sa tinuturuan mo. In doing this kind of activity, I've noticed that every class I handle usually tend to come up with the same questions for me. But I must admit that today was different. Someone asked an unusual question that caused a different impact to my being.

There was this girl that made me realize something I've never bothered to think before. 

She started with: "Hi Sir, I'm Trixie. Hi everyone, I'm Trixie, in case you forgot." Then she smiled and the class laughed at her being "kalog" attitude.

She continued with: "The thing you don't know yet about me is that I eat kare-kare without bagoong." Then she smiled again and the class made fun of the absurdity of her revelation.

The class was still out of control when she asked: "Sir, have you ever been rejected?" and with that, umupo na siya. With that, tumahimik ang paligid. And with that, napaisip akong bigla. My thoughts went off to a far away place.

I've realized that I have never been rejected. Not even once in my entire life, have I experienced rejection. And not even once in my entire life have I thought of rejection.

Never akong nareject sa mga academic and non-academic activities na gusto kong salihan nung nag-aaral pa ko. Never akong nakareceive ng any rejected paper or thing. Never akong nareject sa mga inaplayan kong trabaho. Never akong nareject sa pamilya, sa mga kaibigan at lalung lalo na sa love life. Never akong nareject sa mga katwiran ko. Never akong nareject sa kahit anumang pangyayari at kahit saanmang sitwasyon. Ngayon ko lang napagtanto na hindi kailanman naging parte ng buhay ko ang rejection. At ngayon ko lang din naisip ang tungkol sa rejection. Kundi dahil sa babaeng ito, hindi ko maiisip ang tungkol sa rejection. I was too busy living my life to realize that I haven't experienced rejection. Hindi ko alam kung maituturing ko ba yun na achievement o kakulangan sa buhay ko. Pero one thing is for sure, because of this girl, I've realized something about my life that I never had time to think of before.

I was idling for like, 10 minutes kaya I decided to simply answer her question. 

"No. Not yet." I said.

▬ TRIXIE'S POV

Last subject na, General Statistics. Bukod sa ayoko nung subject eh lumilipad pa ang isip ko kaya naman hindi ko na napakinggan ang rules and regulations at ang grading system ng prof ko. Hindi kasi ako makaget over sa tagal ng pagsagot ni Sir Darrel sa tanong ko. Simple lang naman yung tanong ko pero parang pinag-isipan niya pang mabuti ang isasagot. Nacurious lang naman ako kung with his looks, attitude and intelligence eh narereject pa ba ang isang tulad niya. 

Geeezzz... Ayoko na ngang isipin. Itutuon ko na lang ang atensyon ko sa klase.

Wow. Ngayon ko lang napansin, ang ganda pala ng prof namin at mukhang kaedad lang ni Sir Darrel. Susme! >.< Sir Darrel na naman ang naiisip ko! Tsk. Erase erase!  

Maganda, matangkad at sexy ang professor na kaharap namin today! Panalo! Walang panama ang mga beauty namin sa prof naming ito! Pwedeng beauty queen! Mag-miss universe ka na lang Ma'am para wala na talagang matitirang Gen. Stats professor. I heard kasi na konti lang ang Gen. Stats prof sa university namin. Para naman mawala na yan sa curriculum namin! Tutal communication course naman kami eh, ituon na lang dapat yun sa engineering or accounting!