A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED

47 | back where we started

After eight years in this university, I still study here in the Sunken Garden more than anywhere else in the campus.  If you can call having your books or laptop or tablet with you while pretending to read but actually just watch the people around.  But right now, I could care less about the two coeds getting cozy under the enormous shade of the Narra tree a few meters away from me.

How on earth am I going to finish all these? I flipped through the pages of the cases I printed out so far.  Yes, I have printed all of the assigned cases for Private International Law.  Bakit naman kasi ang hilig ng mga professors magbigay na kilo-kilometrong listahan ng assignment bago pa man man magpasukan? PIL and Corporation Law combined for an insanely 10 page list... and that was just for prelims.  And I heard the professor for PIL loved to inflict mental suffering and anguish that attributed to the high mortality rate among the juniors and the decline of enrollee for the succeeding semester for senior year.

The rumors must be true.  My anxiety level was so high right now and we will just be having our first meeting for his class this afternoon.  I don't want a repeat of my debacle with Palma.  Starting on the wrong foot with some crazy professor was the last thing I want to do and I have been quite successful doing that for the last three semesters. Not even if it was just a two unit subject.

I've read more than half of the cases for PIL and I am having information overload.  The case print outs look like pages out of coloring books since I have been using different color highlighters.  Yellow for facts, blue for issues, green for ruling, orange for quoted cases, pink for plaintiff's argument, blue green for defendant's argument... and purple?

Oh! It must have been the red wine we were drinking the other night.  The last three years have been brutally and outrageously sadistic.  But we have managed to survive... somehow.

"Hey!"

I knew that voice. I didn't need to turn around to know she was there behind me.  

She sat down on the mat beside me without waiting for my reply.  "I heard hindi ka nagrenew ng contract sa club team mo. Wala ka din daw tinatanggap sa mga ibang offers."

"You're checking up on me now?" I removed my glasses and rubbed my eyes. I wanted to make sure this wasn't one of those weird dreams again. 

"Nakita ko si Ate Rhea the other day sa mall.  Nabanggit niya lang.  Noong huli kasi tayong mag-usap, akala ko hindi ka na mag-eenroll uli."

"Hirap kasi pareho kong mahal kaya ang hirap i-let go" I admitted.  We've been going back and forth with this discussion but always end up with more questions than answers.  "Bakit pa kasi kelangan mamili? Bakit 'di pwedeng dalawa? Bakit 'di pwedeng pagsabayin?"

"Because under ordinary circumstances, we can't have everything."

"Hayz! Sa volleyball, kahit pagod sa training at laro, nakakagala kahit papaano.  Dito sa law school wala ka nang lovelife, wala ka pang tulog," I jokingly complained.  Of course, that wasn't necessarily true.  There's always a way to find some amusement.

"Paano ka 'di iiwan ng dyowa mo, eh puro ka kalokohan."

"Kelangan talagang may pagdiinan? Nagbabagong buhay na nga o."

"Sige na nga.  Tutal kakasimula pa lang ng semester, nagpapakalunod ka na sa review.  Tsk!"  she teased and gave me a pat on the shoulder which was more like a whack.  "Certified geek ka na talaga, Araneta."

"Idol kasi kita," I retorted... but I have to admit that she wasn't so geeky looking today.  She was't wearing her glasses, which she normally does.