The Gangster's Princess (COMPLETED)

TGP 45

April's POV

This is it. Ito na yung araw na hinihintay ko, natin, namin. Dumating na yung araw na bata pa lang ako pinapangarap ko na. Araw na pinapangarap para sakin ng magulang ko. The day that I can finally and proudly wear a white gown walking down the aisle. With the people I love beside me.

"Are you ready?" Tanong sakin ni mama at ngumiti ako sa kanya.

"My baby's all grown up." She said while petting me. For the first and last time, I let her.

My dad will escort me while my mom will escort Abby. Since sabay kaming ga-graduate, hindi naman pwedeng sa iisang anak lang sila.

They called my name at naglakad na kami ni papa. All people are looking at us.

Lahat ng kailangang gawin ay nagawa na. Tapos na ang awarding, mga speech ng personnels at kung ano-ano pa.

Now it's my time to make a speech for being Summa Cum Laude.

Umakyat na ako sa stage at kumapit ng mahigpit sa gilid ng podium. I saw them all looking at me and smiling. I took a deep breath and smiled back.

"Once a wise man said "We should never stop learning because life never stop teaching." Every part of this school, we see that quote. And every time we see it, lagi na lang tayong napapairap. It's a pain in the eyes. Ilang pangbabara na ang dinanas ng quote na yan, like, "Eh hindi naman magagamit sa tunay na buhay yung inaaral dito bakit yun yung tinuturo." Para sakin, hindi lang academics ang tinuturo ng school na ito. Hindi ko sinasabi ito dahil anak ako ng may-ari. I am saying this because I have known it. I have experienced and witnessed it. Our Math prof, ma'am Yeng, lagi siyang may hugot tungkol sa mga angles na yan and geometry stuff na yan. Like "parallel angles never meet. It has no intersection. Wag mo nang ipilit na magtatagpo pa sila dahil kahit umabot pa sila sa dulo ng mundo, hinding hindi sila magtatagpo." You see? And that is another life lesson. Ang lesson dun wag mo ipagpilitan ang mga bagay na alam mong hindi pwede. Sa school din tayo natutong maki-sama. Am I right?" Tanong ko at nagtawanan sila. Alam na naman siguro nila yung kabitch-an na pinairal ko dito sa DVU matapos ang maraming taon.

"Let's just face it. Kasi kahit ganong hirap, stress, pagod, at sakit pa ang abutin natin sa pag-aaral sumasaya pa din tayo. Sa school natin nakikilala yung mga tunay nating kaibigan. Kadalasan din dito natin nakikita yung taong gusto nating mahalin habang buhay. No matter how much we hate school, Mondays, mga minor subjects na feeling major, kapag nakapagtapos na tayo mami-miss din naman natin eh. Mami-miss natin yung pagmamadali natin tuwing umaga dahil late na tayo, yung pagkabadtrip natin sa mga prof dahil ang lakas ng loob nilang mangbagsak eh hindi naman nagtuturo, mga price sa cafeteria na over priced, mga projects na apat na araw lang ang preparation day, mga programs, mga panahong natutulog sa computer lab, science lab, kitchen lab, at kung ano pa. I've also been there. Hindi lang kayo. Eto yung araw na pinakahihintay natin kasi tapos na tayo sa mga prof na pahirap eh. Hindi na tayo papasok para mag-aral. Hindi na tayo mapupuyat para magreview. Kasi ang magpapahirap na satin yung mismong buhay. Kasi tapos na tayo sa dream land eh. The dream land is when we're attending school. Reality is when we're not in school but in our offices doing our jobs. To be honest I'm still not ready to face reality. Nasa dream land pa lang tayo sobrang dakit na yung dinadanas natin. Pano pa sa reality? But we forgot that we have learned lessons from our dream land. And what we have learned from dream land, we can apply that to reality. As I was standing here all of the memories came flooding. I didn't ready any speech, just like our public speaking clss, this is an extemporaneous speech. See? I told you we can apply dream land to reality. Nung una akala ko, I won't have any friends dahil sobrang anti-social ko at maldita pa. But I didn't expect to have such friends whom I will value the most. Thank you all for being there by our side when we need something. Thank you to our English Prof for helping us in our grammar whenever we have a thesis defense. To our librarian na lagi kaming pinapapasok sa library kahit na maingay kami, marami pong salamat dahil sobrang dami niyong naitulong samin. I am April Charm De vera Torren, signing off." Nagbow ako at bumababa na sa stage.

Tuluyan nang natapos ang graduation and I didn't expect to see what I was seeing.

"Nice speech." Sabi niya sakin ng nakangiti pero nakatingin lang ako sa kanya.

"Agatha, leave us alone." Sabi ni Edward.

"I know. I will. I came here to apologize for all of the things I've done. Sorry kasi ginulo ko yung relationship niyo. Sorry kasi dahil sakin nasaktan kayo pareho at kinailangan niyong maghiwalay kahit na mahal niyo naman yung isa't isa. Sorry kasi dinamay ko pa kayo sa pagiging miserable ng buhay niyo. Gusto ko lang naman kasing masubukan maging masaya." Sabi niya at umaagos na ng luha yung mata niya. And this is the first na naawa ako sa kanya. Ilang beses ko na ba siyang nasampal? Ilang beses ko na ba siyang nasabihan ng masasakit na salita? But this is the first time na nakita kong nasasaktan siya. This is the first time I saw her so vulnerable. Ngayon ko lang narerealize kung gano siya kalakas at katapang. I've always looked down on her but knowing how long she held her pain in, I was so easy to judge.

"Sorry dahil ang selfish ko at ang ginusto ko lang ay maging masaya. And Angel is saying the truth. I blackmailed her too. Sorry for making your life miserable like mine. I'll be going now. I hope you can forgive me." Sabi niya at naglakad na palayo. I was stunned by what she did.

"Hey, you okay?" Tanong ni Edward at tumango naman ako sa kanya.

"We could've been friends. Kung hindi lang siya nagpaka-demonyo nung simula." Sabi ko at huminga ng malalim.

"Tara na." Sabi niya at hinila na ako palabas ng event center. May sleep over party kami ngayon kila Kris and invited din si ate Shin. So let us see where it will went.

But it is still to early to stress over about anything. We're to young. I'll just enjoy my life. Live to the fullest, worry about nothing, love him more.

So this is where it ends. This is where our journey and story ends :)