Ms. Almarez, is there something wrong? I looked for my wallet all over my bag again but it's nowhere to be found. Sh.t just great. Everything is in my wallet! Everything. My cards. Money. All!
Ugh. Just a sec, sir. I dialed terry's number.
Hello. Kittin, what's wrong?
Ugh. I ordered a uniform here in the principals office. Drop by and pay for it. Please.
Sure Ma'am.
And send me money. I lost my wallet a while ago. I need money badly.
Yes ma'am. Then, I hung up.
Sinong kausap mo? Tinago ko agad yung phone.
Just a friend. I smiled.
Nakabili ka na? I nodded. I got the uniform without even paying. How's that? Pretty embarassing. Sinabi ko naman na babayaran ni Terry bukas. Sumakay na kami ng tricycle. Ako sa loob sa tabi nung manong naman siya. Ayaw pa kasi akong tabihan. Ays. I studied the place it wasn't bad at all. Never pa kasi akong nakapunta dito before. Hindi naman kalayuan yung boarding mga ilang minutes lang andun kana.
Ako na magbabayad. I looked at him. Shet. Kinikilig naman ako. Howsweet gentleman. Anobeyen.
Alla. Promise, sa susunod babawi ako. He smiled.
Sige. Eto na nga pala yung boarding. It was nice and somewhat big. Aakyat ka nga lang. Seperate ang rooms ng boys and girls. May small terrace where you can star gaze at night.
You must be Ms. Almarez. I nodded. The land lady showed me my room, it was the last room and I am the only one in it.
It's nice to see you here Ma'am. My boardmates looked at me. Some of my boardmates are my classmates. Most of them. It's really awkward calling me Ma'am. Do i look like a teacher or what?
Call me kittin please. She smiled.
Yes Ma'am. Then, my boardmates laugh. Umalis na yung land lady.
Call me kittin please. They repated what I said. I just ignored them.
Attention. Sa SSG officers, classroom officers and Jiroh. May meeting daw bukas ng umaga. Urgent. Paki-inform sa lahat bawal umabsent. Ohh. That's how strict they are pero bakit special mention si Jiroh? Did he violated something? I hope not.
Special Mention ka Jiroh. I looked at Jiroh.
Baka ibang Jiroh. Hindi ko yun naisip. Binatukan siya ni Mariah.
Baliw. Ikaw lang ang Jiroh sa school. They all laughed. I giggled. He's so cute. I went to my room and fixed my stuff. Wow. My things are already here. Great then. Nagpalit na ako. Someone knocked.
It's dinner time. May plano kang kumain? Sabi nung isa kong boardmate parang masungit na ewan.
Ohh. Yes! Lumabas na ako agad. Shoot. Ako nalang hinihintay.
7 ang oras ng pagkain. Ngayon, ka lang kinatok kasi bago ka palang rito pero sa susunod alamin mo oras mo. I nodded.
Tulong nga rito! she's carrying a lot of stuff. It was Altiah. Jiroh eyed me. Nilapitan ko agad si Altiah.
Akin na yan. Sht di ko bagay maging lalaki. Naghiyawan naman sila. Pinasok ko sa room ni Altiah.
Thanks. Kittin, right? I nodded. I'm Altiah btw. She smiled.
Nice to meet you. Lumapit na kami sa dinning table.
Parang, may bagong mabubuong lovetime ah. Diba Kittin?Nagulat naman ako. I just nodded. Para lang akong tanga. After kumain nilapitan ako ng land lady. Para bang private talk.
Alam naman po namin na we should treat you special Ma..Tatawagin nanaman akong Ma'am.
No. No. I want to be treated like everyone else.
May rules po kasi kami here. I nodded. She told me na 10pm magchecheck na siya at bed tima na but she will understand if kailangan mag overtime sa studies pwedeng matulog ng late basta wag mag-iingay. Bawal magpapasok ng di kilala sa nga rooms, yung hindi ka boardmate particularly. Tapos, may mga household chores rin na ginagawa.
I can cook. Clean. Wash the dishes. I smiled.
Hindi naman po kailangan.
Kaya ko naman po. She scheduled me everythursday to wash the dishes with Altiah. Nakakagulat naman yun. Sadya? Or meant to be lang talaga kami? Err. Magrereklamo sana ako kaso umalis na siya at ayoko rin namang maging choosy kaya sige na nga lang kahit labag sa aking kalooban. Huhu. Sandamakmak na asar nanaman ang abot ko dito.
JIROH'S POV
Mga 5:30 na nung nagising ako. Naiihi na ako kaya kinulit-kulit ko si Jed. Ang tagal niya kasi sa banyo.
Jed. Kagabi ka pa ata diyan.
Sandali lang! Siya pa ang galit. Hindi naman pala siya nagbabawas lang yun pala naligo narin siya kaya pala ang tagal niya.
Nagmadali na akong maligo at magpalit dahil ayokong malate. May meeting pamandin at ako ang na special mention. Lumabas na ako at nakatulala lahat sa mesa.
Anong meron?
Sinong nagluto? Lahat kami walang ideya kasi sa mga ganitong oras dapat katatapos palang magluto nila Marinelle. Sila kasi pag ganitong araw.
Baka si Manang pero impossible. Hindi ba talaga ikaw Marinelle? She shooked her haid. Sino kaya?
Kung ako sa inyo. Kakain nalang ako. Blessing yan. Nung nakakalahati at malapit ko ng ubusin yung pagkain ko. Napansin ko na wala pa si Kittin sa dapat niyang upuan.
Nakita niyo ba si Kittin? They shooked their heads.
Baka tulog pa. Feel ko tulog mantika yun. Oo nga. Sabi naman nung iba. Talaga 'tong mga 'to. Basta siya, lakas nilang mang-asar.
I knocked and knocked and knocked again, and again pero walang nagbukas ng pinto. Tulog pa kaya siya?
Kittin. Gising na. Walang sumasagot.
Hayaan ko na lang ba siya?
Paano kung may nangyari sakanyang masama?
Teka, bakit ba ako concerned?
