Reminiscence: From Me To You

Pahina 68

68:

"Ahm..." Hindi ko alam ang sasabihin ko. Natuyo yata bigla ang lalamunan ko. My fingers fidgeted because of the pressure I was feeling. The stares from my classmates didn't help at all. It felt so heavy, it felt so suffocating.

Sir Juls gestured his hands to encourage me. I heaved a sigh. "Hi," I started, then I recited my full name. Napangiti si Sir Juls. "Gandang pangalan." He even commented. I felt shy, so I looked down to my shoes.

"Rubik's Cube is the one I've got." Mahinang sambit ko at saka inilagay sa lamesa ang kanina ko pang hawak na rubik's cube. Actually, I saw DJ earlier playing with it, and when he saw me staring at it, he approached me and asked if I wanted to borrow it. I was hesitant at first but he gave me the rubik's cube and told me, he wasn't gonna use it.

"Another unique object. Why rubik's cube?" Sir Juls queried.

"Rubik's cube because it has different sides with different colors, it seems hard and confusing to solve. Like me, I am also hard to be friends with, and confusing to be with." I stopped for a while, I could feel all their eyes looking at me.

"So I have different sides, like the cube." I stated mellowly. "You can try to decipher or solve me, you can judge me only based on the surface, but when you start fixing the cube, you will see that there's a reason, that you will see a whole picture on the side of the cube. Like on how all the same colors are being arrange altogether. You will see who I am." Sir Juls nodded in my explanation. Marv and Mario even fascinated with my statement.

"But the things is, when you thought that you really know who I am, you will see the other sides are still not fixed or in there proper places... Akala mo buo na, hindi pa pala." I looked at the people whom I considered my friends, they were all looking at me as if they saw someone drowning.

"The colors are still scattered around the cube. Like me, when you thought you know who I am, you are just still someone who is just staring at the flaws, the imperfections, and the insecurities." I said calmly. "There are still a lot to know, to discover, because, not because you when you think everything's alright, it is fine, sometimes, it is just not." I added softly.

"You still need to jumble not just for one side, but for the whole cube. You need to include my whole being not just the one you want to see. And that's the reason why I chose Rubik's cube." Huling sambit ko at saka magalang na ibinalik kay Sir Juls ang mikropono.

Napatitig sa akin si Sir Juls, pagkatapos ay hindi nagsalita, pumalakpak lamang siya, at sinundan siya ng buong klase. Lumayo siya ng bahagya sa amin ni Singkit at tumungo sa unahan.

"Now that's some deep connections." Natatawang wika ni Sir. "Now you see? Some of you think this is a child's game or something corny, but it is something you need to be serious about for you to learn the people who have been around you, for how many months? 8 months?" Napatango tango ang mga kaklase ko dahil doon.

"Kabahan na ang mga susunod na tatawagin." Dugtong pa ni Sir nagbibiro. Napa-alma ang klase dahil doon pero halata mo na nakikipagbiruan din sila. May ilan pang nagsaya kasi buti na lamang natawag na sila.

"So, sino ang kasunod?" Tanong nito sa akin.

"Karmela." I answered.

"Ay grabe bes, prinessure mo naman ako ng todo!" Natatawang sambit nito noong sabihin ko ang pangalan niya. Napabungisngis ako dahil doon. Baliw talaga itong si Karmela.

Nagsalita na si Karmela at nagpakilala. She introduced herself as loud, carefree and funny, which is true. Natatawa nga si Sir Juls habang nagpapakilala ito dahil napakaligalig. Matapos noon ay tinanong siya kung sino ang kasunod at sinabi niya ang pangalan ni Marita na hindi ko inaasahan.