PULLED AT HIS STRINGS | Darren Espanto #3 (Spin-off)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

Teacher

"Yes!" Jace did an air punch and did the pogi sign. What's with the pogi sign? Gumagwapo ba talaga ang mga lalaki don? "Ang pogi ko talaga, 42 nakuha ko sa Developmental Reading!" He told me so.

"Anong connect?" tanong ko sa kanya. I know he's kidding and I know it doesn't make any sense.

"Ang pogi ko nga," pamimilit niya so I laughed.

"Doon nakabase ang kagwapuhan, talaga?" I asked and I thought of something to piss him off. "42 out of 50. Does that mean that you're not that handsome?"

"Gago."

Natawa na lamang ako sa sagot niya. Always the pikon-talo type. One point for me. Siya naman nag-umpisa, ah.

So Developmental Reading was another subject which was added to our class. It isn't necessarily all about reading because we are also inclined into writing and such things that would develop our skills especially that our curriculum isn't the one they had in the regular section.

"Ikaw ilan nakuha mo?" tanong niya.

"Basta," sagot ko at agad naman niyang inagaw ang papel ko. I'm glad he didn't tear that one. Gagamitin ko pa iyon bilang reviewer. And if he damn ripped my paper, I'll pull all his hair out.

"Haypa! Perfect!" Aniya at naglabas ng ballpen sabay kopya ng mga tamang sagot. Some even turned their heads to look at us.

"Dude, ang ingay mo," sabi ko sa kanya.

He really is loud. There's no doubt in that.

"Sorry naman. Ano pa bang inaasahan ko? English spokening dollar ka kasi," he answered.

"What?" I asked.

What the hell on Earth is English spokening dollar? I'm not even informed that the word 'spokening' was already existing. Naidagdag na kaya 'yon sa dictionary?

"What?" he mocked me and I raised my eyebrow.

"May word na spokening?" tanong ko sa kanya and he laughed at me. What's funny, nagtatanong lang naman ako, ah. "Ano? I was just asking!" I raised my voice a bit.

"Wala. Uso lang 'yan dito sa Pinas kapag may nakita kang kano, 'yan sinasabi namin," sagot naman niya sa akin at tumango na lamang ako.

"But I'm not kano," sagot ko sa kanya.

Tumango naman siya na parang naiintindihan niya ako at nagmukha na naman siyang natatawa dahil sa sagot ko.

"Yes, you're not kano. But you're so conyo."

Humagalpak siya ng tawa sa kinauupuan niya at sinapak ko na siya sa braso. Ang mga malalapit sa pwesto namin ay nakitawa narin at nadala na ako. Hindi ko alam kung ano ba ang nakakatawa, iyong sinabi niya o 'yung paraan ng pagkasabi niya.

The thing about me is that I can form sentences in my head. Tagalog pa ang mga iyon. I just can't bring myself to say those words because Jace was right, I'm a conyo. I can surely pronunce those words, but only in a slang manner.

I'd only appear as a laughing stock if I tried speaking.

"Ingay niyo naman po."

"Hi, Muse." Bati ni Jace.

Nag-angat naman ako ng tingin sa nagsalita. Sky was busy eating the blueberry pie. Nasa isang styrofoam ito at nakatayo lang siya sa harap namin.

"Si Jace kasi," sagot ko sa kanya at nag-umpisa na naman na ngumawa si Jace. Ako raw talaga ang maingay at wow, nahiya naman ako sa sinabi niya. Ingay ko talaga, 'no?