World War III: Protecting People Around You

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I remember my teacher in TLE saying that...

"...Life is a matter of choices. Having hard time where to go, what to be and what to take. It's difficult to be smart sometimes. Why? It's because you know that you can do this and that, you know things better than others and whatever you take you can pass it. It's an expectation from them. People around you are more confused to the point that they dictate your life what to choose and what to be. They think that you're better if you'll take this and that. But remember, it's you who know yourself more than others. You yourself know what you like, what's your forte, what you can do best..."

Tayo lang ang pinaka nakakakilala sa ating sarili. Kaya hindi dapat natin isipin at problemahin yung sinasabi ng iba dahil may sarili naman tayong utak at pakiramdam.

***
Naputol yung pagmumuni-muni ko ng magsalita si Pako. He's Pako Almendrez and one of my talkative guy friend.

"Napanuod n'yo ba yung balita? About doon sa pagpapatupad ng batas ng pangulo na kailangan mag-ROTC ng mga estudyante? Specifically, yung mga nasa age natin?"

"Oh, that? I've heard my parents were talking about it." He's Warren Domingo. Isa sa mga kalahi ni Pako na sobrang daldal.

"Magkaka-abs tayo dun, Pre!" Sabi naman ni Jack. Benedict Jack Reyes is his name. Another from Pako's breed.

"Lol! Iniisip ko lang na military training iyon diba?" Tanong ni Pako.

"Oo, Pre. Mukhang masaya nga iyon eh! Libreng gym." Sagot ulit ni Jack.

Tungkol naman sa pinag-uusapan nila, nagpatupad kasi ng batas yung Presidente ng Pilipinas na kailangan mag-ROTC ng mga estudyante. Yung mga senior high school lang naman. Bale, yung ROTC, magiging isa na s'ya sa mga subject namin at magiging part na s'ya sa P.E.. Once a week lang naman 'yon. Pero 2 hours s'ya. Tapos yung mga student na may sakit tulad ng hika and others, hindi na sila mag-t-training. May iba silang gagawin which is hindi pa namin alam. Wala namang may hika sa amin eh. Haha. And also, walang gender-gender 'dun. Mapababae ka o lalaki, at kahit payat ka man o mataba, kailangan mo sumama. In short, walang takas!

"Loko-loko talaga 'tong si Jack. Right, P?" siniko akong sabi ni Vien. Her full name is Ma. Vienna Austria. Weird right? Anyway, she is one of my friends at part ng barkada/tropa/squad or whatever you call sa group of friends.

"Lagi namang mga non-sense naman lumalabas sa bibig ng mga 'yan." Umiiling kong sabi.

Nasa room nga pala kami. Waiting for our first class. Si Warren, nag-ce-cellphone playing that 'mobile legends' thing while Pako is wandering about some issues which I and Vien found interesting. Then, there's Jack saying nonsense stuffs which is really annoying.

Anyway, Pia Faustine Trinidad is my name. "P" is what my friends usually call me. Alam n'yo na siguro kung bakit. 17 taon na sa mundong ibabaw. Senior High Student sa isang pampublikong paaralan. Isang simpleng estudyante na maraming gustong i-achieve. Active ako pero hindi sa recitation. May pagka-sporty ako pero hindi ako athlete. Sabi nga ng magulang, tito at tita ko na maliksi daw ako para sa isang babae. Mahilig ako sa action movies dahil na rin sa influence ng dad at guy friends ko.

Pako and Jack haven't had the chance to argue when the teacher came.

"Class, I need you to write on a paper the course in your TLE subject you had taken when you were in your junior high." Then one of my classmates raised a hand. "Yes, do you have any question?" The teacher said.

"Para sa'n po iyan, Ma'am?"

"It's for your ROTC training where your picked courses will be your assigned jobs. It doesn't matter if it does relate or not to the program. Also, your track and strand will be considered."