Feels like Heaven

Chapter 4

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Alesha's PoV

"Tsk. Madaya! Hindi ka pa nga nakakahulog ng isang shell dito, oh" Nakangiwing sagot ko ng makita ko'ng hindi niya hinulagan yung isang butas. Tinuro ko sakanya yung hindi niya nahulugan na butas. "Sobrang daya nito! Dapat ako na, eh" Ngumuso pa ako, akala mo inagawan lang ng isang pirasong candy dahil sa pag mamaktol.

"What? Ano'ng madaya ka d'yan? Did you see me skipping a hole, eh?" He said have a curios gesture in his face. Tsk! Pikon.

"Woi. Ayaw mo lang talaga matalo! Duhness"

Kanina pa kami nag lalaro nito kaya medyo nasanay naman ako pero itong si lalaki ang hilig mangdaya pero yung daya na 'yun eh nakakapag challenge sakin.

Naglalaro lang naman kami ng— ano nga tawag dito sa may labing-anim na butas tapos may shell?— ah, sungka. Ngayon ko lang 'to narinig at nalaro kaya medyo naninibago pa ako. Tsk! Kaya nga ako dinadaya nitong mokong na 'to eh. Siya na nag explain na kapag huminto yung nag-iisang shell na nasa kamay niya at tumapat ito sa walang laman na butas, it means na out ka na.

Paano ito laruin?
The game begins with 49 game pieces (shells, marbles, pebbles or seeds)— that obviously na shell ang ginamit namin— equally distributed to alternate holes-seven pieces in every other hole-except "heads" which remain empty. Sungka requires two players. Each player controls the seven holes on his side of the board and owns the "head" to his right. The goal is to accumulate as many pieces in your own "head".

The first player removes all pieces from the hole on the extreme left of on his side. He then distributes them anti-clockwise --- one in each hole to the right of that hole --- omitting an opponent's "head" but not a player's own "head".

If the last piece falls into an occupied hole then all the pieces are removed from that hole, and are distributed in the same way (to the right of that hole) in another round. This player's (current) turn ends when the last piece falls into an empty hole on the opponent's side.

If the last piece distributed falls into a player's own "head" then ...

... the player earns another turn, which can begin at any of the seven holes on his side.

If the last piece distributed falls into an empty hole on his side then ...

... the player captures all the pieces in the hole directly across from this one, on the opponent's side and put them (plus the last piece distributed) in his own "head". If the opposing hole is empty, no pieces are captured.

The other player chooses which hole he wishes to start from, removes the pieces and distributes them - one in each hole to the right of that chosen hole. If a player has no pieces on his side of the board when it is his turn, then he must pass.

The game ends when no pieces are left in any hole on both sides of the board. The players now count the number of pieces in their own "head" and see who has won.

He told me that all that was effortless. Noted: Ang bilis niya pang mag salita. Tsk.

"Hey. Excuse me, young lady, hindi po ako ng dadaya. Tska aba't mas magaling ka pa sakin, eh, this shitty game was I taught you before, remember?" Napairap nalang ako sa kawalan dahil sa pinagsasabi nito.

Tska bakit ba namin 'tao pinag-aawayan? K, Fine. Aamin na ako. Kasi naman madaya naman talaga, porket nu'ng una eh wala pa ako masyado'ng kaide-ideya kung ano'ng klaseng laro to'ng sungka eh dadayain niya na ako. Siya pa nga nag explain kaya medyo natutunan ko naman kahit konti. Pero ang walang hiya! Yung nalalaman ko eh idadaan niya sa daya. Dipotrages!

Bumuntong-hininga nalang ako.
"Bakit ba natin 'to pinag-aawayan? Sabi mo nga na this shitty is just a game." I said sarcastic.

Tumayo naman siya bigla. Sinundan ko siya ng tingin, pumunta lang pala sa kusina kaya 'di ko na pinansin. Tinuon ko nalang ang tingin ko sa linalaro namin. Tinignan ko naman kung ga'no na kadami ang shell na naipon niya pero sabi niya kanina nu'ng mag-umpisa mag laro ay nag e-explain muna siya at sabi niya na hindi naman ito paramihan ng feun— feun, yan daw kasi tawag dun sa shell— kaya wala din' silbi kung marami ang makukuha niya teka sakin. Basta sa row mo na may pitong butas, kapag may naiwan dyang feun/shell ay ikaw ang panalo basta ba'y yung sa kalaban mo ay wala ng natitira.