Chapter 7
Kainin na ako ng lupa. Kainin na ako ng lupa.
Paulit-ulit ko iyong sinabi sa utak ko kahit na alam kong hindi naman mangyayari 'yon. Alam ko naman kasing wala na akong takas. Nagbabakasakali lang naman akong pakikinggan ako ni Lord. Kaso wala na akong choice kundi ang harapin ang kinatatakutan ko.
Dahan-dahan akong lumingon kay Sir as I thought of an excuse.
"Iinom lang pong tubig, Sir," nahihiyang sagot ko. Saglit akong tumingin sa mukha niya. And I saw him smiled a little.
"Oh," he murmured. Napatingin naman siya sa wrist watch niya saka ibinaling ulit sa akin ang tingin niya. "Just be quick."
"Opo, Sir," I replied.
Agad akong tumakbo palabas ng building at nagtungo sa may water fountain. Hindi naman talaga ako nauuhaw pero napainom na lang ako ng tubig. Dinahan-dahan ko pa, nagbabakasakali na may kaklase akong dumating para may kasama akong bumalik ng classroom.
Kaso sobra-sobra naman ata ang pagiging late ng mga kaklase ko. Nananadya ba sila?
Pinalipas ko pa ang isang minuto pero wala pa ring dumadating sa kanila. Gusto ko nang magpapadyak dito dahil sa asar pero hindi ko ginawa. Ayaw ko namang magmukhang baliw. Ayaw ko ring magtaka si Sir o maghinala nang kung ano kaya dahan-dahan na lang akong naglakad pabalik sa classroom sabay panalangin na sana ay may iba nang estudyante ang naroon.
Pero hindi dininig ni Lord ang panalangin ko. Nang silipin ko ang room ay tanging si Sir lang ang nandoon kaya ganoon na lang ang kabang naramdaman ko. Next time talaga magpapa-late na ako ng mga 20 minutes.
"Hi," nakangiting bati ni Sir nang pumasok ako.
"Hi, Sir," I said in a small voice. Sinubukan kong ngitian rin siya, kaso nagmukha ata 'yong ngiwi.
"Ang tagal ng classmates mo, 'no?" Sabi nito. Nakaupo lang siya sa may table sa harap samantalang ako ay mas piniling maupo sa pinakalikurang upuan. Hindi pa naman kami officially magsisimula sa Lab class kasi hindi pa naman kami nakakapag-lecture. "Are they usually this late?" He asked.
Nang matingin ako sa kanya ay bigla akong na-conscious. Kasi naman, diretso siyang nakatingin sa akin habang nakapangalumbaba. Ang cute niya sanang tingnan kaso pinangunahan ako ng hiya kaya yumuko na lang ako at nagkunwaring nagsi-cellphone.
"Madalas po talaga silang late," sagot ko. "Text ko na lang po sila na nandito na kayo," dagdag ko pa. Tama. Nice excuse!
"Thanks," narinig kong sabi niya. Uhh.. am I required to say you're welcome, Sir? Ugh.
"And by the way, I'll be creating a Facebook group for our class. What's your Facebook name so I can add you?" He asked. Napansin kong may hawak na siyang phone. Saglit pa akong napatitig, contemplating whether to give my name or not. And I thought, bakit hindi ko ibibigay? It's for class purposes.
"Hope Rivera po, Sir," I replied. He smiled a little and began doing something on his phone. Buti na lang nagsidatingan na ang mga kaklase ko.
"Oh... What's up here?" Clarisse asked. Binigyan niya ako ng nakakalokong ngiti as she took the seat beside me. Heto na naman siya eh.
"Wala," I hurriedly replied. That's when my phone vibrated. Nang tingnan ko iyon ay nakita ko ang isang notification from Facebook.
Troy Vincent Tan sent you a Friend Request.
"So FB friends na pala kayo ngayon?" Nakangiting bulong ni Clarisse.
"Di ko pa ina-accept," I replied.
"You have to, you know."
I glanced in front and saw Sir still looking at his phone so I hurriedly clicked Accept. Wala naman akong choice. After it ay in-off ko na ang phone ko and quickly put it inside my bag.
"Ba't ganyan ka makatingin?" Tanong ko kay Clarisse nang makita ko siyang tumingin sa akin saka tumingin kay Sir.
"Ngumiti!" She whispered.
"Sinong ngumiti?" I asked. I don't know what she's talking about. Parang isang segundo iba ang pinag-uusapan namin and then the next iba na naman topic. This girl really is hard to talk to sometimes. Parang baliw eh.
"Ngumiti si Sir 'nong in-accept mo siya!" She replied in a hushed voice. I looked at her weirdly.
"Assuming mo," I mumbled.
He smiled when I accepted his friend request? Nah. Siguro ay may ka-chat o ka-text 'yon kaya ngumiti. I can't be the reason. That's impossible.
"Clar? Really?" I said sarcastically.
"Totoo! I saw it!"
"Do you realize it could be that he's talking to someone through text or chat right now?"
"But... yeah. Whatever. Baka nga," she murmured, which kind of made me sad. I don't know why. Maybe because I was hoping he was really smiling because of me? Parang tanga. Why would I even think like this?
"So, good morning class," bati ni Sir. He's now standing in front and looking at everyone. Ako naman ay just like my usual self na hindi makatingin nang diretso sa kanya. I really do have a hard time looking at people's eyes when they're talking, lalo na't hindi ko ka-close. And it's even harder when it's Sir Troy.
"Good morning, Sir," my classmates (mostly girls) greeted back, not including me of course.
"So I just created a facebook group for our class and I already added Miss Rivera there," he announced. He looked at my direction. I suddenly felt some drumming inside my chest. "I hope you can add the rest of the class, Miss Rivera," he added with a smile.
Bakit ako?! I'm sure he's friends with my other classmates! He should ask them, not me. Hindi ko friends lahat sa facebook. I'm not Miss Friendship to be friends with them all!
"O-okay, Sir." I had no choice but to say yes. Everybody was looking at me. 'Yong ilang tingin ay para pang nangja-judge. That's why I hate getting attention.
"Well, she was the first one to arrive in class so I asked her facebook name so I can add her," he told the class.
"Eh, Sir!" Macy exclaimed while raising her hand. "I added you. Di mo naman in-accept fr ko. I could do that for you," she mumbled and the class said "ohhh" in chorus. I'm quite sure they're impressed with Macy's guts.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I didn't get to check the friend requests," Sir replied.
"Oh. Looks like he's making excuses," Clarisee whispered. I glared at her. Marinig pa siya ng iba.
"Accept mo fr ko sir ha," Macy then replied.
And did I hear it right? She sounds like she's flirting. And everybody knows flirting is her hobby. And she's annoying.
And I'm insane. Why am I even disliking her even more now?
Sinagot lang iyon ni Sir ng ngiti before he began his class.
His class didn't last that long though. May ilan lang siyang dinagdag na rules sa Lab class, explained some stuff and dismissed us.
"So, kakasimula lang ng classes di na agad pumasok si Lio? Ang tamad talaga 'non," Clarisse grumbled while putting her stuff inside her bag. I didn't even noticed Lio's not around. How dare me.
"You know him," I just said. Nauna akong tumayo kay Clarisse to head out of the classroom. I was just about to take my step out of the classroom when I almost bumped into Sir Troy. Saktong paglabas ko sa kabilang pinto ay ang pagdaan niya. Good thing I was able to step backward quickly. Napahinto rin siya saglit but continued walking after a while.
I don't want to be assuming.
But I think I just saw him smile.
