UNOFFICIALLY YOURS

Memory (2)

She was late, fashionably late at that. She blame Abby for this. Abby was being difficult since morning. She  doesn’t even know what her problem is. She’s not even on her period nor experiencing menopause, she’s too young for that. Geez.

She sigh dejectedly and put her head down when a group of students come barrelling her way. She quickly stood in a corner and not until they pass her in the corner she continued her fast walking pace. She shy away from strangers and she was too self-conscious to strike a conversation. Except Abby. Abby was the first person she ever meet after she arrived from Bukidnon to study here in Cebu. She was not usually the one to put up a conversation but that day she felt instant connection with Abby that she managed to speak to her and from then on they become best of friends. That was a month ago and sometimes she regret befriending Abby when she’s being difficult but she felt happy and contented that Abby and her are friends, Abby's too good and she understands her better.

She breathe a sigh of relief when the schools’ chapel came into view but soon frowned afterwards when she realized the holy mass is halfway done.

The chapel is bustling with students and she was glad she found a seat at the farthest corner of the chapel. She make her way to the corner and excused herself to the other students who opted to stand and watch the mass take place.

The holy mass happens only once a month. The school organized this since the school was founded, students are not force to attend but should they attend they are excused in the classroom. Some of the students though called this day a holiday, a one hour holiday to escape the craziness that is college days. Who thought college life is easy? It is far from being easy. She only have an experienced of one month but she already started to feel the stress and the difficulties of college life. She now realizes the importance of sleep.

“Excuse me. Sorry.” she said to a random students as she make her way to the available seat.

“Is this seat taken?” She ask to the girl who is sitting beside the empty space.

The girl looks up at her and shakes her head. “You can have it.” She said and turns her attention back to the priest.

She give her a tight-lipped smile even though she is no longer looking at her. She smiled contentedly as she finally rest her butt to the wooden seat.

She look up ahead and listen to the priest preaching. She was not a devoted Catholic that goes to church every Sunday to attend mass, she just attend masses when she feel like going. She was actually happy that the school has this kind of tradition, it means she can be holy once a month albeit she got late the first time but what she always said to Abby; better late than never.

As she move her head around the chapel, a habit she got when she was being surrounded by many people to observed, she particularly noticed a head of a man who caught her attention. She was not good at conversing with people but she likes to observe them. She doesn’t stand out in a crowd so people wouldn’t usually notice her staring at them. She was not being creepy as she only stare for a mere seconds and she will then move her attention to another.

Not this time though, that particular head got her curious as to whom it belongs, what does his face look like? She was now being creepy but she can’t force her eyes to move away. She have  never been this curious before. It’s like she's having an episode of fancy feelings to a head. A HEAD!

She didn’t notice that she was staring for so long until students started to stand up and receive communion. She didn’t stand up, she was not a devoted catholic but she feels like being disrespectful receiving such holy sacrament when she was not all ears with the preaching. And she was late. And a complete lunatic just staring with the head of a guy that got her attention, standing when the guy stand, kneeling when he kneels and just like that the mass almost ended.

She waited for the guy to do the same, she maybe not receiving communion but surely he will. She will wait until she can see his face. It is almost the end of the second song yet he didn’t move an inch. His peers, that she deduced, with him did not also move to stand. She felt defeated. She just want to see his face and satisfy her sudden curiosity but lo and behold, she's not that lucky in life. And maybe, Up above is punishing her for her punctuality and undivided attention.

She move to stand and go back at the dorm when the closing song is being sung. She was dodging people on the way towards the door when she heard whispers at the back. She move slowly while listening to the snippets of the conversation floating here and there. And she learned two things;

One, the guy that was obsessing about is in fact the school owners’ grandson. 

Two, his name is Daniel.

Daniel. She look back to where he is and found that he was no longer there and so his friends.

And how did she manage to find out with just eavesdropping... Well she's an observer. And she observe things and strings them together. Well... She also heard that Daniel is the guy with a blue polo shirt and black pants who happen to be with his friends, a girl with red floral dress and another guy with black t-shirt and black pants.

She smiles. She knows there are no future for them but she felt elated knowing his name. It's not as good seeing his face but it's still good. It suits him.

She walks back to the dorm with a smiling face and with a good spirit.