Into The Future

Chapter Three

ARMAIGN was sobbing inside the college gymnasium. Bakante ang loob at ang susunod na klase ay pagkatapos pa ng isa't kalahating oras. She was sitting in the benches, hugging her knees so tightly. Ginamit ni Armaign ang allowed cuts na mayroon siya upang umiyak at maglabas ng sama ng loob.

"I heard someone crying."

Her eyes were swollen from the sudden burst of emotion, and she failed to notice that someone was already in front of her, watching. Kahit hindi niya lingunin ang taong dumating, alam niyang si Drenz ang nagsalita. "Anong ginagawa mo rito sa school namin? Paano ka nakakuha ng visitor's pass?" He was the last person Armaign expected to be there.

Drenz was trying to catch his breath, and he was sweating profusely. Tumakbo ba ito? "Sabi sa akin ni kambal, umabsent ka raw sa lahat ng klase mo ngayong hapon. Sinabi niya sa akin ang tungkol sa San Beda College." Drenz sat beside her.

"Aasarin mo ba ako? Sige, pagtawanan mo ako. I think I deserve that. This day is so crappy. Sana bangungot lang ang lahat ng ito. To make it worst, my nemesis is here to mock me." She wailed.

"Tingin mo, nilibot ko ang buong campus niyo at nakipag-buno sa guards para lang insultuhin ka ngayon, Armaign?" As soon as Drenz recovered his breath, he inched closer towards Armaign and gave her a big hug. "Alam kong galit ka sa akin. Ayaw kong nakikita kang ganiyan. So please, let me be there for you."

Armaign refused to believe in the tenderness she felt in his grip. She could not break away from him because she knew Drenz would pull her back, and would insist on hugging. Mukhang ang tanging magagawa niya ay hayaan ito. "Nakita ko pa kanina si Marvin at ang girlfriend niya na nag-aaral din sa Miriam. Hindi pala ako ang dinadalaw niya araw-araw sa campus. Mayroon pala siyang ibang nililigawan sa Miriam. How can I lose so much in a day? Bumagsak ako sa mga law schools. Marvin doesn't like me, and I will never be a lawyer." Kahit labag sa kalooban ni Armaign ay na-ibulalas niya ang sentimyento sa taong kaniyang kinamumuhian.

"Well, I'm aware of his stupidity. Hindi ko siya mapapatawad dahil tinapon lang niya ng basta-basta ang pinapangarap ko." Hinigpitan ni Drenz ang yakap sa dalaga. "Huwag mo ngang babanggitin ang pangalan ng boogie man na iyon! Magmula ngayon, bad word na ang pangalan ng hayop na iyon. Para ka na rin nagmura kapag sinabi mo ang pangalan niya. God, I hate him!"

Tumaas ang kilay ni Armaign sa pabulong na sambit ng binata.

Hinimas nito ang buhok ni Armaign. Inilapit ni Drenz ang bibig sa tainga ng dalaga at pabulong na sinabi, "Magiging abogado ka, Armaign. This is just a hiccup. We're bound to have faults and defeats." Drenz faced Armaign, looked into her eyes, and wiped her tears. "But what defines us is what we do once we fall. I don't want you to quit dreaming."

Armaign stared at his light brown eyes. She wondered before why all those girls swoon over him. He was chubby, and his complexion was pinkish fair. His brown hair had bangs. He had eyebrows that arched whenever he smiled. His dimples in both cheeks showed whenever his mouth moved. His downturned nose was not pointy; it was wide but small. Altogether, his face could make a girl fall so hard in love. She never really bothered to look at him, but she understood it now why girls liked him a lot.

Nang mahuli ni Armaign ang sariling pinag-aaralan ang mukha ni Drenz, umiwas siya ng tingin at kumawala sa hawak nito. She was surprised herself that her troubles became lighter because of the comfort he extended. Lumakas ang loob niya kahit paano.

Biglang niyang naalala kung gaano siya kalapit kay Drenz noon. Kaibigan niya ito noong mga bata pa sila kahit lagi siyang inaasar at pinapaiyak nito. Ginagamit ni Drenz si Armaign na subject sa mga sketch nito. But after they graduated in high school, she declared him her nemesis at muntikan na sila mag-away ni Diana. Armaign had not yet forgiven him; she was just tolerating his presence whenever he was around.

Tumikhim si Armaign at pinalis ang luha sa mga mata. "Salamat. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang gagawin ko. Masyado akong nalilito at nasasaktan ngayon. Parang gusto ko nang sumuko," she looked him in the eyes and said, "entrance exam pa lang ito, bagsak na agad ako. Paano pa kaya ang Bar Exam? Paano kung ang ibig sabihin ng mga kabiguan ko ay hindi ako bagay maging abogado?"

"Sino ka ba at bakit bawal ka magkamali? Diyos ka ba? Hindi ka isinilang sa mundong ito para maging perpekto. May karapatan kang matalo at magkamali," sabi ni Drenz habang pinapawi ang kaniyang mga hikbi, "Don't let your failures define you. Because what you are as a person is so much more than those exams." Punong-puno ng admirasyon ang mga mata ni Drenz nakatuon sa kaniya, dahilan upang manghina ang kaniyang mga tuhod. Buti na lang at nakaupo siya.

Napangiti na lang si Armaign sa magagandang bagay na sinabi ni Drenz. "Hindi ako makapaniwalang tumatanggap ako ng payo sa isang lalaking tumakbo ng nakahubo sa UP," napahagikgik silang dalawa.

"You're laughing now. But once you've seen the peacock you may change your mind, baby," ani nito na kumindat pa kay Armaign.

"Hmp! Oo, sa all-girls college ako nag-aaral pero hindi ako desperado. Ipapaalala ko lang sa 'yo: hindi tayo close!" bulyaw niya sabay ismid sa binata.

Drenz sighed heavily, and smiled again showing his dimples. "Well, I won't give up. You will forgive me one day. I'm sure." Tumayo si Drenz. "Sigurado akong hindi ka na papasok sa mga klase mo. Pauwi na ako. I insist that you let me take you home."

Pumayag si Armaign na sumabay sa kotse ni Drenz pauwi. On the way home, Armaign was feeling tired from all the weeping she did. She kept on wondering what her future holds now that she had lost faith in herself. She thought of her dad, her dream, and her advocacy in life. Parang napakalayo na ng kaniyang pangarap at hindi na niya ito maabot pa.

Nakatanaw si Armaign sa labas ng bintana ng kotse, tulala. Sorry, Papa. Mukhang nabigo kita. Maya-maya ay naramdaman niya ang pagbigat ng talukap ng namumugtong niyang mga mata.

Bago siya hatakin ng antok, may narinig siyang bumulong sa kaniyang tabi. "Matulog ka nang mahimbing. Magiging okay din ang lahat pag-gising mo. I promise." Naramdaman niya ang paghinga ni Drenz at ang pagdampi ng mga labi nito sa kaniyang tainga.

Armaign managed to smile gratefully before losing consciousness to sleep. She dozed off in his car, hoping for a brighter day.