VIEWPOINT

Chapter Fourteen

     A loud sound breaks the silence which makes me wide awake. It is Max, holding a pair of cymbals. The loud sound makes me feel very awake, my heart is throbbing very hard and my ears hurt like hell.

     I pick my gun beside my bed, I point it towards him, and he also did pick his gun and point it to me. Aiza stands up and goes into my room.

     “That’s enough both of you. Ecclesiastes, you should prepare now.” Aiza says.

     I put my gun down and place it in the table. I still feel half asleep. My lack of sleep tonight is the cause; I think I finally slept around 1 AM, only 3 hours of sleep because I can’t stop thinking of Mr. Loiselle’s information. I stand up and arrange my bed, and I go to the Dining Hall. There are less people today, I wonder why, I sit in my usual spot in the long table and eat silently. I prepare everything, my bag, notebooks and pen, as well as the knife. I leave the gun then I close my room and lock it. I wait for Sena to go out of her room. As I wait from the Dining Hall, the boss himself shows himself and sits in front of me.

     “It is unusual for you to wander around late at night. Did something happen?” The boss asks me.

     I have to make a good lie, our boss here, Mr. Adolph Monreis, is a good analyzer. I think he is a psychologist. I must make a good lie, one thing that will surely convince him. Maybe lying is not really an option, I know now what to say.

     “Sir I made contact with what I suspect to be LPM members last night. That was around 7 PM yesterday.” I say. This is the truth. There is no way he will discover that I just lied.

     “And then?” He continues.

     Now I just realize the words I just said, I am not thinking much. I really did say that I have encountered them at 7 PM, now I can’t think of a reason that will best explain why I got back at 12:24 AM. I remain silent. He looks to me, but his expression did not change.

     “And sir, they are so many that it took me long before I lost them.” I add.

     His expression suddenly changes, which puts a little pressure in my mind. That statement I said just now is not very convincing. It is not enough. What am I going to say now?

     “I see HAHAHA! I know it is very difficult, to think that there are pursuers around you and you have nothing but a knife and your school things. Don’t worry about a thing, what matters most is that you came back.” He says.

     The words “Came Back” stays into my ears. My mind processes that it has another meaning. Came back. What could it really mean? Is there another meaning into that set of words? I think too much. I see myself spacing too much. I continue to eat the breakfast.

     The television in the far side of the Dining Hall is open and running. Early news is mainly about the weather for the week. According to the PAGASA, it will be slightly rainy in many parts of Southern Luzon. This includes the CALABARZON area. I should bring an umbrella just in case.

     Sena walks out of her room. Her outfit is different today than usual. It is like something you wear for sports. I check my uniform. It has resemblance to the shirt she is wearing. It must be an alternate uniform.

     “This must be your first time to see it, but this is our PE uniform.” Sena says.

     I never thought about that. Even I, who also needs a PE uniform, am not aware with the style of it. I check my uniform again; it is unbuttoned somewhere because the collar is misplaced. I started to unbutton all buttons and place them together all over again. I am still not used to wear a school uniform such as this, with buttons all over the shirt.