Dream Chaser [Chaser Trilogy Book 1]

Kabanata 40

Ang Naglaho

Kabanata 40

I watched the time tick by on the wall clock in front of our classroom. It is just above the blackboard. There are only two minutes left before class starts.

Sinulyapan ko ulit ang katabi kong la mesa at upuan. It was still vacant.

Hindi ko na rin sinubukang tawagan si Forest kanina bago pumasok dahil sigurado akong magkikita naman kami ngayon. Wala na ang sasakyan niya kanina sa kanila nang tignan ko pero nandoon ang sa kayla Tita Gwen.

Kaso parang... hindi na ako sigurado ngayon. Kung nauna pa siyang umalis sa amin ni Daddy, nasaan na siya ngayon?

I anxiously tapped my fingers on my table as I watched the clock, his seat, and the door.

The bell rang and the only person who went in was our adviser who happens to be our history teacher as well.

Umaasa pa rin ako na pagkatapos ng greetings ay may papasok na lalaki sa pinto pero wala pa rin.

"Papanoorin natin ngayon ang mga ginawa niyong video per pair. I expect na nasagot niyo ang mga tanong ko sa videos na ginawa ninyo."

Nakaramdam ako ng pagkataranta para sa video namin pero tinawag ako ni Ma'am. "Miss Estrella nai-send na ni Mr. Romero sa akin ang inyo."

I nodded warily because of what she said.

Ibig sabihin iyon talaga ang ginawa niya kagabi kaya umuwi siya kaagad? Pero bakit hindi na siya pumasok at pinadala niya na lang kay Ma'am?

Hindi ko alam kung madidismaya ako o mahihimasmasan. I do not want to assume anything that would make me not okay. Isang beses pa lang akong inatake sa klase at ayaw ko na maulit iyon.

May projector na dala si Ma'am at doon isa-isang pinakita ang mga gawang video ng bawat pares. Pangatlo ang sa amin ni Forest na ipapakita. Nauna ang kay Johan–dahil siya raw ang presidente ng klase–at sa partner niyang si Lloyd. Pangalawa ang kay Peter at Karl. Pagkatapos ay ang sa amin.

"What is in a place? Is it simply the way it was built, the style of art it depicts, and the length of time it has been standing that makes it?" Forest's voice echoed throughout the room.

Hindi ko alam pero bigla na lang akong naluha. His cold and soft baritone is a welcome tone in my ears. His voice is one that I want to keep away from everyone else's ears if I just had a choice. It is a part of him I treasure most.

I closed my eyes, not fully paying attention to what we needed to look at but to what he was saying.

"For us, it is never just that. A place is more than just materials, nature, art, and time. A place is all about its memories and experiences. The history behind every corner of it. The people who passed through there and the culture it represents."

It is such a narrating voice that he is sharing with the whole class.

I opened my eyes and looked at the still-empty seat beside me.

"What makes a place is the voices and actions of the ones who were in it. What they talked about, what music they played, and all the movements that composed every space. It is the simple gestures and actions, from crawling to walking and then running–"

Run.

"–to dancing that makes a place alive and what it truly is."

Boses ko naman ngayon ang umalingawngaw.

We recorded this in his car bago kami umuwi. I am hearing myself and the background noises but everything else is being cancelled out by my brain.

The scene now shifted to the house of Dr. Jose Rizal. Napakita ang mga pagkakataon na in-interview namin ang mga nangangalaga at nagbabantay roon. Si Forest ang nagtatanong at ako ang nasa likod ng camera.