The FAILedictorians

Chapter 3

CHILL’S POV – MONDAY, 6:30 A.M.

Sarap na sarap pa ako sa pagtulog nang magising ako sa wild na pag-vibrate ng phone ko. When I checked who’s calling, it was Gretel, my ‘so-called’ girlfriend. ‘So-called’ in a sense that we haven’t DTR’ed (Define The Relationship) yet but we’re already doing what couples normally do like kissing, dating, holding hands and other boyfriend-girlfriend stuff.

“Hello?” Inaantok pa yung boses ko. Napuyat kasi ako kagabi. I was partying all night at my bestfriend Dash’s new penthouse condo, a graduation gift he got from his parents.

“Wake up you sleepyhead!” She perkily said in her high-pitched voice. I love everything about Gretel except her ear-shattering voice.

“Why’d you call? Something wrong?” tanong ko habang humihikab

“Nothing’s wrong babe… But I noticed that you haven’t uploaded the photos from your party. It’s been weeks na. I remember kasi that we have this really nice and sweet pic together that you took in your cam and I really need to use that as my Twitter DP ASAP.”

Natawa ako. “So you just called me early in the morning for this?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“You’re cute.”  I flirtingly said.

She sexily giggled “As if I don’t know that! Anyway, I’m gonna hang up na. I’ll prepare na for school. Today’s grad pic shoot. I need to be beautiful than everybody else. See you later. Bye.”

“Bye.” Sabi ko. Pagkababa niya ng phone, I immediately hooked up my DSLR to my laptop and uploaded the photos of my 18th birthday at Balesin Island two weeks ago. While looking at the pictures, especially the one where everyone sings me Happy Birthday while both of my hands are holding a champagne bottle with sparklers like a boss, I can’t help but smile and remember how awesome my party was.  I liked that photo so much, I immediately used it as a lockscreen wallpaper on my phone.

“Here it is” bulong ko nung nakita ko na yung photo na sinasabi ni Gretel. It was indeed a nice picture of us together inside the private jet we rode to the island.

I was about to tag Gretel the photo when I heard my mom crying. Malakas yung pag-iyak ni mom kaya nagmadali akong lumabas ng kuwarto ko. Sumilip ako sa baba kung anong nangyayari, nagulat ako na isa-isang inilalabas yung mga paintings at antique furniture collection ni dad palabas ng bahay.

“Helena, I’m sure we will surpass this. Malalagpasan din natin ito dahil wala silang mapapatunayan sa mga ibibintang nila sa atin…” Sabi ni dad kay mom habang magkayakap sila. Napansin ko na nakabihis si dad at may hawak itong maleta.

Dahil sobrang weird na ng mga nangyayari, nagmadali akong bumaba “Mom, dad, what’s happening here?”

Nung nakita ako ni mom, lalong itong napahagulhol sa pag-iyak. Everyone knows that my mom is such a drama queen and cries over trivial matters, pero this time, I can see through her eyes that there’s something wrong.”

Wala ni isa sa kanila ang sumagot sa tanong ko. Nilapitan lang ako ni Dad at niyakap niya ako. He even kissed me in the forehead. I hugged him back. It’s been years since I hugged him like this.

“Chill, ikaw na muna bahala sa mommy mo ha. Aalis muna ako.”

Hindi ko na napigilang umiyak. “If you can’t tell me what’s going on here, can you at least tell me where you’re going?”

“Hindi ko rin alam anak, pero kailangan ko munang umalis, magtago. Pero sisiguraduhin ko, malalagpasan din natin ito.”

“Dad, you’re the mayor of this town! Kung ano man yung problemang pinagdadaanan ng pamilya natin, I’m sure you can solve this without leaving us!”

Hindi na sumagot si Dad. Nginitian na lang niya ako at umalis na siya kasama yung walong bodyguard niya sakay nung SUV niya.

Dahil gulong-gulo na ako at gusto ko ng kasagutan, tumakbo ako sa garahe namin para kunin yung auto ko. Hahabulin ko kasi si Dad at pipilitin ko siyang sagutin kung ano bang nangyayari.

Pero laking gulat ko nang wala na doon yung sasakyan ko.

Dali-dali kong pinuntahan si mom sa kuwarto niya “Mom! Nasaan yung auto ko!?”

Nanlalambot na nakahiga sa kama si mom. May hawak itong bote ng wine. “I’m sorry honey, but they have to take it away…”

“What!? Who’s they? Mom, be honest with me, okay? Are we broke?”

“We’re worse than broke honey… way worst.”

Gusto ko nang mabaliw sa mga nangyayari. Ito yung tipo ng umaga na hihilingin mo na sana panaginip lang ang mga ito.

Palabas na ako ng kuwarto ni mom nang nakasalubong ko si Mr. Natividad, ang best friend at chief of staff ni Dad. Mukhang malungkot ito.

“Chill, tamang-tama I need to talk to you.” Malumanay at seryosong sabi niya. Itatanong ko sana agad kung ano bang nangyayari sa pamilya namin nang napansin kong hawak-hawak niya yung Macbook Pro ko!

“What are you doing with my laptop?” galit na tanong ko.

Lalong lumungkot ang mukha nito. “I don’t know how to explain this to a teenager like you…”

“I’m not a kid anymore, okay? If there’s something’s wrong then say it to my face! Matatanggap ko naman kung bankrupt na kami eh…”

Umiling si Mr. Natividad “No, Chill, your family is not broke. In fact, you still have billions of money hidden in various bank accounts all over the world…”

“Then what’s the problem? Bakit kailangan pang umalis ni Dad?”

“But the thing is… yung bilyon-bilyong pera na iyon ay hindi sa inyo.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“You see, your dad left kasi anytime by now ay puwede siyang kasuhan ng money laundering at plunder. And to help your dad with his dillema, kailangan natin burahin lahat ng social media accounts mo na nagpapakita na nagpapasasa ka sa lavish lifestyle. Kaya kinuha ko muna itong laptop mo. Pati yung phone mo na rin kailangan ko munang hiramin.”

After he said the words money laundering and plunder. Naging malabo na yung mga salita niya. Natulala ako.

“Wait, so you’re telling me that all this time my father has been using the tax payer’s money to feed our excessive lifestyle?”

Mr. Natividad just stared right through my face. Alam niyang alam ko na ‘OO’ ang sagot sa tanong ko. Hindi na ako nakapagsalita. Parang feeling ko guguho yung sahig na tinatapakan ko. Hindi ako makapaniwala na yung taong tinitingala at nirerespeto ko ay may masama palang ginawa and I benefit from it.

Even before I was born, my dad has always been a public official. I can’t believe he’s been stealing tax payer’s money that long. I pretty much want to vomit right now. Hindi ko kasi masikmura na yung ibinuhay pala sa’kin ng dad ko simula pa noong pinanganak ako ay galing pala sa nakaw.

Mr. Natividad looked worried. “Chill, okay ka lang?”

Hindi na ako sumagot. Wala na akong nagawa kundi ibigay sa kanya yung phone ko. Before handing it to him, napatitig ako dun sa lockscreen wallpaper.  Right then and there, I realized how my life is basically an illusion of who I shouldn’t be and most of all, who I am is a lie. A huge, unforgivable lie.

****

“Tingnan natin kung papapasukin ka ng guard kung hindi ka naka-complete uniform. GOOD LUCK!” Sigaw ko kay Jamie Salvacion habang hawak-hawak ko yung I.D. niya na hinablot ko sa kanya. This is worst day of my life pero this girl managed to make this day from worse to an epic disaster so a revenge needs to take place.

Nung nakapasok na ako sa school at tumatakbo sa hallway papunta sa classroom namin, napansin ko na hindi pala I.D. niya yung nahablot ko kundi yung ribbon niya. Uh-oh.