Cleo
Tanginang bata to. Sa sobrang gulat ko nasapak ko siya.
He kissed me. He fuckin' kissed me for petes sake!
I need to be calm, hindi ko ipapakitang na apektohan ako sa halik niya. Akala niya siguro madadala niya ako sa ganyan.
I wasn't born yesterday.
"What was that for?" Tanong niya sa akin. May pagka-tanga din to eh.
"That's how I say thank you." At nginitian ko siya sabay kolekta ng mga gamit ko upang umalis na. Hindi naman agad siya nakabawi sa sinabi ko kaya binilisan kong mag-lakad paalis. Babalik na nga lang ako sa Classroom, naiwan ko ata cellphone ko roon.
As I was heading to my classroom lots of students greeted me.
But when I'm near towards the demons room, it's silent. It's strange, dahil sa ingay nila kahit nasa 1st floor ka aabot doon ang boses nila. Yep, that's who they are.
I opened the door and saw them hovering over something but still quiet. Ano bang meron at natahimik itong mga gunggong nato?
Dahan dahan naman akong naglakad papunta sa kinaroroonan nila at nakita ko silang tulala. Agad ko namang tiningnan ang pinagkakaabalahan nila at napagtantong cellphone ko iyon.
Ahh cellphone ko lang nama---
The heck?!! My phone!
Agad ko namang binawi sa pagkakahawak ni Jeremiah iyon at itinago sa bulsa ko, binaling naman nila sa akin ang kanilang atensyon.
"Cleo.." Anong nakita nila? Bakit parang natakot ata sila bigla? Tiningnan ko naman sila isa't isa at napagtantong namamawis sila.
I checked my phone to see what's wrong with them and bumungad sa akin ang isang message na dapat hindi nila nabasa.
"Are you a Gangster?" Ha? Why bother asking me that question Pierce?
"Of course not." I answered while chuckling. "Porket ba nabasa niyo yan Gangster na agad?" Umupo ako sa may teachers table at tiningnan sila. Ughhh It's kinda awkward, the atmosphere in this classroom is so tense.
"Don't lie to us, Cleo." Hinarap ko naman si Gab. Seriously?
"Do I even look like a gangster to you?" I ask pointing myself. Nakita ko naman na nag dadalawang isip siya.
"This is an unregistered number, do you expect that I know who texted this creepy message?" I said at pinakita ang message sa kanila.
"Oo nga, wag na nating pagdudahan si Cleo. We should trust her, she's our teacher afterall." Theo?
"Yup, she wouldn't lie to us." Max? What's with this guys?
Ahh. Now I get it. HAHAHHAHA
These guys are trying to catch me with a guilt, of course I wouldn't be affected. Abi pa lang. HAHAHA.
"Sure, I won't lie to you, you're my treasured students afterall. Yieee." At nilapitan ko sila para ihug. Pero umiwas sila kaya si Sky lang ang nayakap ko na niyakap naman ako pabalik. Ahhm.
Okay? Natahimik ang lahat at kakalasin ko na sana kaso hinigpitan pa ni sky. Jusmiyo naman. Crush ba talaga ako ng batang ito?
"Oi Sky tama na." Agad naman niya akong binitawan. Hahahaha. Nahiya ata.
Yes, I didn't lie to them. I am not a Gangster of course.
I am more than that.
Pierce
This day was fun yet intense. Akala talaga namin Gangster si Ms. Cleo. Nako pag nag kataon edi mas masaya! Who wouldn't want a gangster teacher right? That's so cool!
It's already dark. Nandito kami ngayon sa isang bar tent. Alam niyo yun? Yung parehas sa Korea, Hahaha.
Nag-iinuman kami nina Andrew, Elijah, Devon at Israel. Kami lang lima, Black Section isn't close with each other. Oo nagkakasabayan sa kulitan pero, hanggang doon na lang yun. Maya-maya babalik na naman sa mga sariling mundo nila.
"Naniniwala ba kayo kay Cleo?" Biglang tanong ni Devon. Tiningnan naman namin siya.
"Oo naman." Sagot ni Elijah.
Umiling-iling namam si Devon na tila na may nalalaman sa katauhan ni Cleo.
"Maybe she's not lying. But there's just something wrong with her. I can feel it." Devon is not an ordinary student.
He's a silent type but he observes his surroundings.
"Alam mo, iinom mo na lang yan." Saad ni Andrew at sinalinan pa ang baso ni Devon.
"We'll find out sooner or later, Sebastian is with her right now, right?" Tanong naman ni Israel. Yeah, nagsimula na ang pagsunod kay Cleo.
Operation: REVEAL CLEO'S IDENTITY ika nga nila.
"I hope this works." Yeah, I want to know more about Cleo.
Hours passed at natapos na rin kami.
We bid each other goodbyes. Naglalakad ako malapit sa may ilog. I want to feel the breeze of cold night.
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
They strung up a man
They say who murdered three
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree"
Whenever I sing this song, it reminds me of her.
I looked up to the evening sky and saw stars shine above me.
Nandiyan ka na ba? Masaya ka na ba?
Dapat hindi na lang ako tumakbo. Edi sana buhay ka pa ngayon.
They knew me as a jolly person and a joker. But they didn't know I was the saddest person of all. Wearing a mask isn't that difficult, you just need to pretend and no one will know.
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where dead man called out
For his love to flee
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree"
Pasensya na at naging duwag ako.
I was kidnapped when I was a kid. There's this girl with me, Hindi ko siya kilala. We were both kidnap for ransom. We've been together for a month. Yes, a month. My parents doesn't care about me anyway.
For 1 month we've know each other. I remember her name was Angel. Strange as her name matches her innocent face.
"Are you, are you
Coming to the tree
Where I told you to run
So we'd both be free
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight
In the hanging tree"
If only I've been brave enough to save both of us. She would be here together with me. It's been 5 years and I still blame myself.
I sit at the river side. Facing the old building.
I still remember the place, kung saan kami naging magkaibigan.
I smiled at the thought of that.
As I was reminiscing old memories, someone interrupted me.
Someone pushed me in the water.
Fuck! Who did that?!
••••••••
Vote. Comment. Share.
Try following me for more updates.
YOU ARE READING
The Badass Teacher
Ação"Be Delinquents With Pride and Dignity." ~ Cleoxandra Kershaw Inspired by Gokusen.
