Chapter 02
The Poem She Wrote for Me
"Mr. Hugo, we need an entry for the poetry writing contest this week, I'm looking forward for your participation."
I'm staring at the blank paper habang paulit-ulit na naririnig ko ang sinabi sa'kin ng adviser ko. It was just a poem, a freaking poem that I couldn't think of. Even one sentence, a theme or a concept, wala akong maisip.
Ilang beses ko nang pinaglalaruan ang ballpen ko, about 5 classical musics na ang napakinggan ko, pang-apat na tao na ang umuupo sa tabi ko, yet the paper is still blank.
5:30 o'clock in the afternoon.
I gave up. I took my bag at lumabas na sa library. I can't think of a scene, a character's point of view, an emotion, a story within a poem. My mind is blank as the paper earlier.
"Hey." That soft voice of a lady... narinig ko na naman iyon. Hindi ko siya inabalang tignan at dumiretsyo nalang sa hallway. She never did this before, ang batiin at sundan ako sa hallway.
"Struggling with that poem contest huh." She said but as usual, hindi ko siya pinansin. I'm walking outside the campus at sinusundan pa rin niya ako.
What is she up to?
I've stopped at naramdaman ko na tumigil din siya sa likod ko. "What do you want?" I asked at humarap sa kaniya. That's her look again.
The look of an innocent, young and fragile lady.
"I want to help you." She said na ikinatitig ko sa kaniya lalo. My forehead started to crumple. That was unexpected. I thought she's here para kulitin na naman ako gumawa ng storya para sa kaniya.
"In what? Mukha ba akong nangangailangan ng tulong?" I asked immediately in a confusing tone.
"In writing." She answered. Matagal bago magprocess sa utak ko ang sagot niya. Then I laugh. I burst out laughing hard.
Help. In writing.
Pathetic.
I've stopped and heavily sighed bago tumingin sa kaniya. She looked very surprised sa naging reaksyon ko.
"I don't need any help. Besides, it's only just a poem." I said, rejecting her offer. Hindi ko na hinintay ang sasabihin pa niya so I move, walking away from her.
Hindi ko na siya naramdaman sa likod ko, so I decided to go inside a coffee shop to relax and think about that freaking poem. I ordered. Sit. Think. Listen. Observe.
I cannot think of a concept. Masyadong blangko ang utak ko kanina, and now, masyadong magulo. I stared at the coffee infront of me.
