Genius in Distress

Chapter IV: Reminisce

Chapter IV

Atlantis was off-to-somewhere-she-didn’t-even-know-where via helicopter with her new guardian General Henry Sebastian. According to him, they were flying south; in one of the provinces somewhere in Visayas. Doon muna siya pansamantalang titira rather magtatago. She didn’t dwell on it too much. Many thoughts had been running on her mind these days, ayaw niyang ma stress lalo. As long as dadalhin siya nito in a place where she’d be safe and private, walang problema sa kanya. Yes, private. Because she valued her privacy too much and loved her own company, thank you very much.

Isang overnight bag lang ang dala niya. Nasa loob niyon ang mga personal na kailangan niya. Just toiletries and few garments. Suot-suot din niya ang bago niyang “bestfriend” which was her bulletproof vest. It was concealed under her hoodie.

Kahit mainit, kahit hindi komportable, kahit kasama pa niya ang General at sakay-sakay ng military chopper, still, may takot pa rin sa puso niya. Iyon ang kauna-unahang pagkakataon na lumabas siya after the tragic incident that shattered her life and turned it upside down. An daming what ifs and what could have beens. There were issues about her safety, on how to keep unnoticed and whom to trust. Iyon ang pinakamahirap. Isang mali niya lang tapos ang buhay niya at mapupunta lang sa wala ang pangalawang buhay na ibinigay sa kanya.

Atlantis looked outside the window. Paliit na ng paliit ang mga tanawin sa ilalim nila. It was a very good weather. Asul na asul ang langit. But it couldn’t cheer her up. She still felt gloomy and dead inside.

“General, Sir, how far is our destination?” she asked him not looking his way.  Maririnig naman siya nito through his headphone.

“Two hours max.”

Atlantis sighed. A bit long than she’d hope for. She loved flying, but at the moment, gusto niyang mabilis na makarating sa paroroonan nila. Up there, wala siyang ibang magawa but to think. To think about her life and two hours was a long time.

Atlantis Ivashkov Altamirano was the only daughter of Senator Alfred Altamirano, highly respected and powerful politician in the Philippines and the world renowned Russian beauty queen, Ivanna Ivashkov. Her parents met in the Philippines while her mother was conducting charity works. Long story short, they fell in love with each other despite language and cultural differences. The odds were against them but their love for each other prevailed. Siya nga ang naging bunga ng pag iibigan nang dalawang taong magkaiba ang lahi but their feelings made them one.

They lived in the Philippines due too her dad’s political career. When Atlantis started school, she was bullied. Not because of anything else but her physical appearance. She looked different with her forest green eyes and red orange hair. She inherited her features from her mom’s mom, her grandmother. Mas mukha siyang foreigner than a Filipina. Kaya hindi siya matanggap ng mga kaklase niya. She was always left out, an outcast. A freak as they called her. She didn’t understand why kids her age could be so cruel.

That was when her parents sent her to Russia, to the Ivashkov; the Ivashkov was one of the wealthiest families in Moscow. They changed her surname from Altamirano to Melinkov, her grandmother’s maiden name. Para walang maka trace sa kanya sa Pilipinas na isa siyang Ivashkov. Siguradong magugulo lang ang buhay niya dahil public figure ang daddy niya. There, she felt normal since they all pretty much look the same. Even in her new school. People there had different hair and eye colours, she felt she belonged. But not for long. When she was ten, she started showing off signs of superior intelligence. Her friends avoided her. She didn’t know why. Was it because she was too smart? But that was BS. Matalino lang siya pero hindi siya alien para lumayo ang mga ito sa kanya. It was like déjà vu. The normalcy she felt being there once again became farfetched to her. She then isolated herself from everyone. She became lonely and asocial hiding herself from the world.

Months later she received various scholarship offers from the Ivy League. She chose Yale. Same thing happened. Hindi matanggap ng mga tao na at her young age she possessed such intelligence. But she knew better, siya na ang kusang lumayo sa mga tao. Para hindi na siya masaktan. She focused and set her priorities in her studies. At twelve, she finished her bachelors degree with majors in Physics, Chemistry, and Mechanical Engineering and minors in Economics and Mathematics. Many couldn’t believe how she managed to have achieved it. Well, it was just a matter of time management and also if you happened to be a genius like her. At fifteen she finished her PhD in Engineering.

Her parents couldn’t be happier for what she’d achieved. They were so proud of her though her achievements were not known back home to the Philippines. The media would have a feast for sure but it was not Atlantis and her parents’ liking. She wanted to live off the spotlight. Na sinuportahan naman nang magulang niya. Kahit ang ibig sabihin niyon ay hindi maipangalandakan ng mga ito sa buong pilipinas at sa buong mundo that she was their daughter.

Atlantis Melinkov was named one of the most intelligent kids in the world by U.S. Times along with other three kids. There and then she realized she was not alone. Na may mga kagaya din niya. The four of them became best of friends. They were in the same age and equally geniuses too. And what surprised her more, was that the four of them had Filipino blood.

Hindi naging hadlang ang iba-ibang university na pinasukan nila sa Ivy League para mas maging close sila. After they’d finished their PhD, they decided on campus touring from the top universities and laboratories in the world. Early this year, they were in Todai or Tokyo University for a six month program on modern technologies. Ngayon naman, they’ve just finished another six months at Oxford which concluded their Oplan ‘Campus Tour’.

After all the studying, learning, and travelling, they decided to take a break and spend time with their families before they combat to the real world of Science.

They bid goodbyes at London Airport. Pauwi na sila sa kanya-kanyang bansang pinagmulan. Atlantis on the other hand was coming home to the Philippines. Kasama niya ang mom niya na galing ng Russia. She was there for a short visit. Sabay na silang umuwi ng Pilipinas mula Moscow.

She’d learned to live independently. Nag iisa at malayo sa magulang niya. And she managed to do so. But it didn’t mean, na hindi na niya kailangan ang parents niya. They were her support and inspiration. Masyado lang siyang nawili sa ginagawa kaya naman pag may mga espesyal na okasyon, ang mga ito na ang pumupunta sa kanya saang panig man siya ng mundo nanduon. Ganuon siya kamahal ng mga ito at ganoon kabuting magulang ang mga ito sa kanya.

Atlantis couldn’t contain the happiness and excitement she felt. She missed Philippines. She missed her family. They seldom see each other kaya susulitin niya ang mga araw na nasa bakasyon siya. Alam niyang may konting tampo ang mga magulang niya sa kanya for not being home for a long time. But she’d make it up for them.

One could say, she was living a perfect life. She had the best parents in the world and a rock-solid friendship from her super friends. What else could she asked for?

This was her plan; to stay grounded from everything, from science and books, while on break so that she could spend quality time with her parents. It’s been years since they’ve a family bonding. But the tragedy changed everything.

As they say, one couldn’t have all the good things in life.

Her supposed break and making good times with her family turned into nightmare, a terrible nightmare.

She lost her mom. She lost her life. She lost her freedom. She lost herself.

Yes, she survived but how could she ever live again after what happened?