Lost N Found

File XVII: The Secret Message of X

I saw a bird in a tree, a barrier in the way, a knight in shining armor, and a damsel in distress: Minimize, Repeat, Create.

The one is hard, halos wala akong maintindihan ni isang clause. Nakakalito pa lalo ang tatlong huling words; Minimize, Repeat and Create. Ano kaya ang ibig sabihin no'n? Pinapa-edit kaya niya ang sentence?

Tahimik naming pinagmamasdan ang clue habang pinipiga ang utak namin for half an hour. Mas mahirap pa yata ito kaysa sa math eh. Nabaling kay Johnson ang atensiyon ko ng biglang pumitik ang kaniyang daliri. Nalaman na kaya niya ang sagot?

He uttered a shriek of triumph, "Nakuha ko na!" with matching talon pa. I rolled my eyes, ang exaggerated naman niya. "The answer is 3R's!" his eyes gleaming with excitement.

I looked at him with puzzled expression, "You mean reduce, reuse, recycle?" I asked, dubious. Ano namang kinalaman ng 3R's dito? I cannot see any connection.

"Exactly! Look at those last three words, Minimize is another word for reduce, Reuse means repeat the use of something and Recycle refers to create a new form out of something that has been used!" he explained brightly.

I nod in agreement, that makes sense. "How about the bird, barrier, knight and damsel in distress? How can you explain those?" I queried. 'Yon ang gumugulo sa aking isipan. Ano kayang gustong ipabatid ng mga 'yon?

"Now, tell me, what is the role of a knight and shining armor?" he's referring to the third clause. Jumping into conclusions, huh. Hindi ko naman kailangang pigain ang utak ko para masagot ang tanong niya.

"He rescue someone in danger," I answered, paano ko malalaman ang sagot kung lumundag siya sa pangatlong clause. Nahihiwagaan din talaga ako sa kaniya minsan.

"Read the last words of the first and second clause then instead of knight and shining armor it'll be to rescue/to save plus the last clause and 3R's. Go ahead," Hanu daw? Wala akong naintindihan ah. Napakamot ulo ako habang nakatingin sa card.

Naguguluhan man sa sinabi niya ay sinubukan kong basahin ang message, "Tree way to save a damsel in distress: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle?" It's not a tree but a three. I think damsel in distress symbolizes Mother Earth whose in danger kaya pala ginamit niya ang 3R's sa bandang huli. Tiningnan namin ang nabuo naming sagot sa papel.

F O U 3R's

"Four!" we both said in unison. Isinulat ko ang word na Four sa likurang bahagi ng unang card. Sunod naming sinuri ang ikalawang X card.

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XX: WAIT A SECOND!

Who is that girl I see?
One way to say.
I'm asking to change his ways.

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I examined the card once but I didn't get any answer from it. You know what, whenever I try to read it in my mind I can't help but to sing the first sentence. Everyone knows about the song sung by Lea Salonga, right?

"Who is that girl I see? Standing straight back at me~" pagkanta ko. Bigla siyang bumaling sa akin ng seryoso ang mukha. What now? Naiinis ba siya sa sintunado kong boses? Ang judgmental, kala ko naman hindi siya sintunado.