So Near, Yet so Far (COMPLETED)

4

042020

Chapter 4

One fine day, Sir Saavedra was so carefree asking her to input their quizzes in his laptop to which she instantly turned down. No way she'd lay her fingers on his computer. In a snap she could  easily bug it without him knowing it.

"Why not?" sabi nito nang walang tingin-tingin sa kanya. "Vacant mo naman at wala kang gagawin."

Exactly. It was her spare time. Oras niya iyon, ba't siya magpapa-alila dito.

"Mag-aaral sa subject mo," sagot niya at tiningala siya nito mula sa pagkakayuko. Good thing she's done with the blushing issue. "Ayoko nang tumayo sa next recitation."

"Po," mariing sabi nito.

"Ha?"

Sir Saavedra looked at her with the sincerity of a teacher. "Gumamit ka ng 'po' kapag kinakausap mo teacher mo."

She stared at him, unaware of the pout she's making. Minsan lang siyang makipag-usap kaya hindi siya sanay gumamit ng po at opo. She had this perception that she would only use them when she talked to really older people and certainly Sir Saavedra didn't belong to the group. Tatlong taon lang naman ang tanda nito sa kanya. Sir Saavedra turned twenty five last March 15.

Hindi siya nakaimik. Napahiya siya sa taong nagugustuhan niya. Still she held the gaze. Minsan lang niya itong matititigan nang ganoong kalapit.

Sir Saavedra glanced at his laptop and looked back at her. "I'll be easy on you on the next recit just do me this favor."

Sa tingin niya'y walang balak magpa-hindi ito kaya pumayag na lang siya.

"Leave it here when you're done," sabi nito saka tumayo na sa upuan, "and don't forget to turn it off."

Tumango lang siya nang hindi na tumitingin dito.

He's an idiot, sabi niya sa sarili.

Hinayaan niya itong makaalis at habang di niya maiwaksi ang mga mata sa computer nito. She sat on his chair and found it hot, but ignored it and placed her hands on the supposed personal property of the person she liked.

First five minutes payapa pa siyang naglagay ng mga grades sa excel pero pagkatapos niyon ay unti-unti siyang nairita. Never in her life she'd  done that basic of the most basic thing with a computer.

Pa'no kaya niya tatapusin ang pinapagawa nito?

Lumabas muna siya sa excel at kahit papa'no napayapa na nasa guest account lang siya at restricted and admin account. Maingat si Sir Draco kaso wala iyon sa kanya. Mabilis niyang na-access ang account nito at tiningan ang security ng computer. The usual as she expected. Using her phone she transferred a software she had personally developed to strengthen the security of his computer and went back to excel to finish the damn task.

She promised herself one thing before leaving the faculty: never touched Sir Saavedra's computer again. She couldn't believe she had checked his browsing history. It's the most embarrassing thing she did as a computer geek.

True that she was spared in the recitation. Sisiw ang tinanong nito sa kanya na kanya namang nasagutan. It was nothing to celebrate though when one mistake from her and Sir Saavedra was on his strict mode again.

"Miss Evangelista, are you sleeping in my class?"

"Sir?" she mumbled as she tried to open her eyes, sitting properly. Ang lakas ng pagkakasabi niyon nito. Parang mismong sa tenga niya isinigaw.

Napuyat siya ng gabing iyon dahil inayos niya ang portfolio na pinasa sa kanya ng isang empleyado. Awat muna siya sa pag papa-impress dito dahil antok na antok talaga siya at di siya makasabay sa discussion nito.

"Kung gusto mong matulog do it at the comfort of your home, huwag sa klase ko," sabi nito at lahat ng naroon sa kuwartong iyon ay sa kanya nakatingin.

She wanted to smile that she got his attention but refrained herself.  She took her bag instead. "Okay, sir. See you on Wednesday."

Walang anu-ano'y lumakad na siya palabas at di pinansin ang bulungan ng ibang kaklase niya.

Excited na siyang yakapin ang unan sa kuwarto.

"Stop right there, Coleen Evangelista!" tawag nito.

Natigilan siya sa pagbukas ng pinto at animo'y biglang nawala ang antok. She glanced back unfazed by Sir Saavedra's fury. "Sir?"

"Saan ka pupunta?"

"Uuwi," sabi niya at nang may maalala ay dumugtong, "po."

"Do you have an idea that I can  fail you right at this moment?"

Tiningnan niya ito saka nag-isip. She was too drained to deal with him. Liban sa puyat ay wala rin siyang kain kanina bago umalis ng bahay. Kung hindi lang sa kagustuhan niyang makita ito ay hindi sana muna siya papasok sa araw na iyon.

Kapag feelings nga naman pinairal ang daming adjustments.

"Go ahead, Sir," matamlay niyang sabi saka hinilot ang sintido. Bubuksan na sana niya ulit ang pinto nang magpahabol ito.

"Don't go home! Meet me at the faculty."

Sinamaan niya ang saradong pinto na parang iyon ang kaaway niya. No way. May kailangan siyang gawin. May ka-teleconference siyang investor. Hindi niya pwedeng ipagpaliban iyon.

She turned the knob and decided to drove home. Going school for that day wasn't a good idea after all. Magtatrabaho na lang siya sa kuwarto niya pagkatapos makabawi ng tulog.

Bahala na si Sir Saavedra sa grades niya. Ayos lang na ibagsak siya nito pero huwag naman sana sa usapang puso. Papalag talaga siya.

---End of Chapter---

042420