el océano me está llamando

Kabanata 7

Lesson

Halos isang linggo na din ako dito sa hometown ko, Barili. I just stayed here sa manor nila papa.

Ang alam ko, I'll be staying here for good until the company is stable again.

The hot breeze of November blew my hair. Everything happened so fast. Madalang nga umuuwi sila mama sa bahay dahil busy sa negosyo, di ko inakalang ganon pala ka lala yung problema. My parents aren't always in the manor since we're really here for Tito's advice, Papa's younger brother, tungkol sa negosyo. I chose to stay here sa province for the mean time, sasama din naman ako kila mama pagbalik nila sa syudad sa susunod.

Nang sinabi ni papa na uuwi kami, hindi na ako nakapagpaalam sa mga kaibigan ko kahit si Hany ay hindi ko pinagsabihan. Nabigla nalang ako nang nakatanggap ako ng tawag ni Hany, kasama so Fort, nasa bahay namin pala sila. They wanted to check on me dahil absent ako and wala man lang daw akong paramdam. I was so touched dahil may dalawa akong kaibigan na nag-alala para sa'kin.

I told them my reasons why I left without a word. Sinabi ko din yung sitwasyon ko—namin sa kompanya. 'Di rin naman sila nagulat dahil alam naman daw nila kasi napag-usapan din ng parents nila.

How come they knew tapos ako na anak ng may-ari ay walang kaalam-alam? Maybe because I don't pay attention sa kompanya namin? At nasanay na akong hindi umuuwi sila mama and papa, tapos di na ako nagtaka?

Halos buong campus na ata ang may alam. Hindi na ako nagtaka na alam din ng mga iba ko pang kaibigan. I also got a phone call from one of my classmates na friend ko pero di kasama sa tropa namin.

"Hey, I heard what happened!" Devie called.

"Yeah," I said boringly.

"So nagdrop out ka na din?" She curiously asked.

"Oo, kailangan eh."

"You know what, ang daming pinaparinig nila Jane! They're acting like they're not your friends! Nakakabwesit!" Pagsusumbong niya sakin.

"Let them be, they'll get tired eventually."

Nag-usap at nagkamustahan pa kami saglit ni Devie. She made me promised to not forget her daw, medyo OA siya don. She also told me that I should at least call or text her a week or a month. I promised and said yes. Devie is a close friend of mine and Hany. Ang kahibahan lang she's not close to our other 'friends' inside the circle.

Di na ako nagulat sa balita ni Devie sa'kin tungkol nila Jane. When I knew that our business is failing tapos nalaman ko pa na alam na pala nila Hany tungkol doon bago ko pa nalaman, I realized that it was me who we are talking about 'bagsak'. It was not about the grades but about our company.

I thought they we're different from the others, mga mata-pobre, pero again...tao lang ako at nagkakamali sa mga taong pinagtitiwalaan.
I was deceived by their masks. But I don't feel any regrets of being their friend and them being my friends. I did have fun being with them. I feel happiness outside my home just being with them.

They came in to my life to teach me a lesson and hopefully I already learned it. Sana 'di na ako magkakamali pero I doubt it.

"Hey," I greeted Hany right after I answered her call.

"Naiinis na ako baka makalbo ko itong mga baklang 'to," gigil na bungad sa'kin ni Hany.

"Kalma, what happened?"

"Ito naman kasing mga kaibigan natin nagkakalat ng mga fake news. Puta, ang sasama ng mga ugali akala mo hindi kaibigan—oh, di pala natin naging kaibigan yang mga 'yan!" Ramdam ko yung pagkainis ni Hany.

"Si Mikay ba 'yan?" Boses ng kung sino galing sa kabilang linya.

"Mikay, don't open your sociol accounts for the mean time, 'kay?" Si Fort na siya atang nagsalita kanina.

"Ano bang nangyayari?" Nag-alala kong tanong, kinakabahan ako na parang ewan. "Can you please tell me? And pakalmahin mo si Hany!"

"Just listen to me, Mikaela. Don't open your social media accounts until I say so, understood?" Seryosong sabi ni Fort sakin.

"Yes," I said slightly nodding my head as if he can see it.