A Burnt Flower's Ashes

Chapter Twenty-Six

Isa lang ang masasabi ko: Impyerno ang mga lumipas na araw.

"Feel free to consult me if you have any question regarding your research. You can always find me in the faculty if you want me to check your progress." sambit ni Sir Hana habang nag-aayos ng mga gamit niya sa mesa. "Just make sure to come during my consulting hours. Otherwise, you won't find me there. May klase rin ako sa tertiary tuwing hapon."

Wala nang masyadong pumansin sa aming guro. Kapansin-pansin ang pagiging matamlay ng karamihan sa mga kaklase ko. Mukhang pare-pareho kaming mga kulang sa tulog dahil sa dami ng ginagawa. Mas lalo kong naramdaman na graduating na talaga kami.

"Gusto ko lang naman maka-graduate!" reklamo ng isa sa mga kaklase kong babae. "Bakit niyo ba kami pinapahirapan, Sir?"

"Kung ayaw mong mahirapan, maghanap ka na lang ng matandang mayaman na uugod-ugod na at pakasalanan mo para instant milyonarya ka." Nagtawanan ang mga kaklase ko sa walang kwentang payo ni Sir Hana.

I received a message from the convenience store owner, asking me if I could possibly man the cashier tonight. I couldn't help but groan before typing a reply of apology.

As much as I want to make money, I still have a lot of things to do. Kulang pa ako sa RRL ng research ko at aasikasuhin ko pa iyong survey na gagawin ko.

Nasa kalagitnaan ako ng pagtitipa nang maramdaman kong may sumilip mula sa balikat ko. Napatalon ako nang makita ko si Sir Hana sa aking likuran.

Was he peeping on my message? "How can I help you, Sir?"

"It's unusual for you to decline a part-time job." So he was peeping. Minsan tsismoso rin 'to si Sir Hana eh.

Tinago ko na ang phone ko. "I'm too busy to even work part-time at this point. Ni hindi pa nga po ako nangangalahati sa RRL ko." Bumuntong hininga ako.

He smiled. "It's rare to see you frustrated with studies."

"You give nerds too much credit. Wala ba kaming karapatang mahirapan sa pag-aaral?" masama ang loob kong sabi.

My professor chuckled heartily. "Do your best, Miss Irenea."

Nakanguso kong pinanood si Sir Hana na maglakad paalis. Maraming mga estudyanteng bumabati sa kanya at nginingitian niya rin naman sila pabalik. He's such an amiable gentleman.

That aside, I'm glad that he's treating me nicely despite everything that happened. Sa totoo lang, mas lalo lang akong nakokonsensya sa ginawa ko dahil sa maayos na pagtrato niya sa akin. I don't deserve his warm treatment. In fact, I was prepared to receive the cold shoulder from him.

I decided to drop by the supermarket before going home. Balak kong bumili ng mga gulay. Lately, I've been feeling sluggish for some unknown reason. Medyo hindi maganda ang pakiramdam ko nitong mga nakaraang araw at tila nanlalambot palagi ang buong katawan ko. Perhaps this is because I'm sleep-deprived.

"I want something sweet." bulong ko habang paikot-ikot sa supermarket. "Like, strawberry yogurt?"

Okay, that's so random.

First of all, I don't even like yogurt. Bihira lang ako bumili nito dahil namamahalan ako at hindi naman ako masyadong nasasarapan. Pero ngayon, sa hindi malamang dahilan, hinahanap siya ng dila ko.

I was just about to search for the yogurt section when I suddenly felt dizzy and my legs became wobbly. I stood firm on my position in an attempt to retain my sense of sight, but dark spots began appearing on my vision.

Eh?

Bago pa man ako makapag-isip, tuluyan na akong nawalan ng malay.

It was actually the first time that I ever fainted. I occasionally got sick due to overwork, but I wasn't the usually-faints-dramatically type of person that you read in books. Kaya naman nang magising ako sa ospital, hindi ko naiwasang mag-alala at agad kong inatake ng tanong ang doktor.