Komorebi

Chapter 1

Welcome to Manila

I was silent as I walked down through the entrance building of my new school. There was a big logo at the center of this building which has a roaring lion and a lighted book on its background, and a text surrounding it stating proudly the name of the school, 'Saint Bernadette Academy'.

"Agh! I should've worn my Manolo Blahnik heels instead of these Gucci's Woven Leather Boots! Annoying, it doesn't draw any attention to my legs," said the girl before me.

"Girl, your boots complimented your outfit. You actually looked hot with your mini-skirt," her friend assured her.

"Let's go na nga! I'll do boy hunting pa! I have zero names on my crush list. I needed to find new prospects for the least," the third one declared sabay taktak ng I.D. niya.

Everyone just seemed to dazzle. They looked as pretty as a picture–walking on the campus' grounds, showing off their popular brands.

Napatingin naman ako sa suot kong simpleng puting doll shoes na tinernuhan ko ng maong na pantalon at plain white shirt na nabili lang sa tiangge. Sa ukay pa nga itong maong kong pantalon, e. Sampung piso kasi araw ng palengke noon!

Wala naman kasing uniform ang mga estudyante rito bukod sa P.E. uniform na once a week lang din naman ginagamit at sa oras lang ng P.E. class.

Kaya ganoon siguro ay para maibalandra nila ang mga designer items nila?

Kaunti lang ang dala kong damit nang tumulak pa-Maynila at panay T-shirt, pantalon, ilang blouse at mahahabang palda lang. Maski sapatos ay isang rubber shoes at doll shoes nga lang.

Aanhin ko naman kasi ang mga iyon? Nandito naman ako para mag-aral at hindi para rumampa sa isang fashion show, 'no.

Bukod sa hindi ako mahilig ay aksaya lang sa pera kung bibili pa. Marami pang bagay na dapat unahin at hindi dapat nag-aaksaya ng pera sa mga luho lang.

Nakapaninibago lang kasi rito... hindi ako sanay.

SBA is a prestigious academy. Well, you have two ways to get to study here–be a scholar or pay the tuition.

Less than 1% lang ng mga nagta-take ng exams for scholarship ang pumapasa. Sobrang hirap kaya piling-pili talaga. Luckily, isa ako sa mga nakuha.

The tuition fee's freaking expensive, too, na halos sobra pa sa Php 180,000 per semester, excluding the miscellaneous fees kaya puros mayayaman lang talaga na kayang maglabas ng ganoong kalaking pera ang nakapag-aaral dito.

Studying here was never a part of my plan. I never even thought of living here in Manila, ever.

Last year, I just planned on staying in our province, going to a state university, to enjoy my college years with my long time friends and graduate with Latin honors to pull my family out of the quicksand of poverty.

That was it. Nothing more.

But life has been a little tougher for me and my family that I was left with no other choice but to grab the full-ride scholarship offered to me by SBA.