Genius in Distress

Chapter XXI: The Military Muse

Nang makarating sila sa beach ay siya ang huling bumaba for safety protocol. The troops checked the whole surrounding. When it was clear, pinababa na siya.

Aia felt everyone’s piercing gaze intended for her. Girls were glaring at her. They envied her for the special treatment she received from the troops. Especially, from Alex and Markus na naka bantay sarado sa kanya. Did Lt. Castellejos forget to remind them to pretend they didn’t know me?

After the activity briefing she talked to them to let her be. She was getting a lot of attention – negative attention because of what they were doing. They reluctantly obeyed her wishes.

Aia walked off alone toward the sea. She took a deep breath, filled her lungs with salty fresh air and looked at the never ending sea ahead of her. It had been – what, five years, since she went to the beach. Her dad was right. She was not living life her age should be. She was just too focused she forgot to enjoy life. And she nearly died without even experiencing life to the fullest. Bago umuwi mamaya, I’ll ask Lt. Castellejos kung pwedeng mag swimming kahit sandali lang. Malinis na malinis ang dagat. Ang coast line lang talaga ang maraming basura na inanud ng nagdaang bagyo.

Aia was startled with the loud voice coming from their prof. “Start working we don’t have the whole day!”

Just then Aia turned away from the sea and started picking up rubbish from the coastline. Debris and garbage were all over the place due to a heavy storm two weeks ago – which of course Aia had no idea of since she only back to life since ten days ago. Dragging her almost full sack, Aia decided to take a break. Sweaty and hot, she took her phone from her back pocket and texted Lt. Castellejos. She didn’t know where part of the Coast he was. After sending the message, she shoved the phone back to her pocket and continued what her doing.

A minute later a uniformed soldier approached her carrying an umbrella, towel and refreshment – the one she made the other day. She had her own fridge kaya pwede siyang mag store ng juice drink niya.

“Miss Aia, para po sa inyo.” He handed her the towel and the bottle. She didn’t bring a towel with her so she wondered who owned it. Kinuha niya ang mga dala nito.

“Thank you ho, Sir.” Sinaway niya ito ng payungan siya nito. “Please, put that away. Baka ho kung anong isipin ng mga kasama ko.”

“Sige, Miss Aia.” Umalis na ito dala pabalik ang payong.

Nakapuwesto si Gabriel hindi kalayuan sa mga estudyanteng nag co-coastal clean up. Iyon ay para mabantayan si Aia. He was doing his job discreetly. He also talked to Lt. Atcatraz and Lt. La Madrid to brief their team to keep an eye on her. He didn’t tell them to treat her special or singled her out.

He noticed Aia was alone, always alone. Even at school. He didn’t saw her hanging out with someone. And now, she didn’t have a pair. Unlike the other students, who were working with pair or groups talking, laughing, taking pictures while picking rubbish.

Nilapitan siya ni Lt. Alcatraz at Lt. Santillan.

“Bok, don’t worry about the princess, she’s safe,” said Markus. The two were his batch mates in PMA before he was appointed to West Point. Even he graduated at USMA – United States Military Academy, they still consider him a part of their class.

“Princess?”

Inginuso nito si Aia.

“Si Miss Trinidad?”

The two nodded. “She looks like a princess, a diamond in the rough. This coastal cleanup is good for her, para maarawan naman siya. She’s a little pale.

“Just when did you two care?”

They shrugged. “I could feel she’s been through a lot. When you look in her eyes, there’s nothing in there. Just deadness,” Alex said.

“She’s the kind of girl you’ll protect with your life,” Markus added.

Gabriel was just silent. Letting the two talked about Aia.

“Bok, iba na ‘yan ah?” ani Alex kay Markus. “Too bad she’s just seventeen.”

Gabriel glared at Alex. “She’s off limits, bok.”

Markus shook his head. “No, it’s nothing like that. Magaan lang ang loob ko sa kanya. I could feel na mabuti siyang tao.”

“Nasasabi mo lang ‘yan kasi hindi ikaw ang direktang nagbabantay sa kanya,” Gabriel said. “She’s a real pain.”

“Nasasabi mo lang ‘yan ‘bok dahil isang ‘trabaho’ ang tingin mo sa kanya. But try to treat her as a friend, I’m sure hindi ka mag iisip ng ganyan,” seryosong wika ni Markus.

Alex chuckled. “All I can say is, she’s different – really different. We only talk twice but she’s something. I could still remember when we talk the first time, I mentioned something and suddenly she got a blank look on her face like she has not got the notion of what I’m talking about. And she does not because I’m talking something everybody knows about.” Napailing ito. “She’s weird, man, and mysterious too. Kanina nga tinawag niya kaming ‘comrades’ na parang magkaidad lang kami.”

Markus nodded, smiling as he looked at Aia. “She also addressed us as Lieutenants. Talagang Lt. La Madrid, Lt. Alcatraz, Lt. Castellejos. Parang ang General lang ang tumatawag sa atin pag ito ang nag salita.” Tiningnan siya ni Markus, “Are you sure she’s just seventeen?”

The two were obviously fond with the girl they almost knew nothing about.

“Isn’t she working too hard? What if she’d faint?” Markus said in a worried tone. Nakatingin na naman ito kay Aia.

Gabriel noticed that too. Narinig niyang tumunog ang cellphone niya. Kinuha niya iyon sa bulsa at binasa. Aia texted him. She wanted him to get her ‘baon’ in his car and place it in the truck.

He turned to Markus, “Bok, could you please call one of your men, may iuutos lang ako.”

“Sure, ‘bok.”

Tumayo na siya at kinuha ang baon ni Aia sa sasakyan niya na kasya yata sa isang buong pamilya. Bumalik siya sa pwesto nila at inilapag sa buhangin ang cooler na dala niya. He opened it and took four bottles of refreshments, for Aia and for the three of them. When Markus returned with private Singson, he handed him the bottled juice and the towel to give it to Aia. Singson went off immediately.

Gabriel passed the two bottles to Markus at Alex. Nagpasalamat pa nag dalawa dahil may dala siya. Ang mga ito kasi hindi na nag dala dahil may inihanda naman daw ang barangay para sa snacks nila at pananghalian.

Sabay nilang binuksan ang juice at ininum iyon at Sabay din nilang ibinuga.

“Jeez man, are you trying to poison us?” Markus complained.

“Oo nga bok, san mo ba binili ang mga ‘to?” Alex said studying the bottle.

“Kung alam ko lang na ganito pala ang lasa, iinumin ko ba?” asik niya.

Tinuro niya si Aia na parang tubig lang tinungga ang juice drink na gawa nito. “Ayon ang salarin.”

“Si Aia?” tanong ni Markus.

Tumango siya.

 “Kaya pala ang pakla ng lasa,” wika ni Alex. “Bakit di mo agad sinabi na siya pala ang gumawa nito.”

Napatingin silang dalawa ni Markus dito, tinanong niya kung bakit nito na sabi iyon.

“Yun nga, noong nag usap kami, I saw her mixing raw eggs in her milk. Tapos ‘yong sandwich niya is half cook veggies ‘yong palaman.”

“Whew, tama ka ‘Bok. She’s really something.”