Kabanata 7
Last Customer
Maybe that's the start of my unnamed feelings towards him. The feelings I wasn't aware of. Yung tipong nand'yan na pala, pero hindi ko pa rin napansin—hindi ko pa rin nakita.
He's always that annoying Santiago Armendarez for me. That 'not even gwapo' boy.
For the second semester of our first year as senior high school students, we were once again grouped. Dahil ayos naman kami sa groupings, we requested Mrs. Bundoc to maintain our groupings. Si Mrs. Bundoc din kasi ang naging teacher namin sa Practical Research 1, eh.
We also became study buddies. Tuwing may free time kami, nagiging tambay kami sa library. It's good to have someone in your circle who's studious. Dahil sa kanya, I became concerned with my grades. I'm not as intelligent as him but definitely not in the bottom of the list.
"Pre Calculus must be illegal!" I groaned. Humilig ako sa upuan ko at pumikit ng mariin. I never had problems with Maths until Basic Cal and Pre Cal!
He chuckled and I rolled my eyes. "Come closer, I'll teach you how to do it... for the nth time, Rafi." Puno ng pang-aasar ang boses niya.
Umirap ako.
Magkatabi kami sa library. We have an hour of free time and we decided to spend it in the library so he could teach me some lessons I do not understand in Pre Cal. I mean, our teacher is good. He's efficient. Nga lang, hindi siya effective. Kaya madalas, si Santi ang nagtuturo sa akin sa subject na ito.
Santi is an effective teacher. Kaya naman parating maraming nagpapaturo. May iilan pa ngang gusto siyang kunin bilang private tutor sa Math. At halos lahat doon ay mga babae. Mayayaman. Mga anak ng mga may malalawak na lupain at mga business sa Casa Nueva.
Hindi ko nga alam dito kay Santi kung bakit hindi niya kinukuha ang trabaho, eh. Ako parati ang tinuturuan. Tuwing mag-aalok naman ako sa kanya ng pera bilang compensation sa pagtutor niya, hindi niya tinatanggap.
"If you're tired of teaching me, let me fail in Pre Cal."
Humalukipkip ako. Parati na lang niya akong tinuturuan. Minsan nahihiya na lang ako. Imbis na mas mag-focus siya sa ibang bagay, naaaksaya pa niya ang oras niya para sa akin. Kagaya ngayon.
He pursed his lips, stifling his smile. I know him already. Alam ko kung kailan siya pangiti o malapit nang tumawa. And this is one of those moments! Lalo lang akong nairita sa kanya!
"I hate you, Santi!" iritable kong sabi.
Mukhang napalakas pa 'yon dahil nabawal pa ako ng librarian. Itinuro niya sa akin ang karatula na niya na may nakasulat na 'SILENCE'. I mouthed a 'sorry' at matalim na tinitigan si Santi.
"Hindi ka dapat sumisigaw sa library, Senyorita... Narito tayo para mag-aral, at hindi para magsigawan..."
At minsan kapag puno ang library, sa bleachers malapit sa field kami nag-aaral na dalawa.
"It investigates how literature can work as a force for social change," si Santi habang nagre-review kami para sa English for Academic Purposes.
I rested my cheek on my palm. "Wala na bang mas mahirap riyan, Santiago?" I raised my brow on him with a mocking smile.
"Ang yabang ng Senyorita porke hindi Pre Cal ang nire-review!"
I laughed and smacked his arm. "Shut up!"
Tumawa rin siya. "Sige, ano ang sagot?"
"Marxist criticism, Santi."
He smiled. "The key understanding a text is through a text itself..."
BINABASA MO ANG
The Broken Vinyl's Beat (Casa Nueva Series #1)
Ficção Adolescente"Why does a heart that love hopes?" Sierra Serafina del Prado is beauty and elegance. She is always prim and proper, but she always loses her poise and control when the annoying Santiago Armendarez is in the picture. Sa muling pagbabalik sa Casa N...
