15 Days In My Parallel

Chapter 11 - Graduation

Graduation is just around the corner. Before we knew it, it was the day before our graduation. Everyone was getting ready and hurrying up to finish their clearances. It was the last day of school, and summer vacation is coming.

Everyone was really getting into some trouble with their clearances, everybody was stressed out. Even Armin these past few days, though. He didn’t manage to complete his clearance and now he finds a way to submit it in time—talk about time management.

Wala na ring masyadong pumapasok sa school this last day of school, hindi na pumasok ’yong mga istudyanteng maagang nakatapos ng clearance nila. Pero ako, kahit na natapos ko na ang clearance ko’y gusto ko pa rin talagang pumasok.

Wala naman akong masyadong gagawin sa bahay, and I’m still figuring out what would I do in this last ten days of my stay here. After befriending Pressy, now I need to do a favor for Armin. I’m thinking, after graduation I’ll help him to open up his true identity. Maybe after graduation, I’ll also help Armin to confess his love to Klarense.

Dinala ko ang isa sa mga libro sa kuwarto ko rito sa school, I have nothing to do since last monday pa nag-end ang regular classes. I’m just finding a less noisy place to read it, I tried to go to the library but it was closed this time.

I can’t read it in the classroom though because it was a hell of a disaster there, some students are panicking that they wouldn’t finish their clearances on time.

I thought to myself that I should leave the classroom for a moment since I’m already done with my clearance, the hallways and corridors are filled with students running.

Maybe it was because of the same reason I said earlier, maybe some are just reminiscing the moments and spending some time left—mostly grade six, ten and twelve and students are doing that.

Finally, I found a place to read. It was my usual spot on the school park—under the acacia tree. The park is still crowded with people having their lunches, some of the benches are occupied and some are in direct contact with sunlight so there’s no space to sit on.

Mabuti na lang at walang tao ro’n sa ilalim ng akasya base sa nakikita ko ngayon. Pero bago pa man ako makalapit do’n ay may nakita akong isang lalaking nakahiga sa ialim no’n. It was like the other day when we saw him, Austin still sleeps here in the middle of the afternoon.

Lumapit ako sa kan’ya, napangiti ako nang makita siyang nakangiti habang nakapikit ang kan’yang mga mata. Austin is really something I can’t resist, I do want to get near him—kahit sa kabilang mundo ay gusto ko na talagang mapalapit sa kan’ya. There are some circumstances blocking me of getting close to him, I want to and it’s less difficult in here.

I sat down beside him, medyo nilayuan ko ang agwat naming dalawa dahil baka magising siya’t maistorbo ko pa. Binuklat ko nga ang nobelang gusto kong basahin, it was a teen fiction novel written by a popular author. It was said to be a beautiful novel because it was loved by its readers, it turns out that I do have a copy of it at home.

Sandali pa’y naramdaman ko ang pagbugso ng malamig na hangin, it was calming. Soon, some leaves from the top of the acacia tree fell under us.

It was like those cherry blossom leaves I sometimes see on Japanese animes and shows. No wonder that Austin sleeps here, it has the familiar feeling of tranquility and peace.

Isinandal ko ang aking likod sa punong kahoy, idinantay ko rin ang ulo ko rito. Dahan-dahan kong ipinikit ang aking mga mata habang binitawan ko naman ang kaninang binabasa kong nobela, sandali pa’y nawala na ’ko sa wisyo at hindi ko namalayang nakatulog na pala ako.

***

Dahan-dahan kong imimulat ang aking mga mata, I’m feeling a balanced amount of warmth and coldness. It was not until I realized that there’s a polo shirt on top of my body giving me this warm feeling.

I suddenly noticed Austin sitting beside me, only wearing his t-shirt. Do’n ko na na-realize na ang polo pala niya ang nakakumot sa ’kin. Sa gulat ko ay napasinghap ako, giving him a signal that I did wake up.

“You’re awake.” Narinig kong bungad niya, sa sobrang pagkabigla ko sa mga nangyayari’y hindi kaagad ako nakapagsalita.

“Why were you even at my side anyway? I have to take off my polo shirt and put it on top of you so you don’t feel cold.” Napaiwas ako ng tingin sa kan’ya.

Why would I even be here in the first place? I should have found some places to read my novel earlier. Minsan talaga’y nananalo ang intrusive thoughts ko.

“S-Sorry.” Tinanggal ko ang polo niyang nakataklob sa ’king harapan, I lend it back to him so that he could wear it again.

“What are you apologizing for?” he then asked.

I just looked down, hindi ako nakapagsalita dahil parang bigla akong pinana ng hiya. Why am I feeling this way and haven’t felt this as earlier as possible?

“Stupid.” Bigla akong napatingin sa kan’ya.

“No, I’m not.” I ranted, hindi naman niya ako tinugunan.

Nanatili lang kaming nakaupo sa ilalim ng puno, pinapanood ang araw na malapit nang lumubog. Mas lumamig pa ang simoy ng hangin ngayon ulike kanina, I covered myself with my hands and arms to counter the cold breeze.

“Looks like someone’s cold.” He laughed sarcastically, tumingin siya sa ’kin at ngumisi.

“Here, use this again. I don’t mind.” Ibinigay niya muli sa ’kin ang polo niya para ipangtakip ko upang maibsan ang lamig.

“T-Thanks.” Pasalamat ko.

Isinaklob ko nga sa harapan ko ang polo upang maibsan ang lamig. Sandali pa’y tumahimik muli kami, I should start a conversation to break this silence.

“Say, Austin, about what happened the other day. Sorry dahil nasampal kita, I don’t mean it that way. Nabigla lang talaga ako.” I apologized for what happened days ago, because I thought that it would make a conversation between us.

“It was painful though, pero hindi ako gaganti sa ’yo. I’m gonna get in big trouble if I did.” Hindi na talaga maaalis sa pananaw ng bawat istudyante rito na anak ako ng principal, takot silang saktan ako dahil ikakapahamak din nila.

“Have you done your clearance yet?” I asked again to keep our conversation lively.

“Yes, I completed it this morning. But why do I need it anyway? It’s stressing out my guts since I just studied for that damn exam.” He really is something else, the opposite of what I know he was.

“Salamat nga pala sa pagliligtas mo sa ’kin do’n sa bus accident, kung ’di dahil sa ’yo ay baka kung ano nang nangyari sa ’kin.” Saka ko na lang din naalala ang nangyari tungkol do’n sa bus accident.

“Walang amuman ’yon, just don’t be stupid to run off the road like that again.”

His behavior, his style, and even the way he treats other people. This is not the Austin I know, instead the Austin that I wanted to know.