Training The Ensign

TTE: 05

Chapter Five: My Place

What? Borrow me? Is he gonna talk about the scenario last Monday? Ba't may special mention? Ba't nago-overthink ba 'ko?

"O-okay. Mendoza, come with sir Gonazales now," litong sabi ni Sir Yumang, hinahanap ang Mendozang tinutukoy ni Allistaire.

I was about to walk away from the line when Allistaire suddenly spoke, "Not you. The other Mendoza." That made me stop, made my eyes wide and lips formed in an o-shape.

Wait what? May iba pang Mendoza dito? Nilingon ko ang lalaking halatang nagpipigil ng ngiti. The heck. Hindi pala ako ang hinahanap. Bakit hindi ako? Inismiran ko siya bago bumalik sa pila. I feel so embarrassed. Bakit kasi hindi niya nalang sinabi ang buong pangalan! Pinahiya pa 'ko.

Rinig ang pagpipigil ng tawa ng mga nasa likod na grade nine habang tahimik naman ang mga katabi kong grade eight. Probably because they know that I was just mistaken. Well, it was that cold Allistaire's fault!

"Let's proceed sa training. All right, so the first thing that we will teach you is the side step. Dahil marami pa kaming nakikita na hindi maayos ang paggawa nito." Humarap sa amin si Ma'am Castro bago niya ginawa ang side step.

"Nakikita niyo ba? Na-gets niyo na?"

"Ma'am aye aye Ma'am."

"Ayusin niyo ang pag- side step, ha. 'Wag niyo sayawan ang officer kapag dadaanan niyo. At dapat kayong bumati ng Ma'am or Sir Good Morning or Good Afternoon Ma'am or Sir. Understood?"

"Ma'am aye aye Ma'am."

"Ang next naman ay facings. So medyo mahirap 'to especially kapag naka-school uniform lang pero since lahat naman ay naka- PE, madali lang. Basic lang 'tong ituturo namin sa inyo ngayon."

She motioned us to watch her feet carefully so I did. Dahil naka-CAT Uniform siya ay ang snappy pakinggan ang tunog ng kaniyang sapatos.

"Harap sa kanan, 'rap. Ayan ang i-co-command sa inyo kapag gusto kayong paharapin sa kanan. So eto muna ang gagawin natin." She snapped her right foot straightly towards the right while her left was slighty bent towards the right.

"May countings 'yan para mas madalian kayo. So eto ay..." Inulit niya ang kaninang ginawa habang nagbibilang. "One..." She said while doing the position she first did.

"Two..." Then, she moved her left foot forward to align it to her right foot.

"While doing that, dapat gumalaw rin ang katawan niyo. Kung sa right papunta, ang galaw ng katawan ay papunta rin sa right. Understood?"

"Ma'am aye aye Ma'am."

"Okay, now let's do it sa left side naman. Follow me again." She did the same steps but this time, facing the left side. Paulit ulit naming ginawa ang kaliwa't kanan na facings bago nag-procede sa likod.

"Likod naman. So the command is 'harap sa likod, 'rap.'" She did the facing before teaching us the proper way to do it.

"You have to wait for the Command Of Execution bago gawin 'yan. So the Command of Execution is 'rap which is pinaikling harap. Understood?"

"Ma'am aye aye Ma'am."

Mas mahirap gawin ang harap sa likod keysa sa harap sa kanan at harap sa kaliwa. Kailangan mo kasing i-twist ang katawan mo at kailangan ayusin ang foot work. There is a part when you have to do a slight tingkayad then drag your left foot to align it with your right foot which is at the back.

Marami kaming nahirapan sa facings pero madali lang naman siya matutunan at maalala. Mahirap nga lang gawin. It's a good thing that they ask us if we understood it or not. If not, they will teach it again and again until we do it properly.