The Innocence

1

1992

It was a pretty Monday afternoon in June when their classes in the prestigous school called Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College (OLOPSC) in Marikina City, where Laura teaches had dismissed.

In fourth year- A classroom

Laura: (stands up) OK, class dismissed! (waves her hand with a smile) Goodbye, everyone!

Students: (stands up) Goodbye and thank you, Ms. Laura! (some students waves their hands)

Laura: See you tomorrow! (waves her hand)

When everyone walks out of their classroom, books were accidentally fallen from her grips as she accidentally got bumped into her best friend and workmate in school, Jeffrey.

Laura: Naku! Naku po! Sorry!!

Jeffrey: It's okay po! Tulungan kita (picks up some books on the floor)

Laura: Naku! Salamat! (picks up some books on the floor)

(Laura and Jeffrey, walking with books being held)

Jeffrey: (giggles) Wala yun! Tutal, kumusta na yung classes niyo kanina?

Laura: Um.. ayos naman po! Ikaw?

Jeffrey: Ako? Okay naman. We had really fun.

Laura: Wow! Mabuti naman

Jeffrey: Gusto mo, libre kaya kita doon sa paborito mong coffee shop.. gusto mo ba yun?

Laura: (giggles) Eh sa totoo lang, nagtitipid kasi ako pero sige na nga! Doon na tayo

Jeffrey: Yes!

At Starbucks Coffee

(Laura and Jeffrey are having a merienda)

Jeffrey: Laura, may itatanong ako sa'yo

Laura: OK, ano yun?

Jeffrey: Gaanong katagal ka nagtuturo doon sa OLOPS?

Laura: (giggles) Two years na po ako nagtuturo doon

Jeffrey: Wow! Two years (Laura nods). Ako naman.. baguhin pa lang ako doon. Bago pa nga ako and yet.. mas alam ko na agad yung mga kultura at tradisyon ng eskwela natin, noh?

Laura: Talaga po?

(Jeffrey smiles and nods)

Later at 5:30 PM and meanwhile in Laura's house in Quezon City, her husband, Thomas, felt impatient while waiting for his wife to come home as he checked his watch. Their housemaid, Yaya Aaliyah tried to calm him down.

At Laura's house

Thomas: Naku naman! Ang tagal!! (checks his watch) 5:30 PM na po and yet, hindi pa siya dumadating?!

Yaya Aaliyah: Sir, sir.. dadating na po siya.. minu- minuto lang po

Thomas: Minu- minuto lang?? Aaliyah, ang expected time of arrival niya dito is dapat mga bandang alas tres ng hapon.. syempre pagkatapos ng klase nila.

Yaya Aaliyah: Baka kasi busy sila.

Finally, Laura had finally arrived home from school.

Laura: Hon, I'm back! Bakit naman po? Hindi ka ba masaya.. na sa wakas, nakauwi na po ako dito?

Thomas: Laura naman, bakit ngayon mo lang, ha? Bakit ngayon ka lang umuwi, ha? Tell me, what did you do?

(Laura puts her bag onto the table)

Laura: Ano lang, natraffic kasi kami doon. Kaya't late po ako umuwi. (holds Thomas' arms gently) Hon, sorry na po! Wag kang magalit, pls. (releases his arms from her grips)

Everyone in their house heard Laura and Thomas' baby son, Marcus crying while playing with his toys.

Thomas: Oo na (2x)! (to Aaliyah) Aaliyah, timplahan mo na si Baby Marcus ng gatas, pls. Kanina pa kasi siyang umiiyak.

Yaya Aaliyah: Sige ho, sir!

(Thomas nods)

Of course! Yaya Aaliyah had just followed Thomas' order as she prepared a milk for Marcus.

After she prepared a milk, Yaya Aaliyah had given it to Marcus.

Yaya Aaliyah: Sir, natimplahan ko na ho siya.

Thomas: (looks back at Yaya Aaliyah and Marcus and smiles) Mabuti naman!

On the next day in the early morning, while Thomas, Marcus, and their three housemaids were eating breakfast, Laura bidded everyone goodbye as she left their house for school.

Later in school, while Laura was teaching her students, she suddenly discovered that most of her students were hungry and of course needed to eat.

In fourth year- A classroom

Student 1: Ma'am, gutom na po ako

Student 2: Ma'am, gusto ko na po kumain!

So, Laura decided to let her students have an early lunch.

Laura: (checks her watch) Pero class, wala pang 12:30. It's 12:11 PM pa. So, gusto niyo na mag- lunch?

(some students nod)

Laura: (smiles and nods) Sige, class! Pwede na kayo mag- early lunch. Let's continue our discussion tomorrow, okay?

(Students rejoiced as they exited their classroom; Laura then followed by)

When Laura went down the high school building, she and Jeffrey were accidentally crossed paths. He saw her students taking an early lunch.

Jeffrey: Laura, bakit pinapakain mo yung mga estudyante mo ng ganitong kaaga?

Laura: Madali kasi silang nagutom kanina habang nagklase ako.

Jeffrey: Aah! Naiintindihan kita, Laura (rubs Laura's back gently)

Laura: Salamat! Jeff, katatapos mo lang mag- klase?

Jeffrey: Oo! Bakit?

Laura: Kasi kung pwede sana makipagsabay ako sa'yo mag- lunch? Pwede ba, pls!

Jeffrey: Sure, Laura! Why not?

Laura: Yay!!!