["PLAY THE KING" IS ACT TWO OF THE "PLAY" SERIES. PLEASE READ "PLAY THE QUEEN" FIRST.]
It's been four months since Priam Torres, the once unpopular president of the Elysian University Student Council, assumed office. Thanks to his chief-of-staff Cas...
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FABIENNE
TODAY WAS the day that we'd been waiting for! Ilang oras na lang, malalaman na namin kung sino-sino ang mga nanalo sa eleksiyon. Malalaman na rin namin kung nagbunga ba ang aming efforts 'di lang nitong campaign period, pero mula pa no'ng Oplan First Lady. Eight months na rin ang lumipas nang ma-involve ako sa USC . . . at kay Priam. Dati, fake girlfriend niya ako. Ngayon, legit na.
"I know that the voting is not yet closed and the votes have not been counted yet," sabi ni Priam sa kaniyang speech sa headquarters ng Torres-Rustan campaign. Hiniram ng SALVo party ang lumang speech laboratory sa Arts and Sciences Building at ginawang command center para sa election season. "We still have a long day ahead of us—actually, just two more hours—but I would like to take this opportunity in thanking everyone who volunteered to this campaign. Win or lose, I'm proud of what we have accomplished."
"Same here," sabi ni Tabitha na nakatayo sa tabi niya. Akala ko'y may short speech din siya, pero agad niyang ibinalik ang mic kay Priam.
"Siyempre, mas maganda kung win!"
"Sure na 'yan, Mr. President!"
"Dapat nagse-celebrate na tayo ngayon, eh!"
Natawa ang ilang volunteers, maging ako'y napangiti. I'd been praying since last night na sana'y manalo si Priam at ang runningmate niyang si Tabitha sa USC presidential race. Kahit leading siya sa survey, kahit malakas ang support sa candidacy niya, hangga't 'di pa tapos ang botohan at bilangan, marami pang puwedeng mangyari. I remembered that vice presidential candidate in 2016 na leading sa bilingan no'ng una, pero naungusan ng kalaban niya kinaumagahan. Some said he was cheated, pero wala namang dayaan.
"I appreciate your optimism," tuloy ni Priam nang tumahan na ang tawanan. "But let's not celebrate too prematurely. The day is still young, and a lot can still happen in the next two hours. Once again, thank you!"
Pagkababa niya sa podium, sinalubong siya ng campaign manager. Sumabay na rin ako. This was his moment kaya nag-stay muna ako sa sidelines habang nag-i-speech siya kanina.
"Cas, is it okay kung iwan muna namin kayo?" agad na tanong ni Priam. "Yen and I are going to the mall while waiting for the results. The atmosphere here is making me anxious."
"It's perfectly okay," sagot ni Castiel bago sumulyap sa 'kin. "Mag-unwind muna kayo ni Fab. You deserve it. We've already done what we could. It's up to the voters now."
"Thank you, Cas."
"By the way," pahabol ko, "we're gonna turn off our phones para 'di kami maging mas anxious habang nag-e-enjoy kami sa mall. Just let us know of the results kapag bumalik kami around eight in the evening?"
"Sure. Kami nang bahala rito."
Nagpaalam na kami sa members ng campaign team, maging sa volunteers, bago lumabas ng headquarters. Habang naglalakad kami patungo sa car park, may nakasalubong kaming mga estudyante na may naka-pin na "I voted" badge sa kanilang uniform. Meron din ako n'on, katabi ng Torres-Rustan badge ko.
