Can't open up my lips

The Council

2 months passed by and geometry is still finding it’s X and we’re being asked why .Hindi ko talaga maisip kung bakit andaming problema sa mathematics at kailangan kami pa ang sumagot.

Bakit ang History may problema pero hindi kami tinanong para sumagot? Si Biology? Arts? P.E.?

MATH: M-ental A-buse T-o H-umans.

Sfx: School Bell*

Saved by the bell at sa wakas lunch na din. Naglakad kami papuntang cafeteria and as expected may malaking poster na nakadikit sa schoolboard.

WE WANT YOU!

TO JOIN THE STUDENT COUNCIL!

RISE UP AND TAKE A STAND!

I was right and there it is; a 5 foot tarpaulin trying to mimic the US war poster – retro.

“Bakit hindi ka tumakbo?” Sabi ni Yuan habang nakatayo kami sa harap ng malaking poster.

“Tatakbo lang pero hindi kakandidato?

“Kumandidato ka tapos, ilakad mo papers mo.”

“Ilakad ko lang pero hindi ko ipapasa?”

“Ipasa mo siyempre.”

“Ipapasa ko lang pero wala akong partido?”

“Maghanap ka!”

“Maghanap lang pero hindi bubuo?”

“Bumuo ka.”

“Bumuo lang pero….” Bigla akong nakatikim ako ng palo sa kanya. “Aray ah!”

“Leche!” Ganyan si Yuan, makapalo wagas – tagos hangang laman, na letche pa ako.  Senior namin si Yuan pero magkaedad kami. Kaibigan namin siya at madalas naming siyang kasama - Siya lang kasi ang babae sa section niya, baka daw maging lalaki siya kaya lagi siyang napunta ng room kapag walang klase.

“Hey!”

 

That voice. Pamilyar ang boses kahit malayo.

“Kanina pa kayo?” She asked wearing the same uniform as every other female student in the campus but to me it’s always different – She stands out.

Si Anna.

“Ngayon lang” I told her. Kahit halos isang oras na kaming naghihintay sa kanya sa hallway.

“No! 1 hour na kaming andito, san ka ba galing?” Medyo galit na sabi ni Yuan pero ngitian lang siya ni Anna.

Close buds sila ni Anna and they were like twins – sisters from another mother. Both had the brains and beauty to boot.  Parehas na nasa Top 3 ng klase sina Anna at Yuan. Plus, magkalapit sila ng bahay kaya lagi silang magkasama.

 “Let’s eat, gutom na ako” I protested and we started walking. No, we’re running to the nearest food stall we could find. Luckily, may food stall na vacant at nakakain kami kaagad.

We were talking and laughing like nothing has changed, like nothing happened, like that cold summer night where I professed my feelings never existed and I was the only person who remembered that night.

“I’m in love with her, she wants us to be friends and I’m totally cool living with that constant pain.” That’s what I always tell myself.

 Anna and I are now like this – friends. This is what she wanted, this setup would make her happy and it’s the only thing I wanted her to be. Ganun talaga siguro, kailangan maging maligaya siya kahit hindi sa piling mo - At least, friendship is still a relationship. 

It took them 3 days. 3 days to convince me to run for candidacy. Pati adviser namin at isang subject teacher kinausap ako para piliting tumakbo for student council – to run for the presidency.

Bakit ako?

Bakit President?

Okay naman sa akin ang tumakbo for a student council position, pero hindi for presidency. Madami lang akong issues kaya ayokong tumakbo 1) Never in the school history ang may Junior na tumakbo for student council president 2)Madaming naman ang pwedeng tumakbo na mas magaling at mas active kesa sa akin 3) Ang biggest issue ko ay yung makita ako sa campaign materials - Ayokong makita yung picture ko sa mga tarps, posters, flyers. I’m just not confident enough with my looks, with me. No further explanations.

 Pwede naman akong tumakbo pero pwede naman siguro na wala akong photo on any poster, pwede naman atang naka-mask ako o kaya may sticker sa mukha – baka trip naman ng mga voters ang kandidato na may sense of anonymity.

Pero after the long talk, pumayag ako. Pumayag akong tumakbo at hindi na ako makatanggi pa, si Anna ba naman ang kasama sa pumilit sa akin. Tatanggi pa ba ako? Hindi na ako makatanggi. Buti na lang at kasali din sina Sara at si Ren  - kasali ang knights of the round table at kasama ko sila sa partido. Kinausap nila ako after class sa usual hangout place namin – ang bahay ko. Tumanggi talaga ako nung una sa alok nila pero matapos kong ma-realize ang lahat ng sinabi nila, napagdesisyunan ko ng tumakbo for SC president. Everything is ready except for one thing…

“Anong partido natin?” sabi ni Anna habang nagtitinginan kami ng matagal sa kakaisip ng pangalan ng partido.

                “Kailangan Unique”

“Close up kaya?”

                “Kailangan Catchy”

Bigla kaming nagkatitigan at pakiramdam ko iisa lang ang nasa isip ng lahat – the last word was on replay.

“Pre tara laro tayo ng DOTA”

Alok sa isang member namin habang nag-uusap kami para sa pangalan ng partido.

DOTA.

D-O-T-A

Ramdam mo ang katahimikan sa kwarto, wala sa amin ang gustong mag-salita pero sa titigan pa lang namin para kaming nag-uusap, until I broke the silence.

Then the name was born, we are D.O.T.A.  - The “Depot Of Tactful Aims” Partylist.

Tama ako, agree kaming lahat sa “D.O.T.A.”.

The entire election week was hard; Campaign materials are everywhere, literally.  Ultimo comfort room ng library may campaign materials. Halos wala na kaming lakas at attention span para sa klase, ganada pa din ako kasi kasama ko si Anna at ang knights of the round table – siya ang vitamins ko. I mean, Sila ang vitamins ko. My friends keep me high.

All efforts eventually paid off nung nanalo kaming lahat nung student elections, it was a straight win. And I won via landslide. Alam kong madami akong kilala pero hindi ko alam na may tiwala sila sa akin para iboto ako.

Hindi pa din ako makapaniwala, hindi ko binoto sarili ko.

Expected kong matatalo ako dahil wala pang tumakbong Junior sa Student council for presidency– Pero ngayon, ako ang unang Junior na president ng Student Council at sa history ng campus. In an instant, I became one of the legends.