What Happened in Bela's

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Nagmamadali akong sumakay ng tricycle pagkalabas ng subdivision. Buti na lang at malapit dito ang campus, kaya mabilis akong nakarating doon. Nakasalubong ko naman sina Arjay, Maymay at Ate Jelly na papalabas na sana ng campus. Kasunod din nila ang iba naming kaklase. Kinakamusta nila ako at tinatanong kung totoo ba ang balita. I just smiled at them and said that I'll explain later.

"Saan ang venue ng meeting?" tanong ko sa mga true friends ko.

"Sa conference room girl," sagot ni Ate Jelly.

Hindi na ako nagpaalam at dali-daling tumakbo. Pero bumalik ulit ako sa kanila. "Eh friendships, saan ba ulit ang conference room?" sabi ko sa kanila. Seryoso na ako eh, tapos nakalimutan ko pa kung saan iyon. Hindi naman ako tambay sa campus dati eh.

Natawa naman sila. "Ay teh, parang nasa teleserye ka na kanina eh. Kaloka ka talaga. Alam mo 'yung venue ng mock job interview natin? Doon 'yun," sabi ni Arjay.

"Samahan ka na nga namin. And please girl, don't run too fast! You're pregnant, just a reminder," sabi ulit ni Ate Jelly.

"Oo nga naman prend, tara na! Teka, ano bang gagawin mo doon? Makikipag-meeting ka din?" tanong naman ni Maymay.

"Tara na! Maya ko na lang iispluk," sabi ko at nagsimulua nang maglakad patungo sa stairs ng admin building.

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I knocked three times before entering the conference room. All eyes are on me when I made it inside the room. I saw Kervin who looked at me as if he's too shock to see me. Nakataas naman ang kilay ng isang babae mula sa ethical committee. Poker face naman sina Ma'am CD at Sir Univ Pres. Nandoon din pala si Dean Guzman na malungkot na nakatingin sa akin.

"Yes Ms. Valdez? Or should I say Mrs. Tiangco?" Ma'am Flores, our CD or Campus Director said.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to defend Mr. Tiangco," I said with my head held up high.

"Aba, Mr. Tiangco, may abogada ka pang pinadala?" tanong ng babaeng nakataas pa rin ang kilay.

"I'm here to defend him as his student. Yes, we're already married and that is all because of me. Everything's an accident. Even this baby inside me," I said. I narrated what happened to us, gaya ng pagkwento ko kina Mama at Papa. Lahat naman sila nakinig sa akin. Pero naamaze talaga ako sa babaeng iyon, hindi man lang nangawit sa pagtaas ng kilay niya.

"But still it happened when you were still a student and Mr. Tiangco as your professor. Alam ninyo naman na may moral issue about having a relationship between a teacher and a student," Sir Lobaton, the univ pres, said.

"I know. Pero as I said, this is all my fault. Kaya nga po ako umalis dito because I don't wanna drag down his reputation. And please, kilala 'nyo po si Sir. Si Kervin. Isa siya sa mga magagaling na professors sa university. He once told us that he got an offer in one of the nursing schools in US, but he loved helping and teaching us, his students. Hindi pa ba sapat iyon para masabi 'nyong you might let go of a great treasure? Should a single mistake erase all the good things he did? You and I both know that the answer is no," my voice became louder as I said those things. Kervin tried to stop me but I didn't let him.

Natahimik ang lahat. I was still standing there, waiting for someone to answer. At kung nega ang sasabihin niya, sasagutin ko iyon na para bang nag-dedefend ako ng thesis. In full english pa.

"Well, Ms. Valdez, or Mrs. Tiangco I should say, has a point Ma'am and Sir. Sa lahat ng mga instructors ko, siya ang may pinakamataas na rating when it comes to the evaluation of students. At sa mga subject na hinahandle niya, iilan lang ang bumabagsak. It just means that the students really liked the manner of his teaching. As for me, his dean, the university can't just fire him only because of what happened to him and one of his students. Tutal, Kristina is not a student here anymore," Dean Guzman suggested. Ang bait talaga ni Ma'am.