The Final Exam

TFE 11: Fallen Despair

"H--Hindi na ho na'min kaya! A--At mas lalong hindi ko na'rin kaya! Halos ako na ang sinisisi ng lahat dahil sa mga nangyayari! At halos ako na'rin ang patayin ng mga magulang ng aking mga estudyante just because I still haven't done anything! Mrs. Rose Kinamura, I'm begging you! Let us handle this nightmare! Save my students! This has to stop! When are you gonna to do your true responsibilities!?" Zaira said in monologue.

"The only responsibility I'm taking is being the principal in this school! And you have to follow my rules no matter what!" Bulyaw na sagot nito.

Bahagya lamang na napa-kunot ng kanyang noo si Zaira dahil sa sinabi ng principal...
"Rules? What rules? Mrs. Kinamura, what are you talking about? Sinasabi mo sa'min na ang tanging responsabilidad mo lamang sa paaralan na toh ay ang pagiging principal? Are you being serious right now? A true principal will do whatever it takes to stop this hellish nightmare! But you aren't even doing anything! You are protecting this school, but you aren't protecting any of your students? That's a lame point of view, Rose!"

"H--How dare you!" Tanging nai-sambit nalamang ni Mrs. Kinamura. She stood up at bahagyang sasampalin na sana si Zaira, ngunit hindi iyon naipag-patuloy ng matanda dahil bigla nalamang itong napa-luha...

Mahahalata na'rin ang panginginig nito, na wari ba'y takot na takot.

"K--Kung alam mo lang sana... Zaira..."
Rose said in a very quiet manner.

Dahil dito'y ikina-taka lamang ito ng guro.
"Kung alam ko lang sana ang alin? Mrs. Kinamura?"

A brief pause happened before any of them talked...

"Th--This person... Is too powerful to handle," says Rose.

Muli lamang na nag-salubong ang dalawang kilay ni Zaira dahil sa kanyang narinig mula sa matanda.

"This... Person?" She foreasked.
"Mrs. Kinamura, sino ho bang tinutukoy mo?"

Dahil sa sunod na itinanong ng guro ay mas kinilabutan lamang ng takot ang principal...

She slipped her tongue.
That was never supposed to happen.
Nadala na siya sa kanyang emosyon.

"Mrs. Kinamura, what else aren't you telling us?" Muling tanong ni Zaira.

But Rose doesn't know what to respond.
She's scared, that he might hear them.

"Mrs. Kinamura... Kilala mo ba kung sino siya? Ang tao sa likod ng maskara ni Bladesp--"

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT NAME, YOU BITCH!" Pasigaw na pag-puputol ni Rose sa sana'y itatanong muli sa kanya ni Zaira.

Dahil dito'y gulat na napa-titig nalamang ang guro deretso sa mga mata ni Rose.

She could see anger trailing down between both iris of her eyes. It was different kinds of emotion. Ngunit ang mas nakikita niya mula rito ay ang takot.

Takot na bumabalot hindi lang sa mga mata ng principal, kundi sa buong katawan nito.

Is it possible that---

After two seconds, three knocks were heard from the outside of the principal's office door.
Parehong napa-tingin mula roon ang dalawang maestra, at maya-maya'y dahan-dahang bumukas ang pintuan mula roon at may sumilip na isang estudyante.

"Uh... G--Good morning po... P--Pasensya na po kung nakaka-abala ako, pero may ipapasa lang po kasi sana akong mga papeless," says the student, at dahan-dahang pumasok mula sa loob na may hawak-hawak ngang mga papel.

Agad itong nakilala ni Zaira, and it was one of her students.

The kid must have heard them both arguing earlier, she felt bad. Parang mahahalata kasi doon sa bata na naiilang ito.