Gateway Of A Fancy Touch | Completed

Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Taste Of Reality

Ice

"Ano ba 'yan! Ang daming putik sa lugar na 'to. Ugh!"

I glared at my classmate. Because we're standing next to each other...I hooked my arm on hers. She tried pulling herself, but I didn't let her.

"A-ano?" she asked, her voice became hoarse.

I smirked and moved my lips closer to her ear. I blew a breath first. Nakita ko ang pagtayo ng mga balahibo niya sa ginawa ko. I smirked again.

"Keep your maarte attitude in yourself. I'm maarte rin but I don't wanna show it sa namatayan. Alam mo namang mahirap sila, what do you expect ba ang lugar nila? Palace's yard? Be a bitch and I swear you'll pay later at school."

Pabagsak ko siyang binitawan. She shrieked when she almost fell on the mud. I walked slowly para hindi masyadong matalsikan ang uniform ko. Napapairap na lang ako sa arte ng mga classmates ko. Ang mga lalaki naman ay nagrereklamo. Ano kaya ang magadang gawin sa kanila? Tss!

We rode the XU's school bus to come here. Malayo ito sa XU, at nakatulog ang iba sa biyahe. The Dean sent online parents consent to our guardians for us to come here this far. Lahat naman pumirma. Kinailangan ko pang pilitin si Tito, ayaw pa akong payagan eh. Aish! Ayaw ko namang hindi pumunta. My poor classmate needs a karamay sa pagkamatay ng ate niya who sustained her needs in school . Narinig ko lang naman ang mga iyan. Aish! Kawawa naman. Sila lang dalawa ang nabubuhay noon. Now she's alone. I hope she can still live for her dreams.

"Ice! I saw what you did to Miss Garcia. Nagsisimula ka na naman."

I rolled my eyes. "Nagtatapos na po, Ma'am!"

The path is narrow and muddy. Sometimes, my shoes go deeper that harden me to pull it out. There are grasses on both sides of this narrow path. So I decided to step on them than on this mud. Sorry, grasses.

The houses are bahay-kubo. Puno ng niyog lang nakikita kong mga puno. Malalaki ang agwat ng mga bahay. They're not dikit-dikit. Hindi katulad sa squatters area. We arrived in a very small house. It has nipa hut and wooden pillars. The ladder is made of wood, too, displayed in front of the door. It only has two steps. It's a bahay-kubo. May maliit na waiting shed sa tabi ng bahay. There, under it, is the looking-cheap coffin. I saw our classmate sitting beside the coffin. Nang lumingon siya sa amin, I saw her puffed eyes. Clearly, she cries too much.

"Ma'am!"

She ran towards our old maiden adviser and hugged her. My classmates, who happens to be her friends, joined the hug. Ilan lang sa mga lalaki ang hindi sumali sa yakap. And of course, me. I don't wanna be feeling close.

"Iyong ate ko, Ma'am! W-wala na siya..." she cried.

"Nandito ako, Ila. I'm here..." alo ni Ma'am.

"Nandito kami, Ila. You will never be alone. We will help you." Said by our classmates to her.

Natahimik ako while staring at them. Minsan, mas mabuti pa ang hindi kadugo, they care than those our very own blood and flesh. I saw how they are very concern to Ila. Sa tingin ko, Ila has other relatives. They just don't care about her and her deceased older sister.

Noong bata pa ako, my relatives care about us. But...the negative type of caring. They're pakialamera and spread false information about my mother. They're just envious. Naiinggit sila sa kabuhayang meron ang mama ko no'ng namatay si Papa. Wala namang masyadong problema sa relatives ko kay mama, kay papa lang. Walang masyadong propesyunal sa pamilya ni Papa, gaya rin kay mama. Ang alam kong propesyunal na tao sa relatives ko kay Papa is the brother of my Lolo. Kay Mama naman, her half-brother who worked in ship.

My relatives have decent livelihood naman pero hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit gano'n na lang ang inggit nila sa mama ko. My mom is a Day Care Worker. She also a BHW or Barangay Health Worker. Ang mga trabaho na 'yon ay pinaghirapan niya dahil sa akin, para sa 'kin. Because she's a Day Care Worker, may konti rin siyang sahod mula sa munisipyo. Ang mga trabaho na 'yon ng mama ko ay kinaiinggitan nila.

May mga lote naman ang mga relatives namin, kami ni mama wala. Those lots have corn fields or coconut fields. Pero naiinggit pa rin sila, ang sarap nilang batukan! Ang mga relatives ko naman na walang pag-aaring mga lupa ay nagsasaka sila, or they work as harvesters na lang. Tsk!

Hindi kasalanan ng mama ko kung bakit hindi siya mangmang! She worked hard for those jobs. Hindi kasalanan ng mama ko kung bakit hindi harvester ang trabaho niya para matustusan ang lahat ng kailangan ko. Ah! Another reason kung bakit sila inggit sa mama ko...

Because Day Care has feeding program for the pupils. Magandang plano ng gobyerno para wala nang batang pumapasok na gutom. Parents should help the teacher to cook for their children. Tsk! But in reality, parents are lazy, too! Tinatamad samahan ang mga anak sa eskwelahan para makatulong man lang sa pagluluto. Every weekend, the supplier comes to the town and give the supplies to the Day Care Workers.

Every week dapat i-consume ang mga supplies. Tapos another supplies for next week. The supplies are half sack of rice, three kilos of fish, and one kilo of beef. Half bag of spices like gingers, onions, tomatoes, lemon grasses, garlics, and more. One bottle of oil, one bottle of soy sauce. One pack of macaroni salad, one pack of spaghetti pasta, the ingredients for making spaghetti and macaroni salad. Iyon ang mga supplies. Hindi naman lahat nauubos ng mga bata because another supplies for the next week. At sinisigurado ni Mama na dapat mabusog talaga ang mga bata. Madalas pa ngang may matira sa niluluto ni Mama para sa kanila eh.

Saan pa ba mapupunta ang natitira? Eh 'di sa Day Care Worker, kay Mama. And honestly, Day Care helped us kahit papaaano sa mga supplies na 'yon. My Mama deserve those that are not consumed. She cooks for the pupils eh, because parents don't come often to cook.

I'm proud my mom is a Day Care Worker and a BHW. Mahal ko siya.

"Hey!"

Nagulat ako nang biglang bumigat ang kaliwa kong balikat. And I saw Sadie resting her arm on my shoulder! I spank her hand.

"Oww~ You're so harsh!" maarte niyang ani.

I glared at her. "Feeling close?" My brow raised.

Ngumuso siya. "Can't we be friends?"

"No. Only Dominique Carl Zandro is my friend."

"But I wanna be your friend."

"Tsk! I don't need another!"

Pinili ko siyang iwan at lumapit sa waiting shed na may kabaong. Nandoon na rin ang mga classmates kong nakikiramay. Hayss...I wish Don is here. Wala akong makakausap. Habang nakatingin lang ako sa kanila. Muli akong nahulog sa malalim na pag-iisip.

When Cole cheated with Monique, I was going to forgive him for another chance. Pero hindi natuloy ang pagpapatawad ko nang makita ko nga siya sa bar na may kahalikang member ng cheer leading team ng XU. Cole did cheat on me. Twice. Hindi niya ako minahal. He was just playing. Maybe I'm a challenge to him.

I felt my heart crumpled inside. How many people pa ang mananakit sa akin? Fuck.

Sa halos isang oras na pananatili namin doon, wala nang dumating na makikiramay. Not even their neighbors. Tsk! Fucking neighbors. Wala ba silang pakialam? Multuhin sana sila.

Nakakalungkot man pero mahirap maging mahirap. Nakikita ko 'yon kay Ila. Ni wala siyang nai-serve para sa amin dahil kapos sa gastos. Mukha kami lang ang nakikiramay sa kanya. Pero kung titingnan mo siya, she's slightly smiling. Na ang saya niya kahit kami lang ang nakikiramay. She's thankful even for little things.

Nagulat ako nang nasa harapan ko na siya. She's smiling at me with tears on her puffed eyes.

"Maraming salamat sa pagpunta, Ice."

Napakurap-kurap ako. Eh? Lahat naman kami pumunta. Bakit parang ako lang ang sinabihan niya ng ganiyan? I don't remember bullying Ila. We're not close. Like I said, Don is my only friend.

"Walang anuman." Walang buhay kong sabi kahit nagtataka.

She smiled at me bago ako tinalikuran.

***

Astracelane | Almi