That Golden Boy: Collection of Random Short Stories

53: MY MAN IS A NICOLAUS COPERNICUS' DESCENDANT

Trainor ba talaga 'to?

Matiim ko siyang tiningnan, hindi maitatangging may hitsura siya. He has blonde hair, snowy face, high cheekbone and sharp noses that clearly resembled his half-Polish blood.

He likes to play football as well, ex-captain siya ng varsity last year pero bigla siyang umalis sa team. I think may iba raw na pagkaka-abalahan.

Before he caught me gawking freely upon his face, I approached him again.

"Kung gano'n edi turuan mo na 'ko." He paused from what he was doing for a while, gray eyes staring intently at me.

Ano bang mali sa sinabi ko? Weirdo.

"Nagbabasa ka na tuturuan pa kita?" bahagya siyang napatawa sa sinabi ko kanina. Wala ba talaga siyang manners? Kung sa ibang lalaki ako nagpapaturo, papayag na rin sila agad.

Hindi ba siya aware sa pagiging "gentleman?"

"Hey, may tanong ako," nasabi ko na lang dala ng kuryosidad. "What again?"

"Are you really a descendant of Copernicus? Ang hirap mong basahin hindi ko alam kung seryoso ka ba sa sinasabi mo o ano," nangunot ang noo niya. "So, you're interested to me, then?" Nanlaki agad ang mga mata ko sa sinabi niya.

"Hindi naman sa gano'n, ang hirap pala talagang makipag-kwentuhan kapag matalino yung kausap."

"Gano'n ba 'ko kahirap paniwalaan? If you took an effort to research about ancient DNAs and remains of that famous astronomer, I think you can pick uncertain pieces of my puzzle."

"Sabihin na nating na-research ko na siya. E paano naman yung tungkol sa'yo? Sumasakit yung ulo ko."

Nicolaus Copernicus was a mathematician and astronomer who proposed that the sun was stationary in the center of the universe and the earth revolved around it.

It was known that Copernicus lies somewhere in the crypt of the cathedral in Frombork, Poland, where he lived for most of his life.

Anthropologists had performed digital facial reconstruction on many of the crypt’s skulls, in hopes that one might bear a distinct resemblance to paintings of Copernicus.

"This is where ancient DNA analysis comes in. Even though DNA begins degrading immediately following death, the genetic material is often preserved in the teeth for hundreds or thousands of years," mahabang paliwanag ni Kepler habang naririto kaming dalawa sa computer lab ng campus.

Kuryoso akong nakatitig lang sa screen. "So if that's the case, where do they have to compare the DNA?"

"They found that sample in a seemingly unlikely place, housed inside a copy of the 16th century astronomy reference book "Calendarium Romanum Magnum." That was a personal copy of Copernicus himself. May mga buhok na nakaipit sa librong 'yon na nag-match sa naunang DNA sample," he clicked something.

"He has165,889 descendants according to the Poland government's data base. My dad joined authentic trials, and it's too good to be true that his DNA sample matched from that of Copernicus."

***

"Kepler, kinakabahan ako..." bulong ko sa lalaking nasa aking tabi dito sa loob ng Convention Hall ng Nicolaus Copernicus University.

Poland has beautiful nature, especially mountains and forests, and there are numbers of national parks across the city. Hapyaw lang ng paligid ang namasdan ko dahil agad kaming sumakay sa kotse pagkababa ng airport.

Medyo marami-rami nang tao sa loob, mga nasa 30+ kaming mga contestants. May nakita pa nga 'kong poging koryano pero okay na 'ko sa katabi ko 'no.

"From whom the hell are you staring at?" Nagitla naman ako sa biglaang puna sa'kin ni Kepler habang nakahulkipkip na niyang pinanonood ang pagpasok ng mga competition officials.