Chapter: 9
It takes effort to get the real work, inspiration will give you the courage to gamble in life.
We are back in the real world where we will face the test of the world again, even if I say I want to stay there I can't because we have to go back to our homes.
It is also a few weeks before we will have a break where we will bond with our families pero ang tanong may atensyon kaya ang pamilya ko para sa napaka espesyal na araw sa december? Sometimes I ask myself why we can't be together as a family with dad and brother?
A few years later, my older brother chose to move away and build his own world. Sometimes I also ask myself if I want to be like my older brother. He can run away from everything just to find his dream, I hope I have the same courage as him, who can disobey dad and choose my dream.
Sometimes I can't help but feel sorry for dad because if I leave him no one will always be there for him, even if I don't become a good child I still won't lose my love for my father. But I can't help but be angry with dad because he always wants what needs to be followed in the house so maybe my older brother left because his patience has run out.
The world is so cruel. Yes we do have money but you can’t see the love in our eyes. Sometimes I wish we could be complete even without mom.
My hand was holding the strap of my bag, my face was just straight focused on the road. Automatic na lumingon ang tingin ko ng mahagip ko si Jazure na naglalakad. Para akong nanigas sa aking kinatatayuan ng nagtama ang mga mata namin, natigil din siya. I quickly walked away from there.
Even though I couldn’t feel my chest. It was drumming like a drum. Who told me to hurry up and walk?
My classmates didn't feel like listening to our teacher, who wouldn't be sleepy if the lecturer in front of us didn't feel like giving a lecture. Later, the bell rang so Mrs. Flores left. Some leaned back in their seats, others began to adjust their gear for the next subject.
I looked down at my watch before looking out the window. Something caught my attention as people were gathering in the middle of the field, she's laying unconsciously. I immediately stood up when I realised that it was Jazure.
Spontaneously my feet went there, I pushed the other man standing in front of her. My eyes were angry looking at them one by one.
They have already seen that she fell down but they haven't helped her, don't they have a brain?
Gulat pa ang iba dahil sa ginawa ko, hindi ko na sila pinansin at yumuko kay Jazure para magpantay ang mukha namin. I could see the intense weakness on her face. Without warning I picked her up bridal style. Her head rested on my chest.
Huminga ako ng malalim at nagsimula na maglakad, gumilid ang iba para bigyan kami ng daan. Akala ko mabigat siya pero doon ako nagkamali, ang gaan niya parang hindi siya kumakain.
Pinunta ko siya sa clinic, ang sabi ng nurse stress at dahil sa gutom, doon ko lang nalaman na hindi pala siya kumain kanina kaya agad siyang nahilo buti na lang pinunta ko siya agad sa clinic.
Nakasandal sa higaan si Jazure habang pinapakinggan ang mga sinasabi ng nurse sa kanya, nakatayo lang ako sa harap nila habang ang dalawa kong braso ay nasa aking dibdib.
Maya-maya pa'y bumaling ang tingin ng nurse sa akin. "It's good that you brought your girlfriend here right away," she said.
Jazure and I stopped when we noticed a word. We looked at each other, she immediately averted her gaze. I smiled at the nurse and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of my girlfriend so that what happened to her earlier won't happen again." The nurse smiled at me. I wanted to laugh because of her reaction, not to be painted because of panic.
We are here in the canteen. We are in a place where people are few and far between. When we left the clinic earlier, I immediately told her to eat before entering our respective subjects. It's break time now so we still have time for our next subject.
I watched her eat pancakes with a mix of horseradish leaves. She stopped eating and looked at me. "May dumi ba 'yung mukha ko?" takang tanong niya ng mapansin niya na kanina pa ako nakatingin sa kanya. Bahagya akong natawa dahil lumobo ang pisngi niya dahil sa dami ng pagkain na nasa bibig niya.
Agad ding nawala ang ngiti ko ng mapansin ko na nakatitig siya sa akin. "N-Ngumiti ka."
Umiling ako.
"Nakita ko kaya 'yun. Nakita kong ngumiti ka," Tuwang tuwa na sabi niya at tinuro pa niya ang labi ko.
Inilayo ko ng bahagya ang hintuturo niya sa akin. "Namamalikmata ka lang. Hindi ako marunong ngumiti." Pagsisinungaling ko sa kanya.
Umangat ang sulok ng labi niya. We just continued with the rest of our meal until we heard the bell meaning break time was over.
Hinatid ko siya sa hallway papunta sa room nila, ginawaran niya ako ng ngiti bago naglakad. Pumunta na rin ako sa room namin sakto namang nakasalubong ko ang susunod naming guro.
I was playing games with my pen I was holding. Even with my eyes closed or open, I can't erase the smile she smiled at me earlier in my mind. I blew air and slammed down the pen I was holding so the classes looked at me slightly.
Is there something in her smile that can't be erased from my mind?
Ang sabi ko kanina maaga akong uuwi pero natagpuan ko na lamang ang sarili ko sa labas ng paaralan, maraming nagsisiuwian ngayon kaya lahat ng sasakyan ay punuan. Nahagip ng mata ko si Jazure na nakaupo sa waiting shed na puno ng tao, kumuyom ang kamao ko ng makita ko ang katabi niyang lalaki na hinaplos ang kanyang binti.
Napaigtad si Jazure dahil doon, agad akong lumapit doon. Nagulat pa siya sa pagdating ko, hinawakan ko ang kamay niya at hinila siya paalis doon. Ng makalayo na kami agad ko siyang hinarap. "Next time be careful, you don’t know who people are because others can take advantage of you."
Akala ko makipag sagutan siya pero napayuko siya. "Salamat…" my heart suddenly softened. The word she always speaks to me when I help her.
"Don't thank me, any person who sees that will help you too."
I looked around, I noticed that there were still a lot of people so I decided to take her home. "Follow me." I started walking until we got to my car.
Humarap ako sa kanya at nagsalita, "Sumakay kana, If something bad will happen to you hindi mo alam kung anong magagawa ko." Hindi na siya nagsalita at sinunod ang inutos ko.
Tahimik lang ang naging byahe namin. Ilang minuto ang itinagal ng byahe bago makarating sa bahay nila, bumaba siya at humarap sa akin. She smiled sweetly at me before turning her back on me. I suddenly lost myself because of that. I also started my car to get home.
The students are making every effort, we have another test for this quarter. In recent days, Jacob and Ryan and I have been helping each other to complete the projects we missed. We have also done other activities that will be passed on next for us to finish.
I don’t even know why we worked so hard and we did everything. I gave Ryan my finished outputs, along with Jacob who went to the office to submit it.
There is a lot of pressure on us as students, especially on students who have actually invested a few days here to complete it. We are equal here even if you are rich if you don't have a brain you can't pass, here you need hardwork and dedication.
Even others like me who have done nothing but fight are also afraid of failling, everyone will regret it if they fall in the year we're close to stepping on the place where we will reach our dream.
Kung igagala mo ang mga mata mo sa loob ng room namin ay mapapansin mo ang sobrang katahimikan na hindi mo inakala, kung dati puno ng ingay ang silid namin ngayon ni isa walang nagbabalak magsalita lahat ay nakatuon sa kani-kanilang mga reviewers.
I opened the chocolate drink I bought earlier, dumaan muna ako sa super market bago nagtungo dito. They say that ideas will flow more in your mind if you eat or drink chocolate.
Muntik ko pang maibuga ang iniinom ko ng makita ko si Jazure na nasa labas ng pinto habang nakatingin sa akin. I wiped my mouth, I still couldn’t recover from the shock as I saw her raise her two hands as she folded her hand saying that I can do this.
All the sections are also taking a test like ours so that's why I wonder why she came here instead of reviewing.
Napailing ako.
It was announced earlier that we will answer in three days, so others are breathing well because somehow they can still rest, even a few minutes before testing.
I take a walk while carrying a lunchbox. Binaunan ako ni manang kanina dahil hindi ako nakakain. Nakita ko si jazure na nakaupo at mag-isa sa pang dalawang tao na lamesa. Lumapit ako sa pwesto niya at umupo sa kaharap niyang upuan.
Nang angat siya ng tingin. "Anong ginagawa mo dito?" Umarko ang kilay ko.
"Kakain ako."
I took out the contents of my lunch box, it was a vegetable. Manang said it was better than burying meat. I looked at her frozen food dish.
"Ganyan ang ulam mo?" tanong ko.
She nodded and started to put food in her spoon but I immediately stopped her so she couldn’t put it in her mouth. I lowered her spoon.
I removed some frozen food and put it in another container. I took a vegetable in my lunchbox and put it on her plate. Her eyebrows met as she watched what I was doing.
"That's what you should eat so you don't get sick." Tumingin siya sa kanyang pagkain. Nagsimula na siyang kumain. She share her food to me so I accepted it.
Naging maayos ang pagkain namin. Ngayon lang ako na busog ng ganito hindi ko inakala na mas masarap pa palang magbaon kaysa kumain sa mamahaling restaurant.
We now walk down the hallway back to our rooms. We ignore the people looking at us. She looked at me and smiled. "Good luck! I know you can pass it. Fighting!" I couldn’t help but smile because of her energetic cheering on me.
The day has also come where the real game we have to win, the test that every student has to face. They were all serious in answering their respective papers, our classroom was full of tension.
Seryoso ako na sumasagot sa test paper. Maingat ang bawat pagsagot namin, hindi namin minamadali na sagutan ito lalo na ay bawal magkaroon ng dumi o mali. Others are shaking and sweating.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I thought of the things that made me happy and the things that made me fight. I felt relieved and my vision returned to the paper.
I know that our journey as students does not end here because while there is life there is hope to achieve the dream. We all have our own dreams and I know they will fight like I do.
We have the real dream in our hands, if we use our feet towards the right path there we can clearly see our dream that we already have in our hands.
I believe that true human strength is in the work, if we do it there is a chance that our efforts will bear fruit because all efforts have worth it.