"Sir Key-" Bago ko pa maituloy ang sasabihin ko ay inunahan na ako ni Sir sa pagharang nito sa kanyang palad. He knows what I'm going to ask again and I couldn't help but feel embarassed. Alam kong nakukulitan na siya sa'kin pero gusto ko lang naman malaman ang totoo at maisigurado na wala talaga siyang alam.
"Chenee, I'm sorry. I know you're just curious. But I don't have any idea at all. Hindi ko siya kilala. Hindi ko rin alam ang sinasabi niya tungkol sa University." He said, frowning. Ipinatong niya ang kanyang mga kamay sa magkabilang balikat ko bago magpatuloy, "Listen. If I were you, I wouldn't bother to think about it anymore. Maguguluhan ka lang kasi. Besides, wala pang matinong sasagot sa mga tanong mo cause everybody else is just busy finding their destiny while staying here. Kaya 'yon nalang din ang gawin mo habang nag-aaral ka. Understand?"
Nakipagtitigan pa ako sa kanya, assessing if his eyes were sincere enough to let me terminate this conversation and they were, which is kinda disappointing. Akala ko mapipilit ko siya sa pagkakataong ito pero mukhang hindi niya talaga ako mapagbibigyan. I removed his hands and feigned a smile as I answer, "Yes, I understand Sir."
Matapos i-pat sa ulo ay iniwan niya ako sa hallway. Sinundan ko pa siya ng tingin hanggang sa lumiko na ito at 'di ko na nakita pa. "Siguro nga, hindi ko na dapat puyatin ang sarili ko sa kakaisip tungkol sa nangyari the other day. Pero..." Bago pa madugtongan ang pero na 'yon ay kaagad akong umiling at sinundan ng mahinang pagsampal ang magkabilang pisngi ko.
Please get over with it, Chenee. It has nothing to do with you kaya huwag mo ng pakialaman, okay?
I let that thought sink into my head for a few seconds before I turned around to go back to our classroom. Mag-aalas tres na and my next class will start soon.
*~*
"You don't mind, right?" Hindi talaga siya nagtatanong. Her smile is making it obvious that I really don't have a choice. "Chenee?" her wide eyes were looking straight at me, waiting for my answer.
"Even if I do, may magbabago ba? Nalipat niyo na eh," walang pagdadalawang isip kong sagot sa kaniya bago siya iwan don ng nakanganga. Shut your mouth please. Baka pasukan ng langaw.
One thing I hate about staying here in the dormitory inside the University is that I have to deal with that caretaker's attitude. Pakialamera, tsismosa, at higit sa lahat, pinaglihi siya ng nanay niya sa plastik. Grabe! She is so good in entertaining rich guests, rich students, pati na ang mga admin ng University pero pagdating sa'min? It's the total opposite.
Pumanhik ako papuntang third floor at dumiretso sa pinakadulo na kwarto - room 13. Ito 'yong pinaglipatan niya ng mga gamit ko without having my consent. Ibinigay niya kasi sa isang panibagong rich kid ang naging kwarto ko for the past three years. Hindi man sosyalin 'yon pero sa sobrang linis non ay hindi na ako nagtaka na 'yon ang in-offer niya sa bagong salta. Nakakabwisit nga lang talaga. Matapos kong linisin ang maalikabok na kuwartong 'yon and give it colors, bigla nalang niyang ibibigay sa iba porke't mayaman 'yong isa?
I sighed heavily. Tinitigan ko pa ng maigi ang pinto bago ikutin ang hawakan nito. Sa pagpasok ko ay kaagad kong sinuri ang buong kwarto, taking into account everything that's in there. Gusto ko lang masigurado na lahat ng gamit ko ay nailipat. "Buti't inayos niya," nasabi ko nang makitang hindi lang niya basta-bastang tinapon dito ang mga gamit ko.
Kaagad akong lumapit sa magiging higaan ko matapos isarado ang pinto. The head board was against the wall where the window is - definitely a good position for someone who's accustomed to waking up late. I just hope the tall trees won't bar the sun's rays from reaching my sight since that would be the only thing that could wake me up aside from my nasty alarm.
I sat on the bed's edge at pinakiramdaman ito. Not so hard. Not so soft. Hmm, good enough for a comfortable bed. I was about to lay my back on its softness when my phone vibrated. A message from Jazz. Tinext ko kasi siya kanina tungkol sa paglipat ko ng kuwarto.
Room 13? Seryoso ka? As far as I know, hindi na 'yan pinapagamit!
Eh? I eagerly typed my reply after reading her message.
Bakit naman?
And just a few seconds after, I received her reply.
I don't know. :( Basta wala ng gumagamit sa room 13.
Sa ikalawang pagkakataon ay nilibot ko ang tingin ko sa buong kwarto, trying not to miss any detail. Actually, I find the room the same as my previous one. Kulang nga lang sa linis at pintura (cobwebs are in every corner and dusts seem to have invaded all the furnitures). And just like I said earlier, the bed is soft enough for me to have a good night sleep as well. Maganda rin ang view mula sa bintana. I can even clearly see the pink lake from here. Hindi rin naman mainit kasi maayos pa rin ang pagfunction ng aircon.
So what's the prob -
I stopped. Napatitig ako sa tanging bagay na hindi ko napansin nang una akong pumasok kanina. I couldn't believe how I missed noticing it when it's so damn big! Para ngang dapat ito ang una kong napansin sa pagpasok pa lang pero hindi eh. Why do I have a weird feeling that this wasn't here earlier? But of course, it should have been here all this time. I mean, imposibleng bigla nalang itong nandito just like magic!
Dahan-dahan akong lumapit sa kinalalagyan nito hanggang sa mahawakan ko na nga ang harapan nito. Katulad ito ng mga nakikita ko sa kwarto ng lola ko - an antique closet. I traced my finger on its side, unconsciously raising my eyebrow. Nakakapagtaka. Halos lahat ng furniture rito ay maalikabok maliban rito.
Curious as I always am, I didn't waste any more minute to open it. Wala itong kahit anong gamit sa loob at kahit anong uri ng sulat. Siguro, tulad ko, malinis rin ang huling estudyanteng gumamit nito.
Isasara ko na sana ulit ito nang may mapansin ako. Yumuko pa ako para tignan ito ng maigi. Sa sahig ng closet ay may drawing ng isang antigong orasan. T-eka. I shook my head, amazed by what dawned on me. Hindi lang ito simpleng larawan dahil gumagalaw ito. Yes, the hands of the clock are moving!
I breathe deeply and started to raise my right hand. Hindi ko alam kung anong pumasok sa isipan ko. I just suddenly felt the urge to place my palm on it kaya ginawa ko.
The next thing I knew I'm falling, falling from an oh-so high place. And I swore I heard myself, for the first time in forever, swearing more than once in just a matter of seconds with the words I never knew existed in my vocabulary. Who wouldn't be? I mean, I hate falling!
I tried to calm myself by closing my eyes but I still ended up opening them. Gusto ko makita ang kababagsakan ko but the ground that I thought I'd fall into seem not to be existing because I kept on falling without ending. Pwede ba 'yon?
Hindi pa nakatulong ang mga orasang nakapalibot na mas lalong nagpapagulo sa isipan ko. Not because there were a thousand of them making that tik-tak noise, nor because of instances where one of them would suddenly zoom into my face... but because these clocks' hands were actually ticking fast in its opposite direction, COUNTERCLOCKWISE. Isn't it, abnormal?
Then suddenly, everything stopped and went black.
I am heavily breathing as I opened my eyes. "Wh-at did just happened?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ko sa aking sarili while placing my right hand on my left chest. Sa bilis ng tibok ng puso ko ay tila katatapos ko lang tumakbo sa isang marathon. "Marathon?" I asked myself once again. Gago na, talo pa non marathon eh! Ikakamatay ko siguro 'yon kung hindi pa 'yon natapos hanggang ngayon.
Staying still, I let my heart beat and breathing adjust its pace. Inalala ko ang nangyari, starting from me waking up with an abnormal heartbeat. As I worked back, images of me falling kept on flashing until... "Tama! 'yon marahil!" I cried, remembering myself placing a hand on top of a clock - a clock that's inside a closet!
"Speaking of closet..." Tumingala ako at bumungad sa akin ang mga naka-hanger na mga t-shirt, polo, at iba pa. Mukhang nasa loob na ako ng isang closet. But the question is, who's closet is this? I'm sure it's not the same closet in my room. Wala iyong laman na mga damit eh at isa pa, walang orasan itong kinauupuan ko.
Hinawakan ko ulit ang dibdib ko and thankfully, bumalik na rin sa normal ang tibok ng puso ko. But it didn't last long when the closet suddenly opened.
"H-i?" is all I could say at halos pabulong ko na itong bati sa isang binata but as my gaze lowered down, I was petrified by the sight. Oh no, my eyes are no longer virgin! "AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"