ZAIDE TRAVIS
I noticed that Chloe was always with that new guy. At close
sila. Pati mga friends niya, giliw na giliw sa mokong na 'yon.
I hated seeing her smile every time she was with him. As
much as I wanted to get her attention, I couldn't because he
was always around.
I decided to go to my hidden place away from the non-stop
noise everywhere in school.
When I got there, I frowned.
Someone was sitting on the swing and reading a book.
"What are you doing here?"
"Reading a book as you can see." She lifted her gaze si Chloe.
Ngumiti siya at itinaas pa ang librong hawak niya.
"Who said you could come here?"
"This place is still part of the school, right? So I guess I
also have the right to this place. Besides, you who showed
me this place."
Bumalik na siya sa binabasa niya.
"Whatever!" I plugged in my earphones and sat down on
the grass, leaning my back against a tree.
I could see her enjoying her book, giggling once in a while.
She's kind of cute... Wait, what?!
"No way!" I said aloud.
Lumingon siya sa 'kin, frowning.
"Never mind," I said.
Tumayo ito mula sa pagkakaupo sa swing. Lumapit siya sa
'kin at umupo sa tabi ko, pulling out one of my earphones.
She was so close I could smell her strawberry perfume.
"Tell me, Z, why do you hate me so much?" she said.
I was speechless for a while.
I knew I wanted to see her furious and mad because
she was always so peaceful and happy. She was loved and
admired by most of the students. But I never believed
anyone could be that perfect.
"I'm not mad at you," I said.
"As far as I remember, I've never done anything to you
para magalit ka sa akin."
Well, it pisses me off how you're flirting with that new guy.
"I said, I'm not mad at you."
"So if you don't hate me, pwede pala tayong maging friends?"
"Friends?"
She extended her hand to me. I was hesitant at first, but part of me liked the idea of me and her being friends.
Tinanggap ko ang kamay niya only to be amazed by how soft her hands were. She was smiling at me, the way she did when she was with that new guy.
The bell rang for the next class. Tumayo na siya to fix her uniform. She was about to go pero lumingon siya sa akin.
"Don't you have class?"
Wala na sana akong balak pumasok.
"Tara na nga," sabi
ko na lang.
Ngumiti siya.
Nang makalayo na sa hidden place ko, este, namin,
nilingon niya ako.
"Dito na ako, Z. Sa kabilang building ka pa ba?"
"Nope, I have a class sa second floor. Sige, I'll go ahead."
Hindi pa ako nakakalayo when I heard some yelling.
"Tatanga-tanga ka kasi!"
Hinanap ko kung saan galing ang sigaw, only to see Chloe on the floor with her books. And that bitch Nicole was the one yelling at her with her bitchy friends.
Mga anak-mayaman na kung umasta akala mo kung sino. I've seen a lot of students bullied by them. Hindi ako nakikialam
because it was none of my business. But Chloe was a different story. I walked towards them.
"I'm sorry. Hindi ko talaga sinasadya," she said at akmang
aalis na.
Tsk. I couldn't believe na mahinahon pa rin siya. But
Nicole grabbed her and pushed her again. Nabigla si Nicole.
Nasa sahig na naman siya. She was hurt.
"What the hell, Nicole!" Lumapit ako at tinulungan si Chloe tumayo. She flinched nang hawakan ko siya sa may
siko. Mukhang nasaktan nga siya.
"Oh my God, Zaide, don't get mad at me! It's her fault.
She's stupid. She bumped into me and acted like nothing
happened."
Sinungaling talaga tong babaeng 'to.
Tiningnan ko siya nang masama.
"Get the hell out of here, Nicole. Let's go, Chloe. Dadalhin
kita sa clinic."
Kinuha ko ang gamit niya sa sahig, and we walked
towards the clinic.
The nurse saw us coming and helped us settle down inside. Agad nagpaliwanag si Chloe na nadulas siya kaya nasugatan. Ayaw niya na sigurong palakihin ang gulo.
Sinubukan kong mag-offer na samahan siya sa clinic, pero
ayaw ng nurse.
"That's my job, young man. Just come back after class to
check on your friend," sabi nito.
"Sige na, Z. Okay na ako. Thank you," sabi ni Chloe.
CHLOE ALEXANDRIA
The nurse told me to rest in one of the clinic beds. Naiinis
ako kay Nicole for hurting me, pero I know better than
patulan siya at baka lumala lang ang sitwasyon. Buti na lang
tinulungan ako ni Z.
I smiled when I remembered our conversation earlier. I was glad na hindi naman siya galit sa akin. Deep inside alam
ko namang mabuti siyang tao.
Hindi ko lang ma-explain
ang sadness na nakikita ko sa mga mata niya. I was awakened by voices. I reached for my phone to check kung anong oras na only to realize na uwian na pala.
May missed calls ako galing kina Elle and Sab. I was supposed to hitch a ride with them dahil Dad was working late. Even Ethan left me a message asking where
I was.
Inayos ko ang uniform ko and took my bag.
Hinawi ko ang curtains only to come face to face with Z.
"Gising ka na pala. Uwian na."
"Oo nga, napahaba ang tulog ko. Thank you, Nurse Kath. Zaide, mauna na ako sa 'yo. Kailangan ko pang mag-abang
ng taxi. Salamat nga pala kanina." Lumabas na ako.
"Wait, Chloe, gusto mo sumabay ka na sa 'kin? Mahirap
kumuha ng taxi ngayong rush hour."
"Okay lang ba? Baka makaabala ako sa 'yo."
"Yup, ayos lang. Besides, on the way naman 'yong bahay
niyo."
"Bakit mo alam kung saan ako nakatira?"
Nasa parking na kami at papalapit sa isang blue BMW. Is
he even allowed to drive?
"To answer your question, narinig ko lang kung saan ka
nakatira. And don't worry, I have a driver's license."
He was actually smooth driver. We stopped at a red light
tapos may kumatok sa side niya. Isang batang may hawak
na mga bulaklak, roses. Binaba ni Z ang bintana ng kotse
sa side niya.
"Kuya, bili na po kayo para sa magandang dalagang
kasama n'yo po."
"Delikado 'yang ginagawa mo. Hindi ka dapat nasa kalsada. Magkano ba 'yan lahat nang makauwi ka na?"
Kumuha si Z ng 500 hundred sa wallet niya at binigay sa
bata. Iniabot ng bata ang mga bulaklak kay Z at ibinigay
naman 'to ni Z sa 'kin. Napatingin ako sa mga bulaklak.
"Ito na po ang sukli ninyo." Iniabot ng bata kay Z ang 300
hundred pesos.
"Sa 'yo na 'yan, boy. Ibili mo ng pagkain at umuwi ka na,"
sabi ni Z.
"Kuya, salamat po. Ang bait n'yo po. Ate, sana sagutin
n'yo na agad si Kuya Pogi."
Umusad na rin ang sasakyan.
Nakita kong kumakaway sa
'min ang batang lalaki.
"Thank you, Z."
"Sa bulaklak?"
"Oo, tsaka sa pagtulong doon sa bata."
"He's too young to be on the street. Hindi ko alam kung
bakit may mga magulang na hinahayaang magtrabaho ang
mga anak nila sa murang edad."
"Sigurado naman may dahilan kung bakit kinailangan niyang magtrabaho, Z. 'Wag nating husgahan ang mga
magulang niya lalo na't 'di natin alam ang sitwasyon nila."
Nakita kong humigpit ang hawak niya sa manibela.
"Whatever their situation is like, hindi dapat nila pinapabayaan ang anak nila sa kalye. Delikado ang kalsada at maraming pwedeng mangyari sa bata. Sadyang may mga pabayang magulang."
Hindi na ako sumagot. I could see he was mad. Namumula
pati ang mukha niya. I didn't know why he was taking this
so seriously. Buti na lang at nakarating na rin kami sa bahay.
"Thank you, Z. Salamat sa paghatid at sa mga bulaklak."
Ngumiti ako sa kanya at baka sakaling mawala ang hindi
magandang atmosphere sa loob ng kotse.
Bumaba siya at pinagbuksan ako ng pinto. Bumaba na rin ako.
"Walang anuman. Paalam," malamig na sabi niya.
Sumakay na ulit siya sa kotse at pinaharurot ang sasakyan.
Hindi ko alam kung may nasabi ba akong mali para magkagano'n siya. Pumasok na ako ng bahay.
"Uy, si Ate may manliligaw na," tukso ni Xhan.
"Kanino galing 'yan, Ate? Sa manliligaw mo ba?" sunod naman ni Isha.
"Chloe Alexandria, may nanliligaw na ba sa 'yo?"
tanong ni Mom.
"Dalaga na talaga ang Chloe namin." May
pahawak-hawak pa si Mom sa dibdib niya.
I rolled my eyes.
"Sorry, guys. Hindi ito galing sa
manliligaw. I was with a friend at binili niya 'to sa daan kasi
naawa siya sa batang nagtitinda sa kalye."
Pumunta ako sa kitchen and Mom followed.
"And who is this friend?" tanong niya.
"His name is Z, I mean Zaide. Nakisabay na ako sa kanya
kasi I missed my ride home with Elle and Sab."
"I want to meet this Zaide one of these days, anak," sabi
ni Mom.
Umakyat na ako sa kwarto ko. Inilagay ko sa vase sa may
study table ko ang mga roses. I still couldn't get over his
reaction earlier about the kid. He was so upset. May mas
malalim kayang dahilan?
Parehas naming hindi alam ang sitwasyon ng batang yon and alam kong may dahilan kung bakit kinailangan yang magtrabaho at a very young age.
Maswerte padin kami ng mga kapatid ko may maayos kaming bahay, may sapat na pagkain at mga responsableng mga magulang na nag aalaga sa amin.
Mga blessing na dapat ipagpasalamat sa araw araw. Hindi gaya ng batang nakita namin kanina. Someone is praying to be in our situation right now kaya dapat magpasalamat at maging thankful sa mga blessings sa buhay natin.
Itutuloy...