December 16, 2011
"THE Registrar is still close since next week pa naman officially mag-s-start ang klase. And I hope you are fully aware about that, right?" Sambit ni Aarav sa akin habang ito ang nag-a-assist sa daang tinatahak namin.
I'm not particularly sure if I'm listening with him o dahil busy ang atensyon ko sa pasimpleng pagtanaw sa paligid.
I didn't expect that the school grounds of Vexigo would be this... neat. Not that I'm judging the environment that we are at, it's just that I'm expecting bloody roads with wrecked vehicles. Hindi ganitong... kalinis at kapayapa.
The road that we're walking at is a simple pedestrian road and on my right, a massive football area with basketball and volleyball vicinity.
The grasses are bermuda and it's really tempting for me to roll over and feel the peace that this place is giving me.
Nakakapagtaka lang na hindi ganito ang itsura ng gate area. Comparing it here, mas ine-expect ko pa ang itsura nang entrance area sa kabuuan ng campus.
"I missed this place." Rinig kong bulong ni Anabelle and Dasha immediately replied.
"Yeah, but I miss my collections more."
"You seems too shock, blindy." Napabaling ang aking atensyon kay Aarav. "If you have your vision? You'll be more shock."
"I-I just didn't expect the visual manifestation of what I'm feeling right now. It's huge." Pagsisinungaling ko. I'm seeing it now.
"Sige I'll tell you how wide and massive this campus is." Aarav said and a glint of glee is evident on his voice.
"Vexigo is a twenty one hectares land in the middle of nowhere here in the Philippines. It was built and preserved since 1990. Before, this is the battle area of the warriors of Privus Trata and had been converted into a school afterwards. The whole area has been divided into five villages:
1. Villa Morte - The examination area and where the Battle Coliseum located. (Credits to Google)
2. Villa Tortura - The village for refreshment and relaxation. Bars, Mall, Shops, Sports Center, and many more. (Credits to Google)
3. Villa Agonia - School buildings. (Credits to Google)
4. Villa Soffirire - Dormitory for Girls. (Credits to Google)
5. Villa Tradimento - the Dormitory for Boys. (Credits to Google)
Kung siguro may ibabagsak pa ang panga ko sa pagkakarinig sa mga sinambit ni Aarav ay baka nasa lupa na iyon. I am actually using my Lenses and using the satellite access to view the aeral view of the whole place. And I didn't expect that there's a huge island in southern part of the Philippines. Halos pang-limang baranggay yata ang laki at lawak nito.
"I need to talk to your admin to ask my room assignment. If they're closed, who else can I talk with?" I asked them.
"No one. Registrar will only be here on Monday." Dasha replied.
Kumunuot ang noo ko. "Hindi ba kailangan nilang pumasok para mag-asikaso ng mga estudyante? What if may humabol pa?"
Nagulat ako nang bigla nila akong tinawanan.
"Are you for real? Do you really think that the education process outside will be the same here?" Anabelle interjected.
Pakainin ko ito ng Bermuda grass. Tsk!
"That's why I'm asking because I don't know." I sarcastically said back to her.
"I thought you already knew the things about here?" May himig ng pagtataka ni Oliver sa akin.
"Not all, idiot. I know some but not all. Malay ko bang hindi uso sa Admin ang pumasok bago ang klase?" Wika ko.
"Enrolment is being done privately or via access being given to the official members. Kung minsan, there's also a scholarship granted for the Class E rank who would show a good performance in their respective sector as well." Paliwanag ni Oliver na miski isa yata ay wala akong naintindihan.
"Oh yeah, scholarship!" Biglang singit ni Aarav na tila napunto ng kakambal nito ang isang bagay na gumugulo sa isipan ng binata. "Baka naka-under scholarship program ka. Your profile in our database says you're in a classified rank."
"Teka nga muna. You're giving me too much information and yet I barely catching the topic." Pagpigil ko sa dalawang binata. Pinapaulanan ako ng mga mokong ng impormasyong sila sila lang ang nakakaintindi. "What's with the Class and rank anyway?"
"Class and ranks have been made to identify how good the students are. Like you, maybe the reason why you're in classified profile is because you might be in the edge of being terminated. And of course, terminated students who failed passing the minimal requirements are subject for extermination."
Napasinghap ako ng malakas nang marinig ko ang matalas na pananalita at ang nakakairitang boses ni Anabelle. Tangina, survival of the fittest ba ito?
"A school where you need to excel for you not to end up being dead in the end." Komento ni Dasha.
"But how about the families of those student who would be killed? Okay lang sa kanila iyon?" Medyo may pagkahisterikal kong tanong.
"This is what the school is made of, Bella Cieco. Nurture and enhance the strongest, exterminate the weakest." Gatong ni Alastair.
Buhay pa pala ito. Akala ko tuluyan nang nilamon ng katahimikan.
It's kinda scary to know that this school is somewhat you're in the edge of your death. Bata ka pa pero nakasangla na ang buhay mo sa eskwelahan na ito.
NAALIMPUNGATAN ako nang may biglang kumatok sa pintuan ng aking kwarto dito sa Villa Soffirire. Kahit si Chizo ay nagising sa aking tabi dahil sa katok na iyon. Sino ba ito? Sa lunes pa raw magsisimulang magsidatingan ang ibang estudyante kaya bakit yata may tao sa labas?
I slowly walked towards the door. Ang katok ay palakas ng palakas kaya medyo nairita ako.
"Sandali lang!" Sigaw ko. I'm still adjusting with my room kaya natitisud pa ako kung minsan.
Ayaw ko namang gamitin lagi ang Lenses ko dahil baka mawala ako sa ulirat at baka mahuli ako. Kahit pa nasa sariling kwarto na ako.
I opened the door and the familiar manly scent enshrouded my nose.
"What are you doing here?" I asked Alastair.
Kung makikipaglandi ito? Please, not now. I'm still damn sleepy.
Wala akong narinig na kahit anong sagot mula sa kanya. Naramdaman ko na lamang na tinutulak niya ako sa loob at pinindot nito ang switch ng ilaw.
"Your room is too dark if you will not open the lights." Komento nito na nagpabusangot lalo sa akin.
"What's the sense, Alastair? You know my condition. I hope you're not being sarcastic about it."
Kita nang hindi ako nakakakita tapos ilaw pa? Kokonyatan ko ito.
"Get out. I'm sleeping." Masungit kong wika sa binata. Masungit talaga ako kapag naiistorbo ang tulog.
"But your dog doesn't want me too." Speaking of dog.
Hayun, rinig na rinig ko ang magiliw na pagtahol ni Chizo sa binata. Iyong tipong ang tagal na nilang hindi nagkita kanina.
Sige Chizo. Sino talaga ang amo mo?
"Chizo, make him leave." Utos ko kay Chizo. And my dog's sound became sad.
What the fuck?
Hindi ko alam pero tila yata narinig kong humagikgik ng bahagya si Alastair. Did he really...
"Chizo likes me, Bella Cieco. Deal with it." Komento ni Alastair.
Again, hello, natutulog kasi ako. Ano bang ginagawa nito rito?
"If you're sleepy, then sleep." Rinig ko pang wika ni Alastair habang busy silang dalawa ng aso kong magharutan.
"I can actually feel you that you are in my bed. I hope you don't mind." I sarcastically said.
"Change your clothes first. I didn't expect you'll go straight to bed without changing into a comfy clothes." Utos nito sa akin and hah! Akala mo naman susunod ako.
'Eh sa sobra akong napagod kanina. At kagagawan niya iyon. Sampalin ko siya kaliwa't kanan diyan.
"I'm fine with my clothes, Alastair. And you wouldn't like the knowledge that I'm normally sleeping naked." Anas ko rito.
I felt him stopped from playing with Chizo and his stares are piercing me. Now, what? It's true. I'm still adjusting with my new room kaya hindi pa ako talaga komportableng natutulog ng hubo't hubad.
"Merda! What if someone knocked and it's not me?"
"Then they can have a view. Like as if I'll let them touch me." No! It's not okay of course! Makapagsalita rin naman ito.
Nagulat na lamang ako nang maramdaman kong nakahawak na sa magkabilang balikat ko si Alastair. And he's breathing heavily. Napasinghap ako nang mas dumidiin ang hawak nito sa akin.
"Ouch! You're hurting me." I said.
Hindi ito nagsalita sa reaksyon ko bagkus mas humihigpit pa iyon.
I stepped on his foot and that made him taken aback.
"Che due palle!" What the heck. He murmured. "Sei impossibile." You're impossible.
Hindi ko siya pinansin at mabilis akong humiga sa aking kama. Sapo ko ang magkabila kong braso dahil ang sakit. Ang kamay talaga nito ay pang-mandirigma. Ang laki. Tsk!
"Don't sleep naked, Bella Cieco." Wika nito sa akin.
Hindi ko siya pinansin.
Ano bang problema nito? Pati ang sleeping style ko ay pinakikialaman. I've lived with it. Kung bakit naman kasi nabanggit ko pa iyon.
"Are you listening to me?"
"I'm sleeping, Alastair. Utang na loob, patulugin mo ako." Tugon ko rito. Sana nakakaintindi ito ng tagalog.
"Not until you say yes."
Ugh!
"Get out." Utos ko.
"No. Say yes."
Ang kulit! Babayagan ko na 'to.
"No."
"Then I'll sleep here."
Bigla akong napabalikwas ng tayo nang lumundo ang kama at humiga siya.
What the fuck?!
"I don't know why I can't sleep in my own room, Bella Cieco. So, I'll try to sleep here instead. You don't follow me, then I won't follow you as well." Untag nito.
Hindi ako nakahuma rito at patuloy na nakalaglag ang aking panga sa gulat.
Nagulat nalang ako nang hilain niya ako sa pahiga at yinakap.
Nakaharap ako ngayon sa dibdib nito at shocks! Ang sharap sharap ng amoy ng damiho!
"There. I'm now comfortable to sleep."
I think my world stopped from what he did. Sinamahan pa na nakapatong ang ulo ni Chizo sa aking baywang kaya hindi ko magawang umalis sa pagkakayakap ni Alastair.
My heart beats too fast and I don't know what is it all about.
Hindi yata ako makakatulog nito. For sure.