"Yelena, don't do this!" Pumulupot ang mga daliri ni Melissa sa braso niya at namimilog ang mga mata nang umiling sa kanya. "Baka ano'ng gawin n'un sa 'yo!"
"Oo nga, Yelena." Hinawakan din siya ni Desiree sa balikat. "We don't know him, and now he's blackmailing you. Delikado 'to."
"I know."
Tumingala siya sa kisame habang nakahawak sa counter. Malamig ang semento at lalong nakadagdag iyon sa panlalamig ng kanyang mga kamay. Napatitig siya sa salamin ng girl's restroom. Medyo namumutla siya dahil sa kaba.
"I know. Chances are, he won't hold his end of the bargain. Ang totoo, we haven't even talked about his end of the bargain. I have to clear that with him. He has to destroy all copies after two weeks. But of course, ano'ng assurance ko, di ba? Ang naiisip ko na lang ngayon, maybe I can find out something about him in these two weeks and use that against him."
"Still too dangerous, girl," pilit ni Melissa.
Niyakap siya ni Desiree mula sa likod. "We're so sorry, Yelena. Dapat hindi ka namin pinilit–"
"It's my fault. I kissed him."
Bumuntong-hininga ang dalawa.
"He's still an asshole," usal ni Desiree.
"I second the motion," dagdag ni Melissa. "Anyway, here."
May kinuha ito mula sa bag at inilagay sa kamay niya. Pepper spray at taser iyon. "Dalhin mo. My brothers gave that to me. Be careful, okay?"
"Yes, thank you."
Bumukas ang pinto ng restroom at pumasok ang isang estudyante. They'd better get out now before somebody overhears them talking about her problem. The last thing she needed was more complications. Ipinasok ni Yelena sa bag ang mga ibinigay ni Melissa at lumabas sila ng restroom.
"Tatawag ako sa bahay para sabihing hindi agad ako uuwi at nasa bahay n'yo 'ko, Melissa, for a school project."
"Sige, okay lang. I'll cover for you."
Thank God for her friends. Matamlay na ngumiti si Yelena at bumalik sila sa classroom. Agad nahila ang mga mata niya sa upuan ni Rad.
And there he was, lounging like a king as their classmates surrounded him. He looked bored as he sat there, a polite smile on his hard mouth, a passive haze in his dark eyes.
"The red Ferrari outside is yours?" manghang tanong ni Paul, isa sa mga classmates nila at captain ng basketball team ng kanilang school. Kasing-tangkad ito ni Rad at malaki rin ang pangangatawan. Mestizo rin ito gaya ng huli. But unlike their new classmate, Paul looked cute and harmless.
"Yes."
"Wow. I want that for graduation, but I think I'll be stuck with a BMW. Hey, you play basketball?"
"Sometimes. But I'm not particularly good at it."
"Hindi nga?" Tumawa si Paul. "'Yang tangkad mong 'yan? Subukan natin minsan, siguradong lalakas lalo ang team natin kapag sumali ka."
The other guymerely smiled, and lifted his gaze to meet hers.
Gusto ni Yelena na bigyan ito ng dirty finger. His smile turned cocky, but his dark eyes hardened like diamonds.
Pilit niyang iniwas ang tingin dito at lumapit na sa upuan niya. She could feel his gaze as she sat at her desk.
"Class, take your seats," bungad ng English teacher nila.
"Let's play ball some time, Rad," alok ni Paul bago bumalik sa upuan nito.
Kumuha ng marker ang teacher nila at isinulat ang Animal Farm sa whiteboard. She stared hard at their teacher's short curly hair and tried her best to forget about the terrorist sitting behind her.
"Everyone has read the book, yes?" Humarap si Miss Cruz sa klase.
Nagtaas ng kamay si Jason.
"Yes, Jason?" tawag dito ng teacher.
"We have a new classmate, Ma'am."
"Oh, yes." Hinagilap ng tingin nito ang lalaki, at sumilay ang ngiti sa maamo nitong mukha. "Rad Javier, yes?"
"Yes, Ma'am," narinig niyang sagot ni Rad.
"You haven't read the book yet, I supposed. That's alright–"
"I've read the book, Ma'am."
Bumakas ang gulat sa mukha ng may-edad nilang guro pero tumango ito. "That's good. Well, now, does anyone want to share his or her opinion about the book?"
Nagtaas si Yelena ng kamay. Literature was one of her favorite subjects. She would take Business Administration in college. Naturally, nasa Accounting, Business and Management strand siya ng senior class nila. But even so, she still planned to take higher literature classes in college just to enjoy herself in.
Ngumiti sa kanya si Miss Cruz. "Yelena, what can you tell us about the book?"
"I find it very interesting. The book is obviously a symbolic representation of a totalitarian system, particularly, Joseph Stalin's regime after the Russian Revolution of 1917."
Tumango ulit ang kanilang guro. "What made you say so?"
"In the beginning of the book, the animals were disgruntled by the treatment of the men. They complain about the hard work and the injustice of being worked to the bone. It reflects the woes of pre-Russian revolution. The peasants were increasingly getting dissatisfied by the hard labor forced upon them and burgeoiose lifestyle of the elite ruling class. It's one of the main reasons of the revolution. After the revolution, Stalin imposed a socialist system that was meant to make everyone equal. The same is true in the book. Pig made rules that were supposed to make everyone equal. But just like how the socialist system failed to impose equality, the rules in the farm failed to equalize everyone."
Tumango ang teacher nila at binalingan ang ibang kaklase. "Why do you think is that so? Why did the system fail?"
Nagtaas ng kamay si Luigi, ang currently third rank ng section nila. "The people in power are the problem, Ma'am. Just like Stalin, Pig became power-hungry and wanted to control everyone. The same can be argued about North Korea. The people in power abuse the system and the people. They keep the power centralized in order to remain more powerful. Ideally, communism should start with dictatorship, much like a totalitarian system. But the end goal is an egalitarian society. It doesn't happen. Dictatorship just goes on and on because people in power want to remain in power."
Nagtaas ulit si Yelena ng kamay at tinawag ulit siya ni Miss Cruz. "I agree with Luigi, Ma'am. The people in power are the problem, but I think the system itself is problematic. Socialism, or Communism for that matter, rests on the principle that people are inherently good. Marx visualized Communism partly due to the influence of the scientific enlightenment period. He wanted to apply the same rules used in hard sciences in social sciences. He failed to realize that people are not as predictable as the elements in nature."
"Is Communism impossible, then? Is Capitalism our only choice?" tanong ng guro sa klase.
Muli siyang nagtaas ng kamay. At dahil walang ibang gustong sumagot, nakangiting tinawag na lang ulit siya ng teacher nila.
"Yes, Ma'am. I believe Capitalism is the best economic system available. The fall of the Soviet Union is a good example. The abuse and hardship endured by North Koreans is also a prime illustration. Communism is just not possible. Equality is nice, but it's hardly possible. Meritocracy and competition, two of the main tenets of Capitalism, are the best options to run the society. We should let the market run itself. The government should not control the free market. Centralizing power is very dangerous and inefficient."
Binalingan ng teacher ang klase. "Do you agree, class?"
"I disagree."
Napatuwid ang likod ni Yelena nang marinig ang boses ni Rad. Hindi niya napigilang lingunin ito.
Nakasandal pa rin ang lalaki sa likod ng upuan nito, bagot na nakatitig sa harapan. Then, his gaze drifted to hers, his expression still bored and cold.
"Why do you disagree, Rad?" tanong ni Miss Cruz, puno ng interes ang tono.
"Capitalism is just as problematic as Communism. The principles of meritocracy and competition rest on the basis that people are equal, that there are no externalities to hamper competition and flow of information. Which, obviously, is not the reality. To assume otherwise is stupid and delusional. Meritocracy and competition can only work in a perfect system where everyone starts on an equal playing field, everyone has the same equal access to resources. There is no meritocracy in a capitalistic system. It is merely a delusional principle propagated to keep the system alive."
Nagtaas ulit si Yelena ng kamay kaya tinawag siya muli ng guro. "There is meritocracy in a capitalistic system. People are rewarded according to their merits. You work hard and get the fruits of your labor. To each his due. Competency and ability is the basis for reward. Competition is the best way to run a system."
Hindi na nag-abalang magtaas ng kamay si Rad. "That is only possible if everyone has the same starting point. You cannot assess a person who grew up with nothing the same way you assess a person who grew up with everything. To do so would be inaccurate and disserving. Brain development starts at three-month pregnancy. If the mother did not get the right nutrients while pregnant, the child's brain development is greatly hampered. As the child grows up, the next six years are crucial for further brain development. Those who grow up in disadvantageous families who barely had anything to eat would not get the right nutrients necessary for brain growth. At this point, the child is already at a disadvantage. As this child grows older in an environment where basic needs are hardly met, the disadvantages pile up. And now you want to judge this child according to his competency when the government fails to provide him with the proper environment and support needed to help him."
"People always have a choice." Hindi na rin nag-abala si Yelena na magtaas ng kamay. "People can do something to help themselves, you cannot lean on government for everything."
Sarcastic na ngumiti ang lalaki. "Do you really believe that? Choice? Between what? Be burned alive or jump from the rooftop of a burning building? You call that choice?" Umiling ito at tumitig sa teacher nila. "This is the problem with privileged kids. They live in a bubble where they think everyone has the same choices as them. They're not in touch with reality. What kind of choices does a child who grew up with nothing have? A child who has been hampered from birth." Binalingan siya ni Rad. "Have you ever been hungry, Yelena? And I'm not talking about starving yourself to keep your weight under one hundred pounds."
Naramdaman niya ang pamumula ng mukha.
Nanatili ang nakakaloko nitong ngiti. "Of course, you haven't. And you talk about meritocracy. How can a child who hasn't eaten dinner and breakfast compete with a child who has full meals everyday? How can you expect the child to concentrate on reading and solving math problems when his stomach is growling? Is that the basis of your meritocracy? Is that what you call competition? Wow. I seriously hope you don't plan to run for any government position."
The whole class went silent. She could feel all eyes on her. Alam ng dalaga na pulang-pula ang mukha niya at naramdaman din niyang nanginginig nang kaunti ang kanyang mga kamay. Rad had essentially called her stupid, delusional and out of touch with reality in a span of three minutes.
"People have choices," diin niya. "The parents should have–"
"Ah, now you're blaming the parents." Umiling ito at bagot na tumitig sa harapan. "The parents who went through the same circumstances as the child. You expect them to provide for their children when they themselves were not equipped to do so. You expect them to make good choices when the choices were not even there to begin with. You condemn people who never even had the chance to defend themselves. You call that fair? That's the way you want to run the system? That's the way you want people to compete? If you leave the market alone without proper government intervention, people will eat each other. You're just as naïve as Marx. You say Communism rests on the principle that people are inherently good, and you said that's the reason for its failure. And yet you also believe the market will function smoothly and fairly on its own. The market, dear Yelena, is still run by people. Yet you believe the market will be fair and just to everyone. Naïve, aren't you? Leave the market alone, and the people in power will dominate the system, they will take advantage of the weak and will propagate a vicious cycle where the helpless will remain helpless and the powerful will remain powerful. That's the reality of free market."
Bumuka ang bibig ni Yelena, pero ayaw gumana ng utak niya. Ang lakas ng bugso ng dugo sa kanyang tainga at parang tambol sa lakas at bilis ang pagtibok ng puso niya.
Nag-ehem ang teacher nila. "Very good, both of you. You both have valid points. A communist system is inherently problematic due administrative difficulties. It's difficult if not entirely impossible for the government alone to provide for all the needs of the people. Centralizing power and functions is both inefficient and ineffective. And yes, Capitalism has its own flaws and failures. That's why we have social support programs and government restrictions to regulate the market and even-out the playing field. Jason!" masiglang tawag nito sa kaklase nila.
"Ma'am!" gulat at may halong takot na sagot ng huli.
"Tell us more about the injustices experienced by the characters in the book at the hands of Pig."
Nagpatuloy ang discussion, pero ramdam pa rin ni Yelena ang tension sa hangin. Ramdam niya ang pagsulyap-sulyap sa kanya ng mga kaklase na para bang hinihintay siyang umiyak.
She kept her mouth shut and her fists clenched.