ERALD
MANY LEGENDS have sat on the swivel chair in the office of the student council president. Nakaupo nga ako ngayon dito, hinihimas-himas ang armrest at paikot-ikot sa loob. Apparently, only the president has his own office within the student council office. He can have a private time for himself, if he wanted to.
On the mahogany table in front of me was a photo frame showing the wide smiles of the previous student council officers (because there's a new president now). Nahagip ng mga mata ko ang itsura ni Maddie na plastik kung makangiti. 'Di masyadong halata na may plano siyang mag-take over.
But that was not true. My theory about her being a power-grabbing backstabber was flawed. In the end, she wasn't the one who wanted to take the throne upon the abdication of the queen. That was entirely someone else.
I slapped down the photo frame and reclined on the legendary swivel chair, putting my hands behind my head. Ang sarap sigurong magkaroon ng ganitong office.
May mga kaluskos akong narinig sa labas. Binuksan ang pinaka-pinto ng student council office at sinundan ng ilang mga yabag ng sapatos.
"Congratulations, Mister President!" I heard Maddie's voice outside.
"Thank you, Madam Vice President."
So he's already here, huh? Mukhang kakatapos lang ng victory party nila.
The footsteps grew louder until they came into a halt. May pumihit ng doorknob at dahan-dahang itinulak ang pinto papasok. The light outside also entered, illuminating the dimly lit president's office.
On the doorway, the newly elected President Reign Imperial stood. Instead of asking what I was doing in his new office, he only shot me with a questioning stare. Unti-unti niyang isinara ang pinto at ini-lock din ito.
Tumayo ako't inilapag ang aking mga palad sa mesa. Reign walked slowly toward the mahogany table.
"Congratulations, Mister President!" I greeted with a false smile. "Normally, I would offer you a handshake, but your hands are filthy. Figuratively, of course. Well manicured naman ang mga kamay mo."
"I have been looking for you at the gymnasium," Reign said, maintaning his innocent face and calm tone that have deceived me from the beginning.
"I wanted to congratulate you in person, alone, that's why I went ahead here," I explained. "How did I get inside? We have a lockpicking manual at the QED Club. Picking the lock of your office was a piece of cake. May I suggest changing them for your security."
"Let's drop the act, Erald," Reign stood just one spit away from me. Tanging ang mesa ang nasa pagitan naming dalawa. "You are not the type of person who would go through such lengths just to say congratulations to me."
"You are also not the type of person that I thought you were," I countered. "Tatapatin na kita. I was actually rooting for you to win the presidency. I joined the race so I could ruin my sister's chance of winning. Before she withdrew earlier, nagbabalak na akong magsalita para ipahayag na umuurong na ako at sabihan ang mga botante na suportahan ka. But that was no longer necessary."
"I appreciate that you trust me with this prestigious position," Reign replied. "As what your sister said, the presidency is a serious matter."
"Trusted is the more appropriate term now," I rebutted. "I supported you until the minute that I realized what a wretched man you are. Admittedly, I was blinded by my beef with my sister that I failed to see on who else was taking advantage of the situation. You were the last person in my list."
"Wretched? Don't you think that's a strong word?" Reign asked. "I fail to understand why you had a change of heart. Dahil ba natalo kita sa election kanina?"
"Sanay na akong matalo," I jested. "Sanay na rin akong maloko ng isang taong nagpapanggap na malinis at walang kinalaman sa nangyayari."
"Care to explain?" he sat on one end of the table. "Because I have absolutely no idea on what you are talking about."
"You allied yourself with the K-OS Club and started your campaign of removing the then-sitting president and VP," I explained, picking up the nameplate that says "Student Council President." "It all started sa Clark High Confessions kung saan siniraan n'yo ang mga potential candidate para sa susunod na eleksyon. Ang akala ko nga'y maaga nang binubunot ang damo bago pa tumubo kahit na sa susunod na taon pa ang campaign period. Little did we know that you already planned to hold a snap election as soon as you remove the very person who appointed you to the executive committee."
"That's a serious accusation," Reign shook his head. "You are insinuating that my path to the presidency started a long way ago."
"How about this one?" I crossed my arms across my chest. "You and Madelaine are quite close, aren't you? You probably asked her to ask me to take your request. Remember the leadership seminar incident? The one where Agnes mysteriously disappeared and was found in the organizers' room? Gusto n'yong paglapitin pa ang presidente at ang kanyang VP para may pundasyon na ang scandal na ipinaplano n'yong ipakalat. Kaya kinontrata n'yo ang QED Club."
"I suspected that you were the one behind her abduction," Reign recalled.
"But you let it slide and told me that since no one was hurt, you would just turn a blind eye," sagot ko. "Dapat doon pa lang ay nanghinala na ako. Why would a person who adheres to the rules let me get away with the trouble that I created? Simple! Because the result went according to your plan. Agnes and Bruce confessed their feelings to each. The seed has been planted."
"I believed back then that you had a good reason for plotting the abduction," Reign defended. "Hindi ko na inusisa pa dahil nasolusyunan din naman ang problema na ikaw rin ang gumawa."
"But that night, you concocted a much sinister plot," harap-harap kong sabi sa kanya. "Idinamay mo ang nananahimik naming club president. Amidst the chaos, Charlotte was taken away and brought to the pool. Nakipag-coordinate ka rin sa kakuntsaba mong K-OS Club para hamunin ako."
"I was with you when you found Agnes in the room," Reign said. "Unless na may body double ako, imposibleng nasa dalawang magkaibang lugar sa parehong oras."
"Oh, you didn't have to do it yourself," I countered. "Remember Sebastian? He was already given instruction on what he should do. Since you are in cahoots with Torry, you are aware of their plan and yet you did nothing to stop your own man from doing it."
"Torry?" Napahawak sa kanyang baba si Reign, nagpapanggap na first time pa lang narinig ang gano'ng pangalan. "Isn't he one of the ad hoc Student Grievance Committee members?"
I nodded. "Yup, the hearing where you tried to show that you are concerned about Agnes and Bruce. Ang galing nga ng mga statement mo, talagang todo depensa sa kanila. But Torry told me that the result was already rigged and no matter what you and others say, the majority would vote in favor of recommending the resignation of the two. You only acted as if you were on the side of good."
"I only told the committee what I really believed in."
"Kuwento mo 'yan sa pagong," buwelta ko. "Pero napa-believe mo ako, ha? When the OSA director offered the presidency to you, you declined and proposed a snap election instead. Your goal was being handed to you on a silver platter, but you chose to take the hard way. At first, I thought that was admirable of you. But when the outcome of the snap election was released, I realized you tried to put up a front that you wanted to have a mandate before you can lead. Either by appointment or by election, both ways would lead to one destination: a win-win situation for you."
Imbes na sagutin ang huling paratang ko sa kanya, may inilabas siyang parihabang bagay mula sa kanyang bulsa at ipinihit ang lever nito. It created an annoying and distracting sound.
"What the hell is that noise?" padabog kong tanong.
"White noise," Reign replied. "Just in case you are recording this conversation, it's going to mask our voices, making your recording device useless."
I clicked my tongue. Kanina pa naka-on ang recording app sa phone ko. If what he said about his device was true, I wouldn't get an evidence of him admitting that he schemed his way to the presidency!
"You are right about everything, except for one," Reign remarked, turning his head to me. His eyes had that fierce fire that spoke of his passion that got him to where he wanted himself to be.
"I did not ally myself with the K-OS Club. I am the K-OS Club."
That revelation wasn't as shocking as the realization I had minutes before the elections. The only thing that's going on my mind was why I didn't realize it sooner.
"Torry, who was reported missing since yesterday afternoon, was found an hour ago at one of the storage rooms," Reign said. "That was your doing, wasn't it? In order to stop the K-OS Club from interfering in the snap elections, you decided to kidnap him. Unfortunately for you, he wasn't the real brains behind the group."
"He was just a stand-in..." I muttered.
"If you give evil a name and a face, no one would bother digging deeper," Reign explained. "You accepted Torry as the person he introduced himself to you. And that is your fatal flaw."
Naiintindihan ko na ngayon ang mga sagot ni Torry kanina. He said that he couldn't admit to the crimes that he didn't commit. He denied that he's conniving with Madelaine; it was Reign Imperial that he's conniving with. He also denied that he's the leader of the rogue group; it was Reign Imperial that's actually the supreme leader.
If I had only listened more closely, I wouldn't have made such mistakes. But past is past. I should deal with the present now.
Reign walked past me and stood behind his desk. "I look forward to working with the QED Club in the future. Today, the flower of a new era blooms."
"I also look forward to working with the new student council president." Tinanggal ko na ang pagkakakrus ng aking mga braso at lumayo na mula sa mesa. "Good luck on picking the members of your council."
Naglakad na ako patungo sa pinto. Just when I was about to grab the knob, I heard him speak.
"The K-OS Club has already fulfilled its purpose," Reign declared, turning off the irritating noise. "You won't be dealing with them anymore in the future."
"How reassuring," I commented, shooting him with one last glimpse. "Should they become involved again in any case, I will personally go after you. Mark my words."
***
Despite losing the battle and the war, Charlotte, Clyde and I decided to meet after school hours in a milk tea shop. This was supposed to be our victory party for stopping my evil sister from taking over the kingdom, but things changed. Since there was no victory to be celebrated, naisipan ko ngang ipa-cancel na lang an reservation namin. But Clyde said that we should push through with and discuss another matter instead.
Nadatnan ko ang dalawa na nakabili na ng kanilang milk tea at kinakain ang isang platter ng fries. I ordered a chocolate mousse milk tea before sitting down with them.
"How was your meeting with the new president?" unang tanong ni Charlotte pagkaupo ko sabay subo ng fries. "Did you get any evidence that would prove him conniving with the K-OS Club?"
"Mukhang mali rin tayo tungkol diyan," I sighed. "Reign did not connive with the K-OS Club. He is the K-OS Club. He's the real mastermind behind the group. Torry was only a front."
"So he admitted?"
"But he used a device that can create white noise to disrupt my recording," sunod kong buntong-hininga. "Hindi ko na-record ang part na umamin siya. He seemed to be prepared for any kind of confrontation."
"We are back to square one again," Clyde commented, sipping his taro milktea. "The K-OS Club case is far from over."
"Reign assured me that they won't bother us again," I said. "They have already fulfilled their mission — which was to catapult him to the presidency — so he no longer has any need for them. Sinabi ko naman na kapag umeksena pa sila, hindi ko siya tatantanan, kahit siya pa ang student council president."
"Case closed?" Clyde asked.
"For now," I nodded. "We have to keep an eye out. I'd like to believe in Reign's words, but given his association with the rogue group, we need take his pronouncement with a grain of salt. Muli nating bubuksan ang imbestigasyon kapag nanggulo ulit sila."
Inihatid na ng barista ang in-order kong milktea. I raised my cup and proposed a toast. "For the newly elected student council president!"
"Cheers!"
Nagbanggaan ang aming mga plastic cup bago kami muling sumipsip. A silence then ensued, hinayaan naming mamayani ang malumanay na background music.
"So what are we going to do now?" tanong ni Charlotte, nilalaro ang kanyang inumin. "We have nothing to celebrate about."
"But there's something that we can discuss," hirit ni Clyde. "Erald wants to say something."
Halos mabuga ko ang aking iniinom. Pinunasan ko muna ang aking labi bago sumagot. "Bakit ako?"
"'Di ba ikaw ang nag-set ng meeting na 'to?" he returned. "You should start the ball rolling now."
"Bakit parang kayong dalawa lang ang nakakaalam, ha?" pagtataka ni Charlotte. "Parang 'di ako kasama sa usapan n'yo. Am I not a member of this club?"
Napakamot tuloy ako ng ulo. Talagang itong si apat-na-mata, minsa'y ipinapahamak ako.
Huminga muna ako nang malalim at nag-ipon ng lakas ng loob. I promised Clyde to broach the topic once the snap election was over. At dahil may nanalo na, wala nang dahilan pa para i-delay ang pagtalakay nito.
"Charlotte," I called her name in the gentlest way that I could. "Remember that accident four years ago? News flash: I was the boy that pushed you away from the car."
Nanlaki ang mga mata niya, tila hindi makapaniwala sa rebelasyon ko. "Really? So you are my hero?"
Hero? "You are giving me too much compliment. I am not a hero. If I were, you wouldn't have to suffer from that memory loss curse."
"But you saved my life nonetheless," Charlotte insisted. "You may consider my condition as a curse, but there's something bigger than that. I'm still alive! That's what matters to me."
"I must also confess my guilt." It was Clyde's turn to talk. "The car that almost hit you—but hit Erald instead—was my family's. I was at the backseat during that eventful afternoon. I don't know kung mare-recall mo pa kung sino ang nagdala sa 'yo noon sa ospital. But I was there."
Ilang sandaling natahimik si Charlotte, mukhang ina-absorb ang lahat ng mga sinabi namin. Tapos bigla siyang natawa nang mahina. Ang akala ko nga'y nababaliw na siya.
"So we were at that incident four years ago? Tapos ngayon, magkakasama na tayo sa isang club?" she laughed heartily. "Mapaglaro talaga ang tadhana."
Same thought here. Parang ang hirap isipin na coincidence ang reunion namin sa QED Club. Fate must have found a way to bring us three again together. So... thanks, fate? At least, naibsan na ang guilty feeling ko kahit paano.
"You don't have to apologize for anything or feel guilty about something," Charlotte remarked, her eyes blinking. "Wala naman sa atin na ginusto ang nangyari noon. I may have a defect in my memory, but thanks to it, I learned how to appreciate every moment of my life. I learned how to appreciate this moment. Because tomorrow, who knows, I might forget about it. Forget not only the memory, but also the feeling. So, cheers to the QED Club?"
She raised her half-empty cup. Kahit wala nang laman ang sa akin, nakitagay na rin ako.
"Cheers!"
"For the future cases that we're gonna solve!"
"Cheers!"
If Reign's words could be trusted, Clark High would be at peace. But should something happen again, the students know who to call: the QED Club.
Case closed? For now.