#WhatWouldItBe
"Stefan, pakiabot nga ng sandok kasama ng mga rekado,"
Agad ko namang sinunod ang utos ni mama at binigay sa kaniya ang hiling. Nginitian niya ako bago kuhanin at nagpatuloy sa pagluluto.
Today is before New Year's Day. December 31 and I'm helping my family, at least, to cook foods for later midnight.
I think I was forced here or volunteered. I don't know.
I continue doing this ulam recipe and kept switching to cooking the spaghetti sauce. Sabi ng mga titas and titos ko, I cook so good spaghetti kaya ako ang nilagay nila sa pagluluto ng gusto nila.
This is not new to me. Ever since I started to know how to maneuver the gas stove and learn how to do proper cooking, kasama na ako sa paghahanda ng iilang celebrations sa isang tao.
It's good. I'm not saying anything because it is fun. Hindi lang contentment sa sikmura ang nadadala kundi ang bonding din with my family.
God knows how much I love them even if some days are just hard for some of us.
"Tapos ka ba diyan, hijo?" napabaling ako ng tingin sa nagsalita.
"Almost, lola. Konting halo na lang.." ngiwi ko.
She patted my shoulder and went far away from us. She used to cook with us, especially before but.. there's no deny na tumatanda na siya..
Sayang. Gustong-gusto niya magluto para sa mga anak at mga apo niya ngunit ayaw na ng mga buto ng katawan niya.
That's why now, we're multi tasking to finish cooking because ilang oras na lang, sasapit na ang alas dose.
Tagaktak na ang pawis ko and I didn't even noticed it until Mama passed me a clean and Downy-ih face towel.
"Thank you," I said and rub it on my face.
Nang matapos sa pagluluto, I assembled it to the way that was taught by me a while ago. Nag-iba kami ng routine so I need to do different from what I used to do.
"Tapos na 'yan? Ang iba? Mga ulam?" My Aunt said that.
Sinabi ko na tapos na ako sa ginagawa ko and she just nodded. Umalis ako sa tapat ng mesa at hinanap si Mama.
I found her standing beside the human sized mirror and our flat-screen TV.
"Ma.." I called her.
She's swiping from her Facebook when she looks at me, "Bakit?"
"Natapos ko na 'yung niluluto ko. Can I go inside my room na? I still have a lot of readings to rush, I can't help with some leftovers food na kailangan lutuin,"
Our schedule is hectic now. I'm graduating and it's excuse na marami na talagang ginagawa. One mistake, a hundred possibility that I won't graduate.
So I really tried to help the family from fixing the foods, I don't want it to do but I can't dodge it because.. they are my family.
"Sige lang! Salamat sa tulong, anak.." nanlambot ang puso ko sa ngiti niya.
I wanted to hug her but I'm sweaty like I've just come from hell. Pag-akyat ko sa kwarto ay pinatuyo ko muna ang sarili kasabay ng kahit papaano ay pagbasa kahit saglit lang.
When I made sure that I can take a bath, agad din akong naligo at saka suot ng damit na komportable sa akin.
Hindi ako nagsisinungaling, ang dami kong babasahin because after this holiday, exams kami kaagad sa UW. It's fucking unbelievable but what can I do?
I chose UW as my college university. I know how the school works, kasalanan ko rin so who am I to complain?
My very own self is the only one to blame.
When I settled at my study area, I grabbed everything I need to read. Bababa na lang ako mamaya kapag kainan na, now, all I need to do was to review.
Nothing else.
Nale Sajero mentioned you in a comment.
My brows immediately shot upon seeing my phone lit up. Agad ko iyon kinuha at nagtipa ng mensahe sa kaibigan.
Ste Fan
ano na naman minention mo
Saglit ko lang iniwan iyon at agad na siyang naka reply
Nale Sajero
Ang sungit mo naman po! Hahahahaha
Ste Fan
bother ka
Nale Sajero
Check it kasi! Arte mo naman
Ste Fan
can't. busy reading OUR readings
I need to emphasized the word our for him because he's having time to mention me in something when he should've been like me now.
Reading, reviewing, thinking school even if it is New Year.
Nale Sajero
Cant daw pero nakaka reply sa akin, lul, huwag kami
Ste Fan
kami? why? where are you?
Nale Sajero
Bar Panalo, punta ka na
Ste Fan
oh good Lord, Sajero, hindi ka nagre review?
Nale Sajero
I am! Judger ka
Ste Fan
paano ka makaka review kung nasa loob ka ng bar, huh
Nale Sajero
Stop acting like you don't know how multitasker is your friend, Stefan ;))))
Ste Fan
whatever, dont cry on me if you don't know what to answer okay?
Nale Sajero
Yes boss!
I left him with seen but he still replied. God.
Nale Sajero
before i let you continue, punta ka sa school bukas. may surpise daw.
ps: i dont know what it is so don't ask me ano 'yun. See you tom my dear studious friend!
That text stayed in my mind even if I'm in the middle of swimming in my readings. What's with tomorrow anyway? Aren't they busy too?
It's just three days before going back to school, they can't even wait.
"Anak! Saan punta?"
Kabababa ko lang ng hagdan, kasama ng bag ko nang tawagin ako ni mama. Lumapit ako para halikan siya sa pisngi sabay kuha ng isang slice ng hamon.
Kaunti lang nakain ko kaninang madaling araw, I'm sleepy already so I didn't eat so much. Natulog din ako kaagad pagkatapos kumain.
Thank God I'm still alive.
"UW. Nale told me there's surprise, kailangan kong tingnan." sagot ko naman.
"Napansin ko kanina na wala kang masyadong nakain! Kumain ka kaya muna?" my another aunt said that.
"Thank you but dederetso muna ako ng simbahan bago UW, I don't want my whoever katabi na maamoy ang kinain ko." I laughed.
"Hindi naman siguro! Sobrang bango mo nga ngayon!" nagtawanan silang lahat
"I will eat later, pag-uwi ko." with one last salute, lumabas na ako ng bahay at sumakay sa kotse ko.
I did what I said, dumaan muna ako ng simbahan, nanatili ng ilang minuto bago tumulak papunta sa school.
Namataan ko na ang kotse ni Nale sa parking lot pagkarating ko ng school.
"Hanap na kayo sa building niyo!" ani ng guard sa akin nang makita ako.
"Talaga po? Salamat po." bati ko at halos takbuhin papasok sa school.
The university is still the same. Same buildings, vibes, trees, field, the only difference is there's no much students around.
It's still New Year's Day, pretty sure they are with their family or getting ready for exams.
"Usap-usapan na rookie pa lang pero pasok agad sa team after try outs!"
"Sira! Ganoon naman ang try outs, hindi ba? Baka talagang magaling!"
"No, you stupid ass! Tatlong try outs ang pinagdadaanan ng gustong makapasok sa Elite but him? Isang try out lang at pasok na siya kaagad!"
"He must be good then?"
"Duh!"
That's the only thing I can hear when I arrived at our building. Usapan nila ang isang student from the other university, which is RST, about its skill.
Is that all I'm gonna know today? That someone from the rival of this school has skills to whatever sports is?
Pag-akyat ko ng third floor ay kumaliwa ako, from a far ay nakikita ko na si Nale na kausap ang isa naming Prof.
"What a great way to start the year!" tawa ng prof namin nang makita ako.
"Yow? What are you doing hear?" I hissed. "I mean what's with here? Surprise? Why? Are we all qualified for graduation?"
Natawa ang dalawa sa sinabi ko. "You're so ahead of time, Stefan."
"Why?"
"You'll all be qualified if you already taken your exams, but it's not yet happening." he laughed again.
"I hate you on this very first day of the year, attorney."
Bigla akong inakbayan ni Nale, "How's review?"
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"
Nale clicked his tounge on me, "It went good. I only read two pages but drank almost ten bottles of tequila."
"You fucking add—" tinulak ko siya nang marinig iyon.
"Hayaan mo na 'yun! Ano ba! Tara na, it's time for you to know the surprise!"
Still disgusted to what I heard, I let myself be taken away from his grip. Whatever that surpise is, I still wanna graduate and practice.
***
"Nakita mo na 'yung minention ko sa'yo?"
It's almost sunset and I'm busy taking photos of our beloved school while the background is so hilariously beautiful to see.
"No." I simply said.
"Ang arte mo talaga, 'no?"
"What is it ba?" sabi ko habang tinitingnan ang mga kuha ko.
"Akin na nga!" sabay hablot niya sa telepono ko.
"Hey!" I tried to grab it away from him pero pilit lang siyang lumalayo! Our classmates na kasabayan sa paglalakad at tinatawanan lang kami!
Great help, though!
"There! Ang arte-arte mo,"
"As if this is really important," hingal kong sabi sabay bukas ng phone.
My eyes saw a Facebook post, it's a headline and napasapo ako kaagad sa noo nang makita ang thumbnail ng article.
"Articles of law is what we should know, not articles about celebrities!" bulyaw ko.
I was right. Chismis lang naman ang minention niya sa akin, akala ko naman kung ano na para kailangan kong makita.
"Sira! It's not just chismis!"
"Then what else?"
"The guy is guwapo!" tumili siya na parang mga kasamahan namin palabas ng school. "He's so cute and I wanna meet him!"
"He's from RST, right?" our one classmate said that and immediately get agreed by Nale.
"I don't know what you're talking about," tinago ko ang phone sa bulsa dahil wala akong plano tumingin ng mga chismis ngayon.
Maybe after we graduate? Yeah.
Hindi na niya ako ginulo dahil napunta na sila sa usapan tungkol sa chismis na binanggit sa minention niya sa akin. Naging tahimik ako hanggang makarating ng labasan pero kinausap niya rin ako kaagad.
"Tara na kasi Bar Panalo!"
"Marami pa akong babasahin, sira."
"Makakapag hintay naman 'yang mga readings natin e! Sabi na nga ni Prof na the more we force our mind to read, the more chance we forgot it!"
I sighed. "So is that place is. And it doesn't happen to me so I really need to review."
"Come on! Uwi ka na lang before nine!"
"Nope."
"Before eight!"
"Nope."
"Bago seven, huling tawad!"
"Nal—"
"Libre ko lahat!"
With that, I stopped from my position and titled my head. "Really?"
"See? That's the only way to tame you really, huh?"
Umakbay ako sa balikat niya, "I will reiterate what you said last night, don't act like you don't know your friend."
"Excuse me, I said stop acting not what you said,"
"It's clearly the same thing," I laughed off and pulled him to taxi. God. I really wish he really fulfill his promise, because if not, I'll run away from the bill.
They got engaged to the gossip again when my phone beeped inside my jeans. When I opened it, I thought it was a message from Mama or what but it's a request.
From someone... I don't know.
Trent Allsen sent you a friend request.