Lighthouse Rocks

CHAPTER 1

“Okay fine! I’ll do it!” sigaw ko sa aking sarili at buti na lang dahil nakakandado itong pintuan ko kung kaya’y walang makapapasok upang umistorbo, “just stop messing with my head!” Bumangon ako mula sa pagkakahiga tsaka tumunganga sa nakasarado kong laptop na maayos kong inilagay kanina sa laptop desk nito.

Oh ano na ngayon? Tutunganga ka lang ba? Punyeta mag-isip ka!

Mag-isip ka Octxie!

Napahilot ako sa aking sentido dahil sa sumasakit na naman itong muli. Katatapos kong umattend ng birthday sa anak ng kaibigan ni dad na kaka-debut lang, hindi naman ito engrande iyong simple lang. Siyempre hindi mawawalan ang mga bisita mula sa iba’t ibang panig ng Rocholigh, sa sobrang dami ay di na ako nakapagtiis kaya umuwi akong mag-isa suot-suot ang dress sakay ang bisekleta ko. I left dad a text though.

Oh sige… sige na nga.

Pero dahil malapit nang mag alas siyete ay naghanda na ako papasok sa paaralan. Dahil nga’y nasa senior high ako ay wala pa kaming opisyal na uniform dahil pinalitan raw kaya heto, we’re free to wear what we want basta huwag iyong revealing clothes. Siguradong hindi kami papapasukin nang guard na feeling boss, joke lang, ginagawa lang naman nila trabaho nila eh kaya no hard feelings. Simpleng polo na pinailaliman ng gray na t-shirt tsaka loosed jeans at Vans na sapatos suot ko. Hindi na ako kumain at naghanda nalang ng pananghalian para mamaya, ugali ko na ang bumili ng almusal sa canteen namin, nakakawalang gana kasi ang kumain sa bahay namin. Ewan ko nga ba kung matatawag ko pa ba iyon bilang pamamahay.

Sakay ko lagi ang aking bisekleta papunta sa kalahating kilometrong layo na pagitan mula sa ‘bahay’ papuntang paaralan. Nag-eenjoy naman ako sa paligid kahit na minsan ay nagsasawa ako rito, sino ba namang hindi sa sampung taon kong pagbibisikleta araw-araw? I’ve never been anywhere else outside Rocholigh (pronounced as ‘rock-oh-leigh’).

But there’s always this g**g who partly ruin my trip.

“Assie the wimpy! Assie the wimpy!” and there, their annoying laughter would echo through the road. Napairap na lang ako sa mga walang kwentang mga estudyanteng iyon, palibhasa kasi’y malakas ang impluwensiya ng pamilya niya sa eskwelahan at sa simbahang pinagsisilbihan ko. Isa pa… hindi Assie ang pangalan ko, mga obob.

Palibhasa mayaman, may kotse, mapera, sikat, at nag-iisang anak (na tarantado naman). I never wanted to drive a car especially if I'm with a bunch of dumbasses friends. For sure ang mga barkada nun ay kasikatan at pera lang ang habol sa kanya but I'm not someone to interrupt their so-called friendship, bahala na sila.

Well, it’s fine with me as long as they don’t ruin my b****y high school life and them… staying out of my way.

Umupo akong mag-isa sa canteen namin habang nasa mesa ang inorder kong pagkain: rice, bacon, and eggs. Of course, kung ano ang nakikita sa canteen ay ang nakikita ko rin dito EXCEPT mas maayos nga lang dito dahil nasa ibang bansa eh. Iilan pa lang kami dito at kadalasang may kasama sila sa pag kain. It was a nice start on Monday morning not until…

“f*****g geek! I never told you I'm gonna pay for my homework that you… obviously did. Thanks babe,” then the guy stormed out with his dumb friends. Napailing ako, ang tanga naman ng geek na iyon. Hindi niya alam na ginagamit lang siya ng sigang boyfriend niya.

I glanced towards her direction. Oh, so mag-isa din pala siya? Her boyfriend’s popular, yung tipong walang gustong bumangga sa kanya. Nakakapasa lang naman iyon dahil pinipilit niya ang mga nagiging nobyo niyang gumawa ng mga homeworks at requirements na dapat ay gawain niya. Hindi ko nga lang matandaan ang pangalan basta he’s my senior and we’re going on the same school, iyon ang importante. Sa kasamaang palad, kabilang ang babaeng iyan at ang pangalan ng tangang girlfriend ng lalaking iyon? Aba malay ko ba, hindi ako nakikipaghalubilo sa mga foreigners so that concludes that I am also a loner but I'm great with that.

She’s wearing a gray sweater embodied with a printed logo of— I know that! It’s the broadway version of Les Misérables. Nang dahil sa suot niya ay pinili kong pagmasdan muna siya wala namang mawawalan diba? She doesn’t look like a foreigner more like… from Western Pacific? Iyong kadalasang kulay itim na buhok at mata tsaka kayumangging balat. And the guy’s right, she’s a f*****g geek. Hanggang doon lang muna ang pwede kong masabi sa babaeng iyon kasi ang layo ng agwat namin tsaka baka mahalata pa niya.

Eh ano naman kung mahalata niya? Anong pakialam mo Octxie?

Nag-umpisa nang dumami ang mga estudyante sa classroom at ang malala ay ang iingay nila, kung makapag-usap sa mga kapwa estudyante nila ay parang hindi nagkita ng ilang taon ah? Sabagay wala rin naman kasi akong makakausap dito. Nakaupo ako sa front row at may isang taong pagitan mula sa bintana, sayang may harang maganda pa naman ang paligid— sa labas kasi umuulan ng pagkalakas. Ang pinaka ayaw ko ay ang umupo sa likuran dahil doon ang pinakamaingay, pasaway, at mga magbabarkada ang naghahari sa bahaging iyon. Pagtitripan lang nila ako kung sakaling mailagay man ako doon.

Waiki’s POV

Someone playfully punched my shoulders while I am walking across the hallway, it was Triggo, the only heir of Crozier Light Company, too bad he’s a jerk yet his parents don't have any other choices but to make him as the next-in-line owner of their company. Everyone calls him Trig for short, also known as ‘the prince’ in this crappy school. I dunno how the s**t he is named for that.

I ignored him as the usual. He can't beat me here with his friends and will never happen again. He is really trying hard not to stain his records though it is really stainable for him to be the moron he wanted. Over the years of Triggo’s bullying I knew I had to defend myself so I asked help from a professional boxer which is dead like three years ago. I am Waiki Tipu, still eighteen and a… loser.

“Hey Y, look at Assie,” here he goes again… talking to me as if we’re friends. He even had his right arm hung to my right shoulder.

Assie? What?! But I thought it’s Octxie. Everybody’s chitchatting and laughing and generating more carbon dioxide while she’s there sitting alone and seems to be having a good time with her own world, she’s like the smartest student inside that room. She doesn't have friends because I remember there was this day when someone tried to befriend her but Octxie or Assie or whatever it is showed no interest and fled away. I saw it, we were training that day and that made me chuckle.

“What?” I pretended to be interested but deep inside I am rolling my eyes for more than two times per second. He gave me a chilling grin, “you know what I don’t care to whatever crap you’re trying to say Triggo. Just get off me and get lost so I could go?” I added while looking down on him. Hah I’ve grown a lot maybe around 6’4’’. He was glaring at me and I felt that this is not good. The seed has grown once again that’s been buried four years ago.

He slowly removed his arm that has been hung unto my shoulder and moved away a bit, allowing me to enter the room. No greetings from my classmates, none of them are my friends though. My instincts are delivering me something and I knew it, Mr. Crozier’s still there isn’t he? He can't hurt me, he’s got a crappy reputation to maintain and expectations to exceed. Once a bully always a bully.

I finally had the chance to take a seat on my favorite spot. This position is a blessing: near the window and a front rower. I relaxed myself from all the tension including Crozier’s intense glares that’s surprisingly still there. I glanced towards his direction there I saw an angled face with a new haircut, an arrogant smirk between two deep dimples, crooked nose, and his ever horrible and big brown eyes.

Try to hit me Crozier, try me. I am not going to be the kid you used to bully long time ago, never dare degrade a New Zealander you moron.

I diverted my stares on him, I knew sooner or later he’ll be gone. That crappy moron.

Octxie’s POV

The class was already done all in six hours not including the one hour and a half of lunch break. Well you should be jealous, it’s the required and mandatory time for the schools here in Rocholigh except that the day care was just like half day consuming about three hours. Rocholigh is a tiny town, technically far far away from the city, if someone has to flee from here then he/she will have to catch up with a boat that barely goes to the other town that takes a day for travel and then ride train, and on and on. As what as I’ve been saying, I have never been into any other places but here. I just love to stay here you know. The silence, the air, the trees, birds, the burning sun, the climate, and totally EVERYTHING.

Most especially the lighthouse.

I haven’t seen it lighted once again for several years and if I did, maybe my last memory about it was when I was still… five? It isn’t new nor too old. Some says it was the Europeans who led the construction of it, there were ‘theories’ that the very first inhabitants of this tiny town were the mastermind, and foolish stories that a certain family whose had a gold heart volunteered by themselves to build it. Whatever it is, I don’t know. Our annoying principal keeps on preaching us that he was at the age of ten when it was built, on how he used to row over there, and that his grandfather was the first to operate it. We didn’t care, we’re used to it, him carrying his own bank. I don't know if it is a valid idea or just plainly an imagination of his.

Another noon, another ride. Another time alone, another b****y school day done. Tomorrow is a new day and so as new shits.

“Assie the wimpy!” and then laughter, screams, and laughter— if I can only kill in a single glare then I’d be pleased seeing more dead people here in the town. I shove the thoughts off my head. No, that’s too mean.

“HEY!”

Even my brain starts to yell at me. Hey brain, I didn’t raise you to yell at me.

“HEY OCTXIE! WAIT!”

STOP.YELLING.BRAIN.

“WAIT FOR ME OCTXIE!!!”

I don’t know why but I think it’s not my brain yelling, more like a normie?

Huminto ako. Nakarinig ako ng matinding paghingal mula sa aking likuran, iyong tipong tumakbo ng dalawang kilometro nang walang pahi-pahinga. Hindi ko kinailangan pang magpunta sa pinakagilid na puwesto sapagkat kokonti lang naman na mga kotse ang dumadaan sa kalsadang ito tsaka walang nananagasa, eh kasalanan na nila iyon.

“Thanks God,” tapos hinahabol na naman ang hinga. Sapo-sapo nito ang kanyang dibdib habang ang isang kamay ay parang may hinahanap sa bag niya. Is he planning to kill me right here? Because in fact, I don't know him, he’s not even familiar.

Dahil nakaapak naman ang mga paa ko sa sementadong kalsada edi nakabalanse ako, “Now what? May gusto ka bang sabihin?”

He gave me a confused glance. Ay, foreigner din pala ito.

“Speak English please,” pagmamakaawa niya. May hinahanap pa rin siya sa kanyang bag, psh.

I reached for my water bottle that was put on the bicycle basket in front and handed it towards this stranger. I bet he’s still a student based on his outfit like in middle school but he’s too tall for that class, I guess?

He smiled sheepishly and said thanks after drinking it into almost empty.

“Nah it’s already yours,” I replied after this boy handed it back to me. “You didn’t told me that all you wanted was to drink, moron. I gotta go,” nag-umpisa na akong mag pedal.

“Thank you ha?!” sigaw ko habang papalayo sa siraulong lalaking iyon. Sa dinami-dami ng mga nagbibisekletang pwede niyang habulin ako pa? Makikiinom lang pala matapos humabol sa akin, no ‘thanks’? Kapag mga foreigners nga talaga mapapaikot mga mata mo.

“WAIT! WAIT FOR ME OCTXIE!” I heard screaming like a kid being left at the souvenir shop. I am not fond of waiting and if that creep wants to come along with me then he must at least catch up with his lame runs.

I can’t describe no more about the ground I grew up on. Kung natitikman lang talaga ang hangin masasabi kong dito ay masarap, hindi nakikita mula rito ang dagat dahil napaliligiran ng masukal na gubat na tinitirhan ng madaming buhay at munting mga nilalang, dito sa amin hindi masakit sa balat kung matamaan ng sinag ng araw kahit sa pagdating ng tanghalian, iilang mga establisyemento lang ang nakatayo dito, walang krimen na nagaganap, the best ang binibigay na serbisyo ng pamahalaan namin, at malimit ang WiFi pati na rin ang signal dito.

When will I ever learn to leave you my dearest Rocholigh?

I will always yearn for your comforting haven

Here is where I am to be found

May it be fictitious or not.