Bottle of Death

Chapter 10

#Chapter10

Daivy POV

After the commotion Grachell have made kanina, ay agad na tumakbo papaalis ang babaeng pinahiya niya. I just can’t believe her, she’s a daughter from another man of her mom? What a big shame for their family lalo na kapag nakarating sa mga directors at investors ng company ng daddy niya.

And Mr. Briguella? Knowing that man, I know he’s not strict but you wouldn’t want to see him fuming mad. He can be a monster in just a blink of an eye. What a mess have Daniella brought in her family, alam ko na may mga nakakuha ng video kanina lalo pa’t sunod sunod ang flash ng camera.

“Sabi ko na, walang makakatalo sayo Chell!” gatong ni Rahizen kay Grachell na agad namang sinundan nina Francis, Jelliane and Abi. Kahit kailan talaga ang mga mokong na’to.

“Huy, kayo! Tigil tigilan niyo nga ako sa kakagatong niyo diyan kay Chell! Eh kung mukha niyo ingudngud ko sa blackboard!?” ako. I shrugged and twirled my leg.

Napunta sa akin ang kanilang tingin kaya agad ko silang tinarayan at saka tumayo. Nang akmang lalabas na sana ako sa exit door namin ay siya namang pagpasok ng humahangos na si Carlo.

I stopped and go back in my chair.

Nakuha niya ang atensyon naming lahat at nagtatakang tumingin sa kaniya. When Dave was about to ask him what happen, naunahan na siya ng pagbukas ng speaker na nasa loob ng aming classroom at siya namang paglitaw ng boses ng isang babae.

“Good morning to everyone, for all of the class, club and Supreme Pupil Government’s officer. Kindly go to the auditorium building, thank you. Again, calling for all the attention of the class, club and Supreme Pupil Government’s officer, kindly go to the auditorium. Thank you!”

My forehead crease after hearing the attention callers. Isinandal ko ang aking likod sa aking upuan at saka dumako ang atensyon kay Joyce na mabilis na tumayo at naglakad palabas ng classroom. I heave for a sigh and rolled my eyes before I stood up too and follow her. Nakita ko naman na sumunod din ang iba.

Every section has thirteen officers. The Class President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Worship, the Treasurer, the Auditor, the Education and Service, the Muse and Escort, the two Project Manager and last is the PIO. Each of us has our own duty or obligations for the sake of our class. Malaki ang aming pananagutan kung sakaling may mangyari sa loob ng aming klase.

Nang makalabas kami ng classroom ay agad na bumungad sa akin ang mga paniguradong officers din na halos takbuhin na auditorium makatakas lang sa discussion ng kanilang mga lecturer. Tsk, minsan talaga nakakatamad din mag-aral.

But just like what all people say, Education is our best weapon to our success. Talaga ba? Sometimes I don’t believe on it, why? Kasi bakit may mga nagiging successful kahit hindi nakapagtapos?

It should be ‘Assiduity is our most ever weapon to be successful’. Paano kung matalino ka nga ang tamad mo naman? San ka dadalhin ng katamaran mo’ng yan? Just like Freshue Joy Saldivar and Matt Traviz Alob, they are both smart and has huge capacity of knowledge, pero kung hindi sila nagsikap hindi sila makakasama sa top twenty Frankstein dito sa buong school.

Yeah, Frankstein and not Franken Einstein. All the principal and directors of every school here created that top list. That means sila ang mga most gifted person maliban sa mga honor at with high honor lang every section or grade level. All in all, the Frankstein are the highest among all the honors and tops.

At dapat ime-maintain mo na always 95 above ang grade mo every subject dahil kung hindi, matatanggal ka sa Rank. Well for me, I can get that grade or higher than that, pero sadyang hindi sa lahat ng subject ay nakakakuha ako ng mataas pa sa 94 or 95. Minsan bumababa na ako especially if I forgot to past all the projects o kaya ay ang mga research papers namin.

Just like what I said, nakakatamad din mag-aral. But for Fresh and Matt? Para bang inalay na nila ang kanilang kaluluwa sa pagmumokmok sa pagaaral. They can’t live without even reading a book or inserting information in their awesome head.

Kung may ganun lang sana akong utak, edi hindi ko na kailangang maging sipsip sa teacher tumaas lang ang grade. Yeah, it’s an insult for me to be called sipsip sa teacher but then the hell I care anymore! This is my life at why they can’t just mind their own business di’ba? I have my own ways to pass all my subjects kesa naman sa kanila na walang ibang ginawa kung hindi lumandi o magpaganda lang. Yuck, no offense but can’t they see that doing those stuff wouldn’t bring opportunities to them? O kaya naman ay, san ba sila nadadala ng paglalandi at pagpapaganda lang di’ba?

Okay, I just real talk, but then I’m just being honest too. Instead of become impress to them, I pity them for not minding how important their studies are. At mas nakakaawa ay ang mga magulang nila na walang ibang ginawa kung hindi agpakapagud maibigay lang ang pangangailangan ng anak at mabigyan lamang ito ng magandang buhay.

They should at least appreciate the effort of their parents or guardians. Kasi darating ang araw na mawawala sila sa tabi mo so you have to know how to value things and how to become an independent person.

You should know how things work.

When we entered the auditorium, sinalubong ako ng napakaingay na paligid. But then what caught my attention is the letter flash by the projector. It was b****y at may kung ano anong mga salita ang nandoon. I can’t pin point what it implies and it is shitting me out.

But wait, kaya ba kami pinatawag ay para lang dito?

“What the hell is that?” dinig kong tanong ni Johan, ang escort namin. Nilingon ko siya at saka nagsalita.

“Obviously, a letter from someone.”

But I don’t know the hell kung bakit kailangan ganiyan pa ang format! Bakit parang walang kahit na sino ang makakaintindi ng letter niya? Whoever wrote this letter, alam kong may napakalalim na ibig sabihin sa huli. At kung ano ang dahilan niya ay hindi ko alam.

TS GS GZ RO PY RT PC YG OS EG GS EI

Yan lang ang nakalagay at ang font na ginamit dito ay napakacreepy at b****y. I don’t know what that means but one thing I’m sure, that’s a code. I just don’t know how to decipher this one.

Sumandal ako sa malamig na pader at saka nagkibit balikat. Pinagmasdan ko ang mga estudyanteng titig na titig sa code na nasa unahan. At alam ko na alam narin nilang code ang isang to. Paniguradong kung nasa amin lamang ang aming cellphone ay madali itong masasagutan.

Maya maya pa ay lumabas sa stage si Ms. Alfer. Ang IT head teacher sa campus, she’s a master of computers kaya’t paniguradong nandito talaga siya. Ang ipinagtataka ko lamang ay bakit pa kami kailangan dito eh yan lang pala ang gagawin? Saka ano bang mapapala namin diyan sa code na yan? Maiituro ba niyan ang kayamanan ng pilipinas?

Tsk, what’s with the stupid code?

Ilang segundo po ay nagsalita si Ms. Alfer na siyang ikinatahimik ng lahat. Wala naman na kaming ibang nagawa pa kung hindi ang making sa sasabihin niya o kung ano mang may kwentang sasabihin niya. Siguraduhin lang talaga nila na may mapapala kami diyan dahil kung hindi sayang lang ang nilakad ko papunta dito na ang layo layo sa pa class room namin.

“Good morning everyone! I am Ms. Alodia Alfer, the IT head teacher and I’m here, as well as you’re all here because we’ll be answering this code,” walang karea-reaksyon niyang sinabi na ikinaikot lang ng mata ko. I already knew that.

“But this one is not that simple especially since someone's life depends on it. As we all know, our principal Mrs. Medez was murdered and so was her husband. At ang tanging natira na lamang ay ang nagiisa nilang anak na si Daphne Medez, 12 years old and grade five student here in our school. But then just this morning we received a message from unidentified person at sinabing hawak niya si Daphne. That person also send us a picture of Daphne while crying and lying on dirty tiled floor.” Dagdag niya na nakapagpatigil sa akin ng sobra.

The heck!?

Si Daphne? Yung batang babae na medyo chubby na bibo na mabat at sobrang cute!? Who the hell have the guts to kidnap such cute and adorable kid!? Pero bakit parang medyo tinaasan ako ng balahibo.

“Here is the picture send by that person to the faculty number line.” Ms. Alfer said and took out the small remote from her pocket and when she push some button that I did not know, a blurred picture appeared in the projector screen.

Parang bumagsak ang panga ko ng bumungad sa akin ang nakasalampak na isang batang babae sa halos dinadaga at iniipis na lugar. Oh’s and gasp filled the room the moment the picture come to view.

Yung lugar na pinagkuhanan, sobrang dumi nito na nagkukulay itim na ang dapat ay putting tiles na sahig. My eyes shifted to the girl na halos hindi ko makilala dahil nakatabon ang magulo nitong buhok sa kaniyang mukha. Awang awa ako sa kaniya. Halatang takot na takot ito at umiiyak.

I covered my mouth and immediately diverted my eyes from the sight of her pitiful situation. Nahagip naman ng mga mata ko ang isang halos maging kulay dilaw na kubeta. Mas lalo akong pinagtaasan ng balahibo.

Bigla akong nakaramdam ng habag sa nakita at nalaman. Honestly, I met that kid two times. Mabait na bata at napakatalino. Though she did not make it to the Frankstein. Yung unang pagkikita namin is when I tripped, she’s the one who helped me one students started to laugh and judge me. The second time is when I found her crying in the library, she’s in the history section kung saan walang masiyadong estudyante ang naggagawi. I comforted her even if I am not good at it.

I pity this kid, she don’t deserve such things.

“I already know the answer ma’am!”

Nagulat ang lahat ng biglang may nagsalita sa pinakahulihang parte ng auditorium. Tila nagecho ito sa aming mga tenga, at ng makita ko kung sino ang nagsalita ay mas lalong nalaglag ang panga ko.

Bakit nandito siya?

*

Ashlie POV

I could feel the pain and soreness of my wound. I wanted to swear but I couldn't because there was a doctor next to me who was doing something on the machine.

“What school are you from?” tanong niya sa akin habang patuloy parin ang ginagawa. Kahit sobrang naiinis na ako ay sinagot ko parin siya. Pero tinatamad ako kaya maikli lang, at least hindi ako bastos gayong sinagot ko naman ang tanong niya.

“Kahit saan.”

I heard him chuckled a bit and I only pouted. This doctor is shitting me out. Kanina pa’to may ginagawa sa machine na hindi man lang matapos tapos. Gustong gusto ko ng umuwi at manood ng Netflix since hindi ako pinayagang pumasok ng magulang ko. Meron din naman akong excuse letter na agad namang sinangayunan ng eskwelahan namin.

“I’m just asking, baka kasi kilala mo iyong estudyante sa VIP room sa third floor. Tsk, that girl, she’s still unconscious after her seizure yesterday.” Saad niya na medyo naman nakakuha ng atensyon ko. But I felt strange of what he said.

“Do you know her name?” I asked, pero ginawa kong hindi interesado ang boses ko. Syempre baka magisip pa siya ng ibang mga bagay. But I must say, this doctor is in my ideal man. Mukha siyang bata at ang sabi ni mommy ay bago lamang daw siya.

“Her name? Of course! Nakapartner ko pa nga si Dr. Gamboa sa pagresearch sa drogang ginamit sa kaniya. But it’s weird dahil walang tumutugmang droga sa drogang ginamit sa kaniya. But Dr. Gamboa believe that it is Benzodiazepines.” Kwento niya na hindi nasagot ang tanong ko. Gusto ko pa sana siyang tanungin na iyan ba ang itinanong ko ng may isang humahangos na nurse ang biglang pumasok sa silid na ikinagulat naming dalawa.

“Doc. Roel, the patient in the VIP room is in critical condition. Dr. Gamboa is looking for you!” aniya na mabilis na ikinatayo ng doctor sa tabi ko. And minutes passed, I just found myself running fast while following him to go to the VIP room the nurse was referring to.

[End of Chapter 10 – Thank You