Chapter Two
1640 Words
"Jeia anak... he's still your father-"
"I don't have a father! He's dead!" Hindi na niya napigilan ang pagtaas ng boses.
Her mother knew she's never comfortable talking about his so called 'father' and anger was all she could show.
"He's trying to make up for what he did, Jeia. Please give him one more chance..."
Hindi pa ito tapos magsalita pero kumukulo na ang dugo niya. Chance? Well, f*ck him.
"Chance, Ma? Then why can't he stop?! Bakit siya magsisisi ngayon kung pwede naman siyang magsisi sa simula pa lang?! Huh? Why did he have to do that to me?! Why me?" Her voice grew hoarse as she swallowed, pushing back her tears.
She cannot understand why her mother always try to defend him when all he did was to lie again and again.
Napaiwas ng tingin ang mama niya. This is the problem with her mother. Parang wala itong pakialam sa nangyari sa kanya noon. Ang mahalaga lang dito ay ang perang natatanggap nito sa asawa.
"I-I'm sorry."
Jeia closed her eyes as she let those words sink in but her mind can't digest it. How many times did she heard those empty words again? Countless. Pero hindi pa rin nag-iiba ang pag-iisip ng ina niya.
"Pagod na ako, Ma. Magpapahinga na po ako."
Nilagpasan niya ang ina at dumiretso sa silid ng anak.
She's getting tired of arguing with her mom again and again and she would always end up disappointed with her. Her mom would always say that he's her father but how come she never felt the feeling of having a father? Damn.
"Robi...how did you and Mr. Mijares met? Can you tell me?" She rubbed her son's back as they laid on his bed.
She decided to sleep on Robi's room so she can talk to him. Matagal na rin nang huli silang magkatabing matulog kaya gusto niya rin.
"Uhm, I saw him sleeping behind the cypress tree and I thought he's dead but when I poked his cheeks, bigla po niyang hinawakan ang kamay ko. Galit po siya pero nang makita po niya ako, he went back to sleep. He was drunk that time so I don't want to talk to him. You know mom...his eyes were sad. Kaya po sinamahan ko po siya..."
"And? When did that happened, son? Bakit hindi mo sinabi sa'kin?" She might be protective of her son but she never expected Robi to hide something from her.
"Uh I think that was two months ago? I'm not su-sure, mom."
Hindi niya alam pero lumaki ng anak niyang inglisero. She thought it was because of watching English cartoons and children's movies but he became more fluent as he grow up. Nagmi-mix ang salita nito at nagiging slang minsan.
"Ganun ba? Why didn't you tell mom earlier, uhm?" Marahan lang ang boses niya dahil ayaw niyang matakot s kanya ang anak kapag pagalit niya itong tatanungin.
"He said not to tell you. I told him you are working there and he also saw you when we walked passed your room once. He keeps on giving me books and chocolates and we became friends. Sinasamahan din po niya ako sa library when I was alone since I don't have friends..."
That's it. Wala na siyang masabi. His son found himself a 'friend' but unluckily for her, she doesn't want him near her son.
"Okay...but don't get too attached to him. He's still the principal, be formal to him okay?"
Walang narinig na sagot si Jeia. Nang sulyapan niya ang anak, his eyes were closed and curled up on her side. So cute.
"I love you." She hugged her son tight before drifting off to sleep, trying to fight images of a young girl begging for help.
"Morning Jeia..."
"Good morning, ma'am."
Nginitian niya ang mga kasama niyang gurong bumabati sa kanya. She greeted them back as she held her son's hand and her bag on the other. She walked with him until they reached his classroom. "Your bag, Robi. Come to my room when it's time for your break, alright?"
"Copy that, mom. I love you."
Hinalikan niya ito sa pisngi bago dumiretso sa advisory class niya. She usually cleaned the classroom before classes kaya sinuot niya muna ng tsinelas niya. Sinilip din niya ang c.r. nila kung nilinisan ng assigned cleaners kahapon.
She's a very compassionate teacher and a second mother to her pupils so she never let them do heavy chores. Sa unang baitang siya nagtuturo kaya nauuna ng classroom niya na sinusundan ng room nina Robi.
Every room has its own television and individually air-conditioned. Malawak din ito at nasa gitnang taas ng blackboard and malaking telebisyon.
"Goodmorning, Ms. Diego."
Jeia jumped a little when someone spoke behind her with a rough voice. Kaagad tumaas ang kilay niya nang makita ang 'kagalang-galang' na presidente ng eskwelahan.
"Damn. You startled me... What are you doing here?"
Itinabi niya ang walis tambo at hinarap ang lalaking mapangahas. Hands in his pockets, he leaned on the door frame and smiled at her.
Oh? He's smiling now?
"Napadaan lang. Just doing my early rounds. How's Robi?"
" 'Di ba sinabi ko nang 'wag kang makikipag-lapit sa kanya? Not because you're the president means you can do anything you want. Nuh-uh Mijares. Not my son."
" Oh, I do. That's a given. Gusto ko lang siyang kumustahin, stop overthinking Jeia Picarra. I'm just curious about your son, that's all."
Naningkit ang mga mata nito. Kung makapagsalita ito ay parang 'friends' sila. He even called her Jeia. Tsk.
Though she's calling him with his family name and such, she doesn't want to hide her dislike and he don't seem to mind.
"Then stop asking about him. The end."
Pinag-krus niya ng mga braso at nakipagtitigan sa lalaki. Hindi ito umimik bagama't malamig ang tingin at nanghahamon ang mata.
"You're really not afraid of me, are you? You don't mind your boss firing you?"
"Why would I? Am I supposed to? I think not. Gawin mo kung anong gusto mo at gagawin ko kung anong gusto ko. Now, out you go Mr. I'm in the middle of something."
To his disbelief, the disrespectful employees turned her back on him giving him a perfect view of her a*s perfectly sheathed with her slacks.
"F*ck."
Quickly spinning around, Sage marched away from the room to the second grade.
"Sir Sage!"
Isang nakangiting Robi and sumalubong sa kanya at nginitian ng malapad. "Hey, bro. What's up?"
Sa iilang pagkikita nila ng bata, may namuong pagkagiliw sa kanya at ang kagustuhang makita at makausap ito araw-araw ay hindi niya mapigilan.
His Mom detest him for a reason unknown to him but it's not enough to stop him from indulging Robi. Besides, sinabi nito kanina na gawin daw niya ang gusto niya aat gagawin din nito ang nais niya.
Hw smirked with that thought.
"Nothing much. I'm sure Mrs. Carlos' would be boring again and Ms. Lenny would be loud. Tss... Why don't you fire her? She's annoying." Nalukot ang mukha nito at umismid.
The kid was already like this even before they met but Sage still can't help it. This kid is just so serious and brooding in his age.
"C'mon, school year ends in just a few months so bear with her until then. Hindi ka din naman nakikinig at natutulog pa nga, why not do it again?" Kinagat niya ang labi para pigilang mapahagalpak sa tawa.
Robi is easily bored with literally anything kaya walang nagtatagal na kausap, siya lang. If not bored, he's sleepy or hungry.
Robi smirked. "She got mad at me yesterday."
"Oh? Again? Why?"
"She gave me difficult math problems to answer pero I teared the papers after answering it. And she was like- 'Oh my God! What did you do?!'- and her eyes were big- and I thought its gonna pop out so I graabbed his coat and- and- I tied it around her face! It was hialrious!"
This time, hindi niya na napigilan. Their laughter boomed as they held their stomach. Maluha-luha si Sage nang muling hinarap ang bata.
"You- you really did that? For real?-pfftt"
Hindi niya ma-imagine ng itsura ng nerdy na gurong si Grace na sinisigawan ang bored na si Robi. Walang ekspresyon at walang pakialam sa nasa harap.
Tumango ito at malaki ang ngisi. "She got tired though. Wala na siyang pakialam sa'kin. And I'm back to sleeping again." He nonchalantly said as he gave him a bored look.
"Tss. What do you want to do now, then?" Lumuhod siya para magpantay sila ng tingin.
"Dunno. Sleep?" Ngumiwi siya.
Kahit pinagbibigyan niya ito palagi, hindi niya pa rin niya alam kung paanong nakakaya nito ang matulog buong araw. And in the middle of the class!
"Anything other than that?"
Nag-isip sandali ang bata.
"Uhm, I saw an ice cream parlor yesterday-"
"Let's go."
Sage grabbed his hand instantly, starting to walk when-
"Where do you think are you going? With my son?"
Jeia's hard and cold voice made Sage tightened his hold on Robi's hand.
"Oh sh*t. We're srewed." He whispered.
"U-uh, Mr. Mijares just wants to take me for an ice cream because I told him I want to see the store nearby... Sorry, mom. I'm just...bored."
Dahan-dahan nitong kinalas ang kamay mula sa mahigpit na pagkakawahak ni Sage kaya napatingin ito sa kanya. He was the one who insisted so technically, the kid's not at fault.
"Robi... I know. Can I first talk to our principal alone? I want to clarify something."
Lumapit siya sa anak at iginaya pabalik sa classroom nito. "Good luck, hun."
She kissed him before turning around, only to find the pathway empty. The brute is freaking gone.
- Writer
