Dreams and Wonders

Chapter 6

[Cairo Gascon's POV]

I grabbed some utensils and began eating my breakfast. What I also love about my Mom is how good she cooks. I even tell her all the time that her cooking skills are on par with some restaurants back in the city. I think that's one of the reasons why Dad fell in love with her. She knows all of our favorite dishes and never fails to amaze us with her own recipes. Kahit nga hotdog at itlog ay nagagawa niyang mas pasarapin ito.

"Ingat at baka mabulunan ka. Sige na, manonood muna ako ng TV. Puntahan mo lang Dad mo kapag tapos ka na." sambit niya habang nagpupunas ng kamay.

"Sige, Mom. Thank you," I replied.

I finished up the rest of my food and put the dishes in the sink. I brushed my teeth, combed my hair for finishing touches, and went to my Mom for my school allowance. After getting myself done, lumabas na ako ng bahay at dumiretso sa garage dahil alam kong nandoon na si Dad.

Pagkarating ko ay nakita ko siyang nasa cellphone at nakahilig sa pintuan ng sasakyan, "Kanina ka pa ba naghihintay sa akin, Dad?"

Binaba niya muna ang kanyang cellphone saka nagsalita, "Hindi ah. Sakto lang. Bakit? Alis na tayo?"

"Opo, para sakto rin pagdating natin doon, hindi ako late."

"Sige, sakay ka na." sambit niya.

Sumakay na kami sa sasakyan at umupo ako sa shotgun seat. Palabas ng bahay ay nakita ko si Mom sa gate na kumakaway. I waved and smiled back in return bago kami dumiretso papunta sa paaralan.

Habang nasa byahe, nag-usap kami ni Dad tungkol sa strand pinili ko. Kung naaayon daw ba talaga ito sa course na pipiliin ko sa kolehiyo o baka napipilitan lang ako. I assured him that I really like my strand and that I already have tentative plans on what course to take in college. The reason why I chose Humanities and Social Sciences is because I plan to work as a school professor in the future. Gumaan naman ang loob niya sa sinabi ko. The only thing I have to do right now is to do well in school because my parents already gave me the freedom to choose a strand of my own choice.

Palapit na kami sa paaralan nang nagtanong siya ulit, "Are you excited, Cairo?"

I paused for a moment and replied, "More like nervous, Dad. It's my first time transferring schools so I don't really know if they'll like me." Yumuko na lamang ako.

"Oo, gano'n talaga. But thank you for understanding our situation, Cario."

Inangat ko kagaad ang mukha ko at bumaling sa kanya, "I do, Dad. You don't have to say sorry about that," I said to him sincerely.

Nawala ang kaba sa mukha niya as he pat my back, "Thank you, son."

Tumango lang ako at ibilinalik ang atensyon sa harap. As we entered the gates of the school, the students were gawking at our car. Hindi nila ako nakikita na nakatingin ako sa kanila dahil tinted and windows ng sasakyan. We stopped at the parking area and I unbuckled my seatbelt.

"Ingat ka, Cairo. Good luck on your first day of class," papaalala niya.

"I will. Thank you, Dad." Lumabas na ako at ngumiti sa kanya. I closed the door of the car and waved goodbye.

I stayed at the parking area up until Dad drove out of the school. Once the car was already out of my sight, lumingon ako sa harap ng paaralan at hindi ko inakalang pinagtitinginan pala ako ng mga estudyante habang papasok. Huming ako nang malalim saka nagsimulang maglakad papasok ng school hall.

Kabilang ako sa section A kaya hinanap ko kaagad kung saan ang classroom ko. Habang naglalakad ay napansin ko na tumitingin muna ang mga estudyante sa puting papel sa pintuan bago pumasok. May iba naman na hindi papasok ngunit tutuloy sa kabilang pinto para tingnan ulit ang papel na nakadikit doon. Lumapit ako at napagtantong listahan iyon ng mga students sa section at doon mismo ang room nila. Paminsan-minsan ay may nababangga sa akin dahil sa pagmamadali at nagsasabi naman sila agad ng sorry. Dali-dali akong bumisita sa bawat room at sa wakas nakita ko ang aking pangalan sa room 1-A.

Agad akong pumasok at biglang naglingunan ang mga kaklase ko. Hindi ko alam kung nagulat sila o ayaw nila ako dahil tinignan nila ako mula paa hanggang ulo. Instead, I dropped my head low and went to the empty seat at the middle at naghintay na lamang sa aming professor dahil hindi pa naman kumpleto kami lahat na nandito.

I really hope this day goes well.

Habang papasok ang iba naming mga kaklase, I could notice some of the girls giggling while eyeing me from head to toe as they walk past me. Ang iba ay nagbubulungan at parang nagtutulakan sa tuwing sila'y makalapit sa akin. I mean, it's no big deal. I'm used to the same treatment back in the city since people think that I'm handsome and all. I don't even think of myself that way. I shrugged at my own thought as our teacher made her way to the front table. My classmates scrambled and returned to their seats as well.

Nang nakita niya kaming nakaupo na nang maayos ay saka siya nagsalita. Bumati muna siya sa amin saka sinabing dapat kaming magpakilala sa aming mga sarili as expected sa unang araw ng pasukan.

No problem, though. I already expected this since it's the first day of class. Nothing usual in my case. I have also practiced introducing myself at home so that I won't stutter in class. Inaasar nga ako ni Papa sa bahay habang nag-pa-practice ako dahil para daw akong kinakabahan habang nagsasalita. He suggested that I introduce myself sa kung saan ako kumportable. Sinabi niya na I don't need to sound smart, but I just need to be myself. I took note of everything that he said and practiced for an hour or so.

Since parang ako lamang ang transferee dito, I want to make a good impression sa harap ng mga kaklase ko. In that way, I will have more friends at mas kumportable ang pag-aaral ko.

Idinagdag niya na dapat sa pagpapakilala sa aming sarili ay kasama ang expectation namin sa subject na ito.

Rinig ko ang mga kaklase ko na nag-eensayo rin sa kung paano nila ipapakilala ang kanilang mga sarili. Nanatili na lamang akong nakatuon ang pansin sa aming guro.

Nauna nang magpakilala ang aming guro. She introduced herself as Ma'am Cara Esteban and that she wants us all to participate in class recitation and activities. Pagkatapos niyang magpakilala sa kanyang sarili ay tinuro niya ang pinakalikuran sa amin para doon magsimulang magpakilala habang binubuksan ang kanyang class record.

Pagkasabi niya noon, agad naman kami lahat tumalikod at lumingon sa isang estudyante na nasa pinakalikuran. Her hair was mid-length and her eyes where At first, she didn't talk a single world at naestatwa siya sa kinauupan niya. Agad kumunot ang noo ko. Is there something troubling her?

Napansin ko na parang nagdadalawang-isip siya kung magsasalita ba siya o hindi. Her hands were holding the arm rest of her chair firmly as she looked down at the floor. I was suddenly distracted at the murmurs of some of the boys and girls at her back. Nakita ko kung paano sila nagbulungan at nagtatawanan. The teacher couldn't see them since nasa likuran sila mismo ng babae.

The moment she looked back up at our professor, her eyes suddenly changed. Kung kanina ay nakita kong para siyang maiyak nang una siyang tawagin, ngayon ay wala nang emosyon ang kanyang mata. Kumbaga parang nag-iba ang pagkatao niya nang inangat niya ang kanyang ulo.

Nakatutok lamang siya sa guro namin at sumagot. She introduced herself as Sydney Paralejo. Marami pa siyang sinabing kadugtong ngunit hindi ko ito maintindihan dahil mabilisan niya itong sinabi na para bang gusto siyang matapos na agad sa pagpapakilala sa kanyang sarili. After saying those, she sat back down and stared at the floor.

Ngumiti naman ang aming guro at nagpasalamat sa kanya. There was something sa ngiti ng guro. A hint of concern and pity, maybe?

Patuloy sa palihim na pagtawa ang iba kong mga kaklase kahit na tapos na magpakilala ang babae. I'm somehow confused. She said nothing wrong, obviously. Am I missing out something? Hindi ko nalang iyon pinansin at patuloy na nakinig sa mga sumunod na nagpakilala sa kanilang mga sarili. I have to become familiar with them, one by one, if I want to befriend them.

After a couple of minutes, isa-isa ko silang nakikilala at malapit na akong tawagin. I was seated in the middle row and middle column. This isn't our final seating arrangement, though. This girl beside me introduced herself and I was next.

"Hi, everyone! I am Cassandra Leano and you can call me Cass for short. My expectations- Shh, guys. Huwag nga kayo magpatawa," she stopped midway as her friends teased her. "again, my expectations in this class is that we'll learn a lot of new things and I hope we can all be friends, gano'n," she sat down laughing as she covered her mouth.

I watched them laugh at each other and I smiled at them. I laugh with my friends as well in the city. It was really unexpected that we'd go to different schools since we had everything planned out but then things happened and I thank them for understanding my situation. Yes, we still contact each other from time to time, but it still hits different if we get to hang out face to face and not just through video calls on the phone.

I snapped out of my thoughts when someone suddenly tapped my shoulders. Binaling ko ang aking atensyon sa kanya. "Tol, ikaw na ang susunod," paalala ng lalaki sa aking tabi.