So Confused

Chapter 3

3 days before the University meet ay pinag concentrate na kami. Of course I was so happy. I’m finally breaking up with so many shits.

“Girl, still dalawang kilo pa din ang ibabawas mo. Pano ka niyan?”

“3 more days Zy, rigid na ang practice ngayon, mas mababawasan pa ang timbang ko niyan for sure.”

“Binawasan mo naman ang kain mo, bakit hindi ka parin bumawas ng timbang? Baka buntis ka”

Binatukan ko si Zylea.

“What the f**k Zy?”

“Joke lang. Pano ka nga naman mabubuntis eh baog ka”

She earned me another punch. I don’t get this girl. Kung ano ano na lang naiisip niya. Sometimes her mentality is scary.

“You know what, bilisan na lang natin, dapat daw before 9 am matapos na natin itong excuse letter”

She agreed on my idea at hinanap na namin ang mga professor namin.

“Sayang si Paul girl, mas gusto ko pa naman ugali nun kaysa kay Ejay.”

“We can’t do anything about that, Coach has made his decision”

“Kahit pa, sabi daw character dapat ang pinagbabasehan, tas ganyan. Kawawa naman, dalawang taon na siyang umaasa.”

“Sometimes people don’t work on what they say. Minsan depende na lang ang desisyon sa demand ng circumstance. Like us, sabi nila numbers won’t be a measure of intelligence, but sa pag aaply ng work, mas napipili yung matataas ang TOR. And it’s very much depressing.”

“Hyyyy. Kung pwede lang na maging Arnisador na lang ako for life. Pero sana yung sumusweldo naman, ayos ng mapalo, basta may kita. Masaya pa ako.”

I laughed at her idea, but somehow, I also want that thing. Earning money in a work that makes you happy.

8:30 am na ng umakyat kami sa gym. Almost lahat naandun na. Nagpicture muna kami para sa ID namin na gagamitin.

Zylea stretched her body. I saw excitement in her eyes, matagal niyang hinintay na mag concentration. Bukod sa hindi siya mag aaral, libre din ang pagkain namin. That’s really what excites her. And I think, that's excite me also. who would not want a break from studying right?

Among our circle of friends, si Zy talaga ang malapit sakin. I don’t know, ayaw ko ng masyadong maingay, but I’d rather stay with Zylea than someone quiet na hindi ko naman kilala. At minsan, may sense naman yung sinasabi niya.

I remembered when she asked me about ‘bakit kaya tayo tao?’

That bothered me the whole night. I mean not biblically speaking, not involving coincidence and faith, scientifically speaking, bakit ako naging tao? Why not an earth worm right?

Maki is too fictional, it’s not that I don’t like fantasy; I’ve been a fan of it when I was a child. But as I grow up, I become more and more aware of what’s the reality. I don’t waste my time fantasizing about something I can’t get. But I’m not against her, if that’s what makes her happy, then bahala siya.

Hazel is too mysterious and skeptical. Sometimes I just find myself observing her every move because sometimes she looks suspicious. Maybe that’s her personality. Kapag naiiwan kaming dalawa, kahit isang oras na hindi mag usap. Where not fighting, it’s just that I feel like I need to be careful around her. I’m not that talkative but Hazel’s much more silent than me.

And Abi, she’s your typical girl. Bunsong anak kaya medyo outgoing, liberated and go with the flow. She is a teenager enjoying her teen days. She is far from problem, she’s financially stable, she’s got a complete family. What I don’t like about her is that she creates her own problem and then get depress, and then will eventually blame the world of its unfairness.

“Girl, kuha tayo ng Gatorade. May libre daw hehe”

Pumunta kami sa office ng Sports coordinator namin para kumuha ng Gatorade. Sabi nga ni Zylea, sayang daw. It’s one thing that I like about her. She came from a wealthy family, but I never had seen her waste money or food. He appreciates simplicity.

“Mag stretching na kayo” Coach aldwin instructed nung makumpleto na kami. Sampu na lang ang boys since wala na si Paul, anim parin kaming mga babae. Wala na kasing narecruit, dapat nga ay 12 ang player.

We formed a circle at gumitna dun si Chadrey, our president.

Pinagaya niya kami ng iba’t ibang stretching at siya rin ang nanguna sa pag jogging.

“Kumuha na kayo ng Gatorade?” Kuya Levian asked me.

“Oo, kanina with Zy”

“Okay, nakakapagod” He said wiping his dripping sweats.

I don’t know, I found it attractive.

Nakaplain gray siyang shirt at jersey. Pawis na pawis. There’s a guy na pag pinagpawisan eh gwapo parin, and there’s this guy na hindi. Kuya Levian is still good looking, palibhasa malinis, maputi at mabango.

“Oh Kuya levian, close pala kayo ni Amelie, nanliligaw ka ba?”

Pinanlakihan ko si Zylea ng mata. Ang bunganga niya talaga. Hindi ko alam kung sinadya niya yun or insensitive siya. Nakakahiya.

Levian chuckled and tousled her hair bago kami iniwan.

“What the f**k Zylea?” I asked her. Gusto ko siyang kurutin.

“Kayo ha, kala mo hindi ko napansin nung isang araw na hinatid ka niya sa apartment mo, bumalik ako nun kasi may nakalimutan ako sabihin sayo, kaso di na ako lumapit kasi baka makontra ko yung upcoming lovelife mo.”

I looked at her in disbelief.

“Sumabay lang siya sa paglakad pauwi sa kanila” I explained but she looked at me maliciously and smirked before leaving me. Nag finger heart pa at nagtaas taas ng kilay.

I just look at her with the disbelief still in my eyes. Hindi ko magets ang mentality niya. Nakakahiya yung sinabi niya.

After I dried my sweat ay nagsparring kami.

Sir instructed that lahat kami ay kakalabanin ang isa’t isa. So bali ako ay may 5 laro.

“Okay, kayo muna Aya and Amelie.” Coach said.

Pumunta naman kami sa mga gear at nagpabihis.

“Parehas to magalaw. Tingnan natin kung sino mananalo.” Coach said.

“O lagay lagay, sino sa pula?, sino sa blue?” Kuya Nikolai shouted

“PULA PULA”

“BLUE BLUE”

Nagtawanan silang lahat, lagi nila yang ginagawa, mag pupustahan pero walang pera, tubig ang labanan.

“Handa sa pagpugay. Pugay” Kuya Levian served as referee

“Handa sa pakikipag laban. Laban”

“SEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY”

I’m not a good player. But my advantage is that I’m a left handed.

And what I simply do is to understand my advantages. Unahan lang sa pwesto. Rare lang ang left handed players, and according to them, mahirap dahil nagbabangaan ang cane at mahirap pwestuhan.

And in that I strategize, dapat papasok ang pwesto ko, dapat nasa loob ako.

“Puntos bughaw”

“YUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN” sigawan ng mga pumusta sakin

Aya is not really used to playing with a left handed, ako lang naman ang left handed sa mga babae, and si Jerik sa lalaki. Pero minsan niya lang gusto makipagsparring saakin. And she never had won against me. Not until this time.

“Hatol, Bughaw”

“AYUNNNNNN. TUBIG KO EJAY” sigaw ni Kuya Malcolm sa kapustahan niya

“Kuya Nikolaaaai, tubig ko” Sigaw naman ni Zylea.

Habang naghihinigan sila ng tubig ay nagtanggal na kami ng gear.

“Galing” Kuya Levian said and smile at me

“Mas magaling ka kuya, minsan turuan mo ako ng techniques mo” I said.

Matangkad kasi siya, ang galing lang kasi tatayo lang siya at inaabang ang stick niya. Binabantayan niya lang ang galaw ng kalaban, konting stretch niya lang ng kamay niya, abot na abot niya na.

“Okay sure.”

“Next, Aliya and Zylea”

Napalingon kami kay Coach nung magsalita sya.

“Let me help you” Sabi niya at saka hinubad ang pagkakatali ng gear ko sa likod.

He was too close, and I can smell his perfume. Ang bango, sana all.

“There”

“uyyy magkasama nana-“

“HALIKA NA DITO AT BIBIHISAN KITA”

I pulled Zylea para hindi na siya magsalita pa.

“Hehe, ikaw ha” biro niya pa sa akin, pinandilatan ko lang siya. Nahihiya na ako masyado kay Kuya levian dahil sa babae na ito.

“Galingan mo ayaw ko manlibre ng tubig.” I told her before I push her to the mat.

Zylea when playing is like a leopard hunting its food.

They named her in the group chat ‘ms step back’. Una niyang inilalakad ay ang paa niya sa likod. And if you saw it, its really creepy. Napakalaki ng concentration at focus niya, a resemblance of leopard hunting.

She won. Masyado pa kasing stiff si Aliya, baguhan lang. She has still no control on her hits, napalo niya ako dati, at napakasakit nun.

The sparring continued. I won 4 games, natalo lang ako kay Ligaya, she’s really good with defense and counter attack.

“Mamaya mag sparring ulit. Pero yung tama lang ha. Walang magsasakitan ha, Levi and Karlwin?” coach said.

Hindi pa sila nakakapaglaro, hindi pa tapos ang lalaki dahil ang dami nila.

“Yung likha ipractice na rin mamaya.”

“Yes Coach” sagot namin.