Unshelled

Seventeen

Liam had been away for a long time but I was still standing in front. The test takers are still coming, some of them are delivered by their parents and others are Bots. I sighed before turning to the Entrance of the building and walking towards it.

Pagkapasok ko ay may Monitor agad akong nakita. May mga row doon kung saan nakalagay ang mga room number at sa ilalim no'n ay nakaindicate kung ilang tao pa ang kailangan para mapuno ang kwarto. Marami na ang naka kulay dilaw na tanda na puno na ito.

May pila sa ilalim non kung nasaan ang machine na nageeject ng number ng room kung saan ka mapapaassign para magtake ng exam.

Pumila ako sa nakita kong pinaka-maikli at naghinatay hanggang makarating ako sa machine. Halos hanggang balikat ko iyon at kulay itim. Walang kahit ano do'n maliban sa parihabang manipis na guhit na syang nilalabasan ng papel ng room number. Nageject iyon ng papel at agad kong kinuha iyon at umalis ng pila.

"Room 203" usal ko.

Inilibot ko ang paningin ko sa paligid. May pitong elevator ang magkakatabi doon. Naglakad ako papalapit sa isa na pinakamalapit sa akin. Kahit lakad takbo na ang ginawa ko ay hindi pa rin ako umabot sa pagsasara ng Elevator kaya naghintay na lang ako sa susunod na pagbubukas nito. Napatingin ako sa babaeng katabi ko, nakabukas ang projector screen nito na nanggagaling sa bracelet nito at mula doon ay binabasa nya ang kaparehong reviewer na binasa ko. Mukha itong matalino dahil pinapasadahan lang nito ang pagbabasa ng reviewer. Afro style ang buhok nito na hanggang balikat lang.

Naramdaman siguro nito ang pagtitig ko kaya napatingin ito sa direksyon ko. She just looked at me without any expression but wala din naman akong nakitang kahit anong pagkadisgusto. Sadya lang siguro itong di mahilig ngumiti.

Bumalik na ito sa pagbabasa at sakto namang bumukas na ang Elevator. Nauna syang pumasok at sumunod naman ako. Nasa dulo kaming dalawa sa kumpol ng mga taong pumasok ng elevator na sa tantya ko ay nasa 7 siguro. Pinindot ng Bot ang lahat ng floor kaya titigil ito sa bawat floor. Tiningnan ko ulit ang papel at sa ilalim ng Room 203 ay nakaindicate do'n ang floor 7.

Laking pasasalamat ko na hindi ko na kailangan pang magreview.

Mas kakabahan kasi ako kung ganon dahil sa pagaalalang baka may makalimutan ako sa tambak na reviewer, samantalang mas maganda naman ang nangyari sa akin dahil mismong sagot na talaga ang alam ko.

Nilingon ko ulit ang babae na nakasabay ko sa labas ng elevator. Nasa sarili pa rin itong mundo habang nagrereview. Doon ko din napansin ang malalim nitong mata, siguro ay dahil napuyat ito sa pagrereview.

She is wearing a gray wool dress below the knee and boots.

The elevator was recognized as 'ding' before I reached floor 7. There were only three of us going down there with the woman and a man in a pastel blue polo.

I was not surprised that we had the same room number. I looked around the room where we were going to enter, the two of them were already ahead and I was left stunned outside.

The door is light brown and the handle is silver. At that height, I looked up just to see the end of the door.

I held on tightly to the door handle which was almost as cold as my hand and pushed the door inward. I was a little surprised when it opened on its own but I did not pay much attention to it and I went straight inside. I was greeted by cold air from the aircon blow so I shivered slightly. There is a table and chairs inside aligned. In all, there are seven rows of ten seats each.

Each chair and table are about two feet away from each other. There were two more vacancies in the middle so I sat there. There is a clock at the top and it indicates there is only a few hours left before the test starts.

I also noticed that the woman I was with earlier was in front of me. I recognized it immediately because of its hair and wearing it. 

I suddenly felt guilty. Everyone here is still studying to this day. I can also say that they are under pressure because first, who would not want to study Oxygen? That would be such an honor. Secondly, it adds even more pressure to the fact that no one has entered the White Program since the last woman passed, who I think is now a graduate. 

It is so difficult.

As for me, here it is. Nandaya.

But, I can do nothing. I am also sure that these are my contemporaries who will take the year to review. The Council also did not provide an exact reviewer and every year they change the exams. I was a witness there because I saw when I was still in Umbra how schools, whether private or public, prepare students for the White Program. Since there is no Institution or College like here below, only vocational courses are available as in the Office and not as available in Oxygen Institution as in Medicine.

It's just annoying. Because, the Courses that can enrich or earn big, are very expensive and the Courses that are only minimal, that is all that is available here below.

The world is not unfair, but Society is.

That is why, the rich get rich and the poor get poorer.

I straightened up as someone rang in the room. For your alarm sound to last about five seconds. It was only then that I noticed that the timer above was zero indicating that the test would start.

Four bots circled to get bracelets and tablets brought by exam takers. They also provide something pero ballpen lang ito.

May pumasok na isang babae na naka kulay gray na formal wear. Nakaskirt ito at nakasuit. Naalis lang ang atensyon ko sa babae ng mapatapat ang bot sa tabi ko, dahil wala naman akong dalang kahit ano binigyan lang ako nito ng ballpen. Pinagmasdan ko iyon.

Kulay puti ito at may lining sa gitna na gold. Halos isang dangkal ang taas nito at halos kasing payat lang iyon ng daliri ko.

Wala itong kahit anong pindutan at ang tip ng ballpen ay parang salamin dahil transparent ito.

"The Exams for White Program is starting" sabi nung babae. "The passing percentage is 98%"

Huh?

Napatingin ako sa paligid ko at narealize kong may sinasagutan ang mga katabi ko sa lamesa nila kaya napatingin din ako sa akin. Halos mapatampal ako sa noo ko nang makita ko ang hologram na nakaproject sa lamesa ko at hindi ko iyon napansin dahil busy ako sa panonood sa ibang bagay.

Hindi ko nakikita ang sinasagutan ng ibang tao sa loob ng room at sigurado din akong hindi nila nakikita ang sa akin.

"Beware" the woman in the front said. "We will know if you are cheating"

Nahigit ko ang hininga ko.

Nagsimula na akong magsagot at sinadya kong bagalan ang pagsasagot. Nasa pang sampu na akong number at meron akong isang letter na sinadyang imali. Kusa ring lumilipat ang page kapag nasagutan na ang lahat ng numbers sa page na iyon.

Magsisimula na sana akong magsagot ulit nang nakita kong biglang nagpanic yung babae sa harapan ko na kasabay ko kanina sa Elevator.

"My test disappeared!" she yelled.

Lumapit ang babae sa kanya at kinuha ang ballpen nya at itinutok iyon sa projector sa taas kung saan nangagaling ang hologram. Napatingin kaming lahat sa unahan ng may magplay doong clip.

Napanganga ako ng makita kong may mga sentences na nakaproject sa palad nya at hinaklit nang babaeng nakagray ang kwintas nya.

Dun nanggagaling ang sagot. Siguro ay inirecord nya ang reviewer?

"That is already an old tactic" the woman said and the girl started crying.

Napaupo ito sa sahig at nagsimulang humaguhol. Sakto namang pumasok ang dalawang lalaki na nakauniform na kulay puti at binitbit ang babae palabas.

"I will remind you all again. We will know if you are cheating"