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Chapter 2

/2/ LOST FAITH

Trust the Lord

with all your heart and

do not lean onto your own

understanding

- Proverbs 3:5

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KHEL'S POV

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Mathematics, one of my favorite subjects. Most of the students hate it because of the brain-twisiting equations and long formulas. Nitwits, they are!

Most people hate being challenged because they are afraid to fail. What they don't know that everytime they fail, comes a lesson. And if there's a lesson to learn, there's a growth.

Good brains don't work in shallow and easy-going learnings. It takes a sharpener to sharpen a pencil. And it takes challenges to sharpen a mind.

Don't be afraid to grow.

- - -

x² + y² + 4x - 5 = 0

(x² + 4x) + y² = 5

(x² + 4x + 4) + y² = 5 + 4

________________________

(x + 2)² + y² = 9

Center = (-2,0)

Radius = √9 or 3

- - -

After writing the equation and the answers on the board, I put back the chalk inside the chalk-box, then stood firm in front of the class.

Piece of cake.

With pokerface, I turned around and faced my classmates. They are sitting on their respective seats. All eyes on me. Some of them seem concentrated, some are with squinting eyes, some almost doze off, some seem not interested, and some are simply daydreaming with my presence. Typical students.

"And that's how you transform an equation to find the center and the radius," I said, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear my voice. "Any question?"

No one speaks. Literally. No one.

So the subject teacher, who's standing nearby the corner, stepped forth and started clapping his hands. "Very good, Mr. Davidson. You never fail to impress me!"

Nagsipagsunuran naman ang mga classmates ko at pumalakpak din sila. Great. Stupid being really follows the crowd's flow, even though they don't know the reason why they're following it at the first place. Tch.

As the teacher stood in front, he said that I may now take my seat. So I walked across the room and went back to my chair. It's right at the corner and adjacent by the window, with desk in my front.

"How'd you manage to know that equation?" Brint, my seatmate, leaned over my side to ask that stupid question. "Are you some sort of wizard who can see through the future or psychic who can read the answers behind questions, huh? Huh?"

He's on his moron-mode again. I wonder how he became my friend? Well, my only friend to be exact.

"No," I calmly responded. "It is called the abracadabra of advance-reading, moron."

"Sakit mo naman magsalita. Moron talaga?" Lumabi si Brint na parang bata, saka siya muling umayos ng upo at tumingin sa harapan.

The teacher speaks while slowly walking back and forth in front of the class, "Thanks to Mr. Davidson, he answered the equation which is supposed to be your homework. So, everyone, good news! Wala akong ipapauwing homework sa inyo ngayong araw. Enjoy your night without stressing yourselves in solving equations."

"OH YES!"

"WUHOO! WALANG HOMEWORK!"

"YEHEY! NILIGTAS NA NAMAN TAYO NI KHEL!"

"HAHAHA! OO NGA!"

"KHEL, OUR SAVIOR!"

Napatugon ng masasayang sigawan at kantyawan ang mga estudyante sa loob ng silid aralan. Ang ilan sa kanila'y pinuri at pinasalamatan pa 'ko. I didn't respond, instead I maintain my mouth zipped.

For them, no homework means no burden. No homework means more time to do stupid things. That's why they're celebrating this unusual moment like a jolly clowns.

Take note: pati si Brint ay nakikisaya rin. Such a moron.

Nanatili akong tahimik sa'king upuan. I fixed the bridge of my eyeglasses and watch those students as they spread noises.

"Alright, our time ends here," said by the teacher after glancing over his wristwatch. "Aaand... Class dismissed!"

Right on cue, the bell rings. KRRRIIINNNGGG!!!

***

Lunchtime arrived. I don't have the mood to go to canteen. For the meantime, I went to the locker's hall to fix some of my stuffs.

"Hanep ka talaga, Khel! How to be you po?" nakangising wika ni Brint.

While I'm facing my locker and rearranging my books and notebooks, Brint is standing next to me.

"Grabe! The brain, the looks! You have it all, bro! Kaya nagkakandarapa ang mga babae sa'yo eh. Kainggit ka, 'lam mo ba iyon?!" aniya.

May I just say, Brint's best hobbies are to tail around my presence and tease me for entertainment. I hate his guts. But it turns out, he became my friend. May pakinabang rin naman siya 'pag magkasama kami, like... Um... Nevermind. He's a moron.

"Siguro noong nagpaulan ang Diyos ng kagwapuhan at katalinuhan, gising na gising ka at may dala-dalang isang malaking balde, ano? Kaya nasalo mo lahat!" sabay tawa niya.

I finished organizing my things, so I slammed the locker's door and close it with a padlock. Then I faced my moron-friend with the same cold face, folding my arms against my chest.

"Correction: walang diyos," I pointed out. "Looks and brain undergo the process of science. My looks can be explained through genes or genetic heredity, by the cycle of meiosis and mitosis, and by the combination of my parents' deoxyribo nucleic acids. On the other hand, I'm smart, yes. But my brain is the same as yours. It is composed of neurons and other nutritive structures, such as glia, that integrates sensory informations---"

"Whoa! Whoa! Tama na! Tama na!" Brint surrendered his hands on the air. "Alam kong matalino ka, bro! Pero h'wag mo namang isampal sa mukha ko ang katotohanan. May pa-mitosis-meoisis ka pa d'yan! Hindi ko nga alam ibig sabihin no'n eh! Tsk."

"Sa susunod kasi, h'wag kang magsasabi ng mga 'di makabuluhang bagay," I exclaimed.

"Tch. Ito naman!" Ngumisi si Brint. "Sabi ko lang naman na baka no'ng nagpaulan ang Diyos ng kagwapuhan at---"

"That's the point," I cut in. "Wala ngang diyos, moron. H'wag mong ipagdiinan na magpapaulan Siya ng biyaya, kasi hindi naman Siya totoo."

"Oh? Hahaha!" Natawa si Brint sa sinabi ko. He teasingly tapped my shoulder with a grin on his face. "Oo nga pala. I forgot that you hate religious beliefs. My bad, bro. Hahaha!"

"Tsk." I just clicked my tongue and gave him a deadpan look. "Don't ever mention that make-believe god. Science is the only truth, remember that."

By that, I turned my heels and walk out. Kaagad namang humabol sa'kin si Brint. Magkasabay naming tinahak ang tahimik na hallway.

God? If You're true, where are You then?

That's right. You're nowhere, because You don't really exist.

_________________________________________