11 PM

CHAPTER ONE

D-day ng bilihan ng ticket for concert world tour ni Taylor Swift, Yes I’m an avid fan of her, swiftie since Red era. After 5 years of waiting eto na mapapanuod ko na ulit siya ng live, claiming it already and I’m so excited, but first I need to buy ticket, at mamayang 5 pm pa selling.

We decided na online na lang. Hectic ang schedule and tamad din pumila, for now papasok muna ako because I have class, and it’s Saturday, sucks right? I know.

Half day lang naman class ko ngayon but uuwi pa ko sa amin. I’m in boarding house right now, 1 hour lang naman byahe, mga 2 pm nasa bahay nako.

Red Lake Residence ang pangalan ng subdivision kung saan kami nagbo-board 15 minutes ang layo sa University, isang sakayan ng Jeep.

It’s already 7 in the morning and kakatapos ko pa lang maligo, wearing school related shirt and a high waisted jeans. Our class starts at 8 am

I’m currently taking up Electronics Engineering at Mirem State University, here in Tarlac. sophomore student! Laban mga Inhinyero.

Speaking of class, etong kasama ko sa boarding house which is Cathy, my best-friend nakahilata pa rin sa higaan, we’re also classmates.

“Hoy! Ano? Cathy may balak ka bang pumasok? iiwan na kita diyan.” pasigaw kong sabi sa kanya dahil what time na and we’re still here sa boarding house namin.

Napaka-strict pa naman ng professor namin ngayon.

“Heto na nga pabangon na,” sagot niya sakin “hindi na’ko maliligo ‘di naman natin classmate yung crush ko ngayon in this subject.” biro pa niya habang naghihilamos.

“Kadiri ka talaga, bili na lang tayo cheese bread pagpasok natin nagugutom ako kaya dalian mo.”

“Bakit kasi ang agang umuwi ni Dale, ‘yan tuloy wala tayong tagaluto ng breakfast every Saturday.” Reklamo niya.

May kasama pa kasi kaming isa rito sa boarding house he’s a gay, friendship namin siya ni Cathy since senior high, supposedly kaming dalawa lang dapat ni Cathy mag board-mate but wala kasing mahanap si Dale na malapit sa University that’s why inaya na lang namin siya.

He’s also a second year student, Civil Engineering also in MSU. Hanggang Friday lang class niya so kahapon umuwi na siya weekly uwian naming dalawa, si Cathy lang hindi, monthly siya, balak na ata nga niyang yearly, that’s why kaming dalawa na lang natira dito sa house today.

“Bakit hindi ka na lang bukas umuwi?” she asked “Para sabay na tayong bumili mamaya ng ticket.” We’re here na sa gate ng subdivision ng boarding house namin waiting for jeep, 15 minutes byahe papuntang University.

“Kung pwede lang Cathy,” sagot ko sa kanya.

“Alam mo naman si Dad ang daming tanong kapag di ako umuuwi every Saturday.”

Gustuhin ko man, pero ganoon kasi ang rule namin ni Dad kung mag-boarding man ako dapat weekly uwian.

“Hays si Tito talaga napaka-overprotective, wala naman papatol sayo” biro niya habang pasakay na sa jeep.

“Excuse me, we both know na ang dami kaya di lang ako nag-eentertain, because engineering is life,” pambabarang sagot ko naman

“at saka wala na ‘kong balak dagdagan mga stress sa buhay ko Cathy, tama ka na” sabi ko sabay tawa and isang irap lang sagot niya sakin.

Wala sa listahan ko ang mag-boyfriend ngayon, and I don’t want to entertain boys just for fun. Saka na kapag nakagraduate. I’m contented from what I have, my friends are enough to enjoy my college life. And also focus na rin sa pag-aaral.

I’m not that smart pero regular student naman ako so far…ngayong second year hopefully hanggang sa makagraduate ako.

Engineering courses are not a joke. That’s why kailangan mong mag-invest ng time to study. Kaya kung pipilitin man ako ni Cathy na mag-boyfriend baka masakal ko na lang siya, though she knows naman na I’m not interested when it comes to that.

Saktong 8 am kami nakadating sa University, kaya wala nang time para bumili ng pagkain, lalo na natatanaw na namin ang professor namin na naglalakad papuntang Engineering Building, kaya hindi na kami nag-abala pang bumili, and hindi rin namin makakain iyon while we are in class.

“Ang kupad mo kasi kumilos Cathy, ayan tuloy ‘di na tayo nakabili kahit bread lang” sisi ko habang patakbong naglalakad papuntang EB.

“Gaga ka, hindi ko kasalanang ‘yung jeep na nasakyan natin every kanto humihinto, 15 minutes nga lang pagkilos ko ‘di na ko nag inarte”

“Oo na, after class na lang tayo kumain” tutal half and a hour lang naman first subject, and it’s a minor subject, kaya pang tiisin.

My professor is discussing about probability, while I’m here not listening, dahil lumilipad ang isip ko on what will happen later sa ticket selling.

I’m kinda nervous dahil alam naman natin kung gaano kabagal ang internet connection here in the Philippines, that’s why I’m a little worried, but I keep on reminding myself na this is not the time to overthink. Dadasalan ko na lang lahat ng Santo mamaya before ako mag-start.

One and a half hour have passed, hindi ko namalayan dahil busy akong nag-o-overthink kanina, natapos na ang klase namin. Me and Cathy are on our way to mall malapit lang namin dito sa university walking distance lang, to eat our breakfast it’s already 9:30 in the morning kaya gutom na gutom na kami.

We decided sa Greenwich na lang because Cathy is craving for lasagna. We eat there for one hour, buti na lang mabilis servings nila, kakabukas pa lang kasi ng mall, kaya agad natapos.

We go back to University because it’s time for our second and last subject which is Art Appreciation. Discussion and reporting ang nangyari, the class has ended and nandito kami ngayon ni Cathy sa waiting sched sa gilid ng University, waiting for bus, dahil pauwi ako sa amin, and she’s waiting for me na makasakay.

“Chat na lang tayo later ha? Pag-pray natin ang isa’t-isa na sana makakuha tayo ng ticket.” pabiro niyang sabi.

Cathy and I, are bestfriends since elementary, hindi kami ganoon magkapareho ng gusto sa lahat ng bagay and often hindi rin kami nagkakasundo, total opposite kumbaga.

Magkaiba kami ng personality, she’s bubbly while I’m not, I’m an introvert and she’s an extrovert, but in music we totally agreed, we share the same playlist actually.

Hindi kami magaling kumanta ni Cathy, we just love listening to music and nagkataon na we have the same taste, we’ve been supporting Taylor Swift together for a long time.

One of our favorite artists that’s why this coming concert of her will be special to us, ito na siguro ‘yung pinaka-bond naming dalawa. And I just want to attend and enjoy this concert with my best friend.

“Yup! I’ll pray for you and you’ll pray for me,” I said to her “I’m excited Cathy at the same time kinakabahan din, tagal nating hinintay ‘to hopefully makakuha tayo ng ticket.”

“Dapat kasi wag ka na lang umuwi, kapag nawalan ng internet connection sa inyo ‘kalamo.” sinamaan ko siya ng tingin pagkatapos niyang sabihin ang mga katagang iyon, and she just gave me a peace sign.

“b***h, kapag nagkatotoo ‘yan sinasabi ko sayo.” sabi ko while extending my right hand, dahil may nakita na’kong bus na pwede ‘kong masakyan pauwi.

“kidding b***h, mag ingat ka just chat me when you got home.” she said while hugging me.

“Okay, you too ingat pauwi.” huli kong sabi sa kanya at sumakay na’ko sa bus.

Sitting near the window while listening to ‘Getaway car’ by Taylor Swift makes my mind at peace. No thoughts just head empty. This is what I want, longing for this feeling after hectic weekdays.

Habang nakatanaw ako sa bintana, ramdam kong may tumabi sa akin, beside me is a vacant seat, kaya mas lalo ‘kong isiniksik ang sarili ko sa window, and hindi na lang ako nag-abalang tignan ‘yung taong tumabi sa akin.

But because of my peripheral view I know it’s a man, also an Engineering Student, dahil nakasuot siya ng organization shirt ng mga taga civil and because of his lanyard na may nakasulat na PICE. I just focus my mind again and decided to take a nap, dahil mga isang oras din ang byahe ko.