Hora's Punishment

06:00 - Limited

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Nang marating na ni Hora ang building ay lalo pa siyang nainis dahil sa mga hagdan na kailangan niyang akyatin.

Such exhausting thing doesn't exist in Caelestis. Ngunit, wala ng nagawa si Hora kung hindi ang gamitin ang hagdan. Wala naman kasi talaga siyang iba pang magagamit paakyat sa kanilang palapag. Hindi pa kasi tapos ang pinapagawang elevator para sa senior high building, inuna nila ang building ng mga college students dahil sa mas marami ang gumagamit dito.

Napahawak sa dibdib niya si Hora nang bigla siyang kinapos ng hininga at bumilis ang t***k ng kanyang puso.

"Bwis*t na katawan,” angal ulit ni Hora.

Hindi niya akalain na sa simpleng pag-akyat ay mapapagod na siya agad.

Room 302. Ayon kay Ysabelle 'yan daw ang classroom ni Hora. It wasn't too hard to find the room because they were numerically arranged from 302 to 310. Positioned in an even-odd arrangement. All even numbered room were on the right while the odd numbered room were on the left.

Their room was the first from the stairs and it was the first good thing that have had happened to Hora today. She flicked her hair as it was getting wet with sweat. However, the moment she entered the class, the single goodness that happened to her was forgotten like a childhood memory as there were too many mortals inside the class.

Nagkumpulan ang lahat ng mga estudyante sa harapan. Andoon kasi si Yvan at ang kanyang mga barkada. Maliban pa doon, minsan lang kung tawagin para sa class recitation ang mga estudyante sa harapan kaya unang napupuno ang mga upuan sa harap. Hindi ito alam ni Hora kaya tumungo siya agad sa likod para mapag-isa. Tulad ng inaasahan ay napalingon ang lahat nang pumasok si Hora sa silid.

Ganito talaga basta may bagong mukha sa klase, who wouldn’t be curious about the new transfer student? Lalo na kung maganda ito.

"A transfurr student?" maarteng tanong ng isang babae na panay ang dikit sa kasama niyang lalaki.

"I guess,” sagot naman ng lalaki.

Yvan scoffed when he saw Hora sat at the back near the window. No one dared to sit in the area due to its perfect location for naps people tend to space out staring to the sky, the real reason why the students seating there was prone for class recitations.

Once again, all the attention was on Hora.

She took her phone out of her pocket, she looked at the time. It's 8:12 am. Any minute the teacher would enter the class. Mula sa kanyang cellphone, she raised her gaze to the people who had been drilling her with their stares. Mabilis naman silang umiwas ng tingin kay Hora, maliban kay Yvan. In exchange Hora flashed a Mona Lisa smile to Yvan. That made him uncomfortable as a result he averted his gaze to the goddess.

Sa oras na nakita niya ang pag-iwas ng tingin ng lalaki Hora's smile immediately disappeared like a programmed humanoid robot. She was glad that she displeased the mortal, but she could be gladder if she was not with these mortals at all.

Maya-maya lang ay may dumating na babae na nagmamadaling umupo sa tabi ni Hora. She was soak with sweat and panting out of her breath, Hora reckoned she ran upstairs.

"What a healthy mortal," Hora whispered.

Few moments later the class' advisor entered the room and introduced Hora as a transferee from a certain school that Ysabelle made up.

Hindi pa rin makapaniwala si Hora na nasa sitwasyon siya na noon ay nakikita niya lang sa salamin niya. Sobrang bagot na bagot na siyang marinig ang mga historya na siya mismo ay naging saksi. Philosophy kasi ang subject ng advisor nila at bilang panimula ay nagkwento muna ito tungkol sa mga sikat na pilosopo ng sinaunang Gresya. The teacher's voice made Hora sleepy, her head kept on nodding due to drowsiness and her eyes was about to shut when Mrs. Francia, the teacher, noticed her.

"Yes. Ms. Montejo?" tawag ng guro sa kanya. Syempre hindi siya pinansin ni Hora, hindi pa kasi sanay si Hora na tawagin sa apelyidong gawa-gawa lang din ni Ysabelle.

"Montejo?" tawag ulit nito.

Everyone snickered as the gorgeous transferee embarrassed herself on the first day of school. Yvan did not bother to join the class because he’s used to see her embarrassing side. Instead he used the opportunity to took his phone out under his table and replied his friend from the other class as there would be a night out to celebrate their reunion after the long summer vacation.

Hora flinched when the lady beside her tapped her shoulder.

"Ano?" she grumbled. Tinuro naman ng babae ang nakangiting guro sa harap nila.

"What's wrong Ms. Montejo?" kalmado nitong tanong. Alam ng lahat maliban nga lang kay Hora na nabastos siya ng diyosa.

"Bakit?" she asked, puzzled to why the teacher came near to her.

"May tanong ka ba?" she added, wondering if they were demanding more about herself. She cluelessly thought that her self-introduction was not enough.

Mrs. Francia sighed in disbelief to Hora's audacity to ask such question. "Okay Ms. Montejo. What caused Socrates’ death?"

Tumingin lang sa guro si Hora na tila ba nag-iisip ito ng isasagot. Hora curved her lips’ corners downward. Inaalala niya kung saan at kailan niya narinig ang pangalan na iyon.

"Aah!" She gasped when she remembered the notorious person. She was about to speak when Mrs. Francia beckoned her to stand.

She unconsciously followed her then spoke, "Socrates. Ang matandang pinaniniwalaang baliw ng marami. He was from Athens, right? Do you know that he defied the church? He taught the youth of Athens about the strange gods. He gave them the enlightenment beyond the church's teaching. I also love his ingenuity when asking questions." Her eyes sparkled as if reminiscing an old memory. Well, she really was reminiscing a memory.

Hora had seen Socrates in her mirror several times. Bilib kasi si Hora sa katapangan na ipinakita ni Socrates nang hatulan siya ng kamatayan ng mga pari ng simbahan.

"I respected him for drinking the poison as a final lesson for his pupils. I never seen a man do that. Ah. I did see one time but Socrates was the first," she added while smiling in satisfaction

Everyone paused in awe including Mrs. Francia. Kahit pa nasagot ni Hora ang tanong niya hindi pa rin nawawala ang posibilidad na tsamba lang ang sagot ng dalaga.

Nagpatuloy na ulit sa pagsasalita si Mrs. Francia. Napaisip naman si Yvan na tama ang kanyang hinala tungkol kay Hora. Isa siyang nerd. A creep.

"'Wag ka nang antukin sa susunod," bulong ng babae kay Hora saka tumingin ulit sa guro.

Ilang oras din ang lumipas bago natapos ang klase nila sa umaga. When the clock' s hands went to north everyone instantly made their way to the cafeteria. Except Hora. Obviously, excluding Hora. She was told to go to the cafeteria in lunch time yet she was not aware that two thirds of the students go there for lunch. When she arrived at the cafeteria the chairs were all occupied, and the only food available are breakfast meal and biscuits. Hora did not see the white grain she had been eating. Kaya lumabas na lang siya ng cafeteria at bumalik ng classroom.

“Pwede naman siguro akong matulog. Bumuti rin naman yung pakiramdam ko ng nakatulog ako ng mahaba nung isang araw,” sabi ni Hora sa sarili saka ginawang unan ang mga braso na nakapatong sa mesa.

Kung nasa Caelestis lang siya mahimbing na siguro siyang natutulog sa mala ulap sa lambot niyang kama. Hindi para maibalik ang kanyang lakas kung hindi ay para magpahinga. Resting for the sake of resting. No more no less for a reason. If one would ask; do the gods sleep? Of course, they do but that does not mean they were no longer doing their jobs. Gods used their kraftaz to continue their duty while they're asleep.

Ngunit lingid sa kaalaman ni Hora na ang tunay na dahilan kung bakit siya mabilis mapagod sa mundo ng mga mortal ay ang paggamit niya ng kraftaz. Katumbas kasi ng bawat kraftaz ang halos isang buong araw na istamina ng isang mortal. If she would continue to use her kraftaz in every time she finds the need she could die.

Makakatulog na sana si Hora nang biglang pumasok ang iilang estudyante sa silid. Tapos na pala silang kumain. Sumunod naman na pumasok ang iba pa nilang kaklase. Sinubukan ni Hora na takpan ang kanyang tenga para hindi marinig ang maingay na tawanan at kulitan ng mga tao subalit, balewala ito.

Tumingin siya sa orasan malapit sa pisara. May tatlumpung minuto pa siya para matulog. Tumayo siya para lumabas ng silid, balak niyang matulog sa isa sa mga silid na nadaanan niya kanina papuntang cafeteria. It was the Chemistry lab, it's usually empty since the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics or STEM curriculum students only used them on Fridays.

Nakailang hakbang na siya mula sa kanyang upuan nang lumapit sa kanya ang isa sa mga kaklase, "Hi! I'm Natalie Jimenez. You’re Hora, aren’t you? You know I really love your hair! It's shining and looks super manageable," tuloy-tuloy nitong wika habang hinihimas ang buhok ni Hora. Si Natalie ang babae kanina na panay ang dikit sa kaklaseng lalaki.

Sinamaan lang ng tingin ni Hora si Natalie. Aktong aalis na sana si Hora pero hindi pa ata tapos ang babae sa kanya. Hinila nito ang buhok ng diyosa saka kinaladkad pabalik sa kinatatayuan niya.

"Hey, hey, hey. Why don't you answer my question before leaving? Hm?" she sneered, as she pulled a bunch of Hora's hairs.

The lady winced in pain she could not take the woman's hand off her hair. If she could, she might have pushed Natalie but that would only hurt her more and would fall together with her.

Para mapadali ang sitwasyon, Hora snapped her fingers. In a blink of an eye the time paused. Natalie's hand froze, the people at the back of the room stopped their chitchats. The girl who were erasing the writings on the board ceased to her movements, and the people who was about to enter the room halted in front of the door.

She quickly took her hair from Natalie's grip, then again snapped her fingers. The time continued to flow. Nawalan ng balanse si Natalie dahil sa biglang pagkawala ni Hora sa kanyang harapan. Habang nagpatuloy naman sa kani-kanilang gawain ang mga tao sa loob ng silid.

"Hora! HORA!" malakas na tawag ni Natalie kay Hora. Hindi siya pinansin nito at nagpatuloy lang sa paglalakad palabas ng pinto.

Yvan, on the other hand, had just arrived from the cafeteria with his two friends. While the gaze of his friends followed Hora as she passed them, he did not seem to noticed her. Araw-araw na niya kasing nakikita sa bahay ang diyosa kaya natutunan na niya kung paano gawing invisible sa kanyang paningin si Hora.

"Naamoy niyo 'yon? Pre, ang bango niya," Mark, Yvan's friend since grade school, stated.

Yvan smiled smugly after remembering her state a week ago. Hora was just roaming inside the house wearing the same nasty clothes. Kung hindi lang ito sinabihan ng kapatid na maligo ay malamang nangangamoy pa rin ito hanggang ngayon.

"Sa tingin niyo kakausapin niya ko kun—" Mark was not able to finish his statement when a loud noise of heavy fall echoed from the outside.

In a split second, everyone's attention immediately diverted to the midnight haired lady lying on the floor.