Hora's Punishment

05:00 - To Study Mortals

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Nagsisimula pa nga lang ang araw ni Hora ay abala na siya sa pamimili ng damit na kanyang susuotin. While Hora was sitting on her bed the clothes inside her closet started to exit by themselves. The clothes quickly lined themselves, parallel to Hora, as if they were hanged on to an invisible thin wire.

Hora scratched her chin and licked her lips. She was seriously thinking about which upper clothes and bottom clothes should be paired. Pawang diretso lang kasi ang mga damit sa Caelestis. Wala silang shorts o t-shirt na magkahiwalay kung suotin. What they only have was a floor or ankle length gown that covers their body from top to bottom. Idagdag pa na si Ysabelle ang namimili ng mga suot niya noong nakaraang dawalang araw.

Hora sighed, she hated that she had to adjust to everything.

Wala si Ysabelle sa tabi ni Hora ngayon para mamili ng damit. Abala rin kasi ito sa pag-aayos dahil unang araw ngayon ng pasukan.

Hora snapped her fingers when she noticed the window was open, and it immediately slammed itself close as there might be someone who would see the floating clothes from the garden. For example, the mortal named Yvan.

Ilang minuto na ang lumipas ay wala paring damit na napili si Hora. Sino ba kasi ang makakapili kung tinititigan niya lang ang mga ito? Wala pang sense of fashion ang diyosa.

Hora stretched her arms and fell to bed. She finally gave up, for the nth time she sighed.

"Bakit 'di na lang yung puti kong damit ang suotin ko?" she said out loud as she continues to stretch her limbs. She then twists her body towards the tinted window and used her hands as pillow to look at the apex of the green bush in the garden. She was about to close her eyes when a knock chattered her room's silence.

"Hora!" Ysabelle called, alarmed by Hora's unguarded behavior. Bumungad kasi sa kanya ang mga nakalutang na mga damit ni Hora.

"Why don't you locked the door?" she asked while looking at her back, scanning if Yvan was around.

Agad din naman isinara ni Ysabelle ang pinto.

"Paano ba e-lock ‘yan? Naubos kraftaz ko kagabi para lang manatili iyang nakasara."

Ysabelle brushed her left hand to her newly styled hair in disbelief. It was a simple ponytail loosely tied close on her nape.

She then went back to the door to demonstrate how to lock it.

“Ganyan lang, Miss Hora. Pihitin mo lang itong maliit na usli.”

Huminto muna siya sa pagsasalita, dagli niya kasing nakalimutan ang totoong sadya niya kay Hora. At nang makita na nakatingin ito sa mga dala-dala niyang damit ay doon pa niya ulit ito naalala.

"Here, it's your uniform. But you can't wear one yet it's just the first day," wika ni Ysabelle habang inilapag ang bagong planstang tatlong uniform sa kama ni Hora. Kaagad namang bumangon si Hora at kinuha ang isa sa mga ito.

"Ibig sabihin simula bukas iisang damit na lang ang susuotin ko? Gaya ng sa Caelestis?" masiglang tanong ng diyosa.

"Oo at… hindi," sagot ng mortal habang isa-isang kinuha sa ere ang mga damit na kanina pa palutang-lutang.

"You wear them only for school. Ito ang suot mo ‘pag nasa bahay ka lang o may iba kang lakad," ani niya sabay turo sa mga damit na naibalik na niya sa loob ng closet.

Napatitig si Hora sa kanyang mga uniporme. Ang dami pala talagang kaibahan ng mga mortal sa mga diyos. At sa kahit ano man na angulo ay hindi niya maintindihan ang mga ito. Why own several clothes if you can wear one? Hindi pinalagpas ni Hora ang katanungan na ito at muling nagsalita.

"Bakit ang dami niyong damit?"

Huminto sa pag-aayos si Ysabelle, matapos ay timingin sa itaas para mag-isip ng isasagot.

"We mortals have various cultures, in a human society each one of every group has their own, and they express it through different ways. One of these is through clothing," Ysabelle explained pretending to be a sociology professor while she continues to choose clothes for the goddess.

"But one of the greatest factors why we have different clothes is the climate. You see, our world's climate changes every now and then. We can't wear sleeveless during cold nights or thick jacket under the summer sun. Let's say, it's our way of life," she concluded and hand Hora a pair of clothes — plain white long sleeves polo and a dark blue maong high-waisted jeans.

Ysabelle pointed the bathroom to indicate that Hora needed to get inside to change her clothes. Ever since the thing happened with the nightgown Ysabelle kept on reminding her that nudity was not normal for mortal in opposite gender, kahit sa magkaparehong sexualidad din naman. She was just glad that Yvan did not made a fuss about it.

Nang pumasok na si Hora sa banyo ay lumabas naman ng kwarto si Ysabelle. She had to check her little brother.

Then she aggressively knocked to Yvan's door.

"Yvan! Anong oras na? Hindi ka pa tapos?" she yelled closely to the door, then she stepped back when she heard a click sound from the other side.

Bumukas ang pinto at umalingasaw ang matapang na pabango ni Yvan. Nakapustura na ang binata suot ang forest green na maong na jacket, habang sa loob ay suot niya ang plain white shirt, at saka itim na fitted jeans naman ang pangbaba niya. Finally, his style was completed by his black Vans old skool skate shoes.

"Ihanda mo yung sasakyan," she demanded, unable to complain as she sees that he was overly prepared

Bumalik naman ulit si Ysabelle sa kwarto ni Hora. Para sigurado ay sumilip muna si Ysabelle sa kwarto bago tuluyang buksan ang pinto. Nasa likod niya kasi si Yvan, nag-iingat lamang siya at baka nag-papalutang na naman ng mga bagay-bagay sa kwarto niya si Hora.

"Miss Hora," bigkas niya dahil hindi ba handa ang diyosa.

"Paano 'to?" tanong ni Hora habang inaayos ang dulo ng kanyang suot na polo.

Ysabelle approached her and tacked the hem inside her high waisted jeans. She giggled when she saw Hora's collar buttoned all the way up to her neck. She unclenched the first three buttons and styled it a little bit, then lastly gave her the white Converse low tops sneaker.

"Okay, you're ready," she declared then quickly left the room.

Nagmamadali siyang lumabas papuntang grahe nila, naghihintay naman doon si Yvan na pinapainit ang makina ng sasakyan. When he saw her coming out from the door, he tossed the keys to Ysabelle and left the driver's seat.

Pumasok ulit siya ng bahay para kunin sa sala ang itim niyang backpack. Hindi maiwasan na maaninag niya si Hora sa loob ng sarili nitong kwarto na panay ang tingin sa sarili sa salamin.

"Miss Hora!" Ysabelle called from the outside. Huminto naman si Hora sa ginagawa niya at mabilis na dinampot ang itim niyang sling bag sa kama.

"Nagmukha rin siyang tao," bulong ni Yvan sa sarili nang lumabas si Hora sa pinto ng bahay.

Ignoring the fact that Hora did not bother to glance to him when she left her room.

On the way, Hora could not help to be astonished by her first experience of riding a mortal vehicle. She could not take her eyes away to the views of sky-high buildings and to see the clouds following her no matter how fast the car speed goes.

"Gusto ko ang sasakyan na ito," she said, patting the passenger's seat.

Ysabelle smiled in the mirror, she felt relieved that Hora's first ride was with her and not in a public transportation. Yvan, on the other hand, putted his airpods to block Hora's ignorance.

As soon as they reached the university Yvan rushed to open his door and head to his classroom. Si Ysabelle naman ay agad na kinuha ang gamit na nasa likod ng sasakyan. Nakatayo lang si Hora habang naghihintay sa sasabihin ni Ysabelle.

"Okay, supposed to be magkasabay kayo ni Yvan papasok ng classroom. Pero wala na. Nauna na siya," Ysabelle said, anxiously staring to her wristwatch. Ilang minuto na lang at mahuhuli na siya sa opisina.

"Okay. You see that building, that beige colored building?" she asked Hora while pointing at the three-story building five minutes ahead from the parking lot. Tumango-tango naman si Hora.

"That's your building, senior high school building. Hanapin mo ang room 302, do you understand?”

"Of course," Hora responded.

"Yung cellphone mo?" huling tanong ni Ysabelle.

Tapos inilabas ni Hora mula sa bulsa ng kanyang pantalon ang lumang Huawei Nova2i na cellphone na kabibigay lang ni Ysabelle sa kanya kagabi.

At first Hora was not sure of the handful device the mortal gave her, but when Ysabelle taught her how to use it she quickly picked up the basics. Hora believed that it was natural because she's a goddess, a perfect entity. She was told to use it if an emergency occurred.

As she crossed the vast oval field of the university, people could not stop to look at her. Her unkempt medium-cut luxuriant hair appeared wavy and silky as the wind touched it. Its raven shade was also perfect to her ivory skin, which seemed glowing under the morning light.

Hora could feel the piercing gaze of the mortals. Clearly, Hora hated the attention then strode fast straight to the building.

"Bwis*t na building." she mumbled, cursing the long distance of the parking lot and the building.