The dinner with Father Alexis was silent. Like the last supper. The priest was just coughing all through out. He kept excusing himself. On multiple occasions ay kinailangang tumayo ni Ben to massage his back.
Si Benedict din ang naghahati ng pagkain niya. He reminds him about his medication too. Tantan knew for sure that he was not just a person who works for the priest. He is something special, kinda like a son.
When Tantan was still a child he can remember na noong nagkaroon ng malalang sakit ang tatay niya. His Kuya Dante did the same things. He'd massage his father's back, prepare his meal, schedule his medication and all. He was a nursing student back then. He was always in awe of his kuya and how caring he is. Now he can see the same traits with Ben. He is in awe too.
One thing that comforts Father Alexis are the bouquet of roses scattered on every corner of the dining table. He'd talk about how he owns a flower farm in the province and how the Lord uses it to heal him. Oh, the stories he could tell, only to be interrupted by more coughing which limits him from spitting too many words.
Stars…..
Structures can be very shy, based on Tantan's observation. They hide from the clouds and they produce shadows. These sentinels need a rest too. When structures hide it's the stars that Tantan looks up to. But there is only one star that shines the brightest tonight. It's Ben, beside him as they walk pabalik sa kaniyang bahay.
"Bakit ka nakatingala lagi? Tinitingnan mo ba kung uulan?"
Iiling si Tantan. "Wala lang"
Much like the dinner with Father Alexis, their journey coming back to his house was also silent. Ben doesn't say anything. The total opposite of the priest. Ben has no potential of becoming a good storyteller.
When they reach Tantan's house. Ben says goodbye but before he walks away….. "Pwede ko kunin number mo?" madudulas na si Tantan. He's been thinking about this.
Ben gets his phone and dictates his number.
"Mag te-text ako pag dadaan akong simbahan."
Ben nods. "Sige lang. Ipapaalam ko yung simbahan. Saka daan ka lang. Kilala ka na naman ni Padre."
"Salamat sa paghatid!"
"Bye"
"Bye"
Tantan watches him walk away hoping it wasn't the last goodbye. He then receives a text message. Agad-agad niyang binuksan ang message. Akala niya'y si Ben. It was Aki pala. Oh shit! He totally forgot about him!! The message reeks of depression. The message concludes his night, making Tantan forget about Ben for the meantime.
"I just want to disappear" That was the message. Tantan, Justine and Paloma try to decipher it habang nasa classroom sila, surrounded by paraphernalia. They're busy making props for the upcoming El Fili play. It was a particularly busy day for the class. Halos walang pumasok na teachers ngayong umaga dahil sa dami ng mga pa-final projects so everyone is on their toes finishing things.
"Di'ba favorite niya si Invisible girl? Baka gusto niya maging ganun?" Justine kids.
"Gago, depressed yan. Hindi makapaglad-lad kasi." sabat ni Paloma.
"Para kayong mga tanga. Malungkot nga yung tao! Ano ba ginagawa pag ganun? Pag tayo kasi nag-iinom. Eh hindi naman nainom yan dahil allergic." Aagawin ulit ni Tantan ang cellphone niya.
"Yayain mo lang ulit bakla na pumunta mamaya kasi lamang na lamang na ang points ko. Kaso baka lalo malungkot si Aki" pang-aasar ulit ni Justine.
"Totoo ba?" Tantan teases, he knows mas lamang siya and this time ay lalaban na siya.
"Ay wag ako baklang garampingat. Di mo kaya ang powers ko. Bukas akin na yang 500"
"In your dreams mga chingu-yah. May pasabog din me" says Paloma. Pero Tantan is not threatened.
"Anyways, di pa nag-rereply si Aki. Pano to?"
"Papa-load ako mamaya chingu-yah yung may pang call tas tawagan natin."
"Gowshie mga bilat. Pag di pumunta o sumagot yang Akihiro na'yan sugurin natin sa baler nila. Oh si Paloma naman, patingin ng updates" Paloma hands them her phone. She goes to the inbox named "Ben_Zayb_Mysterious_Boy"
There is a series of texts that the friends read. Sine-sendan ni Ben Zayb si Paloma ng mga quotes at mga tula. Kikiligin si Justine, si Tantan naman mandidiri. Jesus, it was cringe. But he's sure that her friend, given how fragile she is will easily fall for this person. Just like how she fell in love with Jayson Magbanta yung taga section 5 na ka-call sign niya dati. It took her 42 hours to fall in love with him only to realize na pinagsabay sila ni Patina, yung gangster na taga section 8. Blacklisted tuloy si Paloma sa dating sorority group.
"Alam ko na paano hahanapin yang taong yan!" Tantan stands up and brushes the pieces of paper on his legs.
"Oh pano baklang detective conan?"
"Ikot tayo sa kabilang section tas ipagtanong-tanong natin yung cellphone number."
Mapapatayo si Justine. "Wow ang bright mo teh! 12 ang section ng 4th year. Walo dun andito sa building natin, iisa-isahin mo talaga? Baka matapos ka graduate na tayo higschool. Baklang to!"
"I second the motion" Paloma then stands up sealing the suggestion.
"Oh sige aber. Paano kung yan si Ben Zayb ay wala sa fourth year at 1st year pala, or 2nd year, or 3rd year. Iisa-isahin niyo bawat classroom?"
"Sasama ka ba chingu-yah o hindi. Kasi kung hindi. Tapusin mo yang props."
And that's it. Justine decides to finish the props. Tantan and Paloma begins their hunt. Knocking on each classroom. Asking their mutuals about the number, but to no avail mukhang tama nga si Justine.
Still, they reach the last classroom. Section 8. Tintindig ang balahibo ni Tantan. This is hell. The last classroom is like a dark cave full of bats with fangs that are ready to bite them. Territorial ang mga taga section 8. Pero malakas ang loob ni Paloma. She continues walking around their corridor and asks around her mutuals.
"Hoy pokpok!" Tantan and Paloma turns around. Uh-oh ito na ang kinakatakot ni Tantan. It's Patina. A girl with a curly hair na naka-ponytail. Putok na putok din ang labi nito ng liptint and ang mukha ay maputi dahil sa pulbo, parang binudburan ng arina.
"Naghahanap ka ba ng gulo?" Papalibutan siya bigla ng mga ka-baro niyang dalaga din. She is the queen of bats in this lane. No one will go against her.
"Nagtatanong lang ako Patina, wag kang gumawa ng eksena" Patina coughs. "Nakakalimutan mo ata nasa otso ka, bumalik ka sa bulok mong section. Mang-aagaw!"
"Hindi ko inagaw si Jayson sa'yo nauna ako. At saka hindi mo binili tong corridor niyo." Didikit si Tantan kay Paloma. "Beh di worth it tara na, kabilang section na lang" Pero Paloma stood her ground. She maybe sweet but she's also a predator on her own.
Patina blows her nose. Hinahamon talaga siya ng babaeng to. Walang pakundangang inaambaan niya si Paloma, but she is unfazed.
A group of students from neighboring sections including section 8 began to circle around like vultures, waiting for the fight of the century. Patina then grabs Paloma by the hair escalating the situation on its zenith. Paloma does the same to her. Everyone is shouting as the two girls grab each other's hair pulling it, whoever gets bald first wins. Curses fly around.
"Bitch!"
"Motherfucker!"
"Nagpalaglag!"
"Putang ina mo!! Sulutera ka!"
Cheers can be heard! It was getting dynamic catching the attention of more students. A match worth sitting for. Si Tantan naman sinusubukang pigilan ang dalawa, pero the girls belonging to Patina's section hold him by the hands! Chaining him in the process. He can't move.
As Patina releases punches on Paloma's shoulder. Justine comes out of the blue, the savior of the day!
"Putang ina ka Patina!! Bitawan mo yang frenny ko!!"
He then grabs Patina's hair releasing Paloma and pulling the girl on the newly floor waxed corridor. The girl fights Justine and the other girls join too. Tantan was then released from being chained. Paloma after recovering for a second, ties back her ponytail and goes back to chaos blocking the other girls from helping Patina.
Tantan with all the might his little body has tries to calm the situation down. Pero mataas na ang tension at huli na ang lahat.
As they are being outnumbered a bunch of gay students from another section comes to the aid naman of Justine.
"Sugod mga mga Diwata!! Ubusin ang mga Hathor!!"
Patina is not the only one with assistants in this fight! Not on Justine's watch! He is now overpowering the girl, taking revenge for Paloma's received punches.
Realizing he is stronger. Patina tries to escape as his grip on her blouse gets tight, pero wala siyang kawala, he charges like a rhino and upon reaching her grabs her by the shoulder and punches Patina on the face making her nose bleed!
The school bell rings.