"GOOD MORNING!" Bati nito sa kanya habang ang ganda ganda ng ngiti nito.
"Walang good sa morning kapag nakikita kita, Diokno." Masungit niyang sabi dito habang nagmamadaling maglakad papunta sa susunod niyang klase. Narinig niya ang pagtawa nito sa kanyang likod.
Iritang irita siya sa binata, at hindi nakakatulong na lagi itong nakasunod sa kanya.
"Bakit mo ba ako sinusundan?" Sigaw niya dito, nagkatinginan tuloy sa kanila ang iba pang dumadaan, pero wala siyang pakialam.
"Woah! Easy, woman!" Itinaas pa nito ang dalawang kamay na tila ba sumusuko sa kanya. "Remember we are classmates? Iisa lang ang pupuntahan natin, relax." Natatawa pang sagot nito.
Dalia rolled her eyes and continue walking. Hindi niya ito pinapansin hanggang sa makarating sila sa classroom.
"LQ kayo ni Erick?" Pamela, her newly acquired friend asked her.
She made a face before answering her.
"Magkaaway lang kami, pero hindi kami lovers." Paliwanag niya dito.
"Alam mo Dalia, for someone as smart as you you're dense." Natatawang sabi nito sa kanya.
"What do you mean?"
"Dalia, it was obvious Erick has a crush on you!"
"Nope!" Pagtanggi niya agad sa sinabi nito. "He just love teasing me! Kaya pati ngayong college ay pinepeste niya ako!"
Pamela shakes her head.
"Kawawang Erick, sobrang manhid ang nagustuhan." Pabulong na sabi nito kahit na alam niyang siya din ang pinaparinggan nito.
"Excuse me?"
Pamela stopped reading and faced her.
"Look at him, Dalia." Tinuro pa nito si Erick na nasa kabilang dulo ng classroom nila, he's flirting with their girl classmates. Typical Erick. "He was always surrounded with women, well hindi ko naman sila masisisi. He's a good catch aside from the obvious that he's gorgeous! He is also smart. Perfect package. Kaya kapag pinakawalan mo pa iyan ikaw ang luge, Dalia!"
Dalia snorted at what she said.
"Wala akong plano, Pamela. Besides, I'll just focus with my studies and my dreams. Mas may malaki pa akong plano sa buhay kesa planuhin ang first love ko. At kung si Erick lang din naman iyon, huwag na lang." Mahigpit na pagtanggi niya dito.
"Nako, Dalia! Huwag kang magsalita ng tapos! Baka kainin mo lahat ng sinabi mo." Natatawa pang sabi nito bago binalik ang atensyon sa pagbabasa.
Dalia again looks at the back where Erick and some of their girl classmates are flirting. She can't help but stare at him. The girls around him laugh hysterically. The one beside him also slaps his shoulder. Guston gusto naman ito ng binata. A total flirt!
Not long after, their eyes met. At dahil hindi na niya mabawi ang tingin dito, naisip na lang niyang taasan ito ng kilay. But Erick just wink at her and smile kaya mas lalo siyang na inis dito! She wanted to strip that boyish grin on his face! Pero bakit parang nag iinit ang kanyang pisngi?
~~
Erick has been a nuisance since their high school days at hindi ito nagbago hanggang ngayon. He's sticking with her all day as if wala itong mga bagong naging kaibigan.
Saan ka?
She ignored the text message and continue walking to the faculty room. She is trying to appeal to open another schedule for their major subject. She enrolled late this semester dahil sa kanyang family problem, at may problema siyang isang subject na prerequisite sa next sem major subject niya. At isa pa, this semester lang ito ino-offer. Pwede siyang madelay ng isang sem kung hindi niya makukuha ito ngayong semester.
"Ma'am, kahit po sobrang gabi na. Willing naman po akong umuwi ng late."
"Ms. Agustin, willing kang umuwi ng late pero hindi mag-o-open ng another subject na ikaw lang ang studyante! Kaya mo bang bayaran mag-isa ang sweldo ng professor mo?" Mataray na sagot sa kanya ng registrar.
"Eh paano po iyon? Ma-i-irregular po ako next semester kung hindi ko po makukuha yung prerequisite subject." Pagmamakaawa niya dito.
"Problema ko iyon? Ako ba ang na-late ng enroll? Besides you are already thinking about your problem for the next semester not knowing if makakapasa ka ba this semester. You are thinking way ahead of time." Sabi nito habang inaayos ang salamin sa mata na suot.
She's frustrated.
"M-Ma'am, kahit po isingit niyo na lang ako sa ibang block?"
"35 students lang per subject. Lahat iyon ay puno na. Ask your faculty and Atty. Alonzo herself kung papayag siyang isingit ka sa ibang block." Inabutan siya nito ng dalawang papel. "Fill this up at papirmahan mo sa college mo at ito naman kay Atty. Alonzo kung papayag sila sa gusto mo." Sabi nito.
Pagkaabot sa kanya ng dalawang papel ay sinara agad nito ang window. Kulang na lang ay isalpak sa kanya. Hindi naman lahat, pero bakit laging masungit ang mga registrar?
She sigh and fill up the form given to her. Wala namang tigil ang pag-vibrate ng kanyang cellphone.
Saan ka?
Puntahan kita.
Saan ka?
Enrolled ka na ba? Samahan kita.
Saan ka?
Sungit, nasaan ka?
She rolled her eyes, wala siya sa mood na makipag inisan sa lalaki ngayong araw. Madami na siyang problema at sana huwag na itong dumagdag.
She made her way to their college, she talked to their college secretary about her problem.
"Wala namang problema sa amin, Ms. Agustin. The problem here is Atty. Alonzo, siya ang kailangan mong kausapin. Once she approved and signed these form, balik ka na lang sa akin to sign this."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Walang problema sa college niya, ang tanging problema na lang niya ay si Atty. Alonzo.
Dalia utters a prayer. Kilalang kilalang terror si Atty. Alonzo na professor. She's a typical professor and lawyer na galit ata kapag may pumapasa sa subject niya. She's always wearing a long skirt and floral blouse, paired with thick eyeglasses and purple eyeshadow. It's giving her the impression that's one of the reason kung bakit ito naging matandang dalaga.
"Yes, Ms. Agustin?" Mataray agad na tanong nito when she approaches her in their faculty room.
"Atty., I am just hoping if you could accept me on one of your class for Philippine Law? Na-late po kasi ako ng enroll at napagsarahan ng subject."
Kumunot ang noo nito bago may kinuhang papel sa kanyang lamesa. It was a class list.
"All of my classes for that subject were full. According to the college guidelines, only 35 students are allowed per subject."
"Nakausap ko na po si College secretary, and she said na okay lang daw po as long as pumayag po kayo."
Tumalim ang tingin nito at tinaasan siya ng kilay.
"So the college is breaking their rules, but not me. All of my classes for that subject are full, you can't."
"B-But Attorney! Hindi naman po… hindi naman po siguro kalabisan kung isisisngit niyo po ako sa isa sa subject niyo?" She asked in a panic yet calm manner.
"You wanted me to break a rule for you?"
"N-No Atty. I am asking for a consideration po." She is trying her best not to sound boastful, nasa kamay nito ang kinabukasan niya.
"Ms. Agustin, I heard great stories about you from my co-faculty. They are championing you for being a good debater and student, they are also seeing you as a bar top notcher as early as now! But let me tell you that considerations are on par with breaking laws. If you want to be a lawyer someday, you should practice following and remembering university laws first." Her stern facial features made every knee weak especially if you were inside the courtroom. But not Dalia.
"But Att–"
* knock * * knock *
A knock on the faculty door cuts her words, and someone poked his head and it was none other than Erick.
"Hi! I am looking for Atty. Alonzo?"
"Mr. Diokno, to whom I owe this visit?" Kitang kita ang pag iiba ng facial features nito. Kung kanina ay halos kainin na siya nito ng buhay, ngayon ay abot tenga ang ngiti nito.
Agad na lumapit si Erick sa lamesa nito.
"Hi, Atty. Alonzo! My dad's wondering if you could go with him and Mom to the 21st National Convention of Lawyers. They are delighted to go there with you." Erick said with a huge smile on his face.
"Oh Lorenzo, he's not changed since we're at law school! You know your mom and I have the same sorority. And we used to go to different rallies during martial law."
Atty. Alonzo keeps on telling stories about her and Erick's parents. Gone are the terror and firm Atty. Alonzo that terrorized Dalia a moment ago.
"Dalia! You're here." Erick said a little bit exaggerated. She's been beside him the whole duration at ngayon lang siya nito napansin? Gusto niya itong irapan but Atty. Alonzo's in front of them and Dalia doesn't want to make a scene lalo na at mukhang pet nito si Erick.
"You know her, Erick?"
"Yes, attorney. We've been classmates since high school." Erick turns his head on her. "Are you done enrolling?"
"A-Ano…may konti pang problema." Sagot niya dito.
Nag palipat lipat ang tingin ni Atty. Alonzo sa kanilang dalawa.
"Why? What's the problem?" Erick asked full of concern.
"A-Ano… kasi…"
"It seems like you two are good friends, Erick." Atty. Lorenzo said.
Erick wrapped his arm around Dalia's shoulder and pulled her closer to his body. She tried her best to remove his arm but she could not win with his grip.
"Yes, attorney! We've been good friends since elementary."
Again, Attorney Alonzo's gaze shifted from the both of them. And then look at the form she gave earlier. She signed the form and gave it to her.
"You can go with my noon class."
And just like that, her problem was solved.
"What just happened?" Dalia asked as she was holding the form from Attorney Lorenzo's signature outside the faculty room.
She heard someone chuckle beside her.
"You should thank me." Sabi nito.
She sharpened her eyes and looked at him.
"Diba sabi mo: the only good thing about me is my surname? I guess you're right. Atty. Lorenzo's my dad's nemesis turned best friend in law school. So I guess you're right! That's one of my advantages that helps you, Ms. Agustin." He said then ruffled her hair. "And please always check your phone." He said before leaving her.
Once alone she checked her phone and numerous text messages and calls were coming from him.
Nasaan ka ba? Can you please answer?
Dalia?
Dalia, where are you? Please answer my calls and text.
Never mind, found you! No matter where you are, I will always find you!
Her heart skipped a beat.