Chapter 14: XIV.
Wind blows strong from the east side touching the grass making them dance. Tantan stood still, frozen in time. He did not understand what Paloma is trying to say but he is certain that the boy he met from the church is the one on the picture.
Cat got his tongue. What is this feeling? Cold sweat started running down his spine, his lips went dry.
''Huy bakla namumutla ka?'' Justine notices.
Tantan can feel his hands and legs suddenly go numb. ''Nahihilo ako'' Inalalayan siya ni Justine at Aki na umupo sa bato. ''Sorry skyflakes lang kasi almusal ko'' Aki unzips his backpack and opens his metallic lunchbox na may lamang hotdog and fried eggs.
''Please don't hesitate ha. You need to eat.'' Tantan looks at Aki in the eyes and the boy gave him a re-assuring face. Aki touches the tip of Tantan's nose as a sign of affection and then opens a bottle of water from his bag and gave it to him.
''Ang arte naman talaga ni Princess Tantan'' pang-aasar ni Justine, he then teases him by trying to bob his head, tongue out, mouth open as if doing a blowjob behind Aki's back. Kukunot ang noo ni Tantan and whispers ''Baliw.''
''Narinig mo ba yung mechanics chingu-yah?''
Iiling si Tantan as he starts eating Aki's food. ''Ganito. Napagdesisyunan natin na itong cute na lalaki na'to ang magiging jowa natin. Meron tayong one month para gawin yun. Ang suggestion ni Aki yung unang makaka-bigay ng singsing sa kaniya yun yung mananalo ng 500. Tapos magkikita-kita daw tayo every week para mag-update ng progress natin. No feelings attached daw ha. Klaro yan. Laro lang 'to. Okay ba sa'yo yun?''
Tantan coughs, halos mabulunan. ''Eh saan naman natin hahanapin yang taong yan?''
''Ay ang bobo talaga ni Princess Tantan. Taga simbahan nga daw bakla! So bawal tayong magsabay-sabay sa pag-awra''
Tumango-tango na lang siya. This is better, act stupid. They finished that meeting. Tantan, Justine and Paloma went to their respective classes afterwards while Aki took a cab going to his school not far-away from theirs.
Tantan's first subject is T.L.E. He personally chose drafting as an elective while Justine and Paloma belong to the cooking elective which Tantan dread so much, kaya magkaka hiwalay sila sa unang subject.
This time nahimasmasan na siya. His energy's back. Thanks to Aki. He's always there to save him. Just thinking of him and his contagious optimism is enough for him to last the day.
Tantan runs toward a yellow building called Garden of Babylon, because of the many vines and flowers crawling pa-akyat sa third floor at bubong, almost covering the rusty grills. You don't want to mess with these plants dahil alaga ito ng terror MAPEH teacher nilang si Mrs. Babylonia. At the end of the hallway's first floor is a dusty old room.
He goes here and opens the door including the switch. Ugh, he missed the aroma of carved wood mixed with paint and metal. He makes his way inside carefully not stepping on the scattered wood, bundles of newspaper, and nails. He arranged the few chairs in a horizontal manner and started cleaning the place.
''Dajao, Jonathan'' A man with a long white beard and golden eyeglasses enters the door passing through the broken chairs na nakatambak sa likuran ng silid. This gets his attention. ''Okay na. Sibat na. Sinabihan ko ang mga boys na wala munang klase ng isang linggo. Balik kayo next week, pero mag-drawing kayo ng building o bahay, kahit anong gusto ninyo. Tas present it next week.''
''Sige po Sir Mameng''. The teacher then places his toolbox on a counter table and began examining a broken chair. Tantan stares at him awkwardly. ''Oh sibat na? What are you waiting for?''
''Wala po kasi akong pupuntahan Sir eh. Tulungan ko na lang kayo.'' ''Ganun? O sige. Lagariin mo yung kahoy diyan sa gilid buuin natin tong upuan''.
The boy follows and gathers his tools from a cabinet beside him. ''Ay Dajao, by the way. Pinagyayabang kita kay Principal sabi ko magaling ka. Pwede kang maging architect o engineer balang araw. Galingan mo diyan sa assignment ipapakita ko yan sa kaniya. May naiisip ka na bang i-sketch?''
''Wala pa po'' Wait a minute. He momentarily stopped moving and looks up. There is something that he wanted to sketch for the longest time. ''Ay meron po pala. Yung simbahan. Maganda po yung view dun eh''
He knows that he's not only talking about the church. Someone else. A person.
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