CHASING YOU

CHAPTER VIII

JADE

I joined their game for the first time. But seeing their performance —how they work as a team, 'yong rotation ng bola at strateging ginamit ay wala talaga...

Natapos ang laro na parang ako lang lahat ang kumikilos. Geroll, our three-pointer is suffering right now. Emotionally. Like grabe...I think he lost all his energy na kahit pagdala lang ng bola ay di niya magawa. Di na rin umaabot ang mga attempt niya. Maybe he's a little bit distracted seeing his ex-girlfriend laughing, smiling and happy together with another guy...

At si Venice naman...ewan. Umiba ang timpla matapos makabalik galing sa PD's office when someone gave him a phone call.

Di naman ako galit sa teammates ko kahit di kami nanalo. Just feeling guilty kasi wala man lang akong magawa para tulungan sila. I never been to relationship since birth kaya I can't feel the pain Geroll is feeling now. Also, I'm not a business personnel who can feel how it feels when a business went not so well. I just don't know... kasi kahit sarili ko di ko alam paano i-comfort. And so the other persons as well.

I have nothing with me except a tumbler filled with water. So I opened it at inalok sa kanya. "Uhm...Nice, tubig baka gusto mo." pero di man lang siya umimik at napakalayo ng tingin.

Kitang-kita sa kanya ang galit with his clenched fist. Aalis na sana ako to give him space nang tinawag niya ang atensyon ko...

"Jade tapos na... at siguro'y alam niya na."

Pagkatapos niyang banggitin iyon ay parang sumikip ang dibdib ko. Someone is responsible for it and I guess...alam ko kung sino.

Dali-dali akong umalis at kinuha ang mga gamit. Patungong PD's office ay nakasalubong ko si coach. Alam niyang sumali ako sa practice kanina kaya siguro'y ngumingiti siya at mangangamusta sana pero di ko lang siya pinansin at nagmadaling pumasok sa office. I hate seeing someone's life ruined dahil sa'kin. So I should stop it. The sooner the better...

When I enter the PD's office ay wala akong nadatnan sa loob so I turned my back at lalabas na sana when I saw the demons ally...

Nagtama ang tingin namin kaya I smiled...in a fake way. May dala-dala siyang papel and I don't care kung para sa saan 'yon. I thought he was just passing by pero pumasok siya sa office and I hope hindi siya mang-gugulo.

LEI

Pagkatapos kong makarating sa school ay pumunta agad ako sa PD's office. Usually, nandoon lang 'yon palagi ang teacher pero ngayon iba ang naabutan ko. I was not expecting him to be here pero nakita ko siyang dala-dala ang bag kaya uuwi ata.

“Anong ginagawa mo rito?” tanong ko sa kanya with a low voice.

“It's obvious. Why did you ask?” sarkastiko nitong sagot with a fake smile curved on his lips.

“Ah wala naman. Di naman siguro bawal ang magtanong di ba? Tsaka nasa akin na ang parent's consent mo kaya ano na lang ang magbibigay sa coach total uuwi ka na man di ba?”

“So it was you...” pabulong niyang sabi na saktong kami lang ang makakarinig.

Siguro'y alam niya na kaya I stopped...
and even my heartbeat as well. Lahat ng move ay may kapalit, pero gusto ko lang naman makatulong kasi kailangan siya sa team namin.

What I deed is unintentional foul— pero kahit unintentional I know this is not right.

Pagkatapos niyang banggitin iyon ay pinikit ko na lamang ang aking mga mata waiting for him to punch me or whatsoever...I was wrong, very wrong kaya I am willing to accept the punishment. I know nothing about self defense so I just stand still. Waiting kung anong gagawin niya sa'kin. He took each step slowly. The whole office seems flaming due to the pressure inside. And it was a big surprise nang wala siyang ginawang masama sa'kin.  Palagi naman eh... and that always puzzles me.