Fidelity

2nd

In the House

"You unintentionally sound so out-of-touch, Solace. Always." I remember Ate Beatriz lecturing me one evening on why I don't have any friends. "That's why,"

Una sa lahat, hindi ko hinihingi ang opinyon niya. Second, I hate how she just gives unsolicited sentiments out of the blue. Ang masaklap pa roon, alam kong wala siyang masamang intensyon sa mga sinasabi niya. She's just trying to state facts— as she's always been like that. Accurate and precise.

I'm not sure how to describe my relationship with my sister. I neither like nor hate her. Ayoko lang na mas pinapaburan siya ng mga magulang namin. But she's not really doing anything evil to me so I don't exactly despise her.

Naiinis lang ako dahil siya ang paboritong anak. She's too perfect and ideal that the pressure on me is making it too hard to even barely keep up.

"Solace," my grade ten English teacher called while she was returning our first exam.

Kumabog ang dibdib ko nang tumayo para kunin ang papel sa harapan. I studied so hard for this test at confident ako sa review ko. I'm anticipating a high score so I'm nervous of the possibility of being disappointed by what I'm about to see.

"Tuazon?" ani Ma'am na muling dinungaw ang papel ko bago nilahad ulit. "Kaano-ano mo si Beatriz?"

"Kapatid po.." my voice almost faded as all my focus turned to the paper.

Halos mapapikit ako sa saya nang makita ang perfect score sa itaas ng papel matapos itong tanggapin. The all-nighter freakin' paid off!

"Kaya pala.." wika ni Ma'am. "Beatriz was outstanding. You must have taken after your sister,"

Unti-unti lamang napawi ang ngiti ko sa narinig. Just like that, my happiness was spoiled.

Ito pa ang ayaw ko sa lahat. Palagi na lang akong nakukumpara sa kapatid ko. Since she's a year older than me, una na siyang naging estudyante ng mga teachers ko. Sikat dahil magaling at matalino. She had set the standards so high for a Tuazon. So high that almost every good thing I do are being credited to her. No one seems to see my own hardwork.

Hindi na nabalik ang saya ko hanggang sa muling pag-upo. Tinaob ko ang papel sa desk at pumangalumbaba. Pinanood ko si Adea na siyang sunod na tinawag sa akin.

"Davion," the teacher then said not long after her.

"Paabot," hirit ni Davion kay Adea na pabalik pa lang.

Tinaasan lamang siya nito ng kilay at walang pakeng dumiretso sa sariling upuan. Davion's expression turned smug. Hindi ko alam kung bakit may sarkastikong ngisi pa sa labi sa kabila ng inakto ni Adea. Tila ba inaasahan niya na iyon. Wala siyang nagawa kundi tumayo upang kunin ang sariling papel.

Sa daan niya pabalik ay nagulat pa ko nang hablutin niya ang papel ni Adea.

"Ano ba?!" apila ni Adea na pumihit upang sundan ng tingin si Davion na nagdire-diretso lang sa upuan.

Prente itong umupo at sumandal pagkalapag ng dalawang papel sa desk. He even arrogantly placed his clasped hands behind his head while giving Adea the look.

Halos umusok ang ilong ni Adea nang tumayo at padabog na bawiin ang papel. Mas lalo lamang umangat ang sulok ng labi ni Davion sa paglapit ni Adea. Kung hindi pa nanita ang guro ay baka nagbangayan na ang dalawa. Even Elcid called out the two.

I don't know what happened between the two of them. Ang alam ko lang, may kung anong nagbago sa kanila back when we were in grade six. It seems like Adea suddenly started to turn distant.