God's Cage | WOTG #1

six | the graduation ball

CADE
The Graduation Ball

—

The days had passed like seconds in a clock and the academic year came to an end. Of course, before our last summer break as high schoolers begin and before we partake in being college students next semester there would be the Graduation Ball.

Natapos na sa wakas ang huling semester pati na rin ang final exams. Kung hindi ako nag-aral at nag-cram buong gabi ay siguradong bagsak ako. Buti naman ay kahit papaano ay disente ang mga scores namin.

Ginanap ang graduation ceremony sa university auditorium kahapon at buong araw kaming nakaupo do'n habang nakinig na tawagin ang mga pangalan ng mga estudyante. Sumakit na ang puwet ko kahit ba malambot naman ang mga upuan sa loob ng auditorium at hindi ko na rin napigilang pumunta ng banyo maya't-maya. Nagsalita ang university president bilang closing remarks at pinayuhan kami na huwag susuko sa 'ming mga pangarap at huwag ring kakalimutan ang mga values na pinanghahawakan ng isang tunay na Centralinian.

Si Papa ang kasama ko na umakyat sa stage habang pumapalakpak naman si Mama somewhere sa audience. Nang matapos na ang ceremony isang oras pagkalubog ng araw ay sinabihan ko sila Mama at Papa na sa dorm na muna ako ibaba. Alam ko naman na sinabihan na ako ni Trina na pinasabi sa kaniya ni Mama na dederetso na kami sa Emerald District pagkatapos na pagkatapos ng ceremony pero pinaliwanag ko kay Mama na kailangan ko munang ayusin ang mga gamit ko. Pero pagkapasok na pagkapasok ko sa kwarto ko ay nakaidlip na ako agad.

Nagising ako nang mag-vibrate ang phone ko sa bulsa ko. Hindi ko na kailangang tingnan po para malaman kung sino 'yon.

"Oh?" sabi ko.

"Nasaan ka?" tanong ni Zike mula sa kabilang linya.

Bumangon ako at naghikab. "Nasa dorm. Nag-aayos ng mga gamit."

"Ha? Don't tell me you're not attending the ball?"

I glanced at the clock and noticed that it was already 8:00 in the evening.

The Graduation Ball would start within an hour and I was still sitting on my bed. The tux my mother had sent was lying on the bed beside me and the boxes I had stacked earlier this week were stacked on top of each other filled with my things. This would be our last day—or last night—at the dormitory before the turnover.

"I—er—you know it's not my thing," I said. "Hindi nga rin sana ako a-attend ng prom king hindi lang sa pangungulit niyong dalawa ni Bea."

"Bilisan mo na't maghanda ka na," he said. "I'll come pick you and Bea up in fifteen minutes.

Napabuntung-hininga na lang ako. "Ayoko nga talaga."

"Wala ka nang magagawa. Pagdating ko d'yan dapat nakahanda ka na." Binaba niya ang tawag. I let out a deep sigh. The dark red tux sat against the white sheets of my bed and for a moment the image of the two dead men crossed my mind.

Their heads cracked open and dark, red blood poured out of their wounds.

I shook my head, hoping the thoughts would go away. I had to distract myself.

I snatched the tuxedo, tossed it at the back of the closet, and rummaged through, searching for other colors except red. Any colors that didn't share the color of blood. I would choose a bright orange if I had to.

I found a simple black one and placed it atop the bed.

Summer break meant I could spend the following two months at Emerald District. Supposedly, I was to spend this night organizing my things before I leave tomorrow.