Shades of Kagan

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Avian Burn's Point of View

Benjamin Franklin once said that in the world, nothing is certain but death and taxes. If I could ever add to that list, I must say nothing is certain but death, taxes, and eternal anguish.

Surviving a day is much easier than living, but what's important is you survive, right? That is what matters. Klaude can't convince me otherwise.

"Should I just cut my hair or make it longer?" Nabaling ang atensiyon ko nang may biglang nagsalita sa aking tabi. It was Klaude, combing his long hair. Nandito kaming dalawa sa library dahil may pinapagawa samin na book summary. It is an individual work but we decided to finish it together. I was busy reading the book that I've chosen but he's just busy doing nothing. Maya't maya pa ay bigla na lang itong hihiga sa kanyang desk at matutulog. Ganito ba ang epekto ng hindi pagpili sa kanya ni Nadia? Maybe, Klaude is also trying to make himself busy.

Klaude and I have been together for almost three weeks, and what I observe is he likes to play around a lot. We're basically friends, and yes, it is possible to be friends with the opposite sex without any romantic relationship. True to his word, we always eat lunch together with the packed lunch cooked by Dr. Reus Grimaldi. They're just too good to me. At sa tuwing nakikita ko si Dr. Reus sa hospital ay binabati niya ako samantalang ako naman ay magpapasalamat sa kanya dahil sa masasarap niyang luto.

"I think I look better with a hair short." Sabi pa nito na may ngisi sa kanyang labi at tinali ang kanyang buhok gamit ang scrunchies ko na nakalagay sa desk. I glanced at him quickly and saw him tying his hair up.

"How can you say so?" Sabi ko naman habang patuloy pa rin sa aking binabasa. I didn't even glanced at his direction. Klaude is already good-looking with his hair long but I can't picture him having a short hair. Siguro dahil hindi ko pa ito nakikita na bagong gupit.

"Just a guess," he said as if he's remembering something. Napansin ko ang libro na nakalagay sa desk niya. Hindi pa niya ito binubuksan samantalang ako naman ay nangangalahati na sa aking binabasa. Maybe an hour or two I can finish the book summary.

"Why aren't you reading that book?" Turo ko sa napili niyang libro na gagawan niya ng summary. When I glanced at the cover, he planned to read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

"Oh this?" Sabi niya at kinuha niya ang libro na nakalagay lang sa desk.

"I finished reading this book while I was in middle school. It's actually a good book tackling serious issues of rape and racial inequality." He said as he put the book down again. He put his elbow on the desk and his hand on his head and put his full attention on me.

"Tapos mo na pala basahin, bakit hindi mo na agad gawan ng book summary?" Klaude is smart. Kung pwede lang makipag palitan ng utak sa kanya ay gagawin ko na.

"I'm tired." He said, putting his head down and closing his eyes as if he was pretending to be asleep. Napailing na lang ako sa ginawa niya. Typical Klaude. He always does whatever he wants.

Ibinalik ko ang aking atensiyon sa aking binabasa. Mabuti na lang manipis lang ang aking pinili at matatapos agad ng tatlong oras. I picked the book entitled The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I need to finish this now since I need to go to the hospital later in the evening. My shift starts at nine in the evening and ends at seven in the morning. It's a ten hours shift, and after that, I need to go to school to attend my morning class at ten.

My gazed drop to Klaude's sleeping face. Come to think of it. He'd been a great help to me. The eternal anguish that I've been suffering vanished like a bubble. I have become busy for the past three weeks. Dati pinipilit ko ang sarili ko na may gawin upang iwasan ang pagiisip nang kung anu-ano. But now, I'm not even trying.