Every Bad Thing

Chapter Seventeen

I stayed in the office. My mother and the two faculty members came with her. Pumunta sila sa room para kunin ang papel ng mga kaklase kong kinopyahan ko raw. Nang bumalik sila sa office ay kasunod nilang pumasok si Hadeon.

Hadeon's expression was grim. It only softened a little when he saw me. Wala siyang isang salita na lumapit sa akin at tumabi. Wala siyang sinabi sa akin. Hinawakan niya lang ang kamay ko. Gumaan ng kaonti ang mabigat na pakiramdam ko dahil doon.

They began to cross check my paper. Dahil pinahinto ang pagtake ng exams ng section namin ay natagpuan nila na hindi pa tapos ang mga katabi ko habang ako ay tapos na. There wasa huge difference with our answers, too. Ang magkakapareho lang ay iyong mga tama. May mga mali ang mga katabi ko habang ako naman ay kaonti lang.

Habang chine-check ang papel ay nakita ko kung paano unti-unting namutla si Ms. Escuelta at Ms. Mendoza. Huminga ako nang malalim at pinanatiling manhid ang pakiramdam ko.

Suminghap si Ms. Escuelta, deretsong nakatingin kay Mommy. "Mrs. Serrano, I'm really sorry..."

"Oh? Why are you apologize to me, Miss? Ako ba ang ipinahiya mo?" mariin na tanong ni Mommy. Napapikit ang dalawa sa marahas na tono ni Mommy. "Do you know how unfair it is for my daughter? I saw how hard she reviewed for her past exams, and this is the kind of treatment that she'll get? She doesn't deserve this."

"I just concluded based on her past records, she doesn't have the cleanest..." patuloy ni Ms. Escuelta.

"Miss, please stop your colleague from talking." utos ni Mommy kay Ms. Mendoza.

"Ms. Escuelta, please let me handle this." Ms. Mendoza sternly said. She sounded a little bit irritated, too. Hindi katulad ng kanina na ine-entertain niya pa ito. Bumaling si Ms. Mendoza kay Mommy. "Mrs. Serrano, Laurene, I sincerely apologize for this mistake. I do hope you'd find it in you to forgive us for our shortcomings. Ang hiling ko lang ngayon ay hindi na umabot pa sa legal proceedings..."

"If my husband was here, walang usap-usapan na mangyayari. He won't even bother checking to confirm whether our daughter cheated. He would've just sued you all." hindi sumagot si Ms. Mendoza. Huminto naman si Mommy at sumulyap muna sa akin. 

"I don't wanna prolong the agony of my daughter. She doesn't need this crap. I don't want the spotlight on her. What I want, is an apology from you two and for your subordinate to clear my daughter's name. I want it done in public. In her room. In front of the whole school."

Walang katok na naganap at bumukas ang pinto. Sabay-sabay kaming napatingin doon at nakita si Daddy. His coat was gone, only left with his tucked in dress shirt. His eyes searched for my mother first, and then me. His jaw clenched as he stepped in the room.

"What happened?" he's looking directly at my mother, not caring about the two.

"We're done talking. I'll explain everything to you sa sasakyan." tumayo si Mommy at tiningnan kami ni Hadeon. "Let's get you home, Laurene. Hadeon, get your sister's things. At sumabay ka na rin sa pag-uwi kung gusto mo. I'm sure Ms. Mendoza can have your early dismissal arranged."

"Certainly, Mrs. Serrano." 

Tango ang naging sagot ni Mommy. Hindi na siya nag-abalang magpaalam sa dalawa. Inabot niya ang kamay ni Daddy at hinila ito palabas. Sunod na tumayo si Hadeon at hinatak ako paalis doon. Unlike my parents, Hadeon extended his courtesy to Ms. Mendoza. Hindi niya pinansin si Ms. Escuelta. Ako naman ay tahimik lang na nagpahatak sa kanya.

Pagkalabas ay nahanap ko agad ang mga mata ni Silas. Nakaupo siya sa bleacher na nasa harapan ng office. Nakatayo na siya. Siguro ay binati ang parents ko nang dumaan ito. They're already way ahead of us.