Your Universe

#YU45b

•RICHARD•

Halos kakarating lang din namin nung nakita kong pumasok sa may gate yung kotse ng tatay ni Maine. She saw me from her windows and waved her hand at me. Pagbaba niya, dumiretso agad siya sa akin.

"RJ!"

Hinalikan niya ako sa pisngi pagkalapit niya sa akin, her parents following her. Nag-mano ako kina Tito Teddy and Tita Mary Ann.

"Nasaan ang daddy mo, RJ?" Tita Mary Ann asked.

"Nag-CR lang po, tita," I answered. Sa gym kasi gagawin ang graduation rites namin. "Sina Mary and Angel naman po nasa may bleachers na."

"Paano, mauuna na ako doon? Umayos na kayong dalawa at tinatawag na yata kayo," Tita Mary Ann tapped my arms and went inside the gym to sit with my sisters.

Bumalik na si dad na tinabihan na ako sa pila. Si Tito Teddy ang kasama ni Maine. Both our fathers exhanged pleasantries, then started talking about business.

We tried looking for our friends pero nakapila na yata sila. Nakahiwalay kasi kami ng pila ni Maine, kasama namin yung mga teachers at ibang honor students. Ms. Carvalho's in front of us.

"Wag na kayong umalis dito, the program's about to start."

And she was right. The processional started already. Mamaya na lang siguro kami magpipicture.

As we walk inside the gym, ngayon lang nag-sink in sa akin na huling araw na namin dito. This school has given us so many memories to remember. Lahat bumabalik. Yung unang pagkikita (ulit) namin ni Maine nung freshman enrollment, nung naging magkaklase kami nung sophomore year, nung maging Model UN siya nung junior year at ang unang pag-uusap namin sa benches nung senior year. Time flies so fast when you're enjoying every bit of it.

The program started with the doxology, with everyone singing Pilgrim's Theme. We sang the national anthem next, and our city's hymn.

Then it was Maine's turn to give the tribute. A tribute to the parents, teachers and everyone who inspired us in our four years in highschool. Her salutatory speech.

Tinawag na siya ni Ms. Alleje, who served as the emcee, sa stage to give her salutatory speech. When she was up at tge podium, nakatingin ako sa kanya at saktong napatingin din siya sa akin. I nodded at her and smiled.

"Good afternoon, graduates, parents, teachers and guests.

"Today is a day of thanksgiving and recognition. Today marks a day of yet another milestone in our lives.

"Our beloved school, thank you for keeping us and taking care of us for the past few years. Thank you for being our second home, for being our stage, our arena, our battlefield. Thank you for giving us proper venues to discover and hone our talents and skills. I found my first love in sports in the very halls of this school.

"Our teachers, thank you for being patient with us. Thank you for guiding us and for always understanding us. Thank you for sharing with us lessons not only found in books, but those that come from your heart. Thank you for encouraging us to be our best and for challenging us to be better every day. For all the times that we caused your blood pressure to spike, we're very very sorry. And as we leave the halls of our beloved Alma Mater, we take with us the lessons you've taught us and one day, when we've grown up and conquered the world, like you've always believed we would, we will come back and tell you, "Mam, Sir, thank you."