Best for Us (GU #3)

eleven

Eleven: Vanessa Gerleen

'THANK you.' Iyon ang unang mensaheng pinadala ko kay Tyler mula nang magpalitan kami ng mga numero.

It was after I received all the information about Nanay Belen's daughter. Agad ko namang ipinadala iyon kina Ms. Sally.

And that was yesterday—a day ago and yet I still found myself looking at Tyler and I's little message thread. Hindi ko nga alam kung matatawag bang thread yun dahil dalawang mensahe lang naman ang laman.

Sa hindi ko mabilang na beses, binasa ko na naman iyon. The messages looked and sounded so formal. Ibang-iba sa naging palitan namin ng mga mensahe doon.

I scolded myself at that. Really? You're thinking about that now, Van?

Napailing na lang ako saka ibinalik na ang cellphone sa bulsa at kinuha na ang mga gamit saka lumabas ng unit. Kailangan ko pang pumasok sa school.

"Have you seen the announcement they posted in the bulletin board?" tanong sa akin ni Ren matapos naming magbatian. As usual, I was the earliest one here, and she's the second.

Umiling ako. Nadaanan ko naman ang kinaroroonan ng bulletin board pero hindi ko naisipang sumilip doon.

"Oh," Ren replied in a tone like she's asking me "really".

And that made me curious about it. Kung bakit ganoon ang naging reaksyon niya. "Why? Ano bang nakalagay doon?"

That was when she smiled at me. "Well, there's just an audition for a musical play for our College Week next month."

Tumango-tango ako. "Ah, may play pala."

I saw her forehead crease at my answer. "What? Aren't you excited?"

Napataas ako ng parehong kilay. Excited? Honestly, I enjoyed watching plays. They were a good source of entertainment for me aside from playing piano and reading books. Pero, alam ko naman ang tinutukoy ni Ren. She was excited to audition. And that was not my thing. Kaya kong tumugtog ng piano magdamag pero ang umarte sa isang play? I don't think so.

"I do," I told her honestly. "Excited akong mapanood iyon next month."

"You're not going to audition?" Tila ngayon pa lang nakuha ni Ren ang lahat.

"I don't know how to act," sagot ko.

"It's not all about acting, for sure they'll look for singers too."

Mas lumukot ang mukha ko. "I can sing," sagot ko. "But I doubt if I'm good at it."

"Seriously, Van?" hindi makapaniwalang tanong ni Ren.

And I laughed at her. "What? Doesn't mean I'm a music major that I have a golden voice too. You know that saying you can't have everything?"

Inikutan ako ng mata ni Ren. "Bahala ka. You can have many excuses as you want. But to tell you, Prof. Davila will require all of us to audition. So, might as well prepare your audition piece."

"What?" gulat kong tanong. Hindi ko lang inaasahan. Saka paano nalaman ni Ren na gagawin iyon ni Prof. Davila? "How do you know about that?"

"Olivia," tanging sagot ni Ren. And I sighed. Bakit ba nakalimutan kong kapareho namin ng course ang ate niya?

Napaungol na lang ako. Mukhang wala akong kawala.

*

Nang dumating ang lunch, pinauna ko na si Ren sa cafeteria dahil dumaan pa ako ng CR. Naitext na ako kanina ni Jena na hindi siya makakasabay sa aming maglunch ngayong araw dahil may group meeting pa sila. Nalungkot naman ako doon. Ito kasi ang unang pagkakataon na hindi ko makakasabay na kumain si Jena mula nang nagsimula kaming magkolehiyo.