Oktofinitum

Chapter 4

Mirakov

603... 604... 605... I was busily counting the trees that we passed by when the car suddenly came to a stop. I guess we've reached the end of the road. The ride was bumpy, anyone that has a brain could tell the road was neither cemented nor asphalted. Anong klaseng lugar ba 'to? I thought to myself as I prepared to get out of the car. Bahagya kong hinawi ang aking mahabang buhok na tumatabing sa mukha ko.

Straightened my curled up sweat shirt and my shoulders and ever so slowly opened the door of the car and went out, and as my shoes came in contact with the rocky uncemented road and the wind ever so softly graced my skin, a chill ran down my spine as I dive in the view.

"Welcome to your new school, ija." Napalingon ako sa may ari ng boses na iyon. Si Miss Miranda, ang aming Guidance Counselor, personal niya akong inihatid sa school kuno na ito.

"Eto na 'yun?" I said questioningly, my tone laced with obvious disappointment. It was nothing but a huge gothic gate with leaves and vines creeping up those rusty metal bars.

"Yes... Mirakov, it's the place that suits you best, ija." Suits me best? Ang tila abandonadong lugar na ito? Best? This wasn't what I was expecting from a 'prestigious' school. Kung tutuusin ang inaasahan ko ay manliliit ako pero ngayon kakaibang kilabot ang nararamdaman ko.

"P–pero Ma'am baka nagkakamali lang kayo?" taka ko pa ding saad. Pero isang kakaibang ngiti lang ang iginawad niya sa akin habang ibinababa ang mga gamit ko mula sa trunk ng kotse niya. Ang drama pa ng goodbyes namin nila Sister at ng mga bata sa Tahanan tapos ganito lang pala ang pupuntahan ko? Pinagtitripan ba ako nito?

At isa pa mukha bang Academy tong lugar na to? Ha!? Ha!?

"I'm sorry but this is for the best," I roamed my eyes around. It feels like I'm in the middle of nowhere. I'm starting to think that Miss Miranda is a serial killer and she brought me here to kill me instead and bury my body. I was about to protest to her, however, in a blink of an eye I saw her already behind the wheels, starting the engine and leaving me here. What the hell?

"T–teka, ma'am! No, 'wag mo akong iwan dito! Ma'am naman walang biruan ng ganito! Balikan mo ko dito!" I shouted trying to catch up to the car speeding away but it was futile. Tinungo ko ang bag at maleta kong nasa isang gilid at hinanap ang keypad na cellphone ko. Sinubukan kong tawagan sina Sister pero, 'Sorry. You do not have enough balance to make a call please...' –the heck.

"Where on fucking earth am I?" I uttered ever so helplessly as I sat on my luggage bag. Gigil na gigil akong pumindot sa cellphone. Anong klaseng pakulo ba ito?! Sabi niya sa isang prestigious kunong paaralan ako magpupunta hindi sa isang mala-gubat na lugar at may ilang daang taon na atang gate na bigla na lang bumukas.

With screeching sounds the gate opened halfway. Kunot noo ko itong tinignan, contemplating kung dapat ba akong pumasok? Despite being opened, I couldn't see what was beyond those metal bars. Okay? Baka 'yung gate nila ay luma na at kailangan nang ipa-renovate, maybe the school buildings will not be so bad. Afterall, most 'prestigious' schools are old ones, right? Like La Salle, Ateneo, UP, or the oldest university which was Sto. Tomas? Baka kaya kinakalawang ang gate sa sobrang tagal nang itinatag ng school na 'to? Wala naman sigurong serial killer dito 'di ba? I was a little bit convinced by my own rationale about the weirdness of this supposed school. Akmang tatayo na sana ako nang biglang gumalaw muli ang gate subalit sa pagkakataong ito ay pasara naman.

"T–teka wait lang naman! Nag-dedecide pa 'yung tao kung papasok o hindi, eh!" I suddenly uttered to no one in particular. Wala sa sariling dali-dali kong hinigit ang maleta't iba ko pang mga gamit upang agad na makapasok.