The Enigma of Erald

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Two Villains

ERALD

MAY DAPAT ba akong ikatuwa ngayong araw?

Wala.

Wala naman kasi itong ipinagbago sa mga nagdaang araw. Gigisingin ka ng alarm clock, pipilitin mong maligo kahit sobrang lamig ng tubig, makikipagplastikan ka sa mga classmate mo at magpapanggap na nakikinig sa mga teacher mo na boring ang subject na itinuturo.

Isipin mo, halos kalahati ng iyong araw, para kang robot na sumusunod sa naka-program na sa utak mo. Dinidiktahan ka ng iba kung ano ang dapat mong gawin. Kaya hindi ko rin masisi ang ibang kabataan kung bakit nagrerebelde sila.

Teka, bakit ba napunta diyan ang usapan? No particular reason. Nabo-bore lang kasi ako sa bagong lesson namin sa Math. Magpapaturo na lang ako mamaya o bukas sa ace student ng class namin para mas maintindihan ko ang pinagsasabi ni Sir Lising. The formulas written on the board looked like hieroglyphics to me.

Teka, si Clyde nga pala ang top one sa amin. Nevermind.

The only thing that I look forward every day in Clark High is the QED Club. Kahit naging matumal ang dating ng mga client, mas pipiliin ko pang matulog dito kaysa makinig sa mga discussion o sumali sa mga school activity. Our clubroom has been my safe haven ever since I got accepted in this club.

Speaking of the club, our club president was still missing-in-action since the leadership seminar. Ayaw ko namang ipagtanong sa mga classmate o teacher niya kung bakit hindi pa siya pumapasok. Baka isipin pa nilang stalker niya ako.

Hindi pa rin tuluyang nagsi-sink-in sa akin si Charlotte ang batang babaeng iniligtas ko apat na taon na ang nakalilipas. When I met her in this very club, I only viewed her as a bubbly yet talentless airhead who just happened to revive this detective group from the grave. Little did I know that I almost gave my life for her when she almost got hit by a car.

Kaya siguro kapag malungkot siya, may kakaiba akong nararamdaman. Normally, I would rejoice on other people's sufferings. But when it came to her, it was an entirely different subject. I somehow empathize with her. Parang nalulungkot ako kapag nahihirapan siya.

Now I know where these feelings were coming from.

Why didn't I notice her resemblance to the little girl from four years ago? Sa lakas ba ng pagkakabagok ng ulo ko, hindi ko na maalala ang itsura niya? Well, I was too young back then and for a face that I saw only once, memory recall was hard to come by.

And thanks to my heroic act, Charlotte has suffered from memory loss. Because of me, she has to photos of some moments of her life just in case they disappear from her consciousness. She has to take down notes in her journal just so she wouldn't forget.

I shouldn't be blaming myself anyway. Wala naman sa intensyon ko na bigyan siya ng problema sa memorya noong itinulak ko siya noon. I only wanted to save her. I only had good intention in my heart.

But what's past is past. Kahit anong pag-analyze pa ang gawin ko sa nangyari sa nakaraan, hindi na nito maibabalik ang normal na kondisyon ni Charlotte. And that's a burden that I have to bear.

Nang makalaya na kami mula sa nakakabagot na morning period, I went straight not to my fortress, but to the vending machine on the fifth floor. Kung tutuusin, may vendo rin sa floor na kinatatayuan ko ngayon. But I was not after the available drinks. I was after someone who would buy a can.

Upon reaching the large, red machine, sumandal ako sa gilid nito, nakahalukipkip ang mga kamay at nakatingala ang aking ulo sa kisame. My target would be coming from the other wing so I did not have to worry about being spotted. Naghintay pa siguro ako ng sampung minuto bago ako may narinig na mga papalapit na yabag.