HITMAN TONY'S SUMMER CAMP SURVIVAL GUIDE

Untitled Part 31

NAPAMAANG SI PAISLEY NANG MAKITA SI CHI. ITO ANG HULING gumamit ng banyo at hinhintay na nila sa assembly area.

"Why are you---" suot nito ang T-shirt ni Jacob na isinampay niya sa banyo. Hindi pa niya naipasok dahil minamadali na siya ni Anton kanina.

"Duh. I got nothing to wear. I saw this so I borrowed it."

"We talked about it." Aniya. "We'll wear our clothes even if they're--" she let that trail, glanced at Anton instead. Suot nito ang gulanit na Hermione shirt at ripped-at-odd-places jogger pants.

"I can't wear crop on crop. I'd look like a dude from the 80s." Katuwiran ni Chi. Suot nito ang running pants na tuluyan na nitong pinutol kanina. It was so badly ripped, mas mabuti pa nga putulin. Above the knees.

Paisley sighed, "Okay, but you have to return that to me." Siya man ay asiwang-asiwa sa suot niya. Her black leggings had a gaping hole on one leg, but it was the only thing she could find that didn't have a crotch rip. Ang pangtaas niya ay iyong butas-butas na pullover. Nilalamig siya sa tagiliran at likod.

"Of course. 'kala mo naman hindi isosoli." Maktol ni chi.

"S-Sorry. It's just that...it's vintage, you can't just buy that in any store here." At pasalamat na rin siya na hindi iyon napakialaman kasama ng ilan pa niyang damit na isinampay niya sa banyo. Hindi siguro nakita. Iyon kasing mga damit nina Chi sa sampayan sa labas, kung hindi sira-sira rin, madumi dahil pinitas sa sampayan at pinagtatapakan yata sa lupa. "But it's still damp." Dagdag pa niya. Ganoon rin ang mga kasama niyon kaya hindi pa niya naisuot.

"Okay lang. Matutuyo na 'to mamaya."

"You might catch a cold or something."

"Good. Then I get to go home. Hope I get dengue or something."

"You want to leave?"

"Don't you?"

She had thought of that last night. Parang naniniwala na siya na tumakas lang talaga si Jacob at piniling lumayo sa kanilang lahat. Therefore, wala nang rason para manatili pa siya sa camp. Kapag nakausap niya ang kanyang mama at papa, sasabihin niya ang totoo and they would gladly get her.

Pero naisip niya si Anton. His mom would not let him come home yet. And leaving would seem like abandoning him and Chi. She had a feeling Anton wouldn't like that. Sasama ang loob nito sa kanya at ayaw naman niya iyon. She liked him. And last night, she liked him more. They talked until they both could not stop yawning. She enjoyed it.

Kapag tinitingnan niya si Anton, she doesn't see a bully. She sees a sensitive guy. Too sensitive maybe. And he was just terrified of breaking down in front of anyone, he replaces his 'girly emotions' with anger. But Anton was really a caring person. He was a'feeler'. He feels everything, but most of all, the bad things and that really angers him.

Like Jacob.

Ayaw niya iwan si Anton. Lalo na gayong nalaman niyang gusto nang umuwi ni Chi. She could not leave Anton alone.

"I--I'll give it a couple more weeks. If things don't improve then---"

"I don't think I can last that long. This place is awful. People are awful."

Yeah, she could see and feel that. Iyong dalawang teams, panay ang bulungan at tawanan. Tuwang-tuwa sa ginawa ng mga iyon sa kanila.

"Let's just stick together, okay?" Aniya kay Chi, pinisil niya ang braso nito. Bumulong siya, "And we'll stick to our plan."

At dahil yata nag-uusap sila kaya biglang tinawag ni Bb. Bayang si Chi sa unahan para sa morning prayer.

Ewan ni Paisley kung imahinasyon lang niya, pero parang titig na titig si Miss Carla sa T-shirt ni Chi.

Hindi nag-Sign of the Cross si Chi. He was a self-proclaimed pagan. Sinabihan naman sila una pa lang na maari silang mag-lead ng prayers nang naaayon sa paniniwala nila, and that everyone should respect that.

Itinaas nI Chi ang dalawang kamay at tumingala, "Let's raise ourselves to Mother Nature, giver and taker of life, our destruction, our beauty. We offer our energy to you...."

Well, at least he wasn't a satanist, sa loob-loob ni Paisley. And God forbids, kung mayroong satanista sa kanila.

"We are at your mercy, Mother Nature. Your will be done." Pagtatapos ni Chi sa dasal.

Bumulong sa likod ni Paisley si Anton, "Wag sana tsunami ang will ni Mother Nature."

"Or earthquake." That would also cause a tsunami even in lakes.

At gaya ng napag-usapan nila kagabi, nagtaas ng kamay si Anton pagkatapos ng dasal.

"Can I say something?" Anito.

"Okay, sure Mr. Malabanan." Wika ni Bb. Bayang. "You may step forward."

"Thank you, Ma'am...Binibini...Sir." Tinanguan ni Anton ang tatlong counselors at nagpunta na ito sa unahan. "Ahhhmmm, kung napapansin n'yo po, mukhang tanga ang mga suot namin."

"Happens all the time." Wika nI Miss Carla, eyeing Anton's shirt. Kaya naisip ni Paisley, baka naman sa 'porma' ni Chi napapatitig ang counselor kanina, hindi sa t-shirt lang. "Please continue."

"Yes, Miss. Ahhmm, last night we found our clothes like this. All of them. One team or both of them sneaked into our hut and did this. But no, we are ahhhmm, not filing for any charges.

"My teammates and I had a long talk about it. We came to a conclusion that these things will not stop unless we CHOOSE to put a stop on them."

Anton had a booming, deep voice. He'd make a good reporter or anchorperson. And when he speaks like that, he seemed much bigger.

And handsome...uh, maybe not...at least not drop-dead handsome. He got an interesting face that was bordering on ugly, but somehow managed to look like Luke Skywalker..yep, the original StarWars dude.

Maybe that was why she liked him, konklusyon ni Paisley.

Patuloy pa si Anton sa talumpati, "And so, today, I propose PEACE! Pinapatawad na namin ang mga gumawa ng ganito sa gamit namin dahil kung gaganti pa kami, gaganti lang ulit sila. Hindi matatapos ang kaguluhan at awayan.

"Pero sa umagang ito, tinatapos na po namin. Humihingi rin po kami ng paumanhin kung may nagawa kaming mali sa kanila. Sana patawarin nila kami. Salamat po.

"Sana po---" tumingin ito sa mga counselor, "sana po, pahintulutan ninyo kami na magkamayan at magyakapan bilang simbolo ng pagkakasundo at pagkakaisa."

Tumango si Bb. Bayang, "That's wonderful. By all means, shake each other's hand."

Nanguna sa pakikipagkamay si Anton.

Nang lapitan nito si Tristan, narinig ni Paisley na bumulong ang lalaki habang hawak ang kamay ni Anton, "I don't rust you. You're up to something."

Anton grinned and hugged Tristan, "Peace be with you, Bruh. Peace be with you."