Jack

antoinette
antoinette

Written by antoinette

 


When I was in high school I was an ugly duckling… a small teen with flat-chest and flat behind. Everything is really flat. My mom who is a sexy and beautiful woman was embarrassed to show off an ugly offspring. I just stayed on the side when the more beautiful siblings arrived. But that did not in any way diminished my self esteem. I think that if I cannot be beautiful, I can at least make myself smart… I can stand tall and still be confident.


Register, Chat, share and read more stories on our new website: www.libog-stories.com


High school passed by where I am innocently sheltered from predators (i.e. boys, afterall who would want to court a plain woman? It is like a waste of time when there are too many females like 10 boys to 50 girls). In college, I roamed the university freely, oblivious to the world of love and romance. I never had a boyfriend or a suitor. I was just walking happily in my plain little world. It was a happy life.

But somehow things changed when I was in 3th year college. I didn’t know what happened, I turn men’s heads whenever I am walking. Then few would whistle, wave, or simply shout “Hi Beautiful!” Some would even stop in their cars to smile or wink. Well people are weird. Okay lang basta wag kayo masyado lumapit.

In that same year, I enrolled in Humanities class. The teacher was always late, but asked us to wait for her all the time. Pag wala pa yong teacher, lumalabas ako ng room and I just stayed at the corridor looking at the tress.

“Hi, ako yong katabi mo sa class ni Ms. Pie” a guy, broke into my happy thoughts.

“Oh” Either my blind spot ako or i am just too focused on finishing school that I didn’t notice this cutie. Unang napansin ko sa kanya kung gaano kaganda yong ngipin nya and his smile.

“Ako nga pala si Jack, from which college ka?” he was appearing too friendly. Infact too friendly that i looked at him with suspicion.
“CBA.” I mean college of business administration.

“Wow ang talino mo pala.” he looked even more impressed. I waited patiently for him to leave. But he stayed looking comfortable.

“Hindi naman ganun ka talino tama lang na pumasa. How about you, from which college?” tanong ko naman.

“Eng, block namin yong class na to.” I see kaya pala maingay yong klase magkakilala halos sila.
“Oh! Wow mas matalino ka.” Konti lang kaming outsider sa class na yon.

Then tahimik na kaming nakatanaw sa baba ng building.
Tinawag si Jack ng mga kaklase nya. Magpa-plan daw ng field trip yong class.

“Pasok na tayo.” niyaya nya na ako.
“Okay, go ahead. Papasok din ako maya-maya.”

Jack was a friendly person. Pag wala pa yong teacher lagi kaming nag uusap ng kahit anong topic. Politics, economics, news, etc. The problem is maski nandyan na yong teacher nagbubulungan pa rin kami at nagtatawanan. Sa madaling salita muntik na ako bumagsak sa klase na yon. Mahirap magconcentrate at para akong nasa ibang high.

I learned that he was one of the grandson of some former Philippine president. Ang gwapo nya at maganda yong katawan. Ayoko mag assume ng anything from him alhough kinikilig na ako pagkasama sya and i looked forward to seeing him every Tuesday and Thursday of the week. Basta masaya lang syang kausap.

The day of the field trip arrived. Wala actually akong pera pang field trip. I don’t want to ask my father for money. He sent me my allowance regularly so if I ask for something that is not budgeted, I would feel bad if my education would add any problems back home (6 students pinapaaral nya). So ayon nagpakulo ako ng sampung pirasong saging na saba for breakfast, lunch, and snack na rin at nagdala ng maraming tubig at dalawang pirasong hard boiled egg.

Nakaready na rin yong pantakip sa mukha ko kasi matutulog lang ako malamang sa biyahe. Syempre wala akong pambili, ala din akong camera. So ano gagawin ko, malamang sleep lang at least I was with them. Mag appreaciate ng art at kung ano pa man.

Early pa lang nasa bus na kami. Maraming babae sa class na yon. Meron isang guy na katulad ko galing sa CBA at ito talaga kaklase ko in my major subjects (si Aron) na kasama ko rin nag enroll sa class na to. So inexpect ko sya magiging katabi ko. Pero di ko alam nasaan sya.

Dumaan na yong pretty na kaklase namin si Jane (hawig nya yong mga Koreans sa pagiging pretty, she is really pretty and she knows it). Next the dumaan yong bading na kaklase namin (alam ng buong class na yong bading na ito, may gusto kay Jack).

Halos napuno na yong bus… yong mga walang katabi ay si pretty Jane, si bading, at ako. Then dumating si Jack.

Bading: Jack, dito ka! Tabi na tayo. (Napalingon lang din ako and smiled brightly to acknowledge him, tumingin ulit ako sa labas ng bus, I made sure na window side at medyo front yong seat na pinili ko.)

Jack: Antoinette! umurong ka naman tabi tayo.
Me: Huh! Dito ka pala uupo. (tapos in a low voice I asked him) Ayaw mo tumabi kay pretty Jane?

Jack: Hah? (nalito yata si Jack) Gusto ko umupo katabi mo.

Me: Ngek! Wait lang ni reserve ko tong seat na to for Aron (alibi ko, iniisip ko kasi baka pag katabi ko sya magpapacute lang ako, mahirapan pa akong kainin yong mga saging na saba or worse, baka di ako makatulog.)

Tamang tama naman yong dating ni Aron at napadaan sya sa nakatayong si Jack kasi di pa talaga ako umurong.


Register, Chat, share and read more stories on our new website: www.libog-stories.com


Jack: Pre, hanap ka na lang ng ibang seat hah. Gusto ko tumabi kay Antoinette.

Napatingin si Aron sa akin at napatingin din sya kay Jack. Ang walang hiyang si Aron, bigla na lang ngumiti at sabay sabi in a very loud voice.

“Ui! I smell something in the air.” Nagsipag kantyaw na rin yong mga kaklase. Pretty Jane looked a little annoyed. Alpha male must be with alpha female inisip ko.

So umurong na rin ako… para di na makaharang si Jack.

Nauntog ako sa bintana ng bus ng maraming beses. Naramdaman ko na lang si Jack na hinihila ang ulo ko papunta sa balikan nya. Noong magising ako i was embarassed, i said sorry and quickly composed myself and become reserved. In every stop i find a quiet corner and eat my bananas and egg. I refused all invitations for some company except when Jack offered to buy me an ice cream!

Noong pauwi na, saka na ako nakipaghalubilo sa katabi ko… i borrowed his cam to see what pictures he took. At first ayaw ipakita, but i convinced him. Madami sya kuha sa akin… while i was sleeping beside him, while i was standing pensively at the scenery, while i was eating ice cream, while i was smiling looking into some nude paintings, or chasing monkeys, etc. He waited for me to say something. But i just returned the camera to him and said thanks. After that trip we were just silent and not talking much in class. Hindi naman ako nahihiya … sadyang di ko lang din kinakausap pag di naman ako kinaka usap.

Natapos ang sem ng hindi ko na sya nakausap ulit na gaya ng dati na masaya, he became reserved and i am always reserved. Hindi ko alam bakit bigla na lang di na kami nag uusap sa class after the fieldtrip. Siguro it just doesnt matter. One time i was jogging in the campus when he passed me by. He was riding in his car and he did not see me. Then for many weekends he and his friends were playing basketball in the dormitory where i was staying. I saw him by the window but he did not see me.

Enrollment after another semister has passed by … i had forgotten about him. When we bumped into each other at the hallway, school year is nearly over so there were very few people… infact kami lang dalawa sa hallway.

“Hi! Kumusta ka na.” bati ko sa kanya.
“Hi! Okay naman. Sabay na ako sayo palabas!” Sumabay na sya sa akin maglakad.

“Antoinette, pwede ba akong magtanong?” He said finally breaking the ice and tense moments.
“huh? Ano yon?” we both stopped to face each other.

“If you have someone in your life and been together since high school, like 6-7 years.. would you exchange that for someone you just met?” I was puzzled by his question. Why ask me that question? What if meron talaga syang problem and that I need to answer him objectively? How would i answer this? I am not the right person to answer the question, I never even have anybody at that time!!! Anong malay ko sa mga relasyon?

Still sinagot ko pa rin sya in a very objective manner given my limited experience.

“Maybe not… 7 years is a long time. Sayang naman’ he smiled at me sadly and I never saw him again after that.


Register, Chat, share and read more stories on our new website: www.libog-stories.com


Little did I know that the length of time is nothing compared to the perfect moments you can spend with the one you truly like. I am haunted by Jack’s question, kainis ang hina ko kasing pumik-up…

antoinette
Latest posts by antoinette (see all)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Libog Stories