After the encounter Ella had with her student, Lily, she went to the Principal's office. Hindi malayo ang opisina ng kanilang Head mula sa entrance. A few walk would suffice. Nasa may bandang unahan na gusali kasi ito kaya di na kailangan pang maglakad nang masyadong mahaba.
Ella knocked three times on the door before she went in. Their Head Principal, Mrs. Lumasan, wasn't surprised to see her. She was expected to come because of the resignation letter she sent early in the morning.
"Good afternoon po, Mrs. Lumasan," paunang bati ni Ella. She sat on the chair in front of the Principal and smiled at her. Pinagmasdan niya si Mrs. Lumasan at nahinuha niya na mukhang may pinagdadaanan ito. The aura she was giving off was heavy. Medyo haggard din kung tingnan ito at halatang-halata ang wrinkles niya. Mrs. Lumasan was already old but her wrinkles before wasn't this evident. She wondered what might have happened.
"Good afternoon din, Ms. Ella. Hindi na ako
"Ella!"Mabilis na umupo si Anne mula sa kaniyang pagkakahiga sa kama. She sprung forward like a slinky toy towards Ella who was sitting on the side of the bed. Dinamba niya ang kaibigan at binigyan ng isang mahigpit na yakap."Ella! Bakit ka naman absent?! Nag-alala tuloy ako sa iyo!"Nahihimigan ni Ella ang pag-aalala ni Anne sa tono ng boses nito. She was touched that her friend cared about her deeply."Pasensya na Anne. Biglaan lang nang napag-desisyunan ko kanina na lumiban muna ng klase." Ella returned her friend's hug. Binigyan din nito ng isang mahigpit na yakap ang kaibigan."Eh kainis ka naman Anne eh. Ilang taon na tayo magkaibigan tapos ung tipong bibigyan mo lang ako ng tawag o isang text message na hindi ka papasok, hindi mo pa nagawa. Bihira ka lang naman kasi lumiban ng klase. Noong mga nakaraang panahon, sinasabihan mo pa ako kung kumusta ka. Ngayong nagtatrabaho na tayo, hindi na. Nakakatampo ka ha!" Sinunt
"I found the solution to your problem, babe!"Anne looked as if she had won a lottery. Kumikinang ang mga ito at ang ngiti sa labi ay halos abutin na rin ang kaniyang mga mata. On the contrary, Ella was perplexed because of Anne's sudden change."Huh? What do you mean by that?" tanong ni Ella."Exactly what I meant by it! That I found the solution to your problem!""So what's the deal? Huwag mo nang patagalin, kinakabahan ako sa iyo eh," sabi ni Ella. Pabiro niyang sinabi nang naiinip.Pero kahit ganoon pa man, kinakabahan talaga siya sa sasabihin ng kaniyang kaibigan. Kilala kasi nito si Anne. Kadalasan ang mga naiisip nito ay sobra-sobra. Iyong tipong hindi mo talaga aasahan at kapag nagdesisyon ito na iyon ang gagawin, hindi mo na siya mapipigilan.Tumawa si Anne bago sumagot. "Alam ko na kung sino ang prefect fit for you!""May I ask who this person might be?""Of course, none other than Peter himself!"&nb
Ella was aware of the cold hand placed on top of her right shoulder. The hand was big since it was able to cover more than enough space around her right shoulder. She didn't want to look back. She was too afraid to witness a scene that was disconcerting which could affect her mental state for the rest of her life. Base kasi sa mga horror films na napanood niya, kadalasang nakakatagpo ang taong mag-isa sa isang creepy na lugar ng mga nilalang na kampon ng kadiliman. Dahil walang lakas ng loob si Ella kahit na sa pagsigaw sa takot, hindi na lang siya kumilos at gumawa ng kahit na ano. She stood on the ground and stayed frozen on the spot. "Ms?" It was a man's voice. Not too deep and not a high-pitched voice either. His voice was in the middle. For sure, he didn't sound old though. He was somewhat in between his 20s or 30s. Huminga nang malalim si Ella. She realized that was the most crucial time in every horror scene. The interaction and confrontation of th
The breakfast of the Morales family plus Anne ended quite fast. This was because Mr. and Mrs. Morales had set a meeting for their employees regarding the business they handle. Sasha woke up late and had to be driven by her parents to school. When the two best friends were left alone, they prepared for the meet-up with Peter."Ella, what do you think will be your outfit for today?" asked Anne to Ella who was sitting on her bed. They were inside Ella's bedroom and Anne appointed herself as her friend's godmother on the upcoming date."Uhh, a casual outfit, probably?" Ella has never dressed grand for some meet-up in a mall. She has always dressed simply; she has always preferred minimal shirts paired with jeans or simple dresses when going out. It was more comfortable for her that way.Ipinag-krus ni Anne ang kaniyang mga kamay. She was a self-proclaimed beauty guru and Ella's choice of clothes was far from the top-tier clothes to wear durin
"Tamang-tama ang pagbaba niyong dalawa. Kakauwi lang namin at nadatnan namin si Peter sa labas ng gate. May balak ba kayong puntahan? Saan kayo gagala?" intriga ni Mrs. Morales sa tatlo na kakalabas lang ng kotse. Si Mr. Morales ay nasa loob pa habang inaayos ang posisyon ng kotse sa kanilang garahe.Alanganing sumagot si Peter dahil nakanganga pa rin ang dalawang dalaga sa kanilang harap. He was unsure what to say, whether it was because of the date or something else. He decided it would be best to be honest in front of Ella's mother."Uhm, actually po Mrs. Morales, napag-isipan kong maagang pumunta rito upang ipagpaalam si Ella," sabi ni Peter at bumaling sa direksyon nina Ella.Doon lang nagising si Ella sa reyalidad na kinalalagyan nila. She heard what Peter said and she very much knew what will he say next. It was about their date which was set by Anne.Before Peter could speak again, Ella swiftly interrupted the flow of her m
"Ang tagal niyo naman sa labas. Ano pa ang ginawa niyo ron? Kanina pa kami naghihintay ng Papa mo rito Ella. Si Anne din ay hindi pa nakakakain. Ganoon ba kaimportante ang ginawa niyo sa labas?" masungit na bungad ni Mrs. Morales kanila Ella at Peter nang makapasok ang dalawa.Anne, on the other hand, was seating in the dining table, with a sly smile on her face. Hindi niya ito ipinahala sa lahat. Nandoon siya habang iniisip na sana ay naibigay ni Peter ang mga bulaklak na ni-request niya rito. Yes. She was the promoter of the whole ordeal. Sa tingin niya ay isa ito sa mga ginagawa ng mga lalaki sa tuwing may date na kung saan mas lalong nakaka-akit sa mga babae. As a woman herself, she liked flowers. Especially when they are big bouquet of flowers. She particularly liked red roses as well or blue roses if there were any available in the flower stores. Minsan niya nang natanong si Ella kung may paborito itong klase ng mga bulaklak ngunit wala siyang nakuhang direktong sagot m
Natapos ang tanghalian nila nang masaya. It was livelier because Peter was there and he kept on exchanging ideas with Ella's parents. He kept on entertaining Anne as well. Laging may mga itinatapon na tanong si Anne kay Peter sa buong panahon ng kanilang tanghalian. Mga tanong na siya lang ang natutuwa dahil ang mga tanong ay tungkol sa kanilang relasyon ni Ella. Ang halimbawa ng mga katanungan na kaniyang tinanong ay ang mga sumusunod:Gaano na ulit kayo katagal na magkakilala ni Ella, Peter?Diba parehas kayong mahilig sa pakikinig ng music ni Ella? Yayain mo naman siya minsan.Anong pinag-usapan niyo kanina sa labas umuna na akong pumasok sa loob? Baka importante, gusto ko lang malaman.Sa buong panahon na nagtatanong si Anne kay Peter habang kumakain sila, palihis na sinasagot ni Peter ang mga sagot. He was hoping the entire time that Anne would stop whatever she was talking about. He was too embarrassed about th
"Peter, is it okay if we continue our talk before in our house earlier?" Ella knew that she needed to be clear with Peter when it comes to their relationship. Although they did have a date, a supposedly romantic date, Ella didn't feel anything special at all. She didn't feel that unique sparks that people who were in love talk about every single time. Mabilis nagbago ang itsura ni Peter. He became tense all of a sudden and his heart started beating fast. Despite this change, he managed to appear calm and normal in front of Ella. Scratch that. More like he forced himself to appear calm in front of her. "Sure," sabi ni Peter. Sa loob-loob niya lang, grabe ang kaba na nararamdaman niya. "What is it that you want to talk about?" "It was nothing much, Peter. Gusto lang muna humingi ng tawad, unang-una, dahil you were dragged into this date because of Anne. Actually, I talked to her and told her to not involve you in our mess or something, pero
Continuation.DEVYANI'S P.O.V.That very day, I laid out my plan as smoothly and concisely as possible inside my hidden house. The only creatures who would about it would be me, Orion, and perhaps Father since he knows all of the things happening in the world. I decided I would execute it at around 8 o'clock in the evening. Whether it will work or not, that will be entirely up to me and to the people around me. Seconds later, I heard a knock outside the door. I muttered a chant so the things that are lying on the table about the plan would be concealed. Matapos ay tumakbo ako papunta sa pinto. Alam ko naman na kung sino ang tanging gagawa noon. "Coming!"When I opened the doork, I saw Orion with a wide grin on his face. "Dinner?" tanong niya. Sa isang kamay ay hawak-hawak niya ang dalawang isda na tig-isang nakatusok sa dalawang pirasong kahoy. Naguluhan ako sa kaniyang sinabi. Tumingin ako sa labas saka siya tiningnan muli. "Ha? Hapunan na? Anong oras na ba? Hindi ba at parang ma
Kasalukuyan akong nakaupo sa pinakatuktok ng isang matarik na bundok. Napakatahimik ng paligid. Walang mga away ang nagaganap at ang lahat ng bagay ay naaayon sa panuntunan ng buhay na ginawa ni Ama. Napakaaliwalas at napakakalmadong tingnan ang mga nilalang na nilikha ni Ama sa planetang Earth. Ang mga tao, hayop, halaman, puno, mga hayop, ang tubig at ang lupa, hangin, ulap, apoy, at iba pa ay tamang-tama na nakapuwesto. Sa katotohanan ang lahat ng mga bagay na matatagpuan sa planetang Earth ay nagmula rin sa aming kaniyang mga anak. Pinagbasehan niya ang mga mahika at responsabilidad na naiatas sa amin. Ang kaibahan sa amin at pagdating sa mundo ng mga nilalang na kaniyang nilikha, may kakayahan kaming kontrolin ang mga bagay o ang mga mahika. Habang sa planetang Earth, walang may kakayahan kumontrol ng mga mahika. Ang tanging abilidad lang na ibinigay ni Ama sa kanila ay ang kakayahang mag-isip at magkaroon ng rasyonalidad. "Devyani? Nandito ka na naman ulit?" tanong ng isang lal
Fiction, non-fiction, YA, mystery, thriller, science fiction, anthologies, poems, literature, dictionary, thesaurus, textbooks, at marami pang iba ang matatagpuan sa silid-aklatan. Parang sa mundo ko lang dati. Ang kaibahan nga lang, mas maraming nakakatuwang impormasyon ang matatagpuan sa mundong 'to. Welp. Siguro, biased lang ako dahil mas magaganda ang pagkakagawa ng mga libro rito. Ang mga libro sa mundong 'to ay mayroong mga papel na makakapal at ang mga ito ay kulay light brown. Iyon bang parang pakupas na papel na sa mundo ko dati ngunit dito, hindi siya pakupas. Sadyang ganoon lang ang kulay at hindi nag-iiba. Bago man o luma ang mga libro ay parehas lang ang kalidad ng mga papel. Siguro mayroong taong gumagamit ng mahika upang mapanatili ang ganda ng papel.Bukod pa rito, maraming nakaguhit na larawan sa mga libro. Hindi kada-pahina ay mayroong mga nakaguhit na larawan ngunit ang mga ito ay sapat upang punan ang mga parte ng mga libro na nangangailangan ng visual representat
"Ano na naman iyang mga pinaggagawa ninyo?" inis na sabi ni Ina. Napamasahe siya sa kaniyang noo at umiling-iling pa. Mukhang kailangan na niya muna ng pahinga sa kambal. "Hindi ko na alam sa inyong mga bata kayo." Randam ko pa rin si Mael sa likod at ang pilit pag-alis ni Kael sa kaniya sa aking likod. Patuloy pa rin sila sa kanilang ginagawa kahit na nagsalita na si Ina. Hindi nakatiis si Ama at nagsalita na rin. "Mga bata, magsitigil na nga kayo. Si Meliliana pa talaga ang pinag-aawayan niyo at nasakto pa na tayo ay magkakasamang kumain sa hapag-kainan." Ngunit hindi siya pinakinggan ng aking mga kapatid. Patuloy ang dalawa sa pag-aaway. Parang mga isip-bata para sa mga prinsipeng katulad nila. Hindi ba dapat na kahit parte ka ng isang maharlikang pamilya, sa edad na mag-sasampu ay matured na? Ganoon ang napapanood ko sa mga pelikula at aking mga nababasa sa mga libro. Karamihan naman sa mga 'yon ay piksyonal tulad nito kaya bakit iba sila? Dahil naiinis na rin ako na hinihil
It's been five years since I came into this world, into the novel called "Meliliana". My life has never been this strange yet... warm.Noong una, mahirap isipin at tanggapin ang reyalidad na nasa harapan ko. Sino ba naman ang kaagad-agad maniniwala na totoo ang reincarnation? Hindi naman kasi kapani-paniwala talaga ang isekai o rebirth o kung ano pa man ang tawag dito. Sa mga nobela at pelikula lang naman ang mga iyon nangyayari--- iyon ang akala ko. Akala ko noong namatay ako buhat ng pagsagasa ng truck, makakasama ko nang muli ang mga pamilya ko. Iyon pala, hindi. Sa hindi ko malamang dahilan, at kung paano at anong nangyari, ay namuhay ako bilang ang bidang karakter ng nobelang Meliliana, kauna-unahang international best-selling book na mula sa Pilipinas ang awtor. Iba't ibang mga lahi ang tumangkilik dito, kaya ang libro ay nailathala sa iba't ibang bansa gamit ang iba't ibang lenguwahe. Ang kanilang mga dahilan ay kesyo maganda raw ang romance, kaaya-aya, nakakakilig, at kung anu
Bakit parang ang ingay ata sa labas? Taena, aga-aga nagsisisigaw na naman ang mga bata.“Oy, ano ‘yang ingay niyo? Kitang may natutulog.” Lumabas ako ng kuwarto at nakita sa sala ang aking dalawang nakababatang kapatid. Parehas tumitili na para bang chino-chop chop na baboy. Nakita ko ang magasin sa ibabaw ng lamesa. Pinulot ko ito at hinampas sa ulo ng dalawa.“Ano ba, ate?! Panira naman, oh,” daing ni Heaven, labing-dalawang taong gulang kong kapatid na babae. Sumimangot siya saka lumabi.“Oo nga, panira. Palibhasa bitter,” anas ni Nevaeh, kakambal na babae ni Heaven. Inikot niya pa ang kaniyang mga mata saka dumila. Lah, pikon talaga ‘to. “Bakit kasi ang ingay niyo? Wala pa nga atang walong oras tulog ko. May niluto bang pagkain si Mama?” “Sus. Baka nga siyam na oras na tulog mo. Umuwi ka rito kaninang alas-siyete, alas-kuwatro na ng hapon ngayon. Sa isang tanong mo, oo mayroong pagkain diyan. Piniritong talong at galunggong. Nagluto rin ako ng sinangag kasi ang galing-galing ng
Mara was on the guard about the man she was left with. She was still not yet convinced on whether to trust the person or not. She doesn't know a thing about him. The only information given to her by her friends were he was Ana's brother, he was the creepy guy at the convenience store, and he carried her back to her apartment when she felt ill. Aside from all of that, she still hasn't seen his face, and not even entirely sure about his identification.She felt the need to at least start the conversation as it didn't look like the man would do so. Mara walked up to the man who was still leaning on the wall."Uhm, hello, I'm Mara. Nice to meet you." She extended her right hand in an attempt to shake hands."Yeah, I know you. No need for formalities." Mara put her hand away because of what he said. The man took off his hat and mask. "I'm Seth. The Seth you know."When his bare face comes into view, Mara gasped. His perfect face was just too pretty in her eyes. There was not one bit of sca
There were instances in life where people find themselves in a strange situation. The most common reaction during those times was either shock, panic, or distress. But none of those words fit Seth's reaction after the stranger keeling on the floor in front of him addressed his name. While standing still, he remained impassive--- that's what his eyes tell."What?" was the only thing he muttered. Ana thought his voice was colder and deeper than before. Must have been through puberty."I'm asking you to heal my friend. This accident is partly your fault so pay your dues," she said, her voice was strong and confident. Tears were still evident on her face although she has stopped crying."And what are the boons?"She exasperatedly sighed. "You're fucked up. You weren't like this when you were younger. You're much better then. Now you're a straight-up asshole!"Ana can't help but snarl at him and openly say her feeling because of his nasty attitude. The man turned into a 180 - degree versio
It was past 5 o' clock in the afternoon when the three decided to go home. They had fun the whole day; binge-watched a horror movie, bought plenty of food online from various fast food stores, and made wholesome memories."Hey, It's kinda late. Y'all want to call it a day?" Zeke asked when he noticed the time on his golden watch."Okay!" Mara said while Ana nodded."Do you want us to drop you at your house or do you have to go somewhere first?" he asked."Hmmm, can you both walk me to my apartment? Since I think this will be the last day we'll see each other."Zeke threw one arm around Mara's shoulder. "Yep. On the last day we'll see each other for a while. Be a good girl for us, alright?" he teased and Mara laughed in return. She will surely miss his teasing for two years."I have always been a good girl. Expect me to maintain my reputation in Graceville High for the next two years. Since I'm that good, both of you should make me your role model."Her two friends laughed at what she