Chapter 2

It’s almost 11 in the morning when Apollo decided to get up and have his breakfast. He went downstairs and see his Dad holding a newspaper and while having his coffee.

“I heard hindi ka na naman pumapasok sa klase mo? Ano bang plano mo sa buhay?” his Dad asked as soon as he sat down on the table.

“Dad, please naman, ang aga aga. Don’t nag at me first thing in the morning,” he irritably said.

“Maaga? It almost 11 o’clock Apollo when will you learn to be responsible sa oras at sa buhay mo like your--”

“Like my brothers?” Apollo interrupted what his father was about to say.

“Hijo, I’m just saying that you should be more responsible. Hindi ka na bumabata, anak,” his Dad added.

“Hindi mo ‘ko nakikitang nage-excel sa career ko kasi paulit ulit mong pinupuna kung ano yung mga bagay na hindi ko kayang gawin. Unfair ka, Dad. Sana si Mama na lang yung naiwan dito!” he shouted and banged his hands on the table. His voice echoed in the four walls of their dining. His eyes are full of anger and hatred, his Dad can see those.

“Anak tapusin mo na muna yung pagkain mo,” his grandma stopped him from walking away but he ignored it.

Apollo is a 3^rd year film student, third son of the owner of Moonlight’s publishing house. Limang taon pa lang siya no'ng namatay ang mama niya at naiwan siya sa lola niya, do’n na siya lumaki. Hanggang sa kinuha siya ng kanyang ama noong siya’y labinlimang taon pa lang. Ang dalawang kapatid naman niya'y parehas na nasa ibang bansa na.

Agad siyang bumalik sa kwarto niya at idinabog ang pinto, hindi na bago kay Apollo ang ganitong eksena nilang mag-ama. Madalas ay ayaw niya na ring umuwi sa kanila subalit sino naming pupuntahan niya? Ni wala siyang kaibigan.

Inayos ni Apollo ang mga gamit, naggayak at mabilis na umalis sa bahay nila. Wala siyang pagpipilian kundi muling tumambay sa field ng campus kagaya ng palagi niyang ginagawa.

Sa pag-iikot at pagkuha ng larawan sa campus, nadaanan ni Apollo ang isang grupo ng mga kapwa niya estudyante at kasalukuyang nags-shoot.

Gustong sumali ni Apollo sa mga ganitong klase ng patimpalak subalit wala siyang team at hindi rin siya gan’on kagaling makisama para makabuo nito.

“Cut!” sigaw ng isang babae na sa pakiwari ni Apollo’y tumatayong direktor ng grupo.

“Bakit, Direct? Okay naman 'yong scene ha?” tugon ng isa pang babaeng pamilyar sakanya

“Hindi, may mali eh. Try to move Alisa’s camera on the left, tignan natin 'yong angle na ‘yon,” Apollo walked towards the group and looked at the monitor, “Nah, there’s something wrong about the angle,” frustrated na dugtong ng babae.

“Try to move it a bit higher than eye level and the frame should start at the line sa dulo ng hallway," Apollo said.

Nagulat din siya sa nasabi sapagkat hindi niya rin inaasahang masasabi niya ang nasa isip nang malakas. Agad siyang lumakad palayo bago pa man din makatugon ang babae.

Inubos ni Apollo ang buong araw niya sa pag-iikot sa campus. Hindi niya rin alam subalit meron siyang pakiramdam na meron siyang gustong hanapin o makita, hindi niya sigurado kung ano ‘yon.

Young Apollo was crying in the corner of his room when her mom opened the door.

“Hey, Apollo, what’s wrong? Are you hurt? What’s wrong baby? You can tell mommy,” his mom asked then rub his back.

“My classmates made fun of me because I am weak, mommy. Why am I so weak? All I did was cry when they’re making fun of me!” he then cried in his mother’s arms.

“You’re not weak. The weak ones are the ones who’s pretending to be strong so they could hurt others. Hindi ba nila alam na my baby was named after the God of Sun and War. That’s not weak!” his mother smiled and tickled him. Young Apollo wiped his tears and laughed with his mom.

“I love you, Mom," Apollo whispered with a tear running down to his face.

He fell asleep again in the library.

“Excuse me, bawal matulog sa library,” the librarian said and slightly tap his shoulders to wake him up.

He just rolled his eyes then fixed his things. This is his daily routine, he’s going to school every day to escape home but never attended his classes.

Apollo decided to go home after walking around their village and taking photos, for some reason he feels extra exhausted today.

“Sa'n ka galing?” salubong sa kanya ng ama.

“School?” pabalang niyang sagot at tinuro pa ang suot niyang uniform.

“I asked your professors, none of them saw you. You’ve been absent for 4 weeks and some of your profs don’t even know you’re in their class,” tugon ng ama at lumakad palapit kay Apollo.

“Dad, can you please stop? Even just for a day, wag mong pakealamanan yung buhay ko as if you care if I did great! All you did is wait for me to fail so you could tell me that you’re right, so stop! Just stop!” bulyaw ni Apollo sa ama.

“Fine. Then stop using my money for your studies and bullshits in life. Ipapasok kita sa publishing house as a writer intern so you could have your own money,” his Dad said then walked away.

Apollo shouts out of frustration.

“Palagi na lang kayong nagtatalo ng Daddy mo. That’s not healthy for both of you,” his grandmother said from the kitchen.

“Abuela, bakit hindi ka pa natutulog?” he gently asked his grandmother.

“I just went to get some milk before I sleep but I saw you arguing with your Dad again, what’s wrong, mijo? Bakit palagi kayong gano’n ng Daddy mo?” his grandmother asked then rub his back.

“He never sees me as his child, abuela. He sees me as a disappointment. I’ve done anything before to make him proud, I also chose film instead of law just to make him proud pero wala, he closed his eyes sa mga bagay na nagawa ko to make him happy,” Apollo burst out in the arms of his grandmother. He feels emotionally exhausted like nothing’s right. He did everything to make things right but it's just not right. He’s tired.

“Do what makes you happy, mijo. Maraming tao ang kayang magtagumpay, pero hindi lahat kayang maging masaya,” She kissed her grandson’s forehead then walk towards the stairs.

“I’m proud of you, pero kapag nawala ako ayokong maisip mong wala nang taong bilib sa’yo. So believe in yourself, be proud of yourself, so you don’t have to beg for other people’s acceptance,” She smiled then went upstairs. Apollo just nod and stare at the ceiling, he didn’t even think about what his grandmother said… for him, everything now just doesn’t make sense.

“Mahal, magkikita na muli tayo…”

Napabangon si Apollo mula sa panaginip, hindi niya ito binigyan ng pansin sapagkat makailang beses niya na ring napapanaginipan ang sarili na may kausap mula sa kawalan at tinatawag itong “Mahal.”

Agad siyang bumangon at naghanda ng gamit, sa araw na ito nagpasiya siyang pumasok sa klase.

“I just need to survive this. I just need to finish this,” he thought.

He’s running late to his first class but he doesn’t care, hindi niya rin alam kung bakit subalit bigla na lamang siyang naudyok na pumasok. Marahil dahil din ito sa sinabi ng kanyang Lola no'ng isang gabi.

Naisip niyang kailangan niya lamang tapusin ang pag-aaral para wala nang masabi ang ama at magkaron na siya ng sariling buhay.

He nonchalantly walked inside his Cinematograpy class without giving the professor in front a single look.

“Excuse me? Do I know you, Mister?” masungit na tanong ng professor nila. Apollo sigh and response, he knows that it’s going to be this way. He hates standing where everyone can see him.

“Ah yes Ma’am, the last time I checked you were my professor in Cinematography,” He took a seat in the back row beside the windows.

“May I know your name?” his professor asked.

“Apollo, Ma’am. Apollo Domingo,” he answered.

“Oh I see, you were the Domingo that has been missing my class for three weeks,” Apollo just smirked at the professor’s statement. He knew it’s about his Dad who called his professors last night.

“Boring,” he whispered. He was shocked also because he didn’t expect those words to come out.

“What did you say, Mr. Domingo? Would you mind sharing your thoughts with your classmate?”

“Ow shit, Pol, you just found yourself an enemy.” he thought then sighed.

“I said, aren’t we starting?” He smirked.

He usually does this. The thoughts inside his head just slip from his mouth. He doesn’t want to be rude but he just can’t help it.

A girl seating in front of him caught his attention. That back figure looks familiar…

Suddenly, he felt tickles in his stomach. A feeling he can’t explain.

Weird.