LORELEI

LITTLE DID Loki know that I was the traitor who's going to hang around with the team for a while. He had nothing to worry about his brother betraying our team.

Kinuha namin sa tent ang mga gamit na kailangan para sa fishing expedition. We brought five canteens of water, a pocket knife, a recycling bag, and the binoculars. Alistair pulled our flag from being impaled into the ground and rested the stick on his right shoulder. Jamie took the binoculars that hung around her neck.

We told Loki to keep an eye on our items. Kapag may nawala o ninakaw sa mga supply namin, walang dapat sisihin kundi siya. We did not ask him to be left behind. Siya mismo ang nag-volunteer. Sakaling pagalitan namin siya mamaya, hindi na niya basta-basta malulusutan 'to.

When all was set, our team finally left the camp.

Nagsimula kaming magmartsa sa kakahuyan. Si Alistair na ang humawak sa mapa at nagtuturo ng direksyon kung saan kami tutungo. Si Jamie naman ang sumisilip sa binoculars para tingnan kung malapit na kami sa aming destinasyon at kung may makakasalubong ba kaming ibang team. Kumusta naman si Luthor? Hayun, tahimik na naglalakad sa likuran namin.

I was looking behind us now and then and listening to the rustling of leaves. The other teams might be hiding behind a bush, waiting to launch an ambush on us to steal our flag.

Tanging huni ng mga ibon at mga natatapakan naming sangay na pakalat-kalat sa daan ang ingay sa tinatahak naming daan. Thanks to the shade provided by the trees, hindi kami masyadong nainitan.

"Okay lang kaya na maiwan si Loki dear doon?" tanong ni Jamie na sandaling huminto sa tabi ng puno at sumilip sa kanyang binoculars. She lowered it as she turned to us. "Baka pagtulungan siya ng ibang team at nakawin ang mga gamit natin! Maybe I should have stayed with him para siguradong magiging okay siya."

Guarding our stuff would not be her only motive for staying behind. Sorry, Jamie. I would not easily fall for that reason. Knowing her, she probably had an ulterior motive. At mukhang alam ko na kung ano 'yon.

"Don't worry about him," I kinda assured her. "Loki's already a grown-up man. Baka batuhin pa niya ng frying pan ang magtatangkang lumapit sa kampo natin. He may not be physically strong to wrestle with the invading team, but let's put our faith in him that he'd be able to put up a fight."

"He said he'd be thinking of traps, right?" naalala ni Alistair. "Siguradong nag-iisip na siya ngayon ng patibong bilang proteksyon sa kampo. Hindi niya hahayaang mabagot ang sarili niya roon habang hinihintay ang pagbabalik natin."

"There's a chance that he's going to be outnumbered, but through his cunning, he may be able to outmaneuver them," Luthor said. Napatingin kaming tatlo sa kanya. Well, why should I be surprised that he kinda praised Loki? Of all the people at this camping site, he should know his younger brother best.

The fact was Loki's on his own. Wala kaming magagawa kundi ang magtiwala sa kanya at umasang walang aatake sa kampo namin.

Nagpatuloy kami sa paglalakad hanggang sa may marinig kaming pagragasa ng tubig sa may hindi kalayuan. The river must be nearby.

"Tanaw ko na 'yong ilog!" masayang anunsyo sa amin ni Jamie habang nakatingin sa binoculars. Nagmadali siyang tumakbo palabas ng kakahuyan. "Wala rin akong nakitang ibang tao roon. Come on, guys! Unahan na natin ang ibang teams sa panghuhuli ng isda."

"Teka, Jamie!" tawag ni Alistair na sumunod sa kanya. "Huwag kang masyadong magmadali. Medyo moist pa ang lupa rito. Baka madulas o madapa ka niyan!"

But Jamie ignored his warning.

Throughout our short trip, Luthor remained silent and only watched us do our navigation jobs. For a moment back in the camp, I thought of asking him to stay behind with his younger brother. But that may be a bad idea. Mas magandang kasama namin siya rito para mas marami kami.

"Finally!" Jamie exclaimed. Ikinaway niya ang kanyang mga kamay nang makalabas na siya ng kakahuyan at mapunta sa parteng naaarawan. Sumunod kami sa kanya. As soon as we got out of the shade, we reached the calm river. Sa sobrang linaw ng tubig, kitang-kita ko ang nasa ilalim nito. And look! May ilang isda akong nakikita!

"Let's go fishing na?" sabi ni Jamie. "Baka pumunta rito ang ibang teams at magkaroon pa tayo ng kaagaw sa mga isda!"

Hindi naman niya kailangang magmadaling manghuli. Base sa mga nakita ko sa ilog, sobra-sobra pa ang mga isda para sa mga member ng lahat ng teams.

Naghanap muna si Alistair ng mahabang stick mula sa mga nahulog na sangay sa tabi-tabi. He then sharpened the edge using the pocket knife. It looked like a spear now.

Ipinaubaya muna niya sa amin ang flag. Sumuong na siya sa ilog, nakataas ang kamay na may hawak sa stick at handang tuhugin ang unang isdang makikita niya. Sumama rin sa kanya si Jamie na naka-ready ang recycling bag. I saw my childhood friend quickly thrusting his makeshift spear into the water. Nang iangat niya ito, may isdang nakatuhog sa dulo. Jamie clapped as she opened the bag.

While the two of them were catching fish, kaming dalawa naman ni Luthor ang naglagay ng tubig sa limang dala naming lalagyan. Nilagyan namin ng water filter ang opening ng mga canteen para masala ang dumi sa tubig. I placed the flag between us so it's still within our reach.

"Do you enjoy being part of this team building?" tanong ko. Medyo awkward ang katahimikan sa pagitan naming dalawa kaya naisip kong basagin ito.

"This is a twist that I didn't see coming," he answered as he submerged the canteen into the river. "There are more than twenty names in the fishbowl. The possibility of my name being picked is less than five percent. But it still happened anyway."

Hinintay kong mapuno ng tubig ang hawak kong lalagyan. "Mas gugustuhin mo sigurong nagpa-facilitate ng mga activity kaysa sumali sa mga ganito, 'no?"

Given what I know about him, hindi niya maiisipang maging isa sa mga participant. He would be more comfortable watching from a distance rather than getting into the action.

"Whenever we lack the manpower, I have no choice but to get myself involved." He lifted the canteen from the water, removed the filter, and put the cap back on it.

Naka-tatlo na yatang isda sina Alistair at Jamie nang may marinig kaming ingay mula sa may kakahuyan. I heard unintelligible voices of people. Mabilis kong tinanggal ang huling canteen mula sa pagkakalubog sa tubig at napahawak agad sa aming flag.

"Oh, nandito pala sina Lorelei and friends?" Rosetta commented upon seeing me by the riverbank. She was carrying their flag that featured the ghost emoji. Two boys stood side by side with her and posed as if they were some martial arts experts.

Tumayo kaming dalawa ni Luthor habang tumigil sa pangingisda sina Alistair at Jamie. Mukhang automatic na na-trigger ang alert mode namin.

"Loki isn't with you?" Sumulpot sa tabi niya si Maggie na nagliwanag ang mga lente ng salamin dahil sa sikat ng araw. "Why wasn't I surprised?"

"Are you here to fetch some water too?" tanong ko nang magawi ang aking tingin sa dala nilang water canteen.

Rosetta nodded. "Yeah, and also—"

"—capture your flag too!" sigaw ng isa sa mga lalaking kasama niya. What was his name again? Andrew? Shawn? Ryle? Basta 'yong pinakamatangkad sa tatlo. Napansin kong napa-facepalm si Maggie habang napabuntong-hininga si Rosetta. Who in his right mind would announce their move in front of their enemies? Kung sa tingin niya'y masisindak niya ako, nagkakamali siya.

Bilang ang kasalukuyang flag bearer, mabilis akong tumakbo palayo sa lalaking papalapit sa akin. Dahil na rin siguro sa tangkad niya, malalaki ang kanyang mga naging hakbang.

"Akin na ang flag n'yo!"

"In your dreams!" sigaw ni Jamie mula sa ilog sabay wisik ng tubig-ilog sa lalaki. Sandaling napahinto ang nagtangkang magnanakaw kaya nagkaroon ako ng oras na lumayo pa. Sumunod sa akin si Luthor na mukhang nalito kung ano ang dapat niyang gawin.

Alistair and Jamie jumped out of the river and ran toward my direction. Inihagis ko ang flag kay Alistair nang kaunti na lang ang layo niya sa akin. His hand caught the stick and he retreated into the woods. Sumunod kami sa kanya.

"Andrew, bakit mo naman bigla-biglang hinabol sina Lori? Nakalimutan mo na ba na we're friends?" narinig kong pangaral ni Rosetta sa kasama niya. "Pwede sana tayong makipag-alliance sa kanila para ma-beat natin ang dalawa pang team."

"Sorry, na-excite kasi akong makakuha ng flag, eh."

"Next time, don't announce your move." I heard Maggie speak. "You just triggered them to activate their defenses. You could have taken them off guard if you tried to snatch their flag without saying anything."

"Sorry na! Bawi ako sa susunod!"

"Hintayin mo muna kasi ang signal ko bago kayo kumilos. I'm the leader here, right?"

Nagpatuloy kaming naglakad pabalik sa aming kampo. Bitbit namin ni Luthor ang mga water canteen na may laman habang dala naman ni Alistair ang bag na naglalaman ng mga nahuli niyang fresh na isda. Si Jamie muna ang may hawak ng aming flag at nag-guide sa amin pabalik sa dinaanan namin kanina. Ngayon ko mas na-appreciate ang kanyang matalas na memory. It really saved us from getting lost.

"Be careful with your next step!" Loki warned us when we emerged from the woods. He sat in Indian style before our tent while eating crackers. "I dug a hole in there to trap whoever trespasses into our territory. Oh, wait. Maybe I shouldn't have said that out loud."

Hinanap ko ang butas na hinukay niya pero hindi ko makita. Maging sina Alistair at Jamie, hindi alam kung saan ba kami iiwas na tumapak. 'Di ko masabi kung pinagti-trip-an lang kami ni Loki o sa sobrang galing niyang gumawa ng patibong, hindi namin basta-basta napansin.

Naging maingat na lang kami sa paglalakad patungo sa tent. I quickly checked our supplies to see if something's missing. Mukhang wala namang nanakaw sa mga gamit namin.

Muli ko na namang narinig ang kalutungan ng kinakaing biscuit ni Loki. Wait a minute. He's eating crackers without my permission?

Nagmadali akong lumabas ng tent para komprontahin siya. Sinabihan ko na siya kanina na kailangan namin tipirin ang aming food supplies. Tapos ngayon, nguya-nguya siya ng crackers?

"Before you get angry at me, let me remind you that we didn't buy any crackers using our points," Loki said in defense. Nahalata niya siguro sa bilis ng paglalakad ko na balak ko siyang sermunan tungkol sa pagtitipid.

"Hindi ko matandaang chineck mo 'yong box para sa crackers," paalala ni Jamie sa akin. "Hindi ko rin matandaang may ipinasok kang crackers sa camping bag natin. Trust me and my memory."

Naningkit ang mga mata ko at inalala ang mga pagkain na binili namin kanina sa cabin. Hindi sa wala akong tiwala kay Jamie, pero baka kasi biased siya at ayaw niyang mapagalitan ko si Loki kaya niya pinagtatakpan. But they were right. We did not buy any crackers.

"Saan mo 'yan galing?" tanong ko habang nakatingin sa kinakain niya.

"From the Sewing Club," he answered. "Apparently, they failed to secure a spot where there's a portalet nearby so they had no way to answer when Mother Nature is calling them. They asked me if they can use our portalet. As a kind-hearted fellow, I let them."

"For a price?" tanong ko. "Pinagamit mo sila ng portalet kapalit ng crackers?"

"They had nothing better to offer me so I have to make do with crackers." He munched the piece of cracker in his hand. "I can't let them use our resources for free, can I?"

Pumalakpak si Jamie matapos itusok sa lupa ang flag namin. "Ang galing talaga ni Loki dear! Pwede nating gamitin ang strategy na 'yan sa team building. If other teams want to use or borrow our resources, they have to offer something in exchange!"

"Can we expect less from Loki?" nakangiting sabi ni Alistair sabay baba ng bitbit niyang bag. "Makaiisip at makaiisip siya ng paraan upang i-maximize ang sitwasyon atin."

If I were in his shoes, I would have dealt with it differently. But I had to admit, he had a clever idea.

Inabot sa akin ni Loki ang kamay niyang may hawak sa plastic ng crackers. "Since this is a team building, I thought I should share this snack with the entire team. You must be tired from your fishing expedition."

Sandaling nanliit ang mga mata ko sa kanya. I appreciate him offering his snack, pero naninibago lang akong marinig na naisipan niyang mag-share ng pagkain sa amin. Don't get me wrong. He was not incapable of showing any concern about the people around him.

Naglagay muna ako ng hand sanitizer sa kamay bago kumuha ng isang piraso. He offered the same to Jamie and Alistair who took a piece each.

What surprised not only me, but also everyone in the camp, was when Loki offered the crackers to his brother. Napatigil ako sa pagnguya para panoorin ang magkapatid. The two brothers exchanged glances, with Loki furrowing his eyebrows and urging Luthor to pick one already.

How sweet. I didn't think na magiging—

"Oh, sorry." Akmang kukuha na ng cracker si Luthor nang baligtarin ni Loki ang lalagyan. "I forgot that there are only four pieces per pack. Each of us had one already so nothing's left for you."

Ano ba 'yan? He knew all along na wala nang crackers. Parang sinadya niyang paasahin ang kuya niya. I thought that was already a genuine moment between the Mendez brothers. Loki would not really miss the opportunity to insult Luthor.

Sinimulan na naming maghanda para sa aming lunch. Si Alistair na ang nag-volunteer na maglinis sa mga isdang nahuli niya kanina. He used the pocket knife to remove the entrails of the fish. I was amazed at how skillful he was at this task.

"Pwede na siyang mag-asawa, 'no?" komento ni Jamie habang pinapanood ang kasama naming tanggalin ang ilang laman. "Mas magaling pa yata siya sa atin sa paglilinis ng isda! Daig pa tayo ni Al. I don't know about you, Lori, pero may alam ako sa pagluluto. Kaso never ko pang na-try na magluto ng isda."

I was not gifted at cooking kaya siguradong hindi ako kasing talented nina Alistair at Jamie. Lagi kasing ibang tao ang nagluluto noon ng pagkain para sa akin. Pero sa ilang buwan kong pag-i-stay sa apartment kasama si Loki, medyo natututo na akong magluto ng mga basic na lutuin gaya ng itlog, hotdog, luncheon meat at iba pang prito.

Jamie and I were in charge of ensuring that our water was safe to drink. 'Di ba nilagyan namin ni Luthor ng tubig ang limang water canteen kanina? Hindi kami nakasisiguro kung ligtas ba 'yong inumin. Possible kasing may makuha kaming bacteria. That's why we had to use these water purification tablets to kill the bacteria or viruses. Sana'y walang sumama ang tiyan sa amin pagkainom. We could not afford to get sick in the middle of the game.

That left Loki and Luthor with the remaining task, which was to prepare the fire. Dahil limited ang firewood na nabili namin, inutusan ko ang dalawa na maghanap ng mga naputol na sanga na pwede naming gawing pangsiga. Sinadya kong pagtambalin ang magkapatid para may bonding moment sila. Hindi ko lang masabi kung magiging effective ba 'yon.

"Ganyan lang karami ang pinulot mo?" naiiritang tanong ni Loki. Kapag naiinis siya, napapasalita siya ng Filipino minsan. He was cradling a bunch of twigs in his arms.

"You've already gathered enough so there's no need for me to get more than what is necessary to start a fire," Luthor replied. Gets ko na kung bakit iritable ang kapatid niya. He only grabbed like what? Four or five pieces of twigs?

"We can use the excess for the campfire later this evening," Loki chided him. Parang siya tuloy ang nagtunog na mas nakatatandang kapatid. "Do you wanna go back to the woods again? I bet you don't."

But he's obviously exaggerating. Sa dami ng mga pinulot niya, pwede na naming gamitin ang mga 'yon hanggang mamayang gabi. We also have some pieces of firewood. Kailangan lang namin ng kindling para magsimula ng apoy.

"That's enough, okay?" I told them when they reached the camp. Parang may mga bata kaming kasama sa camping. And I had the misfortune of being their babysitter. "Ihanda n'yo na ang apoy kasi patapos na si Al maglinis ng mga isda."

Dahil mukhang matatagalan pa kung iaasa namin sa kanilang dalawa ang apoy, tumulong na kami ni Jamie. Purifying the water was not that difficult and time-consuming at all so we're free to do other tasks.

Kumuha kami ng malalaking bato sa tabi-tabi at inihugis ang mga ito ng pabilog. We put the twigs, leaves and bark inside that circle. We did not buy the charcoal stove so we had to improvise.

Nag-volunteer si Loki na magsindi ng posporo. Muntik na niya akong mapabilib lalo na't ito ang pangalawang beses na nag-volunteer siyang gumawa ng task. Seven match sticks later, kinuha ko mula sa kanya ang posporo at ako na ang nagsindi. In one strike, the match stick lit and the dried leaves caught fire first. Nang tuluyan nang magliyab ang kindling, isinuksok namin sa apoy ang ilang piraso ng firewood.

Tinuhog ni Alistair sa stick ang isda at ipinuwesto ang mga 'to hindi masyadong malayo pero hindi rin masyadong malapit sa apoy. Katamtaman lang. Habang naghihintay na maluto ang mga isda, inihanda namin ni Jamie ang mga paper plate at plastic spoon and fork. Inilabas na rin namin ang cooked rice na binili namin sa cabin.

We sat around our makeshift stone stove. Tahimik naming inulam ang mga inihaw na isda. They were well cooked and they tasted so good. The purified water was also refreshing so I enjoyed every gulp of it. Iba talaga kapag natural ang pinanggalingan ng tubig.

Inubos namin ang pagkain at inilagay sa recycling bag ang mga pinaggamitan. As responsible campers, we should not leave our trash anywhere. Nakikigamit na nga kami sa camping site na 'to tapos magkakalat pa kami?

"So what are we gonna do next?" Loki asked as he emerged from the portalet. "We're already well-fed and fully charged. Are we gonna steal the other team's flag?"

Nagkapalitan kami ng tingin ng iba ko pang mga kasama. I enjoyed the camping experience so much that I had not given a thought about our strategy on how to win this game. Kung pwedeng ganito lang ang gawin namin sa loob ng dalawang araw, mas pipiliin ko 'to. Wala nang kompetisyon. Wala nang agawan.

"Come on!" Loki clapped his hands once, startling some of us. "Our objective is to capture the enemy teams' flags. That's why we call this activity capture the flag, not sit around and enjoy camping."

"The best opportunity to launch an attack is when everyone in the other team is busy," Luthor said in a matter-of-fact tone. May inilagay siyang tela sa spot kung saan siya nakaupo. "Assuming that they have had their lunch, they are probably resting in their camp right now while closely guarding their flag—"

"So what does the great student council vice president suggest?" his younger brother asked in a mocking tone. Maybe if he would let his brother speak uninterrupted, malalaman namin kung ano ang suggestion niya.

"We may have a higher chance of stealing their flags if we attack them while they're making a trip in the woods or the river," Luthor glanced toward the trees on his left. "They'd be more vulnerable in those areas than in their own camps."

Napahawak sa kanyang chin si Alistair at bahagyang naningkit ang mga mata. "So we're gonna ambush their foraging party?"

Luthor nodded. "They will most likely look for more food later this afternoon. That's going to be our best time to strike."

"What if the foraging party does not bring their flag with them?" tanong ni Alistair. "Pwede kasing iwan nila sa kanilang camp at doon bantayan ang kanilang flag."

Para sa akin, mas ligtas na protektahan ang flag habang nasa sariling kampo. Hindi gaya sa gubat kung saan maraming balakid sa view, makikita agad sa camp kung may papalapit na ibang team at kung saang direksyon kami pwedeng tumakas sakaling feeling namin ay maa-outnumber kami.

"We will sneak into their camp while their other members are away," Luthor answered. "Either we raid their camp and outnumber the flag bearer or we split into two teams to distract the foraging party."

"That sounds easy." Marahang tumango si Alistair, pero may pagdududa pa rin sa kanyang boses. "But we haven't taken into account sakaling may ibang team na sabay na magtatangkang nakawin ang flag."

"Their presence is undoubtedly going to change the equation and the subsequent result. But if we play smart and move fast, we can beat them to the punch."

"Bale kailangan nating maging mabilis pero maingat pa rin sa ikikilos natin."

"Element of surprise is essential. If they sense that we are about to target their flag, our chances of success will dramatically go down."

Parang nanonood ako ng tennis match habang nakikinig sa kanilang conversation. I panned my head from Luthor to Alistair and vice versa. Parang silang dalawa lang ang nagkakaintindihan. Well, I guess Loki also understood the discussion. Maging si Jamie'y sinusubukang sabayan ang usapan ng dalawa.

This was exactly the moment when I realized that I sucked at making strategies. I would not do so well at making battle plans. Sa kanila ko na ipauubaya kung paano kami makakukuha ng ibang flags.

A good leader should not take all the responsibilities. They have the option to delegate tasks to people who are capable in a particular field.

"Until then, are we gonna sit around here and do nothing?" Loki asked impatiently.

Bakit ba game na game siyang makipag-agawan ng flag? Alam ko namang hindi siya makikipagpisikalan para magnakaw ng bandila ng ibang team. Baka tatayo lang siya sa tabi at panoorin kaming makipagpatintero.

"Babantayin pa rin natin ang camp at ang flag kaya may gagawin pa rin tayo," tugon ni Jamie na lumingon sa kanyang likuran.

Nagawi rin doon ang tingin ko. Parang may narinig akong kaluskos. I stared long enough at the nearby bushes to see if something's moving. But there was none. Baka bugso ng hangin. Baka imagination ko lang.

"The best offense is defense." I returned my gaze to the people around me. "For now, dito muna tayo sa camp at bantayan ang flag. Kung may magtatangkang nakawin ang atin, we can easily fight them off."

"Perfect!" Loki rubbed his palms together. "While waiting, why don't we vote to send one of us to detention? Don't you find something strange about what each of us is saying?"

Heto na naman siya. Mukhang hindi niya titigilan ang kanyang kuya hangga't hindi nabo-vote out. Mabuti't ako ang tumatayong lider kaya hindi basta-basta magagawa ni Loki ang gusto niya.

I shook my head slowly. "We can't randomly pick someone without any conclusive proof. Paano kung hindi traydor ang napili natin? Mababawasan at mas magiging vulnerable tayo sa attack ng ibang teams. We can't let that happen."

The threat of being betrayed in our team was neutralized already. Hangga't hindi nagbabago ang isip ko na huwag kumampi sa ibang grupo, safe na safe kami.

"Remember, the traitor may or may not betray our team," Alistair reminded us. "Kung sinuman siya sa atin, posibleng nagbago na ang isip niya at desidido na siyang tulungan tayong manalo."

My thoughts exactly! The traitor does not necessarily have to betray us. Nasa kanyang desisyon kung pagaganahin niya ang kanyang pagiging Hudas. In my case, I would not.

"Tama!" may pagtangong pagsang-ayon ni Jamie. "People can still change, right? Just because they've been chosen that way doesn't mean they have to act that way too. Kung isa itong story, pwedeng magkaroon ng character development."

"Let's do it the democratic way, shall we?" I asked. The best way to shut Loki up was through a show of hands. It's becoming a pet peeve to him. "All those in favor of skipping the vote, raise your hands."

Nagtaas ng kamay kaming apat nina Alistair, Jamie at Luthor. I knew they would vote with me kaya confident akong hindi lulusot ang motion ni Loki.

"All those not in favor, you may cry in a corner."

"Fine!" Defeated again, Loki let out a long sigh. "But if and when we lose because of that traitor, I'd say in your faces: I told you so. I want us to win, but you want us to lose—"

I shushed him as I looked over my shoulder. Agad namang tumahimik si Loki. Iginala niya at ni Alistair ang kanilang mga mata sa paligid. Jamie looked behind her. Luthor did not seem to be alarmed about it.

I thought it was just my imagination. Mukhang hindi lang ako ang nakarinig sa pagkaluskos na 'yon.

q.e.d.

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