MORRIE

IF SOMEONE wanted to waste their time leisurely in the university, there's a place that's highly recommended for them: Hudson's Hub. Most students, in their free time, go here to unwind and relax after racking their brains during classes. The hub was considered to be a shopping center and food court. If they wanted to sip tea or coffee, they could go to a number of cafes here. During Friday and Saturday nights, the liquor stores are open for those who prefer booze.

Going to this sort of place was not part of my routine. Admittedly, I was not a fan of epicurean pleasures though I still appreciate them sometimes. But today is an exemption. Kailangan naming — what's the word again — "tumambay" sa isang cafe para sa class activity.

The Diogenes Cafe is probably the most popular shop in the hub, not only because of its superb coffee but also due to its strange rule. The cafe opens at nine in the morning and closes at nine in the evening. No one's allowed to speak from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The only way of communication allowed during those times was through codes. If caught talking, the bill would be doubled.

Now the cafe has become a battleground for our class. Professor Dred challenged us to track him down in the shop while he's in disguise. The question wasn't only about who among the customers was our instructor, but which among the four groups in our class would be the first one to catch him.

Andre, Jacquelyn and I sat around a circular, wooden table as we started devising our plan. Since it was only half past nine, we couldn't speakly freely and we needed to communicate through Morse code.

My eyes roamed around the cafe for a moment. There were thirty customers inside, some were from our class. The Holmesians positioned themselves in separate tables as they try to cover more ground. There was only one Watsonian present two tables away from ours while no Adlerians could be seen loitering around.

The hunting game began and every team was rolling out their own strategies.

The customers in the cafe could be classified into two: those who sip tea and those who drink coffee. One could also group them by which hand they use to hold the cup.

The moment the clock struck ten o'clock, buzzes exploded in the cafe with nearly everyone muttering words of thanks for lifting of the "no talking policy." Now we could plan on how we would capture our disguised professor.

"May twenty plus na legit customers dito. Paano natin malalaman kung sino sa kanila si Sir Dred?" Andre asked as he threw sideward glances at almost everyone in the cafe.

"We can refer to the list of habits and quirks provided by Sir Dred," Jacquelyn read what was written on a piece of paper in silence. A man wearing orange apron — a barista, I presume — walked past our table and served a slice of cake to a nearby customer. "According here, Sir Dred prefers tea, particularly earl grey, over coffee and he does not like sweet stuff. We can use that information to cross out the customers who are drinking coffee and eating cake?"

"Left handed din siya kaya baka pwede ring matanggal sa suspect list natin ang mga umiinom ng tea gamit ang kanilang kanang kamay." Andre looked at the man one table away from ours who's holding a teacup with his right hand.

"How I wish this task is as easy as it seems," I commented, watching the other baristas serving slices of cake to other customers. The cafe was implementing a "self service" policy, thus this "change" was slightly strange. "Remember that our instructor is in disguise at the moment. He might have thought that we would try to track him down on the basis of his habits. But what if he reverses that thinking? What if he ordered coffee instead of tea? What if he held the cup by his right hand?"

"Oo nga, 'no? Sa gano'ng paraan, mahihirapan tayong i-identify siya sa mga taong nandito," Andre touched his chin and once again cast a glance at the other customers.

"Baka gano'n din ang ginagawa ng mga Holmesian kaya sila naghiwa-hiwalay?" Jacquelyn said, gazing at Harriet who was sipping coffee five tables away from us. "Ino-observe nila ang galaw ng mga customer na nasa paligid nila."

"Nakakapagtaka kung bakit wala ang mga Adlerian dito," Andre lowered his voice as another barista carrying a plate of sliced cake passed by our table. "Hindi ba sila sasali sa activity? O baka naman..."

"...nandito na sila at naka-disguise din," Jacquelyn finished. "Dapat din nating ikabahala ang dalawang Watsonian. Only Mina is here at the cafe kaya saan kaya nagpunta 'yong dalawa?"

No one was making a move. Everyone was on a let's-wait-and-see tactic. The "silence" among the four teams was deafening.

"Uhm... Excuse me?" A female staff donning pigtail buns hairdo approached our table. She appeared to be hesitant to talk to us, but it seemed she had no other choice.

"Ano 'yon?" Andre asked, annoyed by the interruption.

"Sir and ma'am, gusto ko pong itanong kung mag-o-order ba kayo ng kahit ano?" Judging by what's engraved on her nameplate, she must be "Jewel." "Kapag kasi tumambay kayo rito ng thirty minutes nang wala mang in-order, kailangan namin kayong... paalisin para magkaroon ng seats ang ibang darating na customers."

"Ah, gano'n ba? Sige, mag-order kami ng service water. Thanks."

"Sorry, sir, hindi kami nagse-serve ng service water. Kung nauuhaw kayo, pwede kayong mag-order ng coffee or tea, hot or cold."

"Miss, sorry din, ha?" Andre was getting impatient. "Importante kasi ang ginagawa namin dito at nag-i-strategize kami para sa isang mission. Kaya kung pwede, mamaya mo na kami istorbohin."

"Pa-Pasensya na, s-sir. Ba-Balikan ko na lang kayo." The embarrassed staff ran back to the counter. Yes, Andre was rude to her, but in times like this, we could not afford to be distracted by mundane matters.

I took out my phone and began typing on the message window. My two companions looked at me curiously, wondering what was that for.

"Don't worry. I already thought of a plan," I said, pressing the "send" button once the message was complete. Andre and Jacquelyn stared at me with mouths slightly opened.

"Ta-Talaga? Anong naisip mo, Morrie?"

"Sure ka bang effective 'yan?"

"We will have hard time deducing who among these fools is our instructor. So I thought that we will force him to reveal himself to us."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"Chaos. That's all we need. That's how we ca—"

"Excuse me, ma'am and sirs. Pwede ko ba kayong makausap nang sandali?"

"Ang kulit ah! Sinabi nang huwag muna kaming istorbo—" Andre's voice trailed off as he looked at the woman who had long hair and full fringe. Her arms were crossed across the chest as she stared at us. I could sense a slight annoyance in her eyes and pulsing temple. Jewel the staff was standing behind her, still looking embarrassed.

"Ma-Manager?" Jacquelyn muttered as she read the position that went along with FAITH on the nameplate. Unlike Jewel in her orange apron, Manager Faith wore an orange collared shirt.

"We have a thirty-minute policy here kaya kapag hindi kayo um-order, papalabasin namin kayo," Faith's voice was controlled but I could sense the threat in every word. "Unless you order something now, kakaladkarin ko kayong tatlo palabas. Understood?"

"I-isa ngang mocha frappe."

"Chai tea ang akin."

"Mine's chamomile tea."

"Good." Faith nodded, looking at Jewell who listed down our orders in her notepad. "Andali n'yo naman palang kausap e. Next time, doon kayo sa counter mag-o-order, ha? Self service tayo rito."

Speaking of which, I raised my hand to bring up a question. "Since you mentioned self service, I'd like to ask something that has been bothering me. Why are your baristas serving slices of cake to the tables? Shouldn't the customers be lining up to the counter and getting their orders?"

"May problema ba kayo doon? Is something wrong with our baristas directly serving complimentary cakes to our customers?" When she got no reply from us, Manager Faith walked back to the counter along with her staff.

Something's strange.

"Ano nga ulit 'yong pinag-uusapan natin bago tayo inistorbo ng manager?" Andre asked as soon as Manager Faith was out of earshot. "Something about chaos?"

I nodded. "One may view chaos as nothing but conflict. But there's always opportunity in chaos, and that's what we need to take advantage of. Professor Dred must be too absorbed in his acting so if we create chaos, his reaction may not be as natural as those people around him."

"And how do you plan to create chaos here?" Jacquelyn asked. "And knowing you, baka mapasobra ang kaguluhang balak mong gawin."

"Let's wait for someone to bring the necessary materials for this trick," I answered, glancing outside the cafe through the glass walls. "And you have nothing to worry about. Everyone will be safe by the end of this chaos."

After ten minutes, Andre got our orders from the counter and brought them to our small table. I began sipping my chamomile tea while waiting for the person who's bringing that thing.

Nobody was still making a move. If this was chess, we were in a stalemate. What were they waiting for? About twenty minutes left before the end of our Special Arts class. In this case, it appeared that our team should make the first move.

Moments later, someone from our House entered the cafe and delivered a small box to our table. The Holmesians looked at it curiously, wondering what might be the content of the package.

"'Yan na ba 'yon?" Andre asked after finishing his mocha frappe. I handed the small box to him and whispered the instructions. It was no news that I hated doing the dirty stuff myself.

"A-Ano? Gano'n ang balak mong gawin?" my fellow Moriartian said in surprise.

"That's the only way to unmask our instructor. Make sure the illusion looks quite real so it would appear more convincing."

Nodding, Andre went to the comfort room, bringing the box with him. House Moriarty took the first move. How would the other Houses react, I wonder?

Harriet was staring at me with narrowed eyes and knitted eyebrows. Her curiosity was certainly piqued by that package. Wilhelmina, who's seated near the entrance, was busy on her iPad and talking with someone through her Bluetooth wireless earphone.

Everything seemed to be so peaceful... until smoke came out of the back room.

"Sunog! Sunog!" Andre cried as he rushed out of the comfort room. The white smoke became clearly visible, alarming customers and the staff in the cafe.

"Nasaan 'yong fire extinguisher?"

"Teka, nandito lang 'yon kanina, ah?"

"Wala na tayong oras. Labas na!"

The fire alarm rang, causing almost everyone to stand and run toward the exit. My classmates were also startled by the sudden turn of events, with Harriet gazing at me. Some of them exited while only a few remained. I sipped my tea and watched people leave.

Only two customers were left inside the cafe. One was a bearded man drinking coffee with his right hand while the other was a clean-shaven man who finished sipping tea with his left. The latter rushed to the exit while the former exchanged glances with me.

Gotcha. He finally realized who's behind this ruckus.

The bearded man wearing hoodie galloped his way out of the cafe, accidentally bumping into Wilhelmina who stood by the door. One of the cafe staff threw his orange apron and removed his black wig, thus revealing his messy blonde hair. No longer in disguise, Aiden followed the escapee.

Now everyone's moving, thanks to the chaos we created moments ago. The trick opened an opportunity not only for my team but also for others. The question was who among us would be the first to capture the target.

"I will chase him down while you two stay here and make sure things won't get worse," I instructed Andre and Jacquelyn before going after the hooded figure. I would have entrusted this task to my male companion, but I'd rather take an important matter into my own hands.

Because everyone outside was curious about the fake fire in the cafe, the crowd of onlookers blocked my path, giving me a hard time of catching up with Sir Dred. Aiden was steps ahead of me and as seconds passed by, the distance grew wider.

We reached the intersection point in front of Baker Building, but the hooded man was nowhere to be found. The Adlerian who was on the lead took in deep breaths while his eyes were roaming around the area.

Legwork is what I hate the most. Anyone could ask me to solve any problems while seated on an armchair, but never ask me to run after a culprit. I wouldn't last long in a marathon.

I stopped beside a lamp post and observed my surroundings. I wiped the sweat on my forehead and tried to catch my breath. Perhaps I should have left this task to Andre.

"Hoy, Moriartard! Pagod ka na ba?"

I turned my head to the side and saw Harriet in her most energetic form. She was smiling at me mockingly and teased me by patting my shoulders.

"Baka gusto mo munang magpahinga. Just leave this chase to us. Baka mapaano ka niyan," she said as she went ahead and vanished into the crowd. She wouldn't let an opportunity pass to insult me.

I may not have the same stamina as her or my other classmates, but that did not mean I couldn't catch up to them. My legs were already trembling, but they could still run until they reached their limits. What I needed to avoid was wasting my stamina.

If I were Professor Dred, where would I go? How would I confuse my pursuers so they would lose track of me?

The answer was obvious. Go to a crowded place where people would provide cover. And around this time — five minutes before ten-thirty — students would rush out of Baker Building as their classes were dismissed. He could take advantage of the crowd.

I ran against the current of students who either gave way or accidentally bumped into me. Though my legs got tired quickly, I forced them to climb the steps leading to the building. There on one of the pillars, a bearded man who's no longer wearing a hoodie stood. He appeared as if he was waiting for us to run after him. He teasingly smiled at me as I got closer.

"TABI!"

Out of nowhere, Harriet appeared and ran past me. The bearded man waved his hand and smirked at us as he went inside the building, into the entrance hall.

"Hindi kita papatakasin, sir!" Harriet shouted as she doubled in speed. I couldn't let her take the lead. My legs were about to give up, but my will to win this quest has never faltered. I ran as fast as I could, but Harriet's still ahead, a few meters away from the target.

The bearded man looked back at us, still smiling and confident that we wouldn't catch him. He was busy teasing us that he did not notice a student wearing yellow vest in front of him.

"Game over, sir."

Bzzz!

He collapsed on the floor, slightly shaking due to the dart that hit him in the leg. Our Watsonian classmate quickly apprehended him.

A young woman wearing thick-framed eyeglasses touched the Bluetooth wireless earphone on her right ear and spoke, "Mina, this is W1 reporting. The target has been captured. I repeat, the target has been captured. He returned to Baker Building as you anticipated."

"Teka, sinabi ba ni sir na pwedeng gumamit ng stun gun?" Harriet sounded disappointed, her hands were on her waist. We were "that close" to capturing the target, but someone stole the opportunity from us.

"Wala ring sinabi si sir na bawal kaya walang problema kung gumamit ako ng stun gun," Joanna explained, showing a gun that can shoot tranquilizing darts instead of bullets.

I would consider that cheating, but our professor failed to mention that using any weapon was prohibited. Tackling the target to the ground would have been my action, and probably Harriet's. But the Watsonians thought of a more efficient method.

"How did you know that he would be here? Coincidence ba na nandito ka sa Baker Building at nakaabang sa entrance hall?" Harriet asked, watching as the Watsonian checked Professor Dred's pulses.

I doubt that this was just a coincidence.

"Mina told us the location of Sir Dred," Joanna answered. "Naka-standby na kami sa labas ng cafe para kung sakaling tumakas siya, naka-ready na kami kung saan man siya magpunta."

Location? I see. While she was busy with her iPad earlier, Mina might have been setting up the application that would enable them to track Professor Dred's movements. When she bumped into our disguised professor at the cafe's entrance as the latter was escaping, the Watsonian could have placed a tracking bug on him.

I am not the type of person who would underestimate an opponent. But in this case, I overlooked the potential threat posed by our classmates wearing the yellow vests.

Nevertheless it was an interesting chase though my legs were still hurting. But I could not show this sign of weakness, not in front of Harriet who would mock how "weak" I was when it came to physical activities. I could still remember how she insulted me back at the abandoned clock tower.

"Congratulations, then!" Despite being beaten, Harriet's tone was not as dismayed as I expected her to be. The Watsonians obviously won this round. For her, personally, that might be a more acceptable conclusion to the chase. She'd rather see anyone in the class steal the glory of winning, except my teammates and I.

Shooting one last glance at our unconscious professor lying on the cold, marble floor, I turned around and walked away. Clearly we lost a battle, but not the war.

-30-