Chapter 44

Competition

"Congratulations, Alex Carreon, you're on of the teams representative at the Academic Decathlon Competition!" Miss Keltz announced to the whole club, "I was really hoping you would bring the rank on Savvy. I know this is too much pero hindi naman masama mangarap diba?" hagikgik pa ni Miss Keltz and it's cute how she does that and everyone admired her for being too cool and good adviser of our club.

Lumapit naman sa akin ang mga kasamahan ko sa club at isa-isa nila akong binati. They were actually happy that I exceed on their expectations. Nakakataba naman ng puso dahil wala akong nakitang inggit o kung ano man sa kanila. They were even supportive for me. I am lucky that I get to be part of this club.

"Don't pressure yourself, Alex!" pangungumbinsi ni Mebby sa akin.

We're on the competition at kami na ang sunod na isasalang sa stage. I couldn't help myself but to be nervous. Hindi ako makapante. Tila kapag inaalala ko ang mga dapat kong gawin ay natatakot akong baka mamaya ay mablanko ang utak ko. Kaya sa huli paulit-ulit ang pagpapaalala ni Mebby sa akin na huwag akong kabahan at isipin kong nasa club room lamang kami.

Sana kung gano'n lang iyon kadali.

"If Korg was here to watch us though..." isang malalim na buntunghininga naman ang pinakawalan ko. Mebby patted my shoulder and help me think that everythings gonna be okay.

"H'wag ka naman kasing panghinaan kaagad ng loob, maybe Korg is on his way right. Na-traffic lang siya, hindi naman imposible iyon diba?"

Tumango na lamang ako sa kanya. "I see... I hope he'll come on time."

"For sure, he will."

Isang staff naman ang lumapit sa amin para i-ready dahil ang team na namin ang tatawagin. I pulled the hem of my uniform and straight it out. Inayos ko naman ang postura ko at inalis ang kaba sa dibdib ko—pero hindi siguro, kahit anong pagpapalubag ang gawin ko ay hindi maalis-alis ang kaba ko. Just because it is my first time, there's a lot of things that I'm too nervous about.

About winning. Bring Savvy into the top three. Show to my club members that I'm worth it and to get everyone know what I'm capable of.

"And Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the students hailing all the way from the Savvy International School Decathlon Team... please give your hands to the Savvy's Decathlon Team!"

We were lined up stepping into the stage and face the audience, give them some appreciation and waves. Nanginginig ang mga tuhod ko but I must show that everythings fine. Pansin ko kasi ang pagiging confident ng mga kasama ko, ang lalaki ng mga ngiti at masasabi kong gamay na nila kung anong nangyayari sa competition na ito. Umalis na rin naman kami sa harapan at tumuloy kami sa table kung saan kami nakaposisyon.

From the school bus even stepping into this hall, punong-puno nang kaba ang dibdib ko but I'm happy that my parents and my friends were here too watch me. Alam kong umaasa silang mananalo kami sa competition because in the club, we all do aspire winning it. Sino ba namang hindi ang gugustuhin na makilala at maging sa ibang schools na ang Savvy ang tinanghal na champion sa Academic Decathlon.

This Academic Decathlon had a lot of differentiation in the foreign franchise, and in this where we are, they set a new rules, levels and activities to manifest all students intelligence. Kung susumahin, sobrang overwhelming ang pagtanggap ng mga tao sa aming competition even though the audiences are looking forward to the winning team last year—Denver International School.

The nine of us sitted in the long table facing our opponent on the other side of the stage. The Denver's Team were eager to win the competition. This is just the first round and if we fail going through, Denver will move forward and they will gonna bannered us losers again.

"So, students, are you ready to start the competition?" The host asked.

Siniko naman ako ni Mebby sa gilid ko dahil wala doon ang atensyon ko, may hinahanap ako sa audience at hindi ko makita. Tinuon ko na lamang ang atensyon ko sa host at kanyang binigay ang set of guidelines and rules for the competition. The Honor, Scholastics and Varsity levels. I was on the Honor level and the pressured costs high.

Bago magsimula ang competition, tumingin muli ako sa audience and I find Bella and Pee shooter cheering for me. Even my parents were raising an LED banner for me. Nakakahiya but I'm proud that I have those kinds of friends and families.

"So, students, let's start." The host stated.

On the first set of questions, we aren't ruled to answer but it is only goes for the Varsity level. I can see my team having a great time dahil kakatanong pa lamang ay may isusulat kaagad sila sa kanilang mga mini-white board. Seeing the rival team, effortless. They didn't even mind their team, nakatuon lamang sila sa isang direksyon o kaya hinihintay lamang ang announcement ng host. They are too confident to win the first round.

"The first point goes to the Denver's team!" The host announced.

"Gosh, it was just a minor mistake." Mebby grunting beside me.

"It is part of the rules, they don't tolerate minor mistakes." Sagot ko sa kanya.

"I know, but I think they are on the favour of Denver—you know, they host the competition and its like going biased at all..."

Napakibit balikat na lang din naman ako sa sinabi niya. I don't have to judge them, maybe that's what Mebby sees. It is the stereotype of many people, kapag nanggaling sa kabilang kupunan ang mga hosts or judges, they would already tell it is biased o luto ang laban. I don't agree, but sometimes some do.

"Now we're going to the Scholastics level." The host said.

Naghanda naman ang mga intermiate participants at chineer naman namin ang kagrupo namin para lakasan pa ang kanilang loob. They were eager to win this round and also the competition, ofcourse. Matagal nang hinihiniling ng Savvy na makapasok top three and I'm not losing hope that this time, makukuha na nga nang Savvy iyon.

"Listen, students, here are you questions for the Scholastic level," the host cleared his throat and read the questionnaire on his hands. "Which parts of the eye are easily seen by other people? A. Pupil, Retina and Sclera. B. Lens, Pupil and Iris. C. Iris, Pupil and Retina. D. Cornea, Pupil, Iris and Sclera or E. Retina, Vitreous Humor or Iris... let me repeat the question." Host said and repeated the same question.

Immediately my teammates write their answer on the mini-white board. I can totally say na hindi ko alam kung saan doon. I'm familiar pero nakalimutan ko na ang sequence noon kaya umaasa ako sa mga kagrupo ko na nakuha nila ang tamang sagot.

"Time's up!" Host announced, "put your white-board up and let's see who got the right answer."

My teammate answered letter D., and the rival team answered letter A.

"And I think the Savvy got the charm on this win, one point for the Savvy's team!" halos magdiwang naman kaagad kami nang makakuha kami ng puntos doon. Pansin ko naman ang pagiging tahimik ng kabilang kampo and they even shoot a glare on their teammates. Nakakatuwa lang din ang audience dahil supportive sila sa amin ngayon. "And now, let's proceed to the next question... ahm, it is a little bit harder, so yeah... let's start."

"We should win this." Mebby whispered.

"I know..." pabulong ko ring sagot sa kanya.

"Which kind of mutation does not usually change the length of a chromosome? A. Insertion, B. Deletion, C. Translocation, D. Inversion or E. Frame shift. Students, please write down your answers."

I think that wasn't that hard, napag-aralan namin sa biology if I'm not mistaken. Pansin ko naman ang mga grupo ko na nag-aalinlangan sa sagot nila. I would gladly to help them pero bawal sumali ang wala sa level na iyon. I'm just hoping they would pick the right answer.

"Please let it be letter D." I thought.

"Students, raise up your white boards!" host said and when I see the answer of my team, napabuntunghininga na lang din naman ako. Nang tingnan ng host ang answer key sa kanyang cue card at binalik ang tingin sa bawat white board sa pagitan niya. He nodded when he knows who got the right answer. "Denver got the correct answer! Sorry Team Savvy, B is wrong."

Losing hope at the middle of the Scholastic level is wrong. Hindi ko inakala na sa huli ay aariba nang mga tamang sago tang aming team kaya nakuha namin ang points sa Scholastic level. Nakasalalaya na lamang ang magiging points sa Honor level upang i-cast ang magiging champion ng competition na ito.

"Let's now proceed to the Honor level!" host announced.

Muli naman akong lumingon sa audience, still hindi ko pa rin nakikita si Korg. Pinahapyawan ko naman ng tingin ang aking phone kahit pinagbabawalan kami ay wala pa ring message akong nakuha sa kanya. Siguro busy siya sa ginagawa niya. Hindi rin naman niya sinabi kung ano iyon ang sabi na lamang niya ay may aasikasuhin siya. Hindi na naman ako nag-abala pang laliman ang sinabi niya dahil mukhang family matters ang tinutukoy niya and I don't forbid him anything... he has his life. He has to keep on going.

Kasama ko si Mebby sa Honor level at ang isa pa naming member. Ramdam ko ang pressure dahil kung makuha namin ang points sa round na ito ay para na kaming nanalo dahil natalo na namin ang Denver. Bagamat hindi pa man nangyayari iyon, huwag muna magpakampante at ipanalo muna namin ang round na ito.

On the first few questions, nagpapalitan lamang ng puntos ang bawat kupunan. Kapag naka-points kami, sila naman ang susunod na makakakuha kaya sa huli ay nagiging habulan ang scoring namin. Desido namna kaming ng team kong maipapanalo namin ang round na ito until the last question comes with our points tied up, and to break it up, someone should get a point and wins the Honor level and raised as the champion of the Decathlon.

"The last question, students, listen." Host said, "According to the modern synthesis, a change in allele frequencies in a population is called... A. Evoultion, B. Directed Selection, C. Neo-Darwinism, D. Recombination or E. Gene Flow... choose the best answer and lets see who'll gonna get the bacon."

When we were given a two minutes to brainstorm our answers, wala akong maibigay sa ka-grupo ko dahil hindi pumasok sa utak ko ang tanong na iyon. Mebby and my other team didn't know the answer, they are also hesitating. Sa huling minuto ay nawawalan na kami ng pag-asa na manalo dahil hindi namin alam ang isasagot.

"I know that question but I don't remember it..." napakagat na lamang ako sa labi ko habang mariing iniisip ang tamang sagot sa tanong na iyon.

"Thirty seconds!" host announced and freaked us out, ang kabilang kupunan ay may sagot na at mukhang confident naman sila sa kanilang sagot.

Nang mapunta ang tingin ko sa audience dahil gusto ko nang umiyak, nahagip naman ng mga mata ko sa tabi ng magulang ko ang lalaking kanina ko pa inaabangan. Kinawayan naman ako nito, napatitig ako nang ilang segundo sa kanya at naalala ko ang sagot. Thanks to Korg! Mabilis kong kinuha ang marker sa kamay ni Mebby ang isinulat ang sagot ko roon.

A. Evolution

On the time's up, itinaas namin ang sagot namin. We got a different answer from the other group which they pick letter C. The host checked our answers and his cue card and by his nodding and smiles, someone won the competition.

My hands joined together as to pray we win the competition.

"Congratulations... to our new champion! Savvy International School!" when the host announced us as winners. Napatayo na kaagad kami sa kinaupuan namin at mabilis na niyakap ang bawat isa. Lahat kami ay tumulo ang mga kuha at hindi makapaniwala na makukuha namin ang kampyonato.

Muli akong lumingon kay Korg at kinawayan siya... if it wasn't for him, hindi ko maalala ang sagot.

I evolve during the time I was hoping time would change us and it did. Hindi katulad ng mga pokemon—something inside of us grow and that's I think, love do its part.

"Congratulations to us!" Miss Keltz joined us on the stage, "I know this team would bring the championship... and to you ofcourse, Alex. You did great, for all of us."

"Well... Miss Keltz, I'm just doing my part and I think being part of this amazing club brings out the best of us. Congratulations to us, we're off to celebration!"

It is good enough to know that there are people who are still after your potential, not what you have but because of who you are. And I'm lucky, I have those kind of people.