LORENZO ELRIC GARCHITORENA

I WOKE up feeling groggy. Feeling ko ay nananamlay ako pagbangon ko sa aking kama. My temperature is also high at para tuloy akong nasa sauna sa sobrang init ng pakiramdam ko. Tinatamad din naman akong bumangon para bumaba; sumabay pa ang kawalan ko ng ganang kumain.

I am isolated inside my room, although kasama ko naman si Ate Gigi na nasa baba. Mr. Ginger is also curled like a doughnut while sleeping on my bed.

While I have nothing to do today except sa tumunganga at humilata na lang sa kama.

It's been days since the competition happened and nandoon pa rin ang fever since we won that Quiz Bee with Jyrah. At ito naman ang pumalit, I literally have fever na nararamdaman ko pa since Saturday. Nagkahalo-halo na siguro ang fatigue, ang stress, at isama pa ang masamang panahon na umubos sa PP (power points) ko. Good thing, I'm still alive kahit na mukha na akong zombie sa hitsura ko. Para na nang natangay ng buhawi ang buhok ko, tapos ay lumaki pa ang eyebags ko. And lastly, pimples started to scatter once again onto my face. Ladies and gentlemen, we already have a candidate to portray the live action version of a zombie from Plants vs. Zombies.

I was not advised by my mom to go to school for today para magpahinga. I also need to take medications para bumaba na ang body temperature kong pagka-check ngayon sa thermometer ay nasa 38° C. Anyhow, bumaba na; nasa verge na rin ako for recovery at hindi na ganoon kalala unlike kahapon.

But all I have to do is to stay all day. Baka matulog na lang ako for my fast recovery.

My phone alarmed and when I opened it, a reminder popped from the screen.

"Don't forget to drink your medicine."

I guess, kailangan ko nang uminom ng gamot. Usually, hindi ko naman sinusunod ang reminders na ito na naka-set. It makes me feel they're my burdens. Ni mismong pag-inom ng tubig ay nagiging obligasyon ko na.

Bumaba ako mula sa aking kuwarto pababa sa may kusina. I was like a lifeless corpse while gently walking along. My legs and arms felt wobbly and gelatinous.

Mukhang nasa labas si Tita Gigi at nagdidilig ng mga halaman. Nadatnan ko na lang 'yong inilutong pagkain sa maliit na mesa. Nakaka-badtrip lang na kung kailan wala akong ganang kumain ay bacon pa ang iniluto. Gah! I attempted to grab a small portion from the plate and ate it. Pero wala, it tastes different; my tongue is still malfunctioning. Mukhang magiging lunch ko na lang ito.

After drinking some paracetamol, bumalik na ako sa taas ng kuwarto. I opened my Facebook app and started browsing. Kay-aga-aga rin na parang may battlefield sa GC ng section namin. Of course, pinangununahan na naman nina Chino and Arlo ang kanilang never-ending discussion. Well, they're really like the power tandem of Tom and Jerry.

Kasabay noon, I also saw the chat message from Onemig.

Onemig:
Uy, nakita kita sa TV! Nakipaglaban ka pala?
Ang galing-galing n'yong dalawa
n

oong kasama mo.

I was even shocked noong nag-send siya ng picture kung saan kita ang aking mukha sa screen. Every time I see my face sa screen kapag ipinalalabas ang replays ng competition sa TV, I cannot help myself but to feel nauseated.

After that, he left another message.

Onemig:
Congratulations sa inyo!

After winning that Quiz Bee, Jyrah and I haven't talked in a while; I become too shy to approach her, especially on what happened that day. And my spine started to get chilly once again every time na naaalala ko iyon. Hindi pa rin mabura sa isipan ko ang lahat! I don't know how to feel either. Baka ito nga ang isa rin sa mga factor kung bakit ako nagkasakit.

Aside from that, different people also started to swarm my profile sending their congratulations. And I am bit uncomfortable with that. Hindi ako sanay na nafa-flood ang messages ko. I still prefer myself at peace. Well... May kapalit naman talaga ang lahat ng bagay. I'm really sure na pagkakaguluhan ako ako sa school pagpasok ko. And I should be ready for that.

---

Hindi nga ako nagkamali. My classmates swarmed me pagpasok ko pa lang sa classroom. Good thing, I'm already recovering kaya puwede na akong pumasok. But the worse thing is, they started to highlight their attention to me. It's really awkward and it makes me uncomfortable while their eyes were focused on me.

"Uy, Lorenzo! Pa-burger ka naman diyan!" John Michael and company blurted out paglapit sa akin. We aren't that close pero kapag may kailangan talaga sila ay roon lang sila lumalapit sa akin. I really sense their faux regards as these people dare to use this opportunity to take advantage on me.

And so far naman, the flow of our class ran smoothly. Ang sabi pa nga ni Ma'am Aguas while discussing for our lesson ay mabibigyan daw ako ng incentives for our Midterm examination sa aking major subjects. Which is kinda relieving kahit papaano.

---

Break time, and may time na rin akong magbasa noong Alpha Thesis: Bakunawa novel na dala ko while munching the slices of orange I brought at the cafeteria. Nawalan na kasi ako ng time magbasa especially na naging busy ako last week. And I'm not even at the end of the first chapter noong tumigil ako. So, I decided to have a do-over--magsisimula ako from the beginning. Finally, I am going back to the realm of Cabanua!

"Good morning, Lorenzo!" Of course, magnet na talaga ako ng mga nilalang na katulad ni Onemig. I'm already used (and) tired of his unexpected appearances, as if there's no privacy in his vocabulary. Ano na naman kaya ang gusto niya?

"Lorenzo, ano iyang binabasa mo--" He paused for a while after peeking at the book. Napakunot na lang ako ng noo sa ginawa niya.

"Oh! Nagbabasa ka rin niyan?" he blured out of the blue pagkaupo niya sa harap ko. He even gazed with amazement while I start to cover myself with the book. But then, I sighed and put the book on the table. Hilig talaga nitong i-distract.

"Favorite mo rin pala ang works ni Rudy Santisteban! Ang galing lang." I see... This guy is a man of culture as well. Okay... Pero sa totoo lang kasi, mukhang ako lang ang nagbabasa ng story na ito sa klase namin. This story is kinda unappreciated kasi.

"Saan ka inuri? Lagabulab kasi ako." He continued his blabbers--usually random stuff about the novels habang inililipat ang pages ng libro ko.

Inuri is a sorting ceremony in Bakunawa where the characters are classified into certain elemental attributes. Based sa story, the attributes composed of Limhangin (air), Lagabulab (fire), Dumakulem (earth), and Danuman (water).

"Limhangin ako." Well, that was based on the answer I got from the sorting quiz online. I am also part of Santisteban's readers' online forum. All I can say is that his works are already getting some prominence for all over the years. I may not be a strong contender for being a bibliophile, but his novels, especially his flagship story left me awed and amused.

But sad to say, despite the success his novels are attaining right now, most people are still sleeping for these what I call, magnum opus.

"Oh! Ang galing naman. Hindi ko in-expect na may mga katulad din akong reader niya sa school. Actually, almost complete ko na ang ibang books niya. Pero balak ko sanang kompletuhin lahat, eh." Buti na lang at kompleto ko ang lahat ng collections ng books ni Santisteban. Si Kuya lang talaga ang unang fan ng mga libro niya at ang mga bumibili talaga noon, pero dahil nasa Manila na siya ngayon, he gave away all of our collection under my possession.

"'Di ba, may event siya next Saturday? Doon sa may QC?" he asked. I remember na oo nga. Magkakaroon ng fan gathering and booksigning event si Rudy Santisteban sa date na iyon.

He's actually one of the people I want to meet. Kung mabibigyan man kasi ako ng chance, siya ang gusto kong maka-interact. That could be possible, but for me... It's not.

I crossed my elbows before speaking.

"Yup. Doon first ire-release ang graphic novel version ng Bakunawa." I'm really excited for this version because I really prefer reading books with more illustrations rather than puzzled with pages full of words.

"Pupunta ka ba, Lorenzo?" He fired another question with enthusiasm.

"Nope," I sighed. Two rides away lang naman ang papunta sa venue. A jeepney and a bus away from ours. Pero hindi naman ako papayagang pumunta roon mag-isa, unless may kasama akong kakilala nila. For then, me going to an unfamiliar place also means putting myself into danger. Kahit ano namang gawin ko, sina Mom pa rin ang masusunod. And I'm just here to follow them.

"Hala, sayang naman." Onemig frowned after hearing those words. "Actually, pupunta kasi ako. Ayaw mo 'yon, sasamahan naman kita? Gusto ko ring bumili noong graphic novel, eh. With sign pa!" Good, buti pa siya at makapupunta sa event. But I want to go there so bad. Once lang mangyari ang opportunity na iyon, especially na bibihira lang na magkaroon ng appearances si Rudy Santisteban in public. And this is a rare chance to happen.

"Uhm... What if pasabay na lang ako?" I started to get desperate at mawala sa composure.

"Pasabay? Puwede naman." Onemig agreed and smiled at me. Pero iba pa rin ang feeling na makapunta sa event.

"Just inform me na lang, ha. But it's a total miss kung hindi ka makapupunta. O siya, may klase pa pala ako. Kita-kits na lang ulit." That's all what he said before standing up at saka kinuha ang bag niya. Argh! Bakit kailangan pa niya akong konsensiyahin?

I started to feel torn with this situation. I don't know what to do. But then, I sighed.

But before Onemig started to walk, I blurted out something, kahit hindi pa ako sure sa mangyayari. Hay, bahala na nga.

"Wait... Pag-iisipan ko...," I said with finality. "Pag-iisipan ko if sasama ako."

"Good! And congrats ulit sa iyo!" He tapped my shoulders before he left.

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