ERALD

THE CAMPUS-wide radio broadcast only took thirty minutes. That was my first time to get inside their small "radio station." It was only connected to the speakers installed in parts of the campus. Minsan lang din sila magsagawa ng mga live broadcast.

We learned from the Broadcasting Club president that we weren't on their list of guests for today. But due to the influence of the student council, they had to make a room for us. The noon segment was supposed to run for an hour. Dahil may nauna nang naka-schedule sa amin, napagdesisyonan nilang hatiin ang isang oras para bigyan kami ng slot.

As the club president, Charlotte did much of the talking. When Clyde broke the news to her, she was so excited to speak in front of the mic. Paraan din daw ito para mai-promote ang club namin sa mga estudyante. The more exposure we get, the more chances that we would have more clients in the future.

Surprisingly, she was good at it, speaking spontaneously. Throughout the thirty-minute run time, there was no dead air. Nagmistulan kaming display ni Clyde sa booth habang dire-diretso sa pagsasalita ang aming club president.

"That was excellent," Reign greeted us as soon as we got out of the booth. "If I were an ordinary senior high student, I would have been fully convinced to attend the party later. With the QED Club in attendance, there is nothing to fear."

"Good call to have Charlotte do the talking," Clyde commented, touching the bridge of his eyeglasses. "Kung si Erald ang nagsalita, baka mas dumami pa ang nag-back out."

Clearly that was a joke, and I don't like being the subject of a joke. If only I had control of the microphone, I would have—well, he wasn't wrong—been blunt to the listeners, telling them that there's no assurance they would get out of the party venue alive. Yeah, that was an exaggeration, but you get the thought.

Charlotte, on her part, reassured the listening public that we would thwart the rogue club's plan. And to be honest, that added a ton of pressure on us. She sounded like a politician who promised to get rid of criminality within three to six months, despite having no assurance that she could. Kapag pumalpak kami, malaki ang balik sa amin.

"We still have thirty minutes before the afternoon classes start," Reign remarked, looking at his wristwatch. "Do you want to see the venue?"

The three of us nodded and were led to the school gymnasium. The whole place was closed off as the student council, with the help of the executive committee, started arranging the interior designs. Tumulong na rin ang ilang housekeeping personnel para magbuhat ng mga mesa at upuan.

"We will put up a table here for the registration," Reign said as he pointed at the area near the entrance. "All attendees will have to pass through the security check later. We have already coordinated with the Office of Campus Security for metal detectors and manpower."

Tumuloy kami sa gitna ng maple-floored na gymnasium. We saw the student council officers busy with putting the backdraft on the stage. Inilibot ko ang aking mga mata sa venue. Was it me or the decorations looked so bland? Parang ni-recycle ang ilang decor mula sa mga previous event.

"We had a problem sa budgeting," Reign explained, also looking at the officers on the stage. "The president approved the budget request without reviewing it thoroughly. Nagkulang tuloy ang budget namin. Kailangang mag-cut ng expenses kaya they decided to recycle some materials."

"That is more eco-friendly, right?" komento ni Clyde. "You no longer needed to spend student activity funds for new materials."

Reign looked at him over his shoulder. "We have no problem with reusing old stuff. The problem is on the food and drinks. The student council based the budget proposal on last year's prices. Nagtaas na kasi ngayon kaya nagkulang ang pondo. Thus we have to resort to cheaper food and drinks to cater to the approximate number of attendees."

"What the hell is the student council doing?" I blurted out of frustration. "Hindi ba dapat pinaghahandaan ang ganitong kalaking event? How come the president did not review the budget request thoroughly?"

"We all have our own priorities." That's all Reign could say. He probably has his own opinion on who to blame for these oversights, but he did not want to speak badly about the council he serves. "Masuwerte pa nga tayo na in-approve ng Events Office ang venue request dito sa gymnasium kahit hindi pasok sa number of processing days. The council is exhausting all its capital and influence to make things work."

I only shook my head in disappointment. My own observations told me that someone or some people in the council were not focused on their job. They thought that since they are the highest student organization, things would go their way easily without regards to the standard operating procedure. Perhaps the budding love story of the president and the vice president was getting in my way?

Bigla akong napahinto sa paglalakad at lumingon sa entablado. My sister was among the officers pinning the letterings on a maroon curtain. She's the one who asked for my help regarding her little concern over her fellow officers. Naisip niya kasing baka makasagabal ang taguan ng feelings nina Agnes at Bruce. I did something about it at nagkaaminan na ang dalawa. Now I don't know if the situation got worse because their feelings might be getting in the way.

"Erald?" Charlotte called, clicking the shutter of her camera. Napatakip ako ng mukha kahit late na. "May problema ba?"

Umiling ako. "May naalala lang ako."

"How many entrance and exit will you have for the event?" Clyde asked, looking at the spot that Reign pointed out to be the registration area.

"Only one," Reign replied. "The front entrance."

"We must ensure that the other possible entrances and exits are locked later," four-eyes said, looking at the door on the eastern wing. "All organizers, marshals, personnels and attendees must go in and out through one area only."

"I will ask the Office of Campus Security to do as you say," Reign nodded. "Sa gano'ng set up, alam nating isang lugar lang ang pwedeng takasan ng manggugulo mamaya."

"REIGN!"

I heard my sister's voice echoing in the acoustic chamber of the gymnasium.

"Excuse me for a while," Reign said before leaving us at the center of the hall.

"There are about five to six hundred senior high students," Clyde said, his eyes roaming around the venue. "We will only look for one person. Two or three, if he has accomplices."

"Like finding a needle in a haystack," I sighed. "There's no way we can identify that man without letting him commit the crime."

"We haven't thought of a way yet on how we can identify that man," Clyde tried to correct me, which I did not appreciate.

"Hindi pa ba sapat ang security measures na nabanggit ni Reign?" tanong ni Charlotte. "Magkakaroon ng mga security personnel na magtse-check sa mga papasok na attendee. If someone's bringing something suspicious, mahihirapan silang makapasok."

"We can never underestimate the K-OS Club," I answered. "They wouldn't bring something inside that would stand out to the security. Makakaisip ng tusong paraan ang mga taong 'yon para maipasok nila kung anuman ang kanilang gagamitin sa trick. Isa pang problema natin, wala pa tayong ideya kung paano sila manggugulo."

"Can it be another bomb threat?" Clyde asked, recalling the incident weeks ago at the club fair. "That will totally ruin the fun at the party."

"That is possible," pagsang-ayon ko. "But will the K-OS Club employ the same trick twice? Bumenta na 'yan, eh. I expect them to be more creative. Remember the pressure pads that shoot smoke when stepped on?"

"You give them too much credit," Clyde commented.

"When we see something shining, we must acknowledge its luster," I responded. "We must appreciate talent when we see one. But that doesn't mean that I condone their acts. May atraso pa sila sa atin."

"We can still think of a plan later, sa kasagsagan mismo ng event," Charlotte said. "Marami ang mag-e-expect na mapipigilan natin sila. We don't want to disappoint our fans, do we?"

Clyde and I exchanged brief glances. Early this morning, pinag-usapan namin na sabihin ang club president namin na huwag pumunta sa party mamaya. We haven't brought the topic to her when we met for the radio broadcast. Ayaw rin kasi naming masira ang masayang mood niya kanina.

But this might be the appropriate time to tell her.

Sumenyas ako kay apat-na-mata na siya na ang magsabi.

"Charlotte?" Clyde called her. "Erald and I thought that it would be best if you would not attend later."

Kumurap-kurap ang mga mata ng club president namin, tila hindi na-gets ang ibig sabihin ni apat-na-mata.

"I don't understand," Charlotte's lips wasn't sure whether to curve upwards or downwards. "Why don't you want me to go? Iniisip n'yo bang magiging pabigat ako mamaya kaya ayaw n'yong makasagabal ako sa plano n'yo?"

"Hindi naman sa gano'n," mahinahong depensa ni Clyde. "You have already told us about yor condition, haven't you? We deduced that your memory reset can be triggered by extreme emotions."

"At paano napasok diyan ang pag-attend ko mamaya?"

"If the K-OS Club succeeds in their plan and they cause a ruckus enough to shock you, you might lose your memories again," Clyde explained. "And we don't want that episode to happen again."

"Baka targetin ka pa ulit ng mga mokong," dagdag ko. "Hindi namin sinasabing magpapatalo tayo. But we must think of safety precautions, of all the possibilities."

"This is our way of protecting you," Clyde said. Wow, ang drama ni apat-na-mata, ah?

"No."

"Eh?" sabay kaming napatingin ni Clyde kay Charlotte.

"No," Charlotte repeated with a decisive tone. "I won't let my condition get in the way of solving this case. Our priority is to prevent the K-OS Club from their scheme and to capture an agent, not to help me from suffering another episode of memory loss."

"But—"

"No buts!" She cut my words short. "I am the club president. I should be on the frontlines, not on the sidelines. I must see this case through. Hindi matatanggap ng konsensya ko na wala akong gawin para makatulong."

"You don't understand—"

"I clearly understand," Charlotte retorted. "Baka kayo ang hindi nakakaintindi. My condition shouldn't be a factor in this case. Let me do my job as a QED Club member."

Sighing, I raised both of my hands in surrender. "Fine! Basta kapag na-trigger na naman 'yang memory reset mo, walang sisihan, ha? Don't make us say 'We told you so.' You were warned."

"But I appreciate your concern," Charlotte smiled. "Na-touch ako sa mga sinabi n'yo. You wanted to protect me, but you don't have to. I can manage myself."

Pati si Clyde ay sumuko na rin at pumayag na sa gusto ng aming club president.

"Back to the topic!" Charlotte clapped her hands. "So how can we stop the K-OS Club?"