House of Cards

Mysterious letter

And just like that, the year had passed again like the wind just like any year before it. Van decided to have work experience outside the Olympus after I told him about his future in the institute. While I on the other hand continued to stay in Olympus and take the classes for the next few years.

‘Ah it’s the same thing every year. I don’t know if I got numb or got used to it already. The institute hires new teachers every single year since that day but they all teach the same things over and over again that I might have already memorized every line they say at the start of each classes.’ I told myself as I take the same route that I use to go to the classrooms. “People rarely go to places like this. It seemed like some places here in Olympus have been dead spots over the years.” I spoke to myself as I passed through a building that has not been used for a few years now, it used to be a storage room for a lot of things but now it’s just collecting dust and overgrown with weeds.

‘Ah I should hurry up, the assembly is almost starting.’ I hurried up and sprinted to the more crowded place in Olympus. Last year’s batch just ended a few months ago and new students are entering the institute today as a start of the yearly classes for special individuals. When I got in the assembly building, most of the students are already seated and were waiting for the reset to enter. The principal saw me walking towards a chair and saw, he flashed a weak smile at me while I nodded my head back towards him. ‘He is getting old, just as the founding staff of the institute while me on the other hand is still the same. Am I really living my life? Do I want to live my life like this?’ I asked myself these questions after it occurred to me that the people are getting older and older, slowly leaving me behind over the years.

Consumed in my thoughts, I did not realize that the program is starting as the principal’s old voice echo throughout the building and shook me back to reality after a little time of my head wandering in some place in the future. “Good day students, as you already know. We are an institute that will help you shape into individuals that will perfectly fit on the society the moment you are all released and to achieve that, we only hired teachers who are professional who are quite exceptional in their own fields.” He said as the teachers for this year marched behind him and looked at all of the students with smiles on their faces accompanied by the students’ applause that covered the entire assembly building.

“These will be the teachers that will teach you students this year, I hope you all get along and welcome to the institute, welcome to Olympus.” The principal added as he spread his arms like wings and welcomed the new students with a smile and just like that, the welcoming program ended and we proceeded to our homeroom immediately after that. We introduced ourselves in front of everyone and something strange happened, or was it just me? I was the only one who seemed calm about the introduction at all, even the new homeroom teacher is just as shy and anxious as the students. Was it because I did this thing for almost thirty years now? They are all looking at me with the ‘Whoa! It looked like it doesn’t bother him at all’ ‘It felt like he had gone through it millions of times’ ‘If felt rehearsed’ expressions in their faces so I stared back at them, all of them after finishing my introduction.

I can feel their gaze behind my back so I was wondering what made them react like that and then I saw my reflection at the window and said to myself. ‘Oh, so I look this hideous huh? They must have been creeped out by my appearance.’ If you are wondering why I was also quite a bit surprised by my reflection is that I decided not to look at my face a few years after seeing my face not aging even for a little bit, not even a wrinkle can be found in my face. But the real reason is that I am still angry and do not accept this special ability as mine, it shouldn’t’ have been mine from the first place so I did not acknowledge it as mine by not looking at the mirror since then. I refuse to take a photo with everyone even after all the graduations that I have been through, I even stopped going to the foster home and faked my death so that the media would stop pestering me about it. I easily got out of that predicament with the help of Mr. Roger Bradley, he had been really helpful to me for the past thirty years.

We spent the entire day for introductions and as we jump from classroom to another. I can still feel their gazes at me but I did not let it get to me, I am used to being alone after all. I have done this introductions countless of times and I may not have noticed it but maybe the previous generations thought of me like this as well so there is no need to go back and change anything. When we jump into another classroom, we sat and wait for the teacher to arrive and as always, the others started to make friends with the others like any normal people would do when meeting with strangers for the first time while I sat at the back of the class laying my head on the table and just listened to their conversations and pretended to be sleeping when a whisper caught my ears.

“Look at him, he seems quite relaxed for the first day of class. Is he from a big family?” a girly voice said which if I have to calculate or predict is someone who is a few tables away from the row in my right. “What are you saying? There are always people like that everywhere, let’s just distance ourselves from him.” another one added as another one of them reminded to keep their voice down. ‘I can hear you.’ Is what I want to say but nah, I don’t really care about how they think about me either way. Right when the others are about to talk about me like the previous one did, a staff from the institute came in and told us that the teacher responsible for the session will come in tomorrow so we had an unexpected free time. My new classmates this year did not hesitate and vacate the room immediately telling the others to go and have a tour inside the Olympus. I was the only one who left the room last and when I was closing the door, I felt a presence behind me so I take a quick glance and saw an old man standing with his hands behind his back, patiently waiting for me to finish closing the door.

*KACHAK!*

“Good morning principal, is there something you want from me?” I asked after guessing the identity of the person behind me after not his entire face. “Good morning as well Mr. Ambro.” The principal replied with a calm and relieve tone. “Nothing at all, I’m just checking on you since you don’t look really well when I saw you in the assembly.” He added with a faint smile. It seems like my guess was correct, he might be the only one who talks to me constantly other than the janitor which my conversation only consist of words like ‘hi and other greeting words’. “There is nothing to worry about me principal, people your age should have retired a long time ago yet you are still here arranging things for the future generations of special individuals.” I replied with a smile so that he would not worry about me so much. “Oh is that worry I hear? You sound like my wife and children scolding me about the same thing as well, haha!” he let out a hearty laugh as I accompany him back to his office.

“Cough! Cough! Excuse me, my throat felt a little itchy.” He said as he takes out a medicine as I offered him water. “Gulp! Gulp! Thank you Rain.” I nodded my head as I opened the door and let him sit on the couch. “Must be nice to be young huh? I am turning eighty-three this year and it seems that my body could not last much longer haha!” he let out a pained laugh as I glance at his happy expression without saying a word. “What year do you think it is Rain?” he suddenly asked out of nowhere while looking at the window. Confused of what he meant I replied the current year. “Year three thousand and ten.” He then turns his head to me with a sad expression in his face. “Is that so? Then I have live for almost thirty years after that tragedy but why is it that every time I look at you, you seem to have stayed in that year, two thousand and ninety?”

My heart started beating faster after hearing what the principal said. Just as I thought, I am not ready to talk about what happened in the past, and I never will. “It pains me to see you like these every year. To dwell in that tragedy for so many years, that is commendable. I have seen people like you from the war when I was still a growing kid and believe me, it did not end up well for them.” He said in a tone like a father would do to advice his son in taking a careful step even though we are not related in the slightest. “You may not have age a bit since then but to tormented by pain that is not your fault to begin with for all eternity is just sad. I may not have lost something like you did on that day but I have been feeling your pain for almost thirty years.” He said as he bit his lip in sadness. It looked like there is something that he wants to tell me but the helplessness showing in his face is telling him not to do so.

Before we can dwell deep in the past, a knock came to the door which we immediately then tidied ourselves as I came to open the door. It was his assistant who is fairly on his age as well. “Oh, it’s you Mr. Ambro.” He said with a smile in his face. “Good morning sir.” I greeted as he nodded in reply. “Am I disturbing something?” he asked after seeing the principal wiping his tears. “Not at all, I was about to leave so I will have to excuse myself.” I replied because it seems like the principal is not able to respond to his assistant’s question. “It was nice chatting with you principal, I will be visiting you for another time.” I said as I left saying my good bye.

“It’s going to be the principal’s birthday in the next few days. I wonder what gift I should buy for him.” I told myself as I somehow want to give back to everything that he has done for me from the beginning. I went straight home and was about to open the door when I sensed someone inside the house then suddenly the door opened. “Oh, good morning uncle. I told the principal that I will be absent for today.” Van said as he holds the door while chewing on an apple. “How come you arrived early- oh! My session is the last one huh?” he said after figuring out what was on my mind as I stare at him blankly. “If you are going to arrive you should have told me sooner, I could have fetched you from the airport.” I said with an annoyed tone while he retorted in the same manner. “What? You think I am still a kid? I’m already thirty years old.” He retorted with an annoyed tone. I grabbed Van’s head and gave him a punishment by twisting my knuckle on his head all while locking him down and after that we talked about things and catch up with each other. Then we decided to give something for the principal as thanks for everything that he had done for the both of us.

Van had already came and introduced himself in his session while my day continued the same as the previous years before. We got so busy but we still found time to find something for the principal and before we know it, it was already the day for his birthday and wanted to surprise him by coming to his office but what was waiting for us is the principal’s wife weeping and the assistant almost on the verge of tears. Apparently, the principal died earlier this morning and his wife came here at the institute just to tell the staff about it. ‘I can’t believe that that was our last conversation.’ I thought to myself my body went numb and fell on my knees. I can’t believe the sudden news when he was so full of energy a few days ago. The institute decided to halt the sessions just for this day to honor the death of the principal for his efforts and contribution to the institute.

The day has passed and the night fell, the institute was devoured by silence like there is not a single soul present in the whole land as the others wept in the loss of their leader. I was sitting outside the house staring in the distance when I sensed a presence and saw a silhouette a few meters away from me. “Are you Rain Ambro?” the stranger asked then he looks around him after I nod my head before approaching me and handed me a letter right after. “The principal wanted to give you this.” the stranger said as he immediately left.