Chapter 73 - Found him
1814 Words
Chapter 73 - Found him
Nathan acepted my request and took us around main building of the College of Management.
“Ilang palapag ba ang building na `to?” complained the professor as we climed to the third floor. “Ba’t wala man lang kayo’ng elevator?”
“You’re already tired after walking for 10 minutes?” I asked him. “That’s why I told you to excersise more often.”
“I spend my life behind a desk, what do you expect?” Prof. Antonio answered back sourly.
“Pasensya na tito, pero para sa handicapped lang at sa mga members of faculty ang elevators dito,” replied Nathan.
I left the two by the stairwell and looked at the classrooms along the hall instead, slightly touching the door knobs as I pass them by. The professor walked up to me as I reached the end of the hall.
“Ano, nahanap mo na ba?” he asked.
“Not yet. Let’s go to the last floor.”
“Students aren’t actually allowed to litter here,” said Nathan as we reached the 5th floor, “kaya paki-bilisan lang bago tayo masita.”
“Got it.” I touched the doorknobs one by one. “Okay, I’m ready.”
“Ready for what?” Nathan asked.
“Nothing, let’s go.”
We proceeded to go down the stairs, and as we reached the 3rd floor, we heard someone call our attention.
“Mr. Del Mirasol! Why aren’t you in class?”
Nathan seemed to have frozen.
“Mr. Del Mirasol?” the voice called again.
”May klase ka pa pala? Ba’t `di mo sinabi sa `min?” Prof. Antonio asked his nephew with a frown.
I turned around and saw a tall man walking towards us. he stopped on his tracks when he saw us.
“Professor Antonio?” the man asked when he saw the professor. “What are you doing here?”
”Found him.” I grinned. “I knew it I could flush him out.” I proudly said as I came forward and held my hand out. “I am Dr. Aahmes Abdel, it is a pleasure to meet you!”
The man looked puzzled. He turned to the professor and frowned.
“Are you doing an experiment?” he asked Prof. Antonio in a whisper.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I am,” I replied. “And now I have found you.”
“`Wag `mong sabihin, nag-iwan ka ng marka sa mga pinto?” asked the professor with a frown.
“Exactly!”
“Anong marka?” asked Nathan.
“Why don’t we return to the library first?” I invited them.
“I’m sorry, but I’m in the middle of a class...” said the man.
“Oo nga, Sir, ba’t po kayo lumabas dito?” Nathan asked him, looking irritated.
“May... May kakaibang amoy na kumakalat sa building...”
”I will explain everything...” I told him.
“Sandali nga,” said the professor. “Nathan, may klase ka dapat ngayon, tama?” his nephew looked guiltily at him. “Bumalik na kayo sa klase. Hintayin namin kayo sa library. Bilisan ninyo.”
We waited patiently in the library while the professor glared at me.
“I told you I could find him.” I smiled smugly at him.
“Madaya ka, eh, ginamitan mo s’ya ng kung ano!”
“I never said I wouldn’t use sometihng,” I replied, “So, now that I found him, could you tell me his name?”
The professor glared some more, then turned to look away.
“Reubert,” he said. “Reubert De Leon. Pero mukhang Reubert Go na ata ang gamit n’yang pangalan ngayon.”
“So, it really is your DOME?”
“Shh. `Wag dito.” he warned me.
“It is a good thing that you have met each other again,” I said instead. “You should take your time to catch up.”
“Catch up ka d’yan. Ni `di nga dapat kami magkita, eh!” he mumbled.
We got a message from Nathan ten minutes later asking us to go to the 5th floor. Reubert Go brought us to his room where we sat around a low coffee table.
“Would you like some coffee or iced tea?” he asked.
“Coffee. Black.” said the professor who sat beside me on a long sofa.
“So, tungkol sa marka...” said Reubert as he gave us our drinks.
“It is a special scent I have developed to search for... special omegas,” I told him. “I see it worked on you.”
“Ano nga ba `yang scent na `yan?” asked Nathan. “Wala naman ako’ng naamoy buong araw, ha?”
“It is the pheromone of a dominant alpha, concentrated and diluted several times so that only unique omegas can smell them,” I explained. “I placed a small amount on certain parts of the building to smoke him out.”
“And why would you do that?” asked Reubert who had a fake smile on his lips.
“Because I wanted to meet you,” I replied, “But Prof. Antonio wouldn’t tell me who you are.”
“And he has good reason not to.”
“Tama,” said the professor. “Teka, safe bang mag-usap dito?” he asked.
“Opo, professor.” Reubert replied.
“Then I ask for your pardon in this whim of mine,” I piped in, “I merely wanted to meet someone...”
“Well, ayan na nga, nakilala mo na s’ya,” interrupted the professor, “at sinabi n’ya na ayaw n’yang makilala. Ngayon, p’wede na ba tayo umalis?”
“Nakakaintindi siya ng tagalog?” I heard Reubert ask Nathan who simply nodded.
“But, I merely wanted to talk to him...”
“Sigurado ako’ng marami pa’ng importanteng gagawing si Reubert,” said the professor.
“Yes, medyo busy nga ako...” said Reubert.
“O, siya, `di na kami magtatagal.”
The professor stood up and tapped Reubert on the shoulder as he did.
“Buti at maayos ka, ba’t nga ba naisipan mo pa’ng umuwi rito para mag-turo? `Di ba’t nasa New York ka na?” he asked.
“Kinailangan kong bumalik...” said Reubert who looked at the professor seriously. ”Ang tagal na rin since we last met...”
“Oo, at ngayon, professor ka na rin.”
“At balita ko naman po, ikaw na ang head researcher sa Universal Labs. Noon pa man, alam ko na po na malayo ang mararating n’yo at marami pa’ng matutulungan na mga tulad ko’ng omega.”
“Haa... kung alam mo lang...” sighed the professor. “Mas marami pa ako’ng dapat tuklasin.”
“Prof. Antonio,” I called his attention, “are we really leaving or not?”
“By the way, Professsor ka pa rin po hanggang ngayon?” asked Reubert before we could go on our way.
“Tinatamad na `kong bumalik sa university for a doctorate degree,” replied the professor. “I prefer to work and study things that mean more to me.”
“As expected of Prof. Antonio!”
Reubert praised the professor, looking at him with such adoration that I somehow felt irritated.
“Well, that’s it for now,” the professor took a sip from his coffee and grimmaced. “Pasensya na sa istorbo, `di ko akalain na mahahanap ka nga talaga ng isa’ng `to, eh.” he tapped me on the shoulder. “Salamat sa pagtuturo sa pamangkin ko’ng sutil, hindi naman ba nagloloko `to sa klase mo?” he asked.
“Hindi naman po,” he laughed as he said this. I frowned at them both.
“Sige, `di na kami magtatagal,” said the professor who took my hand and pulled me out of the room.
“Ihahatid ko na kayo!” Reubert called to us.
He accompanied us down to the main lobby and out the building, all the while grinning like a fool at my professor. He even waved us goodbye as we made our way to the parking lot.
“Sobra, `di ko alam na ang taas pala ng tingin sa inyo ng professor ko,” said Nathan.
“Parang kapatid k’se trato ko sa kan’ya noon, since limang taon lang ang agwat ko sa kan’ya, may pagkaparehas pa ang incident ng paglabas ng secondary gender n’ya sa papa Jonas mo.”
”What happened?” I asked the professor.
“Eh, ayun, inatake siya ng mga kaibigan niyang puros mga alpha habang nasa locker room.”
”Pinagsamantalahan siya ng mga teammates n’ya?” Nathan asked, wide-eyed.
”Hindi,” replied his uncle. ”Nag-kick-in ang pagiging dominante n’ya. Natagpuan sila ng kanilang coach na bagsak lahat, habang si Reubert, tulala at hindi masabi kung ano ang nangyari.”
”Ha! I knew it!” the two looked at me. “An alpha can never beat a dominant omega!” I added.
“Right after that incident ay sinama si Reubert ng tatay n’ya sa mentor ko’ng si Dr. Webb na head researcher ng Universal Labs at that time, at doon ko na siya nakilala. Siya ang kauna-unahang kaso ng dominant omega sa Pilipinas, and so far, wala pa’ng nare-record na ibang DOME sa bansa natin.”
“Dominant omegas are considered national treasures, you know?” I told Nathan.
“Oo, pero delikado rin ang buhay nila dahil sa mga alpha extremists na gusto silang patayin,” added the professor. “Kaya itinatago sila at `di na dapat istorbohin pa.”
“But... I just wanted to talk to him...” I pouted, “And you wouldn’t tell me anything!”
Prof. Antonio sighed.
“Let’s talk when we get home, okay?” he held my hand. “You can ask me anything you want.”
“You promise?”
“Nakilala mo na s’ya, wala na akong choice, `di ba?”
I smiled as he said this.
“O sige na, lovebirds, umuwi na kayo at nauumay na `ko sa inyo,” Nathan said flatly.
“At ikaw,” the professor faced him, “mag-aral ka nang mabuti, ha! Sabi nina Blessing `di ka nanaman daw umuuwi! At lagi ka pang nagcu-cutting ng classes mo! Gusto mo bang bumagsak at mawalan ng scholarship?!”
“Opo, tito, uuwi na po ako...” Nathan frowned. “Kasi naman `yung si Sir Go, eh... sobrang strikto... at saka...”
”At saka ano?”
”Basta... sige, magpapakabait na po ako, tito.”
”Dapat lang, `wag mo’ng sirain ang buhay mo, ha?!”
”Opo.” He rolled his eyes when the professor turned around. “Ingat kayo sa byahe.”
- Writer
