Save Me, Commander

Chapter 2: Gullible Memory

Tensyonado ako habang pinapanood sila na naroon at nakatayo sa may podium. Nakihalo ako sa mga kapwa ko trainees para hindi ako makita ng nakabunggo kong lalaki kanina. Nakita ko si Colonel Selor na siyang head nitong camp habang kasama ang mga Zade armies. 

"A great day to start your training. I’m Colonel Polaris Selor, the head of this camp,” pagpapakilala niya sa aming lahat. He was a tall, fat man. His voice was very loud and deep, and the authority he possessed would give anyone the chills. Halos walang nagsasalita habang nagpapakilala siya. “Let me introduce to you your trainers that would guide you in this camp. They are Mounir Riñon, Terrence Luzeiriaga, Griffin Magno and Arlee Lau Orteza." 

I've read a lot of article about him, and it was all good. He was a living man working in the government with no bad receipt, with no bad reputation. He helped a lot of poor people especially when they were abused by rich ones. It was making him popular and respectable as a public servant in the eyes of the Zade people. On the other hand, he was a big problem and a threat to those politicians with a bad scheme. Ganoon naman talaga kapag may mga taong may magandang adhikain, palaging may masamang binabalak ang mga masasama dahil natatakot silang malamangan.

"Zaderous Camp will help and mold your military skills so you can serve our country. All we need is your cooperation and your strong determination to learn,” he said.

Halos nawala ang kabang nararamdaman ko kanina dahil sa pakikinig sa kaniya. Palagi akong napapatango o napapalakpak kapag may sinasabi siya. Honestly, I was one of those people in Zade who admired him. He was the reason why I was here, actually. I couldn’t forget what he’d said to me when I was just eight years old. He said, 'Money can't buy anything.' Sabi niya, hindi niya ipagpapalit ang kaniyang dignidad sa pera anoman ang mangyari kaya humahanga talaga ako sa kaniya.

Natatandaan ko pa noon. He was the one who helped my battered Auntie from my  Tito. My Tito tried to bribe him with large amount of money since he was so rich. Para sa aking Tito, women and money were just an object that could pleasure him and entertain him. Mabuti na lang talaga dahil ginawa pa rin ni Colonel Selor kung ano ang tama.

Mabuti na lang talaga dahil may mga kagaya pa ni Colonel Selor na nabubuhay rito sa Zade.

"Tomorrow will be your first task. As of today, you will fill up the form that we will give you. For that, please form five lines," Colonel Selor demanded.

Mabilis kaming bumuo ng limang linya. Sinadya ko na sa huli pumwesto lalo na nang makitang sa akin na nakabaon ang atensyon ng lalaking naka-engkwentro ko kanina. That Griffin Magno was freaking me out because he was shamelessly looking at me. He looked at me like I had unfinished business with him. Sana ay tumigil na siya sa paninitig sa akin!

A man was about to approach our line when Griffin Magno stopped him then talked to him. Colonel Selor even looked at the man and just shake his head, ignoring what was happening.

My eyes darkened when that man looked at me with a grin in his face. I cut my gaze off from him and hid in the shadow of the girl in front of me but I was too tall, I couldn’t hide myself from someone who was shorter than me. I saw how Griffin Magno marched towards my line while the man he was talking a while ago was on the other line now. Damn, sana lang ay sa unahan siya maglakad at huwag ditto sa hulihan dahil sigurading patay ako.

Griffin held out his hand to the first person in his line, pointing the direction where we were going. We were already walking now to that direction. Biglang bumaliktad ang sikmura ko nang hinayaan niya ang nasa unahan ng linya na maglakad at hindi niya ito ni-lead sa pupuntahan. He did not walk and followed the first person like the other trainers. As we started moving, I immediately noticed that he looked at me. I ignored him but I saw in my peripheral vision that he walked beside me. Bigla akong kinabahan pero pinigilan ko ang sarili ko na huwag mag-freak out. I marched like he was not beside me. 

"I'm sorry to what happened,” he whispered at me. I looked at him and nodded. Pinagpatuloy ko ang pagmamartsa at hindi na siya binalingan pa ng atensyon.

How I thanked that he walked faster than me. There were many of us in the line and I was on the last in our line… it was  very obviousl that I would be the last person to fill up the form and will be the last person to get the essential things like uniforms that will been given and provided by the Zaderous Camp staffers.

I wasn't surprise when we were going to stay in a one but spacious room. Our luggages and a small side table became the boundary of our single bed.I wanted to choose a place for me but I couldn't, because I was the last person to finish to fill up the form. It only means that I was also the last person to choose a place to sleep. I really love to sleep in the corner and not in here in the middle. I felt so frustrated. Sana lang ay makatulog ako nang matiwasay kapag gabi.

The room was spacious, it was enough for the sixteen of us to occupy. Eight girls for each side. The walls were plain cream in color and the ceiling was white. A long rug was reaching the end of each side of the room.

I laid my travel bag on the white mattress. It didn't have a bed sheet like the others.  Ako pa lang ang hindi nakakapaglagay dahil ako itong nahuli. We were also given one mattress that had same color like the wall, it was plain white as well. I sat and took off my dirty white tennis shoes, I caressed my sore foot that was still inside my black socks. I was startled when something hit me. It was a red hair binder. I took it and looked at it like I didn’t know it existence.

"S-Sorry, I don’t intend to hit you. It was an accident," the woman in front of me apologized nervously. She was sitting next to me. I handed it to her and smiled a bit so the shaking of her hands would stop.

"It's okay. I wasn't injured," I said, putting a light in the situation because she seemed so tense about what happened. Okay lang naman, magagalit ako kung sinasadya niya iyon. Marunong naman ako making ng rason niya at madali naman ako magpatawad.

She was beautiful but her beauty was been covered by her eyeglasses and messy curly hair.

"I can't tie my hair. It's a blast again,” she said while scratching his neck.

"It's fine. Come here, I'll tie it." I offered my hands to her.

”W-What? You might have a hard time. You see, my hair is a mess," she replied, I shook my head and walked towards her. I pulled her to sit and I started tying her hair by my bare hands.

"I was a beautician," I teased.

"R-Really? You're like as my twin, she’s also a beautician but she hates to tie up my hair." She was serious which made me grimaced.

Another thing that I hate was explaining my jokes or sarcastic remarks. But I didn't feel the same feeling when I sarcastically explain my joke to her. Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi ako nairita sa kaniya. Hindi ko alam kung bakit, masyado kasing magaan ang pakiramdam ko sa kaniya.

"That's just a joke. All I know is to braid my hair…but I don't know how to apply make up to myself or even to other people," I corrected and explained my joke. I smiled at her even if she couldn't see me because I was behind her.

"Ayy! Is that so? I really thought it was true," she said, making me burst into laughter.

"You're funny, you’re very gullible," I joke again as I was still fixing her hair.

"Ali think I'm gullible too, she also wants me to stay in my house. You know, my twin is very protective of me, that sometimes, it makes me very irritated because I always find myself being dependent to her. But of course, I can't help myself but to be dependent to her even if I want to be independent." I took a pause because of her story. I remembered my very close friend, years had passed when we bid goodbye. We haven’t seen each other and talked again.  

"I already told you, Miss. My hair is very messy." She said which turned me back to reality. Bigla ko kasing naisip ang dati kong kaibigang kahit sa sulat ay hindi ko nan ako-communicate.

"Of course not, I just remember my old friend, Ali is also her name. By the way, I'm Wainedirry McLente but just call me Dara. Miss is too formal and we are both in the same age.”

"I'm Sooli Totañes."

"That's a cute name that really suit to you," I said. Tapos na ako sa pagtatali ng kaniyang buhok. Hindi naman ako gaanong nahirapan kagaya ng iniisip niya.

"You are really good at joking," she said and slapped my shoulder gently. Hindi ko alam kung bakit hindi siya naniniwala sa akin. Totoo naming cute ang kaniyang pangalan.

"You are. Why would I lie? Wala naman akong makukuha kung magsisinungaling ako. By the way, can you tell more about this Ali, your twin," I said. I became more interested to talk with her because of her twin sister.

"Ali Lucea Totañes is her name. She's an artist and own a kid toy store when she's just sixteen. She managed our parents toy factory. You know... she's very good at drawing but she's gone." She said with teary eyes.

"Teñali Lucea is my bestfriend, Sooli. She is my best friend,” sabi ko naman sa kaniya.

***