Can We Make It Right?

CHAPTER 3.1: Coby

CHAPTER 3.1 (Coby)

"First meeting palang natin sa prof na 'yon, limang drawing plates agad pinapagawa?" Chase rants while we enter the college library.

"unang meeting palang, nagrereklamo ka na" I answer.

"E sino ba namang hindi magrereklamo? tapos bukas na agad yung pasahan, nagjojoke ba yun?" He rants continuously while looking at me.

"Gawin mo nalang" I say and sit on this spacious table. The library is free from noise just like the usual one. Students are less than ten. A perfect place to do such laborious work.

Chase is right. five plates with a twenty four hours deadline is no joke. No time to complain.

This is it! I can feel this overflowing joy in me. I am officially starting. These drawing plates is not a thing compare to my profound dream.

We start to set things up. Not wasting a second.

In the middle of our silence, I check on Chase. He looks like answering a bar exam. His face are in deep struggle.

What would I expect from an engineering students who loves to play with camera.

I was right.

"Hindi kasi ganyan paghawak ng ruler!" then correct the position of his hands. I can't see him doing it wrong. I feel like I'm the one suffering.

After about a couple of hour, I'm almost done with mine. I don't want to wait for him just to finish his plates. I also don't want to just leave him here alone.

"Kala ko ba bata ka palang, lapis at ruler na ang laruan mo?" I ask smiling. It's more likely a statement to justify what I told him yesterday about how long he'll survive our field.

He just look at me with a serious face and continue to draw. So I just let him. Maybe I'm not helping to establish his focus.

After an hour, I'm down to last plate. I remember how's Chase doing.

I check on him again. I see him under his hoodie. Taking a nap over his unfinished plates.

"Hoy gising!" while I tap on his shoulder. He rises, blinking his eyes from nap. "Nakakaisang plate ka palang, ang sarap na ng tulog mo dyan! Malawayan mo pa yan,gusto mo bang ulitin yan?"

He just look at me, gets his techpen and starts again.

"Tatagal pala ah" I whisper and go back to work.

An hour after and I'm all done. Now, I can take a rest after that exhausting work. I stretches my tired body since I got to sit here for several hours.

While Chase's still in struggle working on his drawing plates.

"Akin na yung isa papel, tulungan na kita." I command while pointing on his blank plate.

"Hindi na! Kaya ko na 'to!" He declines. "Tapos ka na?" He asks as he saw me sitting in chill. "Sige, sa bahay ko nalang tatapusin 'to" he says while clearing his table and disassembling his T-sauare.

He manage to clear things up, so I never had the chance to help.

We leave the library and ride on an elevator down. As we reach the ground floor, we just notice that the sun had set.

As expected, my mom is calling. I forgot to inform her my whereabouts. It's a big deal since that is her relaxing pill. She treats me like a highschool kid. A day without hitting her up is a sin. But she's not in the point of putting tracking device with me. But still, the fact she invades my privacy really piss me off. Like everyone would be. She oftenly crosses the line and it's something that she should stop doing.

But still, I'm lucky to have her. What more could I ask? I'm her everything, and she's also my everything. The girl I can't live without.

After apologizing to mom for not able to text her in three hours, I hanged up. I knew I should be home as fast as I can before mom becomes fully paranoid alone in the house.

"Chase, kailangan ko nang umuwi" I say. "See you bukas! Tapusin mo 'yan ah!" I smile before turning away and walk towards the parking lot few meters away.

"Ingat!" He shouts.

I had fun with Chase. Though he's not that talkative as I am, I feel comfortable with him. I'm happy to be with him. Helping him even on small details. It makes me feel I got purpose on meeting him. I never thought helping someone would feel this good.

But until when? Where is the farthest thing I can do to help him? Until when he'll be needing me.

Keeping yourself away from something you love will never be easy. And letting yourself do otherwise just because you were expected to do so will definitely bring chaos in your life.

Chase is oblivious. Blind. Lost. Sleeping under the warm blanket of ignorance.

Tomorrow is another day for us to carry. As well as the day after and so on.