6th League: Pag-iwas
TAHIMIK LANG na nakatingin sa Facebook news feed si Iris. Dalawang araw na ang nakalipas nang pumunta siya sa bahay nina Travis. Trixie even sent her a friend request to which she accepted. Doon na nagsimula ang madalas na pag-chat sa kaniya ni Trixie.
To her own surprise, she wasn't even annoyed. If anything, she was having fun interacting with her. Tiningnan niya kung online na ba si Trixie but she was not.
Kanina pa siya nakatambay sa Quadrangle but there was no sign of Travis anywhere. She hated the fact that she was disappointed. Why was she looking for that guy anyway?
Then, Ryland came, holding two smoothies with both of his hands.
"Sorry, hindi kita nasundo sa classroom n'yo. My professor had to discuss something with me. Kanina ka pa ba rito?" tanong ng binata.
"Yup but no worries. How are you, Ry? You told me yesterday that Tito will be needing you on his business trip sa Thailand," sabi ni Iris.
"Yes, iyon nga ang pinag-usapan namin ng prof ko. I just have to make an excuse letter. After naman ng business trip, magte-take ako ng make-up classes," tugon ni Ryland.
"Ayos naman pala. You'll get to learn the lessons you'll be missing," nakangiting sabi ng dalaga.
Ryland stared at her for a moment. He liked staring at her beautiful face to remind himself how much he loved Iris. Ryland was ready to risk everything for her. If only Iris could realize how much he could offer.
Iris was staring at nothingness. It took a good three minutes before she felt Ryland's stare. She looked back at him.
"You're staring again," she said.
"I can't help it. You're so beautiful," Ryland uttered
"Binobola mo na naman ako," natatawang sabi ni Iris.
"I'm not. Totoo namang maganda ka, 'di ba?" tumatawa ring wika ni Ryland.
"Ewan ko sa 'yo. Anyway, how many days will you be gone?" natanong ng dalaga.
"Four days according to Dad. I just hope everything will run smooth para wala nang extension," anang binata.
Iris saw through Ryland. She knew he was working hard. That was what she admired the most about him. Bigla naman niyang naalala si Travis. Magaling na kaya talaga ang binata? She talked to Elerie and she said she was able to talk to Travis yesterday.
NAKATINGIN MULA sa malayo si Travis. He was making sure Iris wouldn't notice that he was there at the Quadrangle as well. He didn't feel like having any interaction with Iris.
He actually talked to Elerie yesterday. Nagpasalamat siya rito para sa mga pagkain at gamot na pinadala nito but Elerie denied it. She told him that she had forgotten about the things she wanted to send to him.
That only meant that it was Iris who brought all those stuff. At ganoon pa ang inasal niya sa pagbisita nito kahapon. Maybe he was feeling guilty about it.
He also knew about Iris being chatty with Trixie within the last two days. That only top the guilt he was already feeling.
Bakit niya ba kasi ako binisita? Inalagaan niya pa ako. May pinapatunayan ba siya sa 'kin?
Mula sa malayo ay kita niya kung gaano kabilis ang pagngiti ni Iris kasama si Ryland. That guy from the powerful Ferrer clan. Nagsalubong ang makakapal niyang kilay. Was he really serious about courting Iris? He snapped out of the thought. Why was he suddenly concerned about it?
"Hoy, sinong tinitingnan mo diyan?" tanong ng kapwa janitor niyang si Donny. He was also a student at AU. Pero katulad ni Travis, hindi rin ganoon kaginhawa ang buhay nito kaya naman namasukan ding janitor ng pamantasan sa umaga.
"Bakit ka ba nanggugulat?" ani Travis.
Tiningnan ni Donny kung saan nakatulala kanina ang kaibigan. Ngumisi ito sa nakita.
"Aba, crush mo si Iris, 'no? Ikaw talaga." Pangungutya ng binata.
"At sino namang nagsabi sa 'yo? Kung alam mo lang kung anong ugali ng babaeng 'yan," tugon ni Travis.
"Bakit? Close ba kayo?"
"Kaibigan siya ni Elerie."
Inakbayan ni Donny si Travis at umiling-iling ito.
"Alam mo, ang mga tipo nilang babae, pinapangarap lang ng mga kagaya natin. Langit ang mga 'yan. Kita mo 'yong katabi niya?" tanong ni Donny sabay nguso kay Ryland. "'Yan ang mga bagay sa kanila. Kapwa lang din nila mayaman."
"Hindi ko nga gusto ang babaeng 'yan!" singhal ni Travis.
"Eh, si Elerie? Gusto mo siya, 'di ba?"
Hindi na nakasagot si Travis sa tanong ng kaibigan. Totoo naman ang sinabi nito. Mahirap lang sila at hindi nababagay sa mga babaeng kagaya nina Iris at Elerie. Kaya nga nagsusumikap siyang umunlad sa buhay. Para naman maging karapat-dapat siya kay Elerie.
Muli siyang nag-angat ng tingin kanina Iris at Ryland. Tinitigan niya ang binatang kausap ni Iris ngayon.
Sa totoo lang, puwede naman siyang maging kasing yaman ng lalaking 'yon. Pero hinding-hindi niya pipiliing gawin ang nasa isip niya ngayon. May gusto siyang patunayan.
DUMATING NA ang araw ng pag-alis ni Ryland patungong Thailand. Iris didn't have a chance to get to go with him to the airport. Kaya naman magka-chat na lang sila sa Messenger ngayon.
Wala silang Professor sa subject nila before break kaya naman dalawang oras na bakante si Iris. Even though Ryland wasn't there, Iris still chose to have lunch by herself. She didn't need more of her friends' teeny topics.
She was on her way to the cafeteria she and Ryland was always at. Napahinto siya sa Quadrangle when she saw him. Travis was sweeping the ground and picking up the trash.
Hindi muna siya nagpasyang lapitan ang binata. She was kind of thinking if she really wanted to approach him. For some reason, she felt like the guy was avoiding her.
After a few minutes of deep thinking, she decided to sit on a stone bench near Travis's spot.
She took her phone and pretended like she was busy checking something on it. Pinakikiramdaman lang niya sa peripheral vision niya si Travis. Her phone suddenly rang and it was enough for the guy to notice her.
She looked at her phone. It was Elerie calling. She immediately answered it while keeping her consciousness about Travis's presence.
"Elerie?" she asked.
"Iris, nasaan ka ba? Why didn't you come with us? Wala naman si Ryland, 'di ba? Are you with someone?" Elerie asked worriedly.
"I'm fine, Elerie. May ginagawa lang ako. Don't worry about me," she said.
"Okay. Nasa TGG lang kami just in case you need us, okay?"
"Alright, bye."
Ramdam niya na nakatingin sa kaniya si Travis but she was pretending like she didn't know.
Then she felt Travis walking away. Nakaramdam siya ng pagkairita at mabilis na tumayo upang sundan ang binata.
"Hoy, ikaw pala 'yan!" tawag niya. Travis stopped walking and faced her.
"Iris..." tanging nasabi ni Travis.
Nakaramdam si Iris ng pagkailang nang mabanaagan niya ang hindi mawaring emosyon sa mga madidilim at berdeng mata ni Travis.
"Nagkasakit ka na naman ba?" tanong ni Iris na wari'y hindi alam na pumapasok naman si Travis. "Ang dumi-dumi naman kasi ng squatters' area na 'yon. Talagang magkakasakit kayong magkapatid doon," mataray niyang wika.
"Bakit hindi mo sinabi?" tanong ni Travis.
"What?" naguguluhang tanong ng dalaga.
"Sa 'yo pala talaga galing ang mga gamot at pagkain na 'yon. Bakit ang sabi mo ay galing kay Elerie?" kunot-noong wika ni Travis.
"Wow! So kapag galing kay Elerie, thankful ka. Kapag sa 'kin galing, galit na galit ka? Ay, iba rin," sarkastikong sabi ni Iris.
"Hindi iyon ang punto ko..."
"Then what? Ang sabihin mo, kahit anong gawin ko, hindi na magbabago ang tingin mo sa 'kin. Arogante? Mayabang? Matapobre? Ano pa?" nanginginig na sabi ng dalaga.
"Hindi! Hindi, Iris... N-Nahihiya lang ako sa... sa inasal ko sa 'yo." Hindi makatingin nang maayos si Travis kay Iris. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang mga tamang sabihin sa kausap.
Napansin nilang pareho na may mga nakatingin na sa kanilang ibang estudyante. Travis instantly felt uncomfortable. He didn't like attention like this. He wanted to be invisible to everyone as much as possible.
"G-Gusto ko lang humingi ng pasensya sa inasal ko. 'Yon lang," ani Travis.
Although, she was a bit worried about those students who saw them, she still managed to nod before being eaten again by a deafening silence.
The two of them parted ways. Iris felt so bothered and unsatisfied at the same time. Bothered by those eavesdropping students and unsatisfied with her conversation with Travis.
MATAPOS ANG shift ni Travis, matulin siyang nagpalit ng damit at naglakad patungong main gate. On his way, he heard a lot of students talking about him.
"Siya ba 'yong guwapong janitor na nang-uuto kay Iris?"
"Oo, siya nga yata. I heard he even made Iris buy foods for him."
"Grabe talagang mahihirap, 'no? Ang hilig mag-take advantage."
"Sayang, guwapo pa naman. Kaya lang, manggagamit."
Napakuyom ng kamao si Travis. Kahit kailan ay hindi siya nanggamit ng tao to do things in his favor. Nagtyatyaga siyang maghanap-buhay para sa kanilang dalawa ng kapatid niya.
This was why he didn't want to be associated with rich people. People will think badly of him. Pakiramdam niya ay gusto niyang manuntok ngayon.
"Iba na talaga 'pag guwapo ang dukha. Napakikinabangan ang mukha," pagpaparinig ng isang lalaking estudyante.
Napahinto siya sa paglalakad at galit na tinitigan ang nagsalita. The boy was taken aback with Travis's deadly stare. Matulin itong umalis kasama ang mga barkada nito.
Hindi naman niya ginusto ang pagbisita at pagbibigay ni Iris ng mga bagay na iyon. He didn't deserve to be treated like that.
NANG MAKAUWI siya sa bahay nila, agad niyang hinanap si Trixie. His sister was on the wooden bed, playing on her phone.
"Trixie," he called.
"Kuya? Andiyan ka na pala!" nakangiting wika ng kapatid niya.
"Kapag may binibigay sa 'yo si Iris na kahit na ano, 'wag na 'wag mong tatanggapin, maliwanag?"
"Pero Kuya..."
"Makinig ka sa 'kin, Trixie. Ayokong tatanggap ka ng kahit ano galing kay Iris o sa kahit sinong mayayamang tao." Nanginginig si Travis habang nagpapaliwanag.
"Bakit, Kuya, may nangyari ba?" Trixie asked worriedly.
"W-Wala... Susunod ka kay Kuya, 'di ba?" tanong ng binata at tumango naman ang kaniyang kapatid.
Hinalikan niya ito sa noo. Mahal na mahal niya ang kaniyang kapatid. Ayaw niyang maranasan nito ang nararanasan niya ngayon sa mata ng mga mapanghusgang tao. Dahil kung sakaling sa kapatid niya nangyari ito, baka makapanakit siya ng tao.
NANG MGA sumunod na araw, tinuloy ni Travis ang pag-iwas kay Iris. Nilimitahan na rin niya ang pakikipagkita kay Elerie dahil ayaw niyang madamay pa ito.
Kahit tatlong araw na ang lumipas, hindi pa rin tumitigil ang mga pangungutyang naririnig niya tungkol sa kaniya. Iris attempted to talk to him twice pero hindi na niya pinansin pa ito.
Habang papunta siya sa Quadrangle para maglinis, nakasalubong niya si Iris. He was worried that the lady would approach him again but this time, she didn't.
Nilagpasan lang siya ng lakad nito. Nilingon niya si Iris. Sa loob-loob niya at sa hindi maipaliwanag na dahilan, he was kind of hoping that Iris would look at him. She did not.
Huminga nang malalim si Travis. Hindi niya alam kung bakit nalulungkot siya sa nangyayari. He saw something in Iris. He saw the goodness in her. But he had to stop talking to her before everything gets worse.
"Pare, pinag-uusapan ka ng mga estudyanteng lalaki doon sa canteen. Gusto ko na talagang sapakin," ani Donny.
"Magsasayang ka lang ng enerhiya," tugon ni Travis.
"Kahapon ko lang talaga nalaman na close pala kayo ni Iris. Bakit hindi ka nagkukuwento sa 'kin?"
"Tama na nga, Donny. Magwalis ka na," aniya at sinimulang nang magtrabaho.
Sinasanay na rin ni Travis na huwag nang magpaapekto sa mga sinasabi ng ibang tao. There was nothing he could do to stop them from thinking badly of him.
Ang ikinalulungkot lang niya ngayon ay ang pag-iwas niya kay Iris. Hiling niya na sana ay maintindihan ng dalaga kung bakit kailangan niyang gawin 'to.
Even though he wouldn't admit it, he knew Iris had already witnessed a lot about him in just a short period of time. And the fact that she was able to visit him when he got sick, he really appreciated it. He didn't expect for somebody like Iris to do that for him.
There was nothing he could do now but to just feel bad about it. He believed it was the best thing to do.