Chapter 6

"I know you've been watching them do it earlier so you know how to do it," matabang nitong tugon sa akin. He's not even trying to have eye contact with me. Para bang bored na bored siya, but he has no choice to do what his team leader requested him to do and that's to look after me.

I grunted. "I know, but they made it look so easy."

Ngisi na lang din naman ang itinugon nito. Sumalubong ang kilay ko sa sinabi nito. I know we never got to meet and talk to each other like a normal person would, I came to him asking one thing and maybe he's treating me like something else. Valerio's just a dick.

"You still have 16 sets to do," pagpapaalala nito sa akin. "Get on your feet and do it quickly so you would be able to catch up with others."

Napailing ako. "I don't think I would be able to catch up with them."

Nilingon ko ang grupo nila Kuya Emmett. They were paired up and doing another physical activity in which they should just coordinate and help each other if bad situations occur.

"If you want that to happen, better do yours fast," aniya.

Napasinghal naman ako saka ako tumayo mula sa pagkasasamlampak ko sa buhangin. Kinuha ko ang medical kit ang mahigpit kong kinapitan ito. Walang importanteng laman ang medical kit na hawak ko—decoy lamang ito na para kapag ang mismong medical kit na ang bitbit ay hindi mabibitawan o mawawala sa balanse habang tumatakbo.

"I just have a question before I'd start again," aniko saka pagtaas ko pa ng kamay.

Pinatong nito ang mga kamay sa baywang niya saka nilingon ang tingin sa akin at tumango. "What is it?"

"Why do we have to run for like twenty times? Didn't we have to be more look after those who are drowning?"

"You're talking too much," he said. "Think about the answer to your question while you were doing your lapses then tell me what you think about why we're doing it. Now, begin from the start. You shouldn't be resting for too long."

"What?!" angal ko pa.

Wala na siyang sinagot kung hindi ang umiling at pagsabihan akong gawin ko ng tama ang ginagawa ko. Napahugot na lamang ako nang malalim na hininga saka ko ginawa ang twenty sets of running back and forth. But I think it's a good thing that I've got the chance to engage with him personally. I thought this is the only way I could persuade him by joining the training pero kung hindi, that won't happen. I'm gonna make sure of it.

"Focus, Carseldine!" pagpuna pa nito sa akin.

Hindi ko na naman siya pinapansin. Ginawa ko na lang ang unang task na binigay sa akin and I can't wait to finish it. Habang tumatakbo ako pabalik-balik, I know the other trainees are watching me to finish what I was doing. Napapansin ko rin naman si Kuya Emmett na napalilingon sa akin at chini-cheer ako. But the one who look after me kept me on focus.

'Wag daw ako makikinig sa kung anong ingay ang naririnig ko ngayon. That I should just focus on one thing and that's to run back and forth for twenty times. As I'm about to reach the five remaining laps, nagsimulang tawagin ako ni Valerio at pinagmamadali na niya ako. He's just making me want to run so fast na sa huli, nang marating ko ang twentieth lap ko ay bumagsak na lang ako sa buhangin habang hinahabol ang hininga.

But then I've heard them cheering and clapping for me as I've finished the first part of the training which is... ang warm-up lamang.

"Get up," utos na naman ni Valerio sa akin. Hinilig ko ang ulo ko para tingnan siya. Nakaabot ang kamay nito sa akin para tulungan akong makatayo. "You'll do your next training immediately."

"Ay, walang pahi-pahinga?" I uttered between my breaths.

"What?" Salubong na kilay nitong tanong sa akin.

Umiling ako at dali-dali akong tumayo sa pagkasasahiga sa buhangin. I didn't even take his hand. I just ignored it at binawi niya rin naman kaagad iyon. Mukhang wala rin naman sa kanya iyon pero inutusan niya lang ulit ako na sumunod sa kanya patungo sa direksyon ng lifeguard house. I was about to get the decoy medical kit pero naunahan niya akong kunin iyon at siya na ang nagdala no'n.

Nang makalapit naman kami ro'n at sa ilang trainees ay ang unang tumakbo palapit sa akin si Kuya Emmett. Agad nitong pinalibot ang braso sa balikat ko at pinipilit ko lang tumayo pero gusto ko nang humiga dahil sa pagod ng legs ko.

"Wow, Thesia! I'm so surprised you did that!"

I grunted, rolling my eyes off. "It almost took me an hour though. But you guys were great earlier. I thought it would be easy. Watching how you all do it thought it would be so easy, I never thought it was that so hard."

"Only if put your mind into what you're doing, it wouldn't be that hard."

"Okay, kuya," aniko saka ko inalis ang pagkapapatong ng braso niya sa balikat ko. "Save your lectures for me. I don't need that right now."

He chuckled. "Well, why did you end up joining the training, huh?" he questioned and I know, he knows what my deal here is. "If you're still trying to get his attention, I think you're doing it wrong."

"Just like what I've said, save me from your lectures. I don't wanna hear it."

"Okay," he said, putting his hands up in the air. "I'm not gonna say anything about it, but you don't have to push yourself here, Thesia."

"Whatever."

Saglit lang ay tinawag sila ng team lead at pinaupo sa buhangin just to hear a lecture from him. Si Valerio naman ay lumapit sa akin na dala-dala pa rin ang medical kit pero ngayon, hindi na iyon isang decoy kung hindi isang totoong kit na. When he told me na ang gagawin namin ngayon ay ang ilan sa mga basic tool at first responses na ginagawa ng mga lifeguards at any given time.

Before we could do anything, tiningnan niya ako sa mata sa mata. Napakamot pa ito sa ulo niya habang hindi maimpla ang hitsura ng mukha.

"Do you really think you can do this?" he questioned.

I scoffed when he directly told me those words. "I am offended," sagot ko. Nanliit ang mata ko. "Do you really think I'm not incapable of doing what you are doing right now? As you see, there are two women joined in the training as well. Why don't you question them?"

"Because I don't need to. Because they already can do what they can do."

Napasinghal ako. "You're saying that I'm weak and not at their level to do things they're capable of? Did you know that people have certain skills and capabilities and I'm sure, I'm not them, but I can do what they can do?"

"Okay," tipid nitong sagot sa akin. "Let's just see how far you can go." Ngisi pa nito.

He didn't believe in me. He was so against by me joining the lifeguard training and though there are other things I should do rather than this. Well, tama naman siya ro'n, but I wouldn't be able to do that thing kung hindi ko siya makukuhang kausapin. Joining the training would only be the possible way for me to persuade him. Even if it would cost me too much physical pain, I don't care, I just need him to get on an interview.

And over the course of the training, ipinakita ko kay Valerio na kaya ko ring gawin ang ginagawa ng dalawang babaeng kasama namin sa training. Though he keeps ignoring how determined I am into this, hindi ko pinakita sa kanya na sumusuko ako sa mga task na ibibigay sa akin. I'm a fighter, I'm not a quitter like what he thinks of me.

I still have other tasks to do pero isinabay na ako ni Valerio sa lunch break ng ibang trainees. But Brendan, the lifeguard's team leader reminded us that on an actual day—after all this training and we get on board for being a lifeguard—which I believe I'm far from being one since I'll be only doing this during summer, but anyway, what they were saying is help never stopped at lunch break so we have to be prepared every time.

But because it's only the first day of our training, we have the luxury to take time. We've been given some time away, like an hour for the break. I didn't get the chance to talk to Valerio when he rushed towards his people and Kuya Emmett came running down to me saying we should head to Kuya Henry's food truck and we should find something to eat there.

Sumama naman iyong ilang trainees sa amin. Nang sabihin ko naman na ice cream ang itinitinda ng kapatid namin sa food truck, though we know naman na may ilang kalapit na food truck na nagtitinda ng mga heavy meals so we all just went there. Me, Kuya Emmett, and the four other trainees—ang isa ay si Alexis, one of the three girls na nasa training.

The next food truck next to Kuya Henry's truck sells hotdog, sandwiches, donuts, shawarma, and fish and chips. Nagpabili lang ako kay kuya ng hotdog at donut. Ayokong kumain masyadong mabigat dahil madami-dami pang tasks ang kailangan kong habulin. I don't think I'll be able to finish some of the tasks today.

Alexis and I stayed on the table next to Kuya Henry's truck and I kept avoiding any eye contact from her, but I could feel her stares pierced through me.

"Hey, Aesthesia, right?" tawag nito sa akin.

Nilingon ko siya. Ngumiti ako saka tumango sa kanya. "Yes, but you can call me Thesia. People talk weirdly about my name so let's keep it simple." Hagikgik ko pa.

She giggled. "No, that ain't weird at all. Actually, it's pretty amazing. Sound so unique. I've never met anyone whose name is like yours so don't be weird about it. Own it." Tango at ngiti na lang din ang naitugon ko sa kanya. I'm just out of words what to respond to her and I just wanted Kuya Emmett to be back with my lunch. "So, why did you join like out of nowhere?"

"Uh..." Napakibit balikat ako sa tanong. Hindi ko rin siya tuluyang nasagot nang dumating na sina kuya at ang ilang trainee.

I sighed and tried to sway out of them and get to Kuya Henry so they wouldn't ask me about anything. And when I got inside the food truck, Kuya Henry was about to say anything nang pangunahan ko na kaagad ito kaya nanahimik na lang ako sa loob habang ngingisi-ngisi ito habang nagtitinda.

When the break quickly passed, bumalik kami sa training premises at muling nagsimula ang lahat. Naihiwalay muli ako sa iba at si Valerio muli ang kasama ko. When we're doing our task, I thought about asking him to be interviewed, but I believe that wouldn't be a good move for me since he might never give me a chance in the future so I'm just gonna go along with the training.

Because at the end of day one training, the others clearly passed through their basic tasks habang may naiwan pa akong dalawang task na itutuloy namin ni Valerio bukas. And one thing he told me that made me a little mad, he said, I won't show up on the second day of training...

With that being said, mas lalo akong nagkaroon ng motivation to push this through even though it isn't easy as I thought it would be, but I won't give him the satisfaction of quitting. Valerio's full of himself, arrogant, and all.

I'm not a quitter. And he will see that side of me that even I never see it before.

***

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know your thoughts! I would appreciate it so much

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