"Am I the only one who thinks that it looks a bit... strange?"

Nahulaan ni Davide na nahirapan si Zauro sabihin iyon. Bakit hindi kung agad itong pinagtawanan ng mga kaibigan nila? Anim sila sa grupo: siya, si Zauro, Tranquilino, Fergus, Colt, at Puma. Lahat sila ay nasa third year high school. Nakilala niya ang tatlo sa mga kaibigan sa eskuwelahan, ang Saint Francis International School, habang ang dalawa pa ay noon pa niya kakilala dahil sa kanilang mga magulang.

They were well-to-do kids, at least five of them were. Ang isa sa kanila, si Tranquilino, ay kasabayan niyang lumaki dahil ito ay sa kanila na halos nakatira bilang anak ng pinakamaaasahan nilang kasambahay. Tranquilino made it to that school because of Davide's parents. Pinag-aaral ng kanyang mga magulang ang lalaki.

"The hell?" ani Davide. "It's the most beautiful thing in the world!"

Para sa kanyang sinabi ay isang pabirong batok ang ibinigay sa kanya ni Fergus. "Are you seriously saying that you don't think that it looks a bit... weird?"

"No. It's a flower. A beautiful flower." It was what his grandmother told him. Him and his friends were talking about the female genitalia, the vagina. Ano ba ang pinagsasasabi ni Zauro? Weird pa pala rito iyon kahit maya't maya itong nanghihiram sa kanya ng Playboy at Hustler. Mas gusto pa nga nito ang Hustler dahil mas matindi ang pose ng mga babae doon.

Lola's boy si Davide. He didn't have the sex talk with his parents but with his grandmother. Some people might find that odd but he didn't at all. Naaalala pa niya ang sinabi ng kanyang lola, "One day you will meet a girl and you will find her very attractive. When you are much older, preferably when you are married, you will engage in sexual intercourse. Sex is how babies are made so you need to be very careful. How do I put this delicately? Let's see now... Well, a boy has a banana and a girl has a flower..."

Bata pa siya noong panahong iyon. He grew up thinking that sex was only for married couples. Of course, now he knew better.

"You find it weird?" patuloy ni Davide. "Is that the reason why the pages of my magazines are always stuck together when you return them?"

"Ah, shut up," ani Zauro, mukhang napipikon na. "I never do it."

Pinagtawanan ito ng lahat. Si Tranquilino ang unang nagsalita. "Sino'ng niloloko mo? Kahit pari siguro ginagawa 'yon."

"Not me." Mayabang si Zauro.

"You're full of shit," ani Davide.

Sumang-ayon ang iba pa nilang kaibigan. Lahat sila ay nasa science lab. Nauwi sa ganoon ang usapan dahil lang sa biology model sa isang tabi ng classroom na kanilang napagdiskitahan. Needless to say, Davide wanted to know more about sex. In fact, it was the only thing he can think about these days. Noon pa man ay naiisip na niya ang bagay na iyon pero nitong huli, parang wala nang ibang laman ang isip niya kundi iyon na lang. Lalo na nang marinig niya ang kapatid na nakikipag-usap sa phone sa girlfriend nito. He didn't intentionally listen to them. Pag-angat niya ng receiver, narinig niya itong kausap ang babaeng ungol nang ungol. He got curious and listened a bit more, only to find out that the two were having sex on the phone. Agad niyang ibinaba ang telepono, pero hindi bago nabuhay lalo ang curiosity niya.

He constantly imagined himself touching a woman's soft skin, massaging her breasts, sliding himself inside of her, like what he saw in porn flicks. Nakapanood na siya ng porn, natural. Noon pa. Madami. He had unlimited access to the internet at home. Natural na hindi niya sinasabi sa mga magulang dahil siguradong pagbabawalan siya. Not that they did anything to find out anyway. They were both too busy with their own businesses to care. Kung minsan nga ay doon pa sa kanilang bahay natutulog ang girlfriend ng kuya niya at hindi man lang nalalaman ng kanilang mga magulang. Kung minsan naman, nayayaya niya ang mga kaibigan na mag-inuman sa kanila, at hindi rin siya nabibisto.

Life was great for him. He can do whatever the hell he wanted and spend as much money as he liked. Nothing was expected of him. Ang lahat ng expectations ay nasa kanyang panganay na kapatid.

Third year Political Science ang kanyang kuya. Sa pagkakaalam ni Davide, walang balak ang mga magulang niyang magkaroon ng dalawang anak noong una, pero hindi inaasahang nagbuntis ang kanyang ina sa kanya. By that time, they had all their plans set. At sa lahat ng planong iyon, ang panganay na anak ng mga ito ang inaasahang gumanap.

Davide was almost invisible at home. Hindi na niya mabilang kung ilang birthday niya ang nakalimutan ng lahat. May mga pagkakataon na tinatanong pa ng kanyang ina kung ilang taon na nga ba siya, at iyon ay kapag lang kailangan nitong malaman para sa kung anong papeles.

His parents never bothered asking him what he wanted to do in life. Hindi siya tulad ng kuya niya na nang sabihing gusto nitong maging doktor ay agad na tinutulan ng kanilang mga magulang dahil inaasahan ng mga ito ang panganay na anak na humawak ng negosyo ng pamilya.

Davide's brother had his own world as well. Hindi sila masyadong close nito dahil noon pa man ay busy na ang lalaki sa academe. Nitong huli lang, nang mag-college, ay saka ito nagkaroon ng social life. It must have been hard for him as well to carry the weight of their parents' expectations. But lately, Kuya Warton seemed to have lost all interest in studying. Alam ni Davide dahil nakikita niya itong busy sa girlfriend. Davide was no snitch. He will never tell on his brother. After all, Kuya Warton was still one of the only two members of that family whom Davide was close to. The other one was his grandmother, Mama Concha, his mother's mom. But Mama Concha lived abroad. Matagal na niya itong hindi nakikita, kahit once a month ay tinatawagan siya ng matanda. Alam niyang hindi masyadong malapit ang kanyang ina sa ina nito. Alam niyang may alitan kung minsan ang mag-ina at dahil si Davide ang paborito ni Mama Concha, parang lalong lumayo ang loob ng kanyang ina sa kanya. He didn't care. He doubted his parents cared for him at all because all their attention belonged only to Kuya Warton.

"You don't want to believe me, fine," ani Zauro. "I happen to believe in Sting's tantric sex. It focuses on mutual pleasure. In fact, the practice can sustain an orgasm for hours, even days."

"You're full of shit," ulit niya, kasabay ng ibang kaibigan.

"How can you give a woman an orgasm that will last for hours when you find their box weird?" tanong ni Fergus, nakataas ang isang sulok ng labi.

"I told you, tantric yoga, tantric sex."

Napabuga si Davide sa kung ano-anong kabalbalan ni Zauro. Bakit ba ayaw na lang nitong amining pare-pareho silang sabik sa babae? Lahat naman sila ay nagka-girlfriend na pero wala pa ni isang nakaka-third base.

"How many years has that condom been inside your wallet, Davide?" tanong sa kanya ni Zauro, tatawa-tawa.

"None of your damned business. At least I know what to do with a girl. Unlike you with your tantric bullshit. You know what, men? The thing is, if we're all studying in a better school, a non-sectarian one, we probably would have been laid at this point."

Agad tumango ang mga kaibigan niya. Mahirap kasi sa school nilang makakita ng mga liberated na babae. Kung mayroon man ay bantay-sarado rin ang iba. Of course, there were some who were wilder, but they were few and they usually went after the varsity players. Lahat silang magkakaibigan ay mahilig sa soccer pero wala ni isang sumali sa tryouts dahil na rin anti-school silang grupo, maliban na lang siguro kay Tranquilino dahil kailangan nito ng magandang marka. The rest of them did not care all that much about academic or sports accolades. Besides, only losers gave their time on worthless causes.

Personally, Davide couldn't wait to graduate so that he can get the hell out of there and meet college chicks, liberated chicks who are eager to experience sex, exactly like him. Sinabi niya ang isipin sa mga kaibigan. Mayamaya ay pinag-usapan nila ang paboritong porn stars, hanggang sa tumunog na ang bell at nagsipasukan na ang iba nilang kaklase sa silid.

Nakamasid si Davide sa isa niyang kaklaseng matagal nang semi-crush, si Analuz. Scholar ito ng school. Kailanman, sa kabila ng pagka-"horndog" niya, 'ika nga ni Zauro, hindi niya naisipan ng kakaiba si Analuz. She was different. She was sweet and seemed to carry sunshine with her. Hindi masabi ni Davide na crush niya ang babae dahil parang hindi naman. Humahanga lang siguro siya sa talino nito, kahit pa naiinis dahil may pagkasumbungera ang babae. Tranquilino obviously liked her. Hindi man aminin ng kamote, alam nilang lahat. To be perfectly honest, it seemed Colt liked Analuz, too. Hindi nito sinasabi ang bagay na iyon pero nahahalata ni Davide, at wala na siyang balak na makigulo pa sa dalawang kaibigan.

Pumasok sa classroom ang chemistry teacher nila, si Sister Clare. She was a woman in her late forties-early fifties, short and stout. Pero hindi kasing-amo ng cartoon character na si Mrs. Pots ang madre. She had a mean look on her face at all times, like someone stole her lunch and she was not going to leave a stone unturned until she found out who the thief was. She walked with conviction, her face in an eternal smirk, like she knew everything and would fight anyone who says otherwise. There was always a silent cruelty in her eyes.

Davide had always disliked this nun from the moment he saw her. There was just something sinister about her. But he hated her more when he found out her shit. Sister Clare was not stern, she was a hypocritical bitch. Mahilig itong mamahiya ng mga estudyante at napakakonserbatibo. The nun believed in corporal punishment. Kung hindi lang siguro madaming mga magulang ang magrereklamo, malamang na patuloy pa rin ang ganoong sistema. It was rumored that Sister Clare was suspended many years ago for that. Wala ni isa sa kanila ang makipagkompirma ng bali-balitang iyon. Davide will not be surprised though. Sister Clare made it seem as if she were a paragon of virtue when her lavish quarters and luxury car said otherwise. Davide's mother once said that Sister Clare owned a lot of properties. Matagal na itong headmaster ng eskuwelahan at nagtuturo rin ng Chemistry at Theology sa dalawang klase. She made both subjects torture.

Tahimik agad ang kaklase pagpasok ng babae. Notorious ito sa pagpaparusa sa mga nag-iingay—extra projects, patatayuin sa likod ng classroom, pagagalitan sa harap ng lahat, detention sa simbahan, o ipapatawag ang mga magulang.

"It has come to my attention that some of you..." Tumingin ang madre sa kanilang grupo. "Have been behaving atrociously."

Biglang napatingin si Davide sa mga kaibigan. Ano ang pinagsasasabi ng madre? Ano ang ginawa nila? Hindi siya umimik. Baka kung ano lang ang trip ni Sister Clare. Kung minsan ay parang naghahanap lang ito ng dahilan para pagalitan ang mga estudyante. She was annoying that way. It seemed as if she always wanted to exercise control.

"Do you think it's easy to mold the minds of young people like yourselves?" anang madre. Mahilig din itong ipamukha sa lahat kung gaano kahirap ang trabaho nito. At every opportunity, she would tell them her personal sacrifices, as if they all did not see how luxurious her life was. Malayo ito sa image ng ibang madre sa school. In fact, there were only a few of them there. "When I took this enormous task of shaping young minds, I made a vow to myself that none of you shall be future adulterers, fornicators, and other human filth."

Bahagyang napangiwi si Davide. Hindi niya alam kung bakit obsessed ang madre sa ganoong topic. Mayroong silang theology subject at doon ay walang tigil ang teacher na magpaalala ng kasalanan ng mga kabataan. It was no wonder that a lot of the students feared being in any romantic relationship. Natatakot ang mga itong mabisto. Those who were open about their relationships had counseling. Sa pagkakaalam ni Davide ay nagkaroon ng kung anong promise ang mga estudyanteng iyon na walang gagawa ng bawal. Hindi niya sigurado kung ano pa ang pinag-usapan, pero iyon ang naririnig niya. It was absurd, really. Pero walang magulang na nagrereklamo.

"It has come to my attention that some of you..." Tumingin muli sa grupo nila ang madre. "...seem to be wild rebels. I'm almost certain that these boys will be fornicators later in life, if not disciplined today. They read sinful magazines and feel superior for they think they are above the laws of morality."

Holy shit. Naging malinaw sa puntong iyon kay Davide na narinig sila ng madre kanina. Oh, they were in deep trouble. But then, maybe not. Wala namang pakialam ang kanyang mga magulang kung ano man ang kanyang gawin, kahit pa nga maiinis ang mga ito kapag ipinatawag pa sa school. He was mad. Bakit kailangang ipahiya sila ni Sister Clare sa lahat? Hindi ba nito kayang kausapin na lang silang magkakaibigan? He was sure that after this, all their classmates will make fun of them. How he disliked this nun. Whatever they did in their own damned time was none of her business. Bakit kailangan nitong makialam?

But he also knew that Sister Clare was incapable of understanding human emotions and thoughts. Sinauna ang paniniwala ng madre, kahit pa nga hindi pa naman ito ganoon katanda. Rumors about the nun were abundant. Wala ni isa sa mga iyon ang napatunayan pero palaging naroon lang sa tabi-tabi. It was said that the nun was tortured and abused and that made her what she was today. Sinabi rin na na-kidnap daw ito ng isang sekta ng mga hardcore devout at na-brainwash, saka pinabalik sa normal na mundo. May sabi-sabi rin na noong unang panahon daw ay na-involve ito sa isang lalaking may asawa at iniwan sa bandang huli.

Kung anoman ang totoong nangyari sa madre ay wala nang pakialam si Davide, pero mahalaga sa kanya ang image sa school. How the hell was he going to get laid with this new shit this horrible woman was putting them through? Baka lumapit lang sila sa isang kaklaseng babae ay iwasan na agad sila. It was hard enough getting girls to date without this shit.

Isa-isang tinawag ni Sister Clare ang kanilang mga pangalan at sinabi, "I would hate to see all six of you go down the sinful, wretched path. You will do Saturday detentions with Mrs. Ambon. For three months."

Hell no! muntikan na niyang maisigaw pero sa huli ay napigilan ang sarili. It was bad enough to go to school on Saturdays but it's even worse to spend it with the widowed theology teacher who liked talking about hell, the devil, and venereal diseases. Kung makikinig ang isang tao sa sinasabi ni Mrs. Ambon, malamang na hindi gugustuhing lumabas pa ng bahay, ni hindi na makikinig ng music o manonood ng TV dahil lahat ng iyon ay instrument of the devil para rito.

"Anyway, back to our lesson," ani Sister Clare.

Buong klaseng naninigas ang panga ni Davide sa inis. Halatang ganoon din ang kanyang mga kaibigan. Salamat at huling klase nila ang Chemistry. Tumuloy sila sa opisina ni Sister Clare matapos iyon ay ibinigay ng babae ang kanilang Saturday detention schedule. Talagang panira ito ng araw dahil sa lahat ng schedule ay alas-tres hanggang alas-singko ang napili nitong oras para sa kanila. Wala na silang magagawa buong araw dahil ang pinakamagandang oras ay kukunin ng madre. And all because they behaved like the teens that they were!

Gusto niyang magreklamo pero hindi na ginawa. Alam niya, maging ng kanyang mga kaibigan, na ang pagrereklamo ay nangangahulugan lang ng karagdagang parusa. Lumabas na sila sa opisina ng madre, saka tumuloy sa parking area. Nandoon na ang kanyang driver, gayundin ng iba niyang kaibigan, maliban kay Tranquilino na sumasabay sa kanya araw-araw hanggang sa sakayan.

"October Two?" aniya sa mga ito, iyon ang pangalan ng paborito nilang tambayan.

Agad tumango ang mga kaibigan niya. They headed to the place. Sikat iyon sa college students at natuklasan niya lang nang isama siya ng kanyang kapatid. May bilyaran doon, darts, at masarap din ang pizza. Pumuwesto sila sa paboritong mesa, pero walang kasiyahan ang lahat.

Tumingin siya kay Tranquilino. "Ayos ka lang? Paano 'yan, tuwing Sabado kailangan nating pumasok?" Mayroong trabaho si Tranquilino tuwing weekends. Kailangan nito iyon para matustusan ang ibang panggastos. Kung minsan, nag-offer siya sa kaibigan na tulungan na lang ito, under the table baga, pero ayaw nitong tanggapin. The man was dignified. He would rather sell all sorts of things rather than accept money from him for free. Kailanman, hindi niya ito nakita bilang utusan, kahit pa nga minsan ay nangongopya siya rito ng assignments.

"Gagawan ko na lang siguro ng paraan, Davide. Dalawang oras lang naman. Nakaka-bad trip lang kasi wala namang masama sa ginawa natin."

"I'm sick and tired of that old bitch," reklamo ni Zauro.

"Aren't we all?" Salubong ang kilay ni Fergus.

"Shouldn't she be punished also for being a nosy hag?" ani Zauro. "What right does she have to listen to our conversation? Isn't that the work of the dark lord himself?"

Lahat sila ay napatawa sinabi nito. Davide had to tell them what he thought, "Why is she so afraid of the normal? When you hear her speak, it's almost as if it's a sin to have a penis and a vagina."

"She hates both," ani Zauro. "Hindi ako makapayag sa ginawa niya sa atin."

"Hear, hear!" si Colt.

Lahat sila ay gigil na gigil sa madre at hindi makapayag na ganoon na lang ay tatanggapin na nila ang parusa nito. They needed justice. This was unacceptable!

"I will take care of it," ani Davide.

"Ano'ng gagawin natin?" tanong ni Tranquilino.

"Ako na'ng bahala."

"Will we get caught?" si Zauro.

"Of course not."

"Pero mapaghihinalaan nila tayo. Baka ma-expel pa ako. Alam mong hindi ako puwedeng malagay sa alanganin—" pagtutol ni Tranquilino. Bakas sa mata nito ang paghihinala. The group had been through a couple of troubles because of Davide's ideas. Noong nakaraang taon ay naipatawag ang kanilang mga magulang dahil na rin nagsimula siya ng fraternity. It was just a small group of kids who were bullied by seniors. Alangan namang hindi sila lumaban? Kaya naisipan niyang magtayo ng fraternity. It was not like those hardcore ones, of course. May kaunting paddling pero ano ba ang isa-dalawang paddle? May usapan naman silang hindi dapat masyadong masakit ang gagawing initiation at uutus-utusan lang nila ang mga gustong sumali. Well, that fraternity is non-existent now because someone ratted them out. It was Analuz. Nagkausap na sila ng babae at hindi ito nag-sorry. He had to admit that he disliked her for a while, but in the end, what the hell can he do? Most of his friends still liked her anyway, especially Tranq and Colt.

"This time, we'll have to make sure no one snitches on us like last year," aniya.

"Oh, come on," ani Colt. "Analuz just did what anyone would after she saw us hitting that moron with a paddle."

Hindi na lang siya umimik dahil pagdating kay Analuz ay sensitibo ang dalawa niyang kaibigan. May plano na sa isip niya. Kailangan lang niyang maisip kung paano iyon isasagawa. Sister Clare will not get away with what she had done to him and his boys. She will regret it.

"She will pay," he said with a smug smile on his face.

___

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