She stood trapped under the roof of the old school building, fidgeting and shivering in the cold. Rain sprayed at her, but she remained at the edge of the stair, sheltered by the last stretch of roof, as if she could make the rain stop by staring at the skies. Please, please stop, she said under her breath again and again. She hugged a couple of books, bot thick and heavy, to her chest, regretting that she had gone to the library earlier. Her arms were starting to hurt. She glanced at her watch: 2:06. She was six minutes late from class. She fidgeted even more. Her next class, News Editing, was at Guy Hall which was quite a walk from where she was. And, she knew for sure, Mrs. Acedo would be giving a news quiz.
She looked at her watch again and was horrified to see it was already 2:15; the rain poured heavier than ever, she had no umbrella and she was stuck at Villareal Hall. She thought about dashing for it, but when she thought of herself soaked and dripping wet when she arrived at her classroom, she didn't bother. But now, that she's 20 minutes late, the notion seemed quite appealing. Five more minutes and I'll run for it, she thought to herself, fearful of having to actually do it. Then as if trying to prove what she was thinking, she went down the steps in quick jerky movements, raised the book over her head and started to run.
She was gaining momentum despite the huge drops of rain pounding on her skin, stinging her eyes, when someone bumped her- hard- and she almost landed on her buttocks. "I'm sorry," a tall guy muttered, holding her firmly by the elbow. She couldn't feel the rain anymore and realized that he held an umbrella above their heads. "It's okay," she muttered back, not even attempting to mask her irritation, shook her elbow free of his grasp and decided to move along.
"You headed for the next gate?" He asked, as he held her elbow again. "Guy Hall" was the only thing she managed to say, and then she was quiet, silenced by the faint hint of hope she was hearing in his voice- which was, by the way, a very low baritone. "Let me take you there." He did not even look at her to see if she would agree. He simply held her elbow and led her where she was going.
There was nothing to say on the way there, and not one of them attempted at making small talk. So they walked in silence, with only the sound of heavy rain drumming on his black umbrella to listen to.
When, finally, they reached Guy Hall, she rushed to the steep stairs that led to her classroom, forgetting for a moment that the man with the umbrella was at least entitled to a polite thank-you. Remembering, she looked back, discovered him still there, and waved to him.
"Thanks a lot," she said with a smile.
He only smiled in return, then walked away to listen to the rain drum on his umbrella again.
.........................
Coming out of the gate, he immediately went back to his car, where he'd been sitting about half an hour ago doing absolutely nothing but stare into Villareal Hall- stare at her in Villareal Hall. He was not always in the business of staring at people, but he saw her, right when he was about to start the engine, just one of the people stuck in the building because of the rain, and he couldn't help it. So he peeled his hand off the wheel and fumbled for his still wet umbrella, thinking she should have brought an umbrella with her. Hadn't she expected the rain? The clouds looked heavy this morning. Then he saw her run, two thick books held tightly above her head. He didn't have time to think. He opened his car door, holding the umbrella in his other hand and went to her, walking briskly as if also late for class. Then he bumped into her, it not being an accident at all. And, walking to Guy Hall like one with a mission accomplished, he smiled inside, listening to her heavy breathing and the plops her feet made as she walked on wet ground.
No, the rain drumming on his black umbrella wasn't at all the sound he was listening to.
He looked up at the dark skies. Can it rain again tomorrow?
She looked at her watch again and was horrified to see it was already 2:15; the rain poured heavier than ever, she had no umbrella and she was stuck at Villareal Hall. She thought about dashing for it, but when she thought of herself soaked and dripping wet when she arrived at her classroom, she didn't bother. But now, that she's 20 minutes late, the notion seemed quite appealing. Five more minutes and I'll run for it, she thought to herself, fearful of having to actually do it. Then as if trying to prove what she was thinking, she went down the steps in quick jerky movements, raised the book over her head and started to run.
She was gaining momentum despite the huge drops of rain pounding on her skin, stinging her eyes, when someone bumped her- hard- and she almost landed on her buttocks. "I'm sorry," a tall guy muttered, holding her firmly by the elbow. She couldn't feel the rain anymore and realized that he held an umbrella above their heads. "It's okay," she muttered back, not even attempting to mask her irritation, shook her elbow free of his grasp and decided to move along.
"You headed for the next gate?" He asked, as he held her elbow again. "Guy Hall" was the only thing she managed to say, and then she was quiet, silenced by the faint hint of hope she was hearing in his voice- which was, by the way, a very low baritone. "Let me take you there." He did not even look at her to see if she would agree. He simply held her elbow and led her where she was going.
There was nothing to say on the way there, and not one of them attempted at making small talk. So they walked in silence, with only the sound of heavy rain drumming on his black umbrella to listen to.
When, finally, they reached Guy Hall, she rushed to the steep stairs that led to her classroom, forgetting for a moment that the man with the umbrella was at least entitled to a polite thank-you. Remembering, she looked back, discovered him still there, and waved to him.
"Thanks a lot," she said with a smile.
He only smiled in return, then walked away to listen to the rain drum on his umbrella again.
.........................
Coming out of the gate, he immediately went back to his car, where he'd been sitting about half an hour ago doing absolutely nothing but stare into Villareal Hall- stare at her in Villareal Hall. He was not always in the business of staring at people, but he saw her, right when he was about to start the engine, just one of the people stuck in the building because of the rain, and he couldn't help it. So he peeled his hand off the wheel and fumbled for his still wet umbrella, thinking she should have brought an umbrella with her. Hadn't she expected the rain? The clouds looked heavy this morning. Then he saw her run, two thick books held tightly above her head. He didn't have time to think. He opened his car door, holding the umbrella in his other hand and went to her, walking briskly as if also late for class. Then he bumped into her, it not being an accident at all. And, walking to Guy Hall like one with a mission accomplished, he smiled inside, listening to her heavy breathing and the plops her feet made as she walked on wet ground.
No, the rain drumming on his black umbrella wasn't at all the sound he was listening to.
He looked up at the dark skies. Can it rain again tomorrow?
Whoah, 13 entries in just one day!? Murag grabe atong creative juices diha ron ah... Kewl.
ReplyDeletenope, naa mga daan na nako na compositions gi-post ra nako dri... hahahahaha :D
ReplyDeleteI haven't written anything for a week now kuya... wow.
ReplyDelete