WAR (episode 1/4)

Day 1: Air Raid – Heavy Bombing!

We experience moments absolutely free from worry. These brief respites are called panic. ~Cullen Hightower

The English fighters flew fierce and low above our heads. Despite having gotten over the facts repeatedly till the very last minute with the kids, I couldn’t help but worry if they could handle the situation well by themselves. If only I could take their place and give the English what they rightfully deserve.

Rachel and Mervin headed the war while I stayed home preparing Angel for the later round. I couldn’t help but droning on and on about what she had to look out for in battling the English. Her absence from school for the past week was a great loss to her, as the relief home-based instructor had limited resources and patience in steering her in the right direction on which tactic to use and which area to attack. At the moment, we could only keep our fingers crossed.

It’s heart-wrenching to send such an ill-prepared angel to the battlefield. But it’s by going through wars that makes the mind and body stronger. I muttered a silent prayer while seeing her off through the Departure Gate. Angel, being a brave, or rather, plain nonchalant, warrior, strode off with only the glee of going back to school after a long week.

Since I was there, I decided to wait for Mervin’s return from the battlefield. Rachel had to stay back for House Selection practice. The supposedly one hour wait dragged on to one and a half as the day-dreamer had gotten out of school from another gate and went home while I was waiting for him at the other gate, all despite of the fact that I had asked his teacher to pass him a message that I’d be waiting for him outside the school.

Knowing that he’d go back to the school once he realized I wasn’t at home, I stayed put at the school’s bus stop. Sure enough, I saw that rascal heading back to the school after another ten minutes or so from the opposite road. The instant he saw me, he asked with dismay, “Where have you gone to?”

With my jaws dropping, I retorted, “Didn’t your teacher tell you to meet me outside the school?”

Realization dawned upon him as his face slowly lit up.

“Oh… Yah…” he replied with a sheepish smile.

We decided to go for a quick lunch near the school as I tried to gather some information about his battle with the English.

“So… How?” I tried to sound as casually as possible in contrast to the thundering of my heart in my throat.

“Oh! It’s easy!” he exclaimed.

My heart sank a little.

“I think I could do most of the questions,” he continued.

My heart sank further.

“How about the Cloze Passage? Were you able to overcome it?” I probed a little further.

“The Cloze Passage is very easy!” he nearly leapt off his chair.

The confident expression on his face lifted my heart for a moment.

“I think I can get more than two answers correct!” he’s getting ecstatic.

That did it. My heart dropped to the deepest valley with a barely audible “plop”.

I tried to glare at him as gently as I could before hissing with my calmest tone possible, “More than TWO out of so many blanks? Oh wow…”

When I popped Angel the same question later in the evening, I yielded the same response, minus the “more-than-two-answers-correct” part.

“Very easy!” she claimed.

The news of easy victory didn’t really set my heart at ease. In fact, it had gotten me more worried.

Something’s fishy.