hyperventilation. whew...

march 11, friday.
i was nearing the doors when i took a last glance at the inaccurate clock.
6:45. i was smiling.
thirty minutes later i faced the school gate.
looking through the bars i saw the hand clocks: six-forty-five.
oh boy. it's all working now.
i took my hankerchief and wiped it on my face.
i felt cold. didn't know why........
for all of you to know, i haven't been late for four straight days.
yes, four straight days.
and i owe it all to the maladusted wall clock above our bookshelf - adjusted half an hour advanced to real time.
when i reached the classroom, i quickly sat down and copied notes.
studious, ehh?? no. transformed, more likely.
change is the only permanent thing in this world.
i remember my dad's remark about nine months ago:
"gabriel, pakatandaan mo, ang third year, transition period yan, mentally and physically...
...kaya kumain ka nga?!"
well, believe it or not, i've gained twenty pounds since that statement. weird.
but - some things change for the worse.
"gab, ang taray mo na ha!"
"gab! miss na kita! bumisita ka nman dito!"
"hmmp. di ka na namamansin."
- just to mention a few.
um, call me introverted nowadays, i'll take it wholly.
and please accept my apologies.
anyway, sometime before midday i had an internal bout of asthma (which luckily no one noticed...) which would contribute to my later woes...
"gab, please read and answer number five."
i was startled with what i heard.
"yes, i know you're about to go to never-never land......"
so i was falling asleep. i had no idea.
someone touched my hand -
"gab, nanlalamig ka.."
after that, a quiz - i flunked, of course.
but that didn't matter for the moment.
though i really needed a rest.
the next day, my back was flat on the mattress.
grabbing my cellphone, i realized that it was ten o'clock.
i heard a loud voice downstairs. my mom.
"pag nagising si gab, sabihin nyo magpahinga pa siya..."
i sat up. by my side i saw a thermometer.
then i gently touched my forehead.
man, you're scorching hot.
knowing everything's out of control for that time, i lay back again and hid in my blankets.
so much for a day. there's your needed rest, boy.