A Plea of Catastrophic Times

Do you, too, wonder when this pandemic will end? Do you despise officials who are insensitive to their constituents? Do you despise the military? Are you an anti-activist? Do you despise individuals you meet online? Simply by expressing your criticism on various social media platforms, you will be red-tagged as a member of terrorists or non-governmental organizations (NPAs)? Do you have a sense of hopelessness? Do you have reservations about your ancestors? Do you feel sorry for yourself? How do you establish your identity at this age? When everyone simultaneously feels powerful and hopeless? Hello, my name is Angelie Bayaban. I am an AB Political Science student who has only dreamed of contributing to the betterment of this humanity. The fact is, I want my name to be etched in the history books for how my voice was heard among the thousands of screams and cries of this cataclysmic age. During face-to-face sessions, our professors usually leave us with a message to love the process

I was welcomed by an afternoon breeze. I got out from the school bus not minding how awful I look at the moment. The noon ambience of every province attacks with the feeling of familiarity. I closed my eyes as the wind blows on my face, the younger Angelie welcomed me, smiling proudly, wearing her signature intense look; teary yet can devour a whole dragon. It seemed like she’s rooting on me today; I guess I just have to give my all yeah? As I set forth onto the lands of Cavite. my eyes started to wander and immediately look for peas. "Peas!" I uttered like a cry baby and eagerly grabs her hand to join the crowd heading towards the big shed.It has a wide and huge bench made out of cement accelerating upwards. Oh darn, I knew I'm bad at describing things but hence it was like a huge shed with rows of huge cement to be sit upon."San tayo jel pupwesto?" asked Peas as other cadets are also owning their respective seats."sa

  I have been living like this the whole time. Push and pull towards every potential people I have met, whether online or in real life. I had interest yet I don’t dare to involve myself in such great responsibilities and obligations.And looking back, I had missed opportunities to love and to be loved. I cannot just afford them to have access to me, without me knowing their real motives. To manipulate me or to love me genuinely. Since childhood, elementary days, I am picked out of five other grandchildren of our grandmother on my mother’s side to attend and be a companion, acting like a real daughter to my Lola. I received all the obligations. I am so focused on how hard obliga

 Third person’s POV Napatunayan na naman ng isang tulad ko na malupit ang hagupit ng mga mababait. Loko-loko din to si Abe, ang bilis mainis  sa mga tao na bumabangga pagdating sa half-sister nya. Oo half sister nya si Ciek. may isang what you see what you get samantalang yung isa ticking bomb yet living saintly. Pfft. Hypocrisy. Ano kayang gagawin nya don sa babae? Sayang fiesty pa naman, type ko sana pero mukhang may makaka-una na. Papalayo na ako ng HQ namamataan ko na ang bulto ni Asterio. Kupal naman Abe bat ngayon ka pa nagloko?Madadawit ako neto ng di oras eh. Oh I need to buy time, para di mahalata. Sumaludo ako kay Asterio, habang sya’y nakangise sa akin. “At ease.” he said with a hint of happiness. Siguro pasado to, effective ata mga pinagsh-share nitong chain memes sa fb. “Pre, may kukunin lang ako HQ andon pa ba si Abe?&

 ++  I can’t distinguish how am I feeling when I just see first-hand the person I’ve been avoiding from the past. I am grateful yet scared. Sir Asterio leaning on the wall of the guardhouse. I mean, if that’s what is called. He is wearing a tight green army shirt and fatigue on the lower. He has these scrutinizing eyes as ever. “...you smell beer… we don’t accept a person who drunk drive going in here,” he said as I now a law violator. Beats me, there are who’s worst than me yet still enjoying their freedom and sipping from the taxes of every Filipino. “yeah, and you smelled like a mint chocolate, mind your distance or I might puke,” I replied and walkway past him. “why? You don’t like how I smell?” He sneered and equalled my pace as I head towards the office. “As far as