Chapter One

Pilit kong inaabot ang alarm clock na nakapatong sa aking bedside table. Nakasara pa ang aking mata at aking tenga ay naririndi na sa ingay ng alarm clock. Nakahinga ako ng maluwag ng mapatay ko ito at sa pagmulat ng aking mata sumalubong sa 'kin ang maiksi na kamay ng orasan ay nakaturo sa 7 at ang mahaba naman ay sa 12.

Wait a minute. Shocks! I set my alarm at 6:00 a.m but why was it alarmed at 7:00? Omy! My younger sister tricked me again.

Tumayo ako at mabilis na nililigpit ang aking pinaghigaan. Pumunta ako sa banyo para maghilamos. I will be late again. It's already seven o'clock in the morning and the start of the flag ceremony is by 7:30. I took a bath quickly and after I wore my clothes, I go downstairs.

"Thank God! You're awake," my mother exclaimed. I greeted her good morning and kissed her left cheek. Our breakfast was ready. Thanks to her. I sat on the chair and started to eat. My mother prepared my lunch box. Yes, I brought food for my lunch and I got used to it.

"You are gonna be late, Nese. What is your alarm clock doing?"

"Ma, Sn tampered again with my alarm clock.I set it last night at 6:00 but..never mind."

"Your sister is so naughty."

Anyway, tatlo kaming nandito sa bahay. Tulog pa kasi ang bunso namin dahil wala siyang pasok ngayon. She's 15 and I am 26 years old. We have an older brother and married to Jennica, his wife name. Our father wasn't here in the Philippines because he was an OFW. I told him to not go to work because I and kuya have work. I know that kuya have a family so his responsibility grew bigger but he always remembered us. Papa was stubborn. He said that he would stop working when Sn finish her studies.

The original name of my younger sister is Tin Sherett Gahn. We called her Sn because her first name , Tin, was part of the periodic table and the symbol of Tin in periodic table is Sn. Well, my older brother's name also came from the periodic table. Not but not the least, my name also came from the periodic table.

Nagpaalam na ako kay mama dahil may bumusina na sasakyan. He is here. He knew that I am late again.

"Hop in."

I opened the door and sat on the front seat beside the driver seat. I put on my seatbelt and he started to drive.

"You'll be late again, Ma'am," Ni teased me.

"Che!" He just laughed at my response. He is my childhood best friend. His name is Nickel Axle Travers. I am the only person who calls him 'Ni' while his family or close friends and other people call him Nick or Nickel. Why do I call him that? It's because his first name also came from the periodic table. The symbol of Nickel is Ni. It was pronounced N-i.

Ang aking ama at ang kanyang ama ay magkaibigan din. Ang kwento sa 'kin ni Mama ay sila Papa at Tito ang nagbigay ng pangalan sa kanilang mga anak. Napagkasunduan ng dalawa na kunin ang first name namin sa periodic table.

I can't help but smile when I remember that.

Flashbacks...

7 years old |Mn and Ni

"Mn, I have something for you," Gael said.Nakatira rin ito sa village. Mula sa bahay nila Mn may dalawang bahay na nakasunod bago ang bahay nila Gael.

"What is it, Gael?," a seven-year old Mn asked the boy as old as her. Curiosity can be seen on her cute face.

Napahinto naman sa pagguhit ang bata na si Nickel para tignan ang dalawang nag-uusap. Maglalaro kasi sila ng patintero kasama ang ibang bata na kasing edad nila at may mas matanda.

Kinuha ng batang Gael ang isang lollipop sa kanyang bulsa at inilahad ito sa batang babae. "Lollipop for you, Mn."

Ngumiti si Mn dahil favorite niya ang lollipop. Excited siyang kunin ang lollipop sa palad nito pero may humawak sa kamay niya. Liningon niya ang kaibigan na siya pala ang humawak. Nakasimangot itong nakatingin kay Gael.

"I told you to not call her Mn."

"Why? I want to call her Mn."

"I am the only one to call her Mn."

...End of Flashbacks

"Why are you smiling suddenly?"

"I just remembered something."

Nilingon siya nito saglit at binalik din agad ang tingin sa kalsada. "What is it?"

"Naalala ko 'yung mukha mo na nakasimangot dahil tinawag ako ni Gael na Mn tapos muntik na kayong mag-away dahil walang nagpapatalo sa inyo," natatawa kong saad.

He chuckled. "Yeah, I remember that. Naalala mo siya, ha."

"What's wrong with that? He's nice to me at that time."

"Tss. No one is allowed to call you Mn except for me. Just only me, Mn," he said then he winked at me. He is the only person who calls me by that nickname. My name is Manganese Louise Gahn. Mn is the symbol of manganese. My family and close relatives, friends, called me Nese while other people called me by my second name which is Louise.

Hindi ko maiwasan umasa sa maliit o malaking bagay na ginagawa niya sa 'kin. Sa mga salita na lumalabas sa kanyang bibig na nagpapabilis nang tibok ng puso ko. Alam kong wala lang sa kanya iyon dahil noon pa man ganito na niya ako tratuhin. Ako lang ang nagbibigay ng kahulugan sa mga galaw at salita niya. He see me as a friend, a girl best friend of him. Habang ako hindi, mas higit pa roon.

"We're  here."

"Are you going to pick me up later?"

"Yes," he answered, then kissed me on my forehead. "Go. The flag ceremony is almost to end. Take care."

"You too."

I am a teacher in Villa Petrona Elementary School. Ang tinuturuan ko ay grade 1. The truth is, grade 6 ang hawak ko noon pero inilipat ako ng aming principal sa grade 1 dahil hindi ma-handle ni teacher Eva ang kakulitan ng mga bulilit.

Binabati ako ng good morning ng bawat estudyante na aking nakasalubong ganoon din ang aking kapwa guro. Nakita ko si Sarah na kapwa guro ko rin. Matatawag ko na siyang kaibigan dahil siya ang pinaka-close ko sa mga guro rito sa eskwelahan. Adviser siya ng Grade 4. Tinutulungan niyang mag-dilig ang kanyang dalawang estudyante. Inutusan niya rin ang dalawang lalaki na kanyang estudyante na mag-igib.

"Good morning, Ma'am Sarah. Pakidiligan din 'yung bulaklak sa harap ng room ko," pagbibiro ko sa kanya.

"Che! Magdilig ka rin. You're late again. Hinahanap ka ng mga bulilit mo," saad niya. Nagpaalam na ako sa kanya at pumunta sa room. Kitang-kita kong naghahabulan ang iba sa loob ng room. May nagkukwentuhan at may naglilinis. Napangiti na lang ako sa aking nakikita. Ang sarap bumalik sa pagkabata lalo na kung ang childhood days mo ay masaya.

Ang kwento sa 'kin ni Mama ang unang pagkikita namin ay nung 5 years old kami. Mas matanda siya sakin ng ilang buwan. Malinaw pa sa aking memorya ang unang pagkikita namin kahit ang bata ko pa at marami ng taon ang lumipas. It's my older birthday that time. My parents invited them. I want to eat cake that time so I went to the table where the cake is.

Flashbacks...

5 years old |Mn and Ni

Nakatingin lang ang batang babae sa cake na nasa harapan niya. Hindi niya pa ito kayang abutin. Luminga-linga siya sa paligid pero lahat ng tao ay may kausap at may ginagawa. She bit her lower lip. She really want a cake.

Hinawakan niya ang kanyang pisngi. "I want a cake badly."

"You want it? I want it too." Lumingon ang batang babae at nakita niya ang isang batang lalaki na nasa tabi niya at nakatingin din sa cake. "Who are you?"

Lumingon sa kanya ang batang lalaki. "I'm Nickel. How about you?"

"I'm Manganese." Nagawa pa nilang mag shake hands. Madalas nila itong makita sa kanilang magulang kapag nagpapakilala ang mga ito. "I will call you Mn and you will call me Ni."

Kumunot ang noo ng batang babae habang ang kanilang kamay ay magkahawak parin. "Why?"

"My Papa told me that Nickel, which is my name, was part of the periodic table and the symbol of it is Ni," the little boy explained.

"Wow! That's cool. So the symbol of my name in the periodic table is Mn."

The little boy nodded at her.

"Ok. I will call you Ni and you will call me Mn."

Nagbitaw ang kanilang kamay at muling hinarap ang cake. Parehong nag-iisip ang dalawa kung paano sila makakakuha. Unang gumalaw si Nickel at sinabihan si Manganese na tulungan siyang buhatin ang bangko.

"What do we do here?," Manganese asked and pointed to the chair.

"Climb here." Inalalayan siya ng batang lalaki para makaakyat sa upuan. Pagkatapos ito naman ang umakyat.

"Let's taste the cake," the little boy announced. Gamit ang kanilang maliit na daliri kumuha sila ng icing at sinubo.

"Hmm...delicious," they said in unison. Their parents saw them and both of them giggled.

...End of Flashbacks

"Teacher!"

I am back in reality when one of my students calls me. I greeted them good morning with a sweet smile. All of them ran towards me and embraced my legs.

"Babies form a line." They followed my order. I call them babies because they are cute and of course I consider them my children. I bent down on my knees but it didn't touch the floor.

"Good morning, teacher," baby Theo greeted me.

"Good morning too." I kissed his forehead. This is our daily routine every morning. After I did that to all of them I stood up and they went back to their designated chair. I went to my table and put my things on there.

"Teacher! Teacher!"

"Yes, baby?"

Kian handed me the two tulips.

"Who gave this, baby Kian?"