LEFT BEHIND.

It happened several years back. It was a Saturday on the month of February. After a morning of pure nonsense in PE class and Saturday activity class, my friends and I were to go to another friend's house in Congressional for her birthday. I wasn't allowed to go, so they already left. However, the tides turned. My uncle suddenly changed his mind and allowed me to go. But it was too late. I called the birthday girl, and she didn't want to go back to school where I was, although it was just less than five minutes away from me. So I was left alone at 12:30 PM with my driver to fetch me in the late afternoon. Nowhere to go. It was silent and sad in that world where I was alone. No one to talk to.

So I jogged and jogged... jogged and jogged... The body pressured... The mind blank... Until it was time to go. Four and a half hours of feeling left behind was finally up.

That was so long ago.

This was just a few days before today.

It happened on a Thursday in my current prison, Ateneo. 1 PM. I met with some of my high school friends and chatted all the while. An idea came to my mind. Why don't I cut PE? Since I hate it so much. Then, I told a friend about it and asked her if I can hitch with her home since she lives near me. She said yes. 1:30 PM. It was Filipino class. I was so excited to just hang out and go home early. 3 PM. My school day was done. I decided to hang out in the computer lab then went directly to the library after. After my short escapade, I decided to wait for her in our meeting place. But wait. Something was wrong. My stuff were a bit too light. My pouch was gone. I walked back and forth from the computer lab to the library for probably five times. Still, it was nowhere to be found. 4:30 PM. I was rushing to meet my friend in front of her locker. I was anxious to be late, my mind searching for a consolation for my lost pouch. The consolation was that I would get home by car, which has seldom happened since the start of college, and I can also get to release my frustration to my friend. However, tick tock. tick tock. She was also nowhere to be found. I texted her two times and called her more than 15 times. Still, no answer. My once happy day turned into a freaking stressful day. That sudden dip from my unabashed happiness was grueling. On my last call, my friend answered. She forgot about me hitching a ride, and she was already on the road, probably far already since it was already about 5:15 PM. I told her it was okay. Yes, it was okay. I was sure she didn't mean to do it. But I wasn't okay. Why the hell do these things have to happen on the same day? I had no answer for my own question, so I decided to sit alone in the zen garden of the school. I was alone again in my world, for I was left behind.