Chapter 1: Beginning

WHAT'S worse than being stuck on a forest with an annoying lady doctor: losing your newly-served chamomile tea. Kani-kanina lang ay umiinom ako ng tea sa, obviously, isang tea shop while reading The Iliad then this disaster happened.

My gosh.

Hindi pa nga ako nagiging twenty-six years old tapos mangyayari pa 'to? I can't celebrate my 26th birthday in the middle of a forest I'm not familiar with someone I'm not familiar too.

Wala naman talagang familiar na forest para sa akin. Except for Amazon forest.

Tanghaling-tapat at tirik na tirik ang araw kaya ang init. It looks like it's mad at me and ready to burn the hell out of me alive kaya napaupo na lang ako sa ilalim ng mga puno and the medical expert did the same.

Kanina pa kami nandito and we don't have anything except for our clothes and the metal wristbands we wore on our, obviously, wrists. May stethoscope pa nga na nakasabit sa leeg niya kaya halatang doktor talaga 'yung babae.

And she's telling me her life story like do I care? She told me, kahit hindi ako nakikinig, na ER (emergency room) doctor siya and she said that sometimes she had a scalpel on her hand and currently stored on her pocket for goodness' sake. A scalpel!

That's terrifying.

Ang problema, saan kami tutuloy kapag gabi na? Baka kasi may mga wild animals dito especially mga predators. I don't want to get eaten by an animal because I don't want to die without a fight.

Words from a weakling.

And I decided to talk with the doctor.

At least for now.

"Now, what we will do? We can't stay here until tonight, right?" sabi ko. I think that's not a great conversation hook. I'm not a great conversation starter. Hindi ko naman kailangan makipag-usap lagi.

Nagulat na lang siya at napaturo sa sarili niya. Napatingin pa siya sa mga gilid niya na parang naghahanap ng ibang tao.

Of course. We're the only people here right? So, who do you think I'm talking to? Sa multo?

"Tama ka, hindi tayo makakapag-stay dito. Kailangan nating maghanap ng mas safe na lugar," sabi ko I predicted what she said before but I kind of... make it sure. Well, I think that's more reasonable than staying here.

"Dr. Harriet nga pala. 5'3", NBSB, at 26 years old. Anong pangalan mo? 'Sensya na, madaldal kasi ako na minsan hindi ko napipigilan ang sarili ko kaya maraming may ayaw sa akin, pero hindi ko naman sila hate dahil masama 'yon at mahirap nang magkaroon ng kaaway na baka sa sobrang galit sa akin na saktan ako o ipapatay ako na ikinakatakot ko pero parang sobra-sobra naman 'yon na parang hindi posible kasi mabait akong tao kaya isang time nga na sinabihan ako ng mga katrabahong doktor ko na ako daw ang pinakamabait sa hospital pero sa tingin ko na hindi naman kasi humble ako at hindi ako mapagmataas, pero hindi naman sa wala akong tiwala sa sarili at wala akong confidence, sumali na nga ako sa isang beauty contest kahit sinasabi na ng mga kapitbahay namin na hindi ako maganda, tapos hindi naman ako pinalad na manalo kaya minsan naniniwala na lang ako sa mga chismosang kapitbahay namin pero sabi ng mama ko na huwag daw tapos sinubukan ko namang sumali ng quiz bee kaya nanalo ako then naniwala na ako na puro utak lang ako at hindi ako maganda, minsan nga nanalo ako sa isang debate na hindi ko alam kung bakit nagkaroon eh-."

"-can you please stop? I just asked you if you're agree to my idea." she's surprised dahil sa bigla kong pag-iba na tono. Nakakairita siya.

I think my life will be like hell with this woman.

Tumayo na kaming dalawa and I started to dust my clothes. The doctor did the same. Bakas pa rin sa kanyang mukha ang gulat kanina kaya nakatitig pa siya sa akin kahit busy siya sa pagpa-pagpag ng damit niya.

"Saang direksyon tayo pupunta?" tanong niya. Hindi ko din alam pero dahil thirty minutes na kaming nandito, kanina pa ako nakatingin sa movement ng araw, not directly staring at the sun because that's crazy, and it's going from left to right which means that we're facing south.

Ang mahirap nga lang matukoy ay kung nasaan kami. There's no right answer if there's no question. Where do we will go? I should think about this clearly kasi I don't want to go on every direction if there's no specific location.

Mahirap na at baka maligaw kami. If we just have yarn with us then we will not be lost. If we just can do what Theseus did on the labyrinth where the Minotaur resides, we should have been escaped this forest.

That's only a myth, by the way.

Napaupo na lang ako habang si doktor ay naglalakad-lakad kung nasaan kami.

Sumasakit 'yung ulo kakaisip.

"Uy, tingnan mo 'to! May carve dito sa puno!" sigaw ni doktor at parang pinapapunta palapit sa kanya. "Ano 'to? Puro tuldok at dash?"

Dots and dash? Sounds familiar.

Pagkatingin ko sa puno, halos lahat ng space sa bark ay napuno ng mga dots and dashes. May mga x o ekis pa sa mga bandang gilid na parang nagkamali pa ang nagsulat sa pagsulat ng mga symbols.

So we were not alone, huh?

Morse code, I guess. I conned the code when I was younger, probably 11 years old, makakatulong pala ang walang kwentang research ko dati para sa wala. I'm the person who thinks advance than the others.

"Ano namang ibig sabihin ng mga iyan? Mga code symbol(s) ba 'yan?"

"I'll try to decode this."

.-/-/...././-./.-|...-/../.-../.-../.-/--./.

-./---/.-./-/...././.-/.../-|---/..-.|-.--/---/..-/.-.|-.-./..-/.-./.-././-./-|.-../---/.-.-/.-/-/../---/-.

|-.././.../-/.-./---/-.--|---/-./-.-./.|.-././.-/-..

Masyadong dikit-dikit ang carve sa puno kaya hindi ko maintindihan masyado. I need to decode the hell out of this. Why not put the letters normally?

This can't be normal. Bakit hindi na lang nila ilagay ng maayos ang mga letters sa puno at kailangan pang gumamit ng Morse code para masabi? Won't this make our lives more difficult to decode this? Paano kung ibang tao ang napunta dito?

Who the hell wrote this down here?

Well, wala namang Morse code na hindi dikit-dikit.

I tried to understand the code for seconds and it's kind of familiar.

A.... Ath... Athen... Athena? Wait, it's a Greek goddess! From the The Iliad! The goddess who offered Paris of fame in war and yet he made things worse to everyone.

"The first word means Athena," sabi ko kay Doctor and her faced turned and looked confused of what I said.

"Ano 'yung Athena?" so she don't know the Greek mythology? Is she the person who is just focused on one thing and don't know everything except for what she just focused on studying?

Then how did she won that quiz bee she told me earlier?!

Calm.... Calm yourself.... Don't let anger eat you... She's cute anyway...

"She's the Greek goddess of wisdom," I explained before she gave me the same expression earlier. "Daughter of Zeus? Appeared from his head?"

"Taga-Greek mythology ba 'yan?"

"Of course," I said it, earlier! She's the Greek goddess of wisdom and battle strategy! I figured out that this doctor doesn't have the skill to understand.

I should not waste my time arguing with this woman.

Athena... Village? Village?

"Athena Village?" sabi ko and Doctor was surprised. There's a freaking village in the middle of the forest? Paanong meron eh 'di sana kanina pa kami nahuli dito ng mga taga-roon. How did...?

And I almost decoded everything when the Doctor pulled my violet t-shirt and said : "Pumunta na tayo doon!" napatakip na lang ako ng mata ko.

"Do you know where to go?" I sarcastically said. Napa-iling na lang si doctor na ibig sabihin siguro ay hindi. Bakit ba excited 'tong si Doctor? Hindi ko pa nga sure kong totoo ito.

Maybe it is a trap. I think for the worst-case scenario.

Lumayo na lang si Doctor at umupo sa isang bato at tumalikod sa akin. She kicked a bunch of pebbles and cutted grass into different directions. I saw on hit a couple of daisy hiding behind an oak tree.

Ang init pa rin dito and still the Doctor is wearing her coat. Crocs pa nga ang suot niya sa paa. I like that brand though. I remember wearing a yellow one when I was 9 at hindi ko inaalis 'yon sa paa ko.

Speaking of remembering, I can't reminisce about what happened after I blacked out on the tea shop. It's like I slept after that then woke up here?

Things are shaping out to be pretty odd. Little-no.

Anyway the code is almost done. I just need the directions.

Well, since the code says :

.-/-/...././-./.-|...-/../.-../.-../.-/--./.

-./---/.-./-/...././.-/.../-|---/..-.|-.--/---/..-/.-.|-.-./..-/.-./.-././-./-|.-../---/.-.-/.-/-/../---/-.

I'll go northeast obviously and while the doctor isn't looking, maybe I can leave her here and go to that village. Mababawasan na ang problema

at wala na akong aalahanin pa pagkatapos. Doktor naman siya, she can survive.

Dahan-dahan na akong naglakad papunta sa likod ko pagkatapos kong mapansin ang araw na papuntang kanan. I should be like a silent ninja and escape from the senses of the medical expert.

Hindi pa ako nakakapagtagal sa paglalakad ng may naramdaman akong kakaiba. Like parang may papalapit sa akin. It's maybe the Doctor. She know my plan!

Nagmadali akong naglakad na hindi naman mas mabilis sa pagtakbo. Parang nakakarinig na ako ng mabilis footsteps na palakas ng palakas every second. Hindi na ako napatingin sa likod ko when I tripped on a vine.

Anticlimactic.

Nadapa ako and someone approached me. It's not the doctor but a girl with different clothing that looks like a tribal clothing. Labas pa ang mga balat niya. Kitang-kita pa ang makinis niyang hita at braso pati na rin ang dibdib niya na halos makikita na.

She slapped me and everything went black.

***

SOMEONE slapping me is a new thing and it came from, what a freaking surprise, and unfortunately for the second time, the Doctor. The person I almost deserted earlier comes back with a mad face glaring at my soul like I did something wrong!

What I did earlier is wrong... For the doctor. And slaps, are not for the face.

At kung minamalas man lang ako, nakakulong kami sa loob ng isang bamboo cage na pinagkabit-kabit lang ng mga dahon. Not so strong ang connection kaya madali lang tumakas... Kung wala 'yung dalawang guwardiyang nagbabantay sa amin.

Kani-kanina lang natutulog ako dito ng payapa tapos bigla akong nakaramdam ng galaw. Ipinasok pala si doctor sa loob ng kulungan. Tapos napatingin na lang siya sa akin like she saw me as big piece of meat and I saw her as a woman who just recovered from her coffin.

I felt her power on that slap. Hindi naman masyadong malakas pero may unti namang sakit na parang kinagat ako ng langgam, like what my mother said about syringes. I bet that's what she says to kids who's gonna experience what I experienced.

It feels like an ant punched your back.

At pagkatapos 'non, she ignored me like I am an unseen entity. Mas cool sabihin 'yon kaysa sa multo.

Enough with the Doctor, she's not deserving to be notice by my presence.

I looked the other way, at maraming tao ang naghahanda para sa isang... kind of a festival. But of what?

Are they eating us? Not me, I'm full of carbs. The Doctor must be healthy though.

'Yung lalaki namang nagbabantay sa kulungan namin ay bigla namang napatingin sa akin. Hindi siya masyadong maskulado pero hindi rin naman siya mapayat o mataba. Katamtaman lang kumbaga.

Tapos bigla kong pinagsisihan ang compliment na inisip ko tungkol sa kanya ng bigla niya akong tutukan ng sibat niya. Napaatras na lang ako bigla na gumulat kay doctor. Humarang naman 'yung babae na nagbabantay din sa akin. Her clothing is like...

The half-stripped girl earlier that started the slapping phenomenon!

Well, I don't know her name yet so I'll call her that name temporarily.

THSGETSTSP (guess what it means) whispered something to that guy and God knows what the talked about after. The guy, is surely looks like the hot-headed short-tempered person I don't wanted to be one of my acquaintances.

Habang nag-uusap sila, minsan napapatingin either 'yung lalaki na minsan ay parang galit at 'yung babae na minsan ay natatawa. Are they talking about me? I don't even understand their language.

Maybe they are a tribe or a clan of some sort? I don't know.

I'm not good at this things, especially on world history.

"Ha ha ha!" someone laughed from my back. Nababaliw na ba 'yung doctor? That doesn't sounds good.

Napalingon na lang ako and saw an old man. His remaining hair is white, no beard or mustache, at medyo wala siyang buhok, almost bald. His smile is widened in his face and the first person looking at him is : the Doctor.

Who the hell is that old man?!

"Ha ha ha!" he laughed again and it's way too creepy. Naalala ko tuloy 'yung nilalaro kong video game na nasa loob ng isang crypt ang protagonist and every time I move a lever, the laugh recording plays.

"Ah!"

Bigla na lang napaatras si Doctor at napayakap sa akin. The old man is staring at me like his eyes are way too, evil. His looks are disturbing and not recommended for children and teenagers 18 years old below.

Tumayo na lang siya at tumalikod like something didn't happened.

Creepy and scary. And way too disturbing.

Nakakaramdam ako ng init at napansin kong nakayakap pa rin sa akin si doctor. Hindi ko maalis ang figure ng matanda sa isip ko so I tried to focus on the Doctor. She's really hugging me tightly.

It's been like years since I felt this warmth again and I'm not gonna let go of this until I got my satisfaction. I kind of missed my father. I pat her back and her head.

Maybe it comfort her.

"Nandiyan pa rin ba 'yung nakakatakot na matanda?" well, the old man isn't still leaving his current position, I can't say no.

"He's still here, but he's not looking at us," she slowly looked at my face... and pushed me away. Huh? I want more hugs!

So that's how she will repay me from slapping me, hugging me and letting me see that old man's disturbing face.

I quickly averted my gaze on the doctor and turned to the guard which is still talking and looking at me. Para naman silang mas bata sa akin. Mga 18 years old lang siguro silang dalawa.

"Kayo pala ang mga bihag ni Apollo at Artemis," may nagsabi sa likod ko. Someone who speaks in Tagalog? Maybe that person is the one who give us the code but who's Apollo and Artemis?

Napalingon ako and every human being around except for me and the Doctor knelt down because they saw her figure. A young, white-skinned girl wearing a dress which is basically not stitched right entered the scene.

"Anong mga pangalan niyo?" tanong nung babae. Wala namang umimik sa aming dalawa ni Doctor kaya biglang niyugyog nung lalaking nagbabantay sa amin kanina 'yung kulungan namin.

"Sagutin niyo ang reyna namin!" sabay tutok sa amin ng wooden spear niya. Bigla ulit tuloy na napayakap si Doctor sa akin. Nagsasalita pala silang dalawang guard dito ng Tagalog! May pabulong-bulong pa silang nalalaman.

Pinapahirapan pa nila kami.

Ako na ngang magsasalita kasi parang walang balak si doctor. Atsaka baka mainis pa sila sa kanya.

"My name is Scindere, you heard it right, and she is Dr. Harriet. And for the million peso question, who are you?" I asked. Well, my name is, really, Scindere.

Hindi ko ba alam kung nasa tamang katinuan ang mga magulang ko ng pangalanan nila ako 'cause they named me a weird name! Wysiwyg is way too cooler and unique but Scindere? Where did they got that name?

And I'm not the only one suffering with the names.

"Ako si Athena, ang reyna ng lugar na ito," reyna? She's way too young to be a queen.

"Why not let us free? You're not cannibals, right? And you understand English," that's what I observed.

"Pero may kondisyon ako."

"What's your condition? Get to the point," I impatiently said.

"Kung matalo ninyo ang mga inihanda naming laro, papalayain namin kayo. Pero kung matalo kayong dalawa, isa sa inyo ang mamamatay."

So that's the proposed deal of the charlatan who introduced herself as the goddess of wisdom? Wise enough.

***

WHAT kind of game that fake wanted to play? Rock-paper-scissors? Mga maarte lang naglalaro noon, mas maganda ang bato-bato-pick. Mas madaling pumili ng mga bagay kaysa sa "rock, paper, scissors, shoot!".

What I want to play is chess. May science ang chess, well every game have a science behind it, mas gusto ko lang talaga ang history ng chess.

The game that started from an 8 by 8 ashtapada board used to show the death of a prince to a grieving mother.

I remembered that YouTube channel.

Pero paano naman malalaman ng mga tao dito kung sino ang mananalo sa laro? For sure na biased sila sa reyna nila at siya ang tatanghaling panalo. Even if I win a game, I'm 100% sure that they will think that I cheated.

Nakakatawang bagay tungkol sa village na 'to ay first come, first serve. Kung sino ang unang makakalat ng influence sa mga homo sapiens na walang tamang edukasyon wins. Parang kabaliktaran ng mga modernized homo sapiens.

Malas ko lang kung physical games ang pag-uusapan kasi laking video games ako. Like "It's a me, Mario!", "Pikachu, I choose you!", "Let's du-du-duel!" and "Kratos, such power!".

Because of video games, I knew what's Woohoo. Even that endless point-and-click horror game of spooky animatronics.

Nagtataka lang ako, who's Athena? Paano niya natagpuan ang village na 'to out of nowhere? At isa ba siya sa mga modernized homo sapiens?

Clear naman na nakakaintindi siya ng English, the Doctor knows that fact too. The thing is.. how did she found this place out of nowhere at nasaan ba kaming part ng planet Earth?

"Uy, Schindere. May gagawin ka na naman bang masa-" pinutol ko ang sasabihin ni doctor ng marinig ko ang pronunciation niya ng pangalan ko.

For goodness' sake, bakit kasi iyan pa ang pangalan ko?! My parents should named me normally, nagkaproblema tuloy ako sa pagsusulat ko ng pangalan ko noong kinder palang ako.

What she said is Schindere (sayn-deer), different from Scindere (sin-deer). Nakakairita, ang hirap mag-explain.

I just broke the fourth wall, huh?

And suprisingly and fortunately, hindi lang ako ang nag-iisang may kakaibang pangalan. Even my siblings have weird and unique names.

Haha, I'm not the only one suffering.

In my family, I have four younger siblings and everyone of us have a crazy time to pronounce our names because of my father and mother's love for science.

I like science too, that's my name.

The gal after me is named, believe it or not, Manthanein. Weird name for a girl. Her nickname is Math kasi iyon ang root word for mathematic na meaning ay to learn.

The second guy is named, drum roll please, Phyein or Pein, na root word ng physics na meaning ay to bring forth.

Unlike his name, ayaw niya ng science at mas gusto niya ang History at Social Studies.

Third is Logie, na obviously, root name for biology minus bio.

And last but not the least, si Chimista or Chi-Chi. She's the youngest and the most genius (according to her). Ako naman talaga ang pinakamatalino sa kanila.

I tried to remember the Periodic Table of Elements when I was 5 that's why I can't spell my name clearly. All I know is Hydrogen +117 more.

"My name is Scindere and I'm not thinking about something bad unless you insist it," sabi ko na parang nanloloko.

"Hoy, hindi ako katulad mo kasi mabait akong tao at masama naman ang iniisip ng utak mo kaya magkaiba tayo atsaka bakit naman kita pipiliting mag-isip ng hindi maganda kung naalala ko pa 'yung ginawa mo noong nasa gubat tayo!"

Pati ba ngayon, hindi pa rin tumitigil ang bibig niya? She's getting irritating every passing second.

Mahigpit ang pagkakahawak sa amin ng mga guwardiya a.k.a. Apollo at Artemis. Lakas maka-Greek mythology katulad ng pagkakahawak sa amin, wagas. My hands...!

"What's the escape plan?" tanong ko bigla. Nagulat naman si Doctor with a mixed emotion of confusion before a hint of recognition.

"Anong escape-escape plan ka diyan? Tata-!"

"Shut up! You're gonna make us more suspicious and worst, they'll kill us instantly!" explanation ko. Muntik na kami doon ah, ang daldal niya! "Be careful when you're speaking your fluent language!"

Of course, katulad ng nangyari earlier, nagulat ulit siya sa pagbabago ko ng tono. She's gonna put us in danger! Maybe in the near future?

"What should we do?" tanong ko ulit sa mas kalmadong tono. Alam kong nakatingin sa amin 'yung mga guards even the people here but they don't understand English.

"I don't know," maiksing sagot niya. Wala talaga siyang plano, simple-minded siyang tao.

Paano naman kaya ako makakatakas dito?

'Yung mga tali sa amin ay gawa sa mga dahon, which means na kaya kong sirain ito but the hard part is, paano naman kami makakaalis dito while not alarming someone?

Two against a village? Unfair.

Atsaka, these two isn't the guards for a normal reason. Judging from their names, they must be expert hunters and archers. Apollo is the Greek and Roman god of sunlight, prophecy, music, and poetry while Artemis is the Greek goddess of the moon, forest, childbirth and hunting.

Formidable foes.

Ano naman kaya ang gagawin nila sa amin? Are we gonna fight for our lives like the gladiators? O magra-russian roulette kami? Of course they don't know that thing.

Kung sana chess lang talaga.

"Kuwis, kuwis, kuwis!" biglang nagsigawan ang mga tao habang hinaharangan sila ng mga pinagtataling dahon. What's a kuwis?

"Matatalo talaga kayong dalawa," sabi nung lalaking guard na si Apollo. Para pa siyang nagbabanta.

"Tama, ang Reyna Athena namin ay ang pinakamatalinong tao dito. Mas matalino pa siya sa mga matatanda at sa nag-iisa naming salamangkero," sabi naman ni Artemis.

Salamangkero? Is that a wizard or a sorcerer? And Zeus is the god of the gods on Greek mythology.

And of course, Athena is the goddess of wisdom, duh.

"Scindere, parang quiz 'yung sinisigaw nila," bulong ni doctor. Kuwis and quiz? What the-! Quiz? Are you freaking kidding me!

Funny how quiz turned to kuwis.

***

QUIZZES, quizzes, quizzes. 210 kaya ang superior IQ ko! Kung kaya ko lang gumamit ng another 10% of my brain na kahit myth lang 'yon, mas tatalino pa ako kay William James Sidis also known as the most genius person in the world.

They said her mom is exaggerating things.

Mas matalino pa kaya ako kay Senku Ishigami (Dr Stone). At malapit ang IQ ko sa IQ ni Johann Wolfgang von Goethe na 220. Pero sa tingin ko ay hindi naman basehan ng talino ang intelligence quotient.

Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree, it will live it's whole life believing it is stupid.

Quote by Einstein, period.

Anyway, ano naman kaya ang itatanong nila sa akin-I mean-sa aming dalawa ni doctor. Maybe the Doctor's IQ is 127 and more?

Not underestimating her, I'm just guessing.

Bigla kaming tinulak ng dalawang guards sa mismong gitna ng lugar at may lalaki ding weird ang suot at pagtayo na nakaharap sa amin.

"Kayo ba ang mga makakalaban ko? Wala pang nakakatalo sa akin maliban sa reyna namin! Mukha naman kayong mahina!" sumisigaw siya na sinasabayan pa ng ibang tao dito.

"Galingan mo, Naranha! Talunin mo sila!" sigaw ng mga tao. So he's name is Naranha (orange)?

Is that a new crayon in Crayola?

"Magsisimula na ang kuwis! Sino sa inyong dalawa ang mauuna!" tanong niya sa amin. Well, probably her. I don't to defeat that guy from the start so I'll entertain myself first.

"You first," sabi ko kay Doctor at lumapit siya sa kanya.

Good girl!

May pinakita siyang dahon kay Doctor at sinabing : "Ano 'to?!"

The leaf looks familiar. I know I saw it when I traveled north with my family in the Philippines. May nakita din akong ganyan sa Australia.

It's familiar.

"Dahon, sa malamang," sagot ni Doctor. She is very simple-minded, huh? But I think that's not a normal leaf.

"Kainin mo nga?" naghahamong utos ni orange boy. Huh? Bakit naman niya ipapakain kay Doctor 'yung dahon?

"Bakit ko naman kakainin?" mahinahon niyang tanong. Lumapit naman 'yung dalawang guards at tinutukan si Doctor ng mga sibat nila.

Anticlimactic again.

"Sabi ko nga, kakainin ko na," I don't like to eat leaves, it will be stuck between my teeth. Ayokong gumamit ng floss, it hurt my gums-gums? Gum... Gum leaves? Wait, gum leaves ba 'yung kakainin ni Doctor? What the hell!

Bigla kong kinuha ang dahon mula sa kamay ni Doctor bago niya kainin ito at ibinato sa lupa sabay apak nito. Is he gonna trick us into eating that leaf?

Good game, huh?

"Scindere, bakit mo ba kinuha sa 'kin 'yung dahon?" tanong ni Doctor.

"Ikaw, ano ba sa tingin mo ang ginagawa mo!" sigaw ni orange boy na nagmumukhang clueless sa gusto niyang ipakain kay Doctor.

Akala mo, inosente. Bwisit.

"Doctor, that's a eucalyptus leaf. Poisonous if digested by humans and animals. Koalas can digest that thing because they have unique microbes in their digestive tract that is passed by koalas from mother to child by eating their feces which is armed by microbes that breaks down the poisonous compound of eucalyptus giving them defenses from the poisonous eucalyptus oil."

Explanation is way too long. Well, it's fair because of her page-long dialogue on earlier-wait what?

Biglang namula sa galit si doctor ng marinig ang aking explanation bago sampalin ang mukha ni orange boy. 'Yan ang bagay sa'yo!

Bwisit ka!

"Papakainin mo ako ng nakakalasong dahon na 'yon! Nasisiraan ka na ba ng ulo!" biglang may tumulong luha sa mula sa kaliwang mata ni Doctor.

Biglang natahimik ang lahat at halatang gulat sa sinabi ni doctor. Si orange boy ay nagulat din, siguro sa sampal.

"Alam nila kung ano 'yon? Baka nandaya sila. Siguro hinulaan lang nila 'yan?" nagbulungan na ang mga tao.

Unmodernized homo sapiens.

"Scindere, ikaw na lang ang sumagot sa kanya," bulong sa akin ni doctor sabay pumunta sa likod ko.

Okay, na-entertain ako sa ginawa niya at nauto niya si doctor sa pagkain ng eucalyptus. Ako naman ang magsasaya.

Natuloy ang laro at nagpakita naman si orange boy ng isang shell at nagtanong ng : "Ano naman ito?"

"That's a shell, obviously," sagot ko at nagkaroon ng pagtataka sa mga mukha nila. Oh, I speaked English.

I'm kind of used to speaking English.

"Kabibe pala," nilagay niya ito sa isang mesa kung saan nakalagay ang mga papahulaan niya saka ito dinurog gamit ang isang martilyong gawa sa kahoy.

I know where this is heading.

"Ano naman ito?" turo niya sa puting pulbura sa kamay niya. Maybe itinuro na lang ni Athena ang bagay na iyon?

"Iyan ay i-isang calcium carbonate na pwedeng m-makuha sa mga kabibe na d-dinurog mo k-kanina," tsk. I'm not used to speaking Tagalog yet I can think clearly about Tagalog.

"At saan ito gawa?"

"Pardon?"

"Ano?"

"Anong s-sinabi mo?"

"Saan ito gawa!"

"Unang-una, ang formula n-nito ay CaCO3 na i-ibig sabihin ay m-meron itong Calcium na i-isang metallic compound, Carbon at t-tatlong Oxygen na mga non-metallic compound na m-makikita sa periodic table."

Bigla ulit silang nagbulungan. Are they not satisfied with my right answers? Tama naman talaga ang sagot ko.

"Huling tanong, sinong pinakamatalinong tao dito?"

"Ako," sagot ko at nagtawanan ang lahat. Yes I am. Bet that I can outsmart that Athena with her game.

"Eh ano 'to?" may ipinakita siyang bagay na kumikinang at kulay yellow. Para siyang mineral, and it's shiny and pale yellow.

"Ginto 'yan! Tingnan niyo, meron siyang ginto!" sigaw ng mga tao. The people here is genius, eh? Inuuto ba nila ako?

"Hindi 'yan g-ginto. Isa 'yang iron pyrite o t-tinatawag ding fool's gold. Sa Tagalog, ginto ng mga mangmang," sabay tingin ko sa mga tao na kanina pa nagsisigaw ng "Ginto!". "Napagku-napagkakamalang g-ginto 'yan dahil sa m-makinang at kulay d-dilaw nitong a-anyo."

"Hindi ito ginto? Paano mo nalaman?" tanong ni orange boy.

"B-bakit, uutuin mo b-ba ako na g-ginto 'yan? A-alam ko sa m-malamang."

Napayuko na lang si orange boy at binulong na : "Pwede mo ng makita ang reyna."

It's time to meet the queen, huh?