Just as I expected, when we got to the venue, the professor started to nod off and was soon fast asleep at the back of our stall. At 11:30, the tailor came and personally fitted him with his new suit. He looked stunning in the mid grey slim fit attire, but when the time came for him to make his appearance on stage, he was suddenly nowhere in sight.
"Did you see Prof. Antonio anywhere?" I asked Pedro who was manning the stalls.
"Sir Eric? He was just sleeping here a while ago..." he searched inside our stall. "Perhaps he decided to look around the place?"
"Wait here, doc, I'll get him paged..." said Pilar who hurriedly went to the stage area.
I decided to look for him as well, but had no luck finding him. In the end, we had to postpone the speech for the next day.
"Oh, is the event over already? What did I miss!" said a Prof. Antonio who appeared out of nowhere as soon as the event on stage was over.
"Sir! Where have you been? We've been searching for you everywhere for your speech!"
"Ah, I just went around to look at stuff, I guess I lost track of time," he said with a smug grin on his face.
"But Sir, didn't you hear your name being paged?" asked Pilar.
"I guess I didn't notice since I was so engrossed with the different equipment I was checking out! Did you get to look around? I already placed an order for our new lab equipment!"
"Really, Sir?" Pedro asked excitedly. "There were some good stuff in MedFab Corporation's stall, did you get to see them, too?"
"Ah, yes, I plan to ordered some stuff from them."
"Which ones? Should we go take a look?"
"Let's go tomorrow, my Habibi is already looking a bit tired."
He looks at me and grins.
"What's with the frown?" he had the gall to ask. "Are you sad that I didn't take you with me?"
"I told you, you had to go on stage at six o-clock!"
"Oh, I'm sooo sorry, I guess I lost track of the time! There's still tomorrow, anyway, right, Pedro?" he grinned at me and faced Pedro. "They said more equipment would be displayed tomorrow, including the stuff I chose from their catalog for our microbio lab. After all, I don't like catalogues, I prefer to touch the stuff I plan to buy."
"Just make sure that you will make your stage appearance tomorrow." I took hold of his arm and faced him. "Now, it is time for us to go."
"Already? It's just 9 pm!"
"I'm buying you a watch," I sigh as I dragged him to the nearest store.
The same thing happened the next day.
He was asleep all morning, and in the afternoon, when he was about to make his speech, he just simply vanished without a trace.
We had to postpone the speech yet again.
On the morning of the third day, I caught Prof. Antonio sneaking into his room from his laboratory.
"I told you to sleep."
"Ah... yeah... I just checked something from the lab real quick!"
"Go take a nap. We leave at eight."
He hurried to his room, and soon, I find him snoring on his bed. I woke him up at 10 am to give him six hours of sleep, then got him ready in his new navy suit.
We arrived at the venue around lunch time, and I stayed with him at the stall to make sure he stays put, but as soon as I turn my back on him, he was once again, gone.
"Where did he go this time?!" I asked our two researchers.
"H-he was just sitting there a second ago, eating his merienda!" [afternoon snack] said Pedro.
"We'll try looking for him in the stalls!" said Pilar.
"Dr. Abdel, how are things going around here?" I turn around to see Dr. Gonzaga with Dr. Gregorio and Dr. Heathlow behind him.
"Fine, Dr. Gonzaga, but I'm afraid Prof. Antonio is currently missing," I told him honestly. "Again."
"Missing?" Dr. Gonzaga's eyebrows creased. "What about his speech later? Wasn't it already postponed two days in a row?"
"Huh. What do you expect from such an irresponsible professor?" said Dr. Heathlow in a loud voice."
"Don't worry, our team is searching for him as we speak," I assured them.
"Dr. Abdel, may I suggest, checking nearby game arcades?" said Dr. Gregorio as his two companions turned away. "That kid likes to spend time playing fighting games," he added with a wink.
"Thank you, Dr. Gregorio, I will."
I left the stall and went to the nearest mall directory, looking for the farthest game arcade in the building. I went there first, and sure enough, saw Prof. Antonio playing a fighting game with a group of teenagers. He has taken his coat off and loosened his tie, the top of his shirt was unbuttoned and his hair was a mess.
"Professor!" I called his attention, to which he nearly jumped.
"Woah! How did you find me?"
"Professor, please return to the Expo immediately. Dr. Gonzaga and the rest are looking for you, he expects you to give your speech today."
"Just a sec, can't you see I'm still playing?!"
"That's right, mister, we're still playing!" said one of the high school students on the other side of the row of arcade games.
"Check your watch. It is already 5:38 pm, your speech is scheduled at 6, we need to get ready by then."
"What for? All I need to do is say hi, hello, and goodbye, anyways."
"You are expected to say something inspirational to the crowd."
"I can't think if anything inspirational to say."
"I have a speech ready."
He looks up at me.
"Wow! Is that so?" he said sarcastically, "Then you go read it!"
I check my temper as he went on to play his game.
"Professor, if you don't come with me, I will be forced to drag you back to the Expo."
"Why don't you try it then – WOAH!" he yelped as I picked him up by the armpits, threw him over my left shoulder, and carried him like a sack of potatoes.
"Kids, you can have his tokens," I said, pointing at the stack he got left.
"Oy, what the hell! Put me down!"
"No, we are going straight back to the Expo."
"Wait, Aahmes, c'mon, this is humiliating!"
That made me stop at my tracks.
It was the first time the professor seriously called me by my first name.
I let him down and fixed his shirt and tie while I held his coat for him.
"Put this on, we need to go back to the Expo as soon as possible."
"Can't you just read that speech you wrote on stage? You can just say it was from me. You're used to facing people anyway."
"I am not you, Prof. Antonio. The people want to hear from the person who discovered a suppressant that would help omegas control their estrus without giving them adverse side effects. This is the first time someone actually created something that would actually help omegas, not simply stop them from being a menace to society."
This made the professor look at me properly.
"Do you know that about 65 percent of the guests in the Expo are omegas?" I asked him.
"What makes you so sure?" he snorted. "Where they taking attendance?"
"I can smell them," I replied. "For the past 2 days, the number has been steadily increasing. It is probably because this is the last day and they are all hoping to see you."
"See me? Well I've got nothing to say to them even if they do see me on stage," he mumbled. "All I wanted was to give them a safer alternative to feel better... I know how hard it is to be an omega, after all... I know what my brother went through..."
"Then tell them that."
"Ha! And what right have I to say that? When I'm just another insignificant beta?"
"Does being a beta make your words any less sincere?"
He fell silent as we made our way back to the venue.
"If you still can't think of something to say, you could always use the speech I prepared for you," I suggested.
"Nahh... bahala na..." [come what may]
He then stopped by a native goods store we passed and looked inside.
"Wait here, there's something I wanna buy."
Thirty minutes later, we are back at the venue with the professor wearing an off white barong1 worth 350 pesos (6 USD), and a small salakot2 worth 280 pesos (4 USD).
"Sir Eric! Finally, Dr. Gonzaga's been looking for you!" said Pedro.
"Huh, let Gadxilla wait, did you visit the stalls in the list I gave you?"
"Of course, Sir, I've already ordered everything you wanted!"
"Good." The two exchanged conspiratorial grins. "Habibi, where do we go now?"
"To the stage area," I told him, "and don't call me Habibi."
"You finally showed yourself, huh?" We found Dr. Heathlow and Dr. Gonzaga in front of the stage, waiting for us.
"Yup, my Habibi's so dependable! He showed up just in time to remind me of my schedule!" he said, touching my shoulder. "Omegas truly are more capable than useless alpha braggarts."
Dr. Heathlow was about to say something else when Prof. Antonio faced Dr. Gonzaga.
"So, do I climb the stage now?" he asked.
"In a moment, Prof. Antonio," said Dr. Gonzaga, "I will tell the MC to introduce you first, there are a lot of people who are looking forward to see you, after all."
"See, I told you so," I whispered to the professor as they announced his appearance in 10 minutes. "Several people came here specifically to see you."
"Hmph. It's not like they actually know who I am..." he mumbled.
"On the contrary, Eric," said Dr. Gregorio who was suddenly standing beside us, "There has been a record breaking attendance this year. So many people are here today for the introduction of your Omega-J formula. Most of the attendees in the past were doctors and medical staff, since the expo is mostly about medical services and equipment, but look..."
Dr. Gregorio pointed at the quickly growing crowd in front of the stage.
"Prof. Antonio, what do you notice about the people who are here right now to see you?"
I look at the crowd as well.
It was full of young people.
Men in their teens, 20's, 30's, all of which possessed the androgynous appearance of omegas. They came in groups, some of them were even wearing school uniforms, others came with family, and all of them were eagerly waiting for the professor to climb the stage.
"They came here for you," I told him. "They look up to you, as I do, for you have given them hope, Prof. Antonio. You are a hero to them, you should be proud that you have made another milestone to help omegas in this world." I placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. "Your brother would have been very proud of you."
There were no snide remarks from the professor this time. He simply lowered his salakot and gave a long sigh.
"Are you ready, Prof. Antonio?" the organizers asked as the crowd grew restless.
"I'm ready."
The MC introduced him as the crowd settled down.
"He is the 26 year old head of the Omega Strain division of Universal Laboratories, Philippines, who graduated from Philippine Science high school at age 8 and got a master's degree from MIT at age 13 for Molecular Biology and Secondary Gender study. He has recently developed a new omega suppressant that could be used without the usual adverse side effects of other suppressants, such as nausea, migraines, fatigue, and depression, and today, he has finally accepted our invitation and is here this afternoon to say a few words about his new, Omega-J Suppressant. Ladies and gentlemen, let us all welcome, Professor Ericson Antonio!"
The crowd cheered as the professor went on stage. The MC shook his hand and showed him to the podium.
Prof. Antonio stepped up and checked the mic by tapping it with his finger.
"Hello?" he cleared his throat, his salakot covering half of his face. The crowd fell silent.
"So... I'm not an omega... obviously... but a very important person to me was one," said he. "I know how he suffered... how people used to look down on him. That's why this is for you. So there would no longer be a reason for others to think that you are less than they are. Because you're not."
He paused and cleared his throat.
"That's all."
And that was literally all.
The professor stepped off of the podium while the crowd clapped for him, but before he could climb down the stairs, he turned back to the podium, took the microphone once more, and cleared his throat again.
"I almost forgot," he said with a grin, "to celebrate the release of the Omega-J suppressant, we will be selling Omega-J at a 50% discount for the first 3 months upon release!"
The crowd went wild!
The venue was filled with cheers and shouting in support of the professor.
Dr. Gonzaga, on the other hand, looked pale.
He did not anticipate this from the professor who proceeded down the stairs and stood in front of me, shaking.
"You did great." I told him. "I am very proud of you, Prof. Antonio."
"Can we go home now?" he asked, placing his head on my shoulder.
"Yes." I took his hand. "Yes, we can go home now."
__________
1 Barong – a long-sleeved embroidered shirt, the national attire for men in the Philippine.
2 Salakot – a wide brimmed, conical headgear made of rattan or reeds.