Midnight Stalker (Completed)

Midnight 42 - Why

Midnight (42)

"P-Paul?"

"Yanyan..." ulit pa niya.

Siya nga.

Si Paul 'yun. Boses niya 'yun. Hindi ako pwedeng magkamali. 

Pero bakit siya nandito sa floor ko? At talagang nasa labas pa siya ng unit ko? May key card tapping system kami sa elevator kaya hindi siya pwedeng maka-access bigla nun.

Sinilip ko siya sa peephole ng unit ko, and yup, siya nga talaga.

He looked older from the last time I saw him. He looked like he lost a lot of weight, too. And also, he looked so much different from the Paul I knew back in Thailand.

"Wait," I said.

Nagpalit muna ako ng maayos na damit. T-shirt and shorts, 'tsaka sandals lang. Nag-bye bye ako sa Merlion ni Ash bago ko pinagbuksan ng pintuan si Paul.

He smiled upon seeing my face. I wasn't able to smile back though. I just looked at him straight in the eye.

"May I come in?" he said.

"Why are you here, Paul?"

"I told you I'll see you," he said. Tumingin siya sa maleta ni Ash na nasa gilid ng pintuan ko. "Maleta mo? Aalis ka?"

"Hindi. Sa kaibigan ko 'yan. Nakilagay lang."

"Hindi mo talaga ako papapasukin?" ngumiti siya ng malungkot.

Honestly, I don't know the answer to his question. I used to be so comfortable when it comes to Paul. But now, I don't know. I couldn't trust him anymore.

"Madumi sa loob. Sa Café de Rio nalang tayo. Sa baba lang 'yun."

He nodded. "Sure."

Pagdating sa Café de Rio, nag-order lang ako ng dalawang frap para sa aming dalawa tapos umupo na rin kami sa pinaka-sulok na puwesto.

It turned out na naka-akyat pala siya sa floor ko kasi may nakasalubong siya na taga 12th floor din, sinabay siya kaya siya naka-akyat. At tinuro pa kung saan yung unit ko.

11:00 PM na ng gabi kaya halos wala na ring customers ang café. We both sipped on our drinks without talking to each other for a good few minutes until he started talking.

"How are you?"

Silence...

"Let's skip the formalities. What are you here for?" I bluntly said. 

I pity him for my attitude. But I had a long tiring day. I was in the AES training all morning, and then I just had my HF18 class. Ready na akong matulog nung binaba ko yung video call namin ni Ash. And then he arrived in the middle of the night without warning.

"What's with the hurry?"

"It's almost midnight. May pasok pa ako bukas."

"And," I added. "I'm just mirroring what you've been doing to me."

Kumunot ang noo niya. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. 

I don't wanna start. But I hate myself for doing so.

"Ganito ka sa akin, 'di ba? Kapag nand'yan na si San San, aalis ka na. Kahit 'di pa ako tapos magsalita. O kahit may usapan pa tayo. Kaya nagmamadali ako ngayon eh, para masabi mo man lang lahat ng gusto mong sabihin bago ka mawala ulit."

"I'm sorry... Yanyan..."

"No, don't say sorry. It's okay now. Noon, hindi. Noon, emotional ako. Pero ngayon? Okay na, Paul," I smiled at him. I wasn't lying. Okay na talaga ako. Sobrang nasanay na siguro ako.