wattys 2020 winner • mystery/thriller
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Everyone thinks she is dead. Even I thought so, too.
While the town spoke of her dead name, Amethyst Cambray is actually alive, and she is asking for my help.
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07 _
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CINNA TOLD ME it's for the better if we check the gambling place of Amethyst's father first. I couldn't agree more, though I was actually thinking it's more convenient if we split jobs. Kaso naisip ko ring baka ayaw niya lang maiwang mag-isa. Well, it's better this way, to be honest.
"Tell me something about Cinna," I asked Amethyst habang nanonood kami ng TV. I just want to know something about her that I do not know yet, so I'll know how to act better when around her, specially now that we are going to spend some time together.
"No way, doof," Amethyst replied through a cookie between her lips. "I don't like you to be Cinna's boyfriend."
"I'm not—" Napakunot ang noo ko. "Why?" I replied, my eyes affixed on the TV.
"Kasi," sabi niya, "kapag mahiyain din magiging jowa niya, wala na siyang magiging progress as a person."
"Progress as a person," I mocked. "So, you think she should hang out with Oliver instead?"
"Nope!" sabi niya. "Like, boys like . . . Pierre."
"Pierre?!" I can't imagine the both of them dating. "You gotta think that over."
She laughed. "But okay. For as long as I'm still 'dead', hindi dapat kayo magda-date ni Cinna."
Napangiti ako sa sarili. It's like she's saying Cinna and I have a chance after all this is over.
"So, one fact about Cinna." Tumayo si Amethyst mula sa beanbag saka tinabihan ako sa couch. She crossed her legs and grinned at me. "She doesn't look like it, but she loves erotic novels."
"No way." Hindi ko ma-imagine si Cinna na nagbabasa no'n. I feel like she's gonna blush all through her reading. "More like you do."
I feel like I shouldn't have said that. Bigla siyang nanahimik.
Amethyst's eyebrows raised, and chuckled a little. "A-And Cinna loves sweets."
"Anong sweets?"
"Like . . . apple cinnamon rolls," she said and watched TV.
She did not look at me again for the rest of the show.
—
I THINK I really said something wrong.
Was I being insensitive? Para bang ipinarating ko sa kanyang mas bastos siya kaysa kay Cinna?
Sitting on my seat in the class, I thought of Amethyst at home. For sure, pag-uwi ko naglinis na siya. My laundries are washed. The dishes are done. It's been like it for a month, and I'm starting to get used to it.
Amethyst and I only get to talk when I watch TV, because I'm always at work, at school, or at home reading a book. Come to think of it, I never really asked her "how are you?" every time I get home . . . but she does. How my day went, was it hard, how was the weather . . . did she think I was cold?
