Odin Cassiopeia Zafeiriou [INTERSEX]

Extra Chapter I: Postscript

Malibu Nights

"Here's your hot chocolate drink, ma'am."

She announced her presence beside me as she put my hot chocolate drink at the top of my table.

"You look so beautiful in your dress right now, ma'am. The color emerald green truly suits you."

Napangiti ako sa sinabi ng waitress.

"Thank you."

"Are you perhaps attending a party?"

"No. I attended the wedding..." of the woman I loved.

Napangiti ako ng mapait at mahinang napailing.

"... of an old friend just a few hours ago."

Pagpapatuloy ko at nakangiting hinawakan ang hot chocolate drink na inorder ko dito sa Cosmos.

"Ah, congratulations for the both of them."

She didn't hold me up for too long at may gagawin pa daw siyang trabaho.

Napasandal ako kinauupuan ko habang ang mga mata ay naglalakbay sa labas ng Cosmos. It was a rainy evening.

Lumalalim na rin ang gabi pero mas dumarami ang ilaw na siyang nagsisilbing liwanag sa madilim na kalangitan. Seeing the people outside the glass window, men and women were with their black umbrellas, looking like they had been sick all week.

I sat on a seat next to an elderly woman and a young boy who was reading Baudelaire.

Natawa ako sa aking isipan. I just can't help but to eavesdrop and took a quick look at the book that he was holding right now. Nakatalikod kasi siya saakin habang kaharap ko naman ang Lola niya at saka medyo malapit ang kinauupuan nila sa table ko.

He was reading this poem— 'A Former Life' and I started to have a craving for vodka even though I was facing my hot chocolate drink right now.

I sighed again.

I remembered the time when I was still in my college years. My friends and I usually sat at the University theme park para tumambay. I love reading poems and scripts from the Campus Press magazine kaya mostly 'yon ang ginagawa ko tuwing tumatambay kami sa park.

May iba naman na nag gigitara at kumakanta sa kabilang table kaya parang may libre na rin kaming concert. Remembering those days, life was nothing but beautiful.

And that's how I first saw her among the crowds.

She was singing happily with Hadji and Troy habang nakapalibot ang barkada niya sakanila. And then all of a sudden, she looked at me and gave me her most beautiful and charming smile. And I, I only remember that all those love poems that I read and read and read were starting to make sense now.

But now, Alex was finally and happily married to the love of her life.

At hindi ako ang maswerteng babaeng 'yon.

Ibinaba ko ang tasa sa mesa habang inaalala ang pangyayari kanina. How I scrolled my name on their guest book. How I put, 'Congratulations to you!' and replaced it with a message, saying, 'Congratulations to the both of you!'

"Freya was really beautiful beyond words in her white long wedding dress," I whisper softly to myself.

Hindi ko pa rin malilimutan ang reaction ni Alex ng makita nito si Freya na lumalakad papalapit sa kanya habang suot ang magandang wedding dress sa araw ng kanilang kasal. It was a very private wedding at pili lang ang mga bisita nila dito sa pinas.