Dying is the Easiest Part

Chapter 9

"Can I ask you a favor?" She asks, making me dart my eyes towards her. Okay, first of all, you don't ask people you barely know a fucking favor and second, how do I say back the fuck off without offending this barbie doll?

I clear my throat. "What is it?" The words barely come out of my mouth. I wanted to shut her down, but the way she smiles and anticipate for my answer— a positive response, for sure— made it impossible for me to do so.

It's like kicking a goose or throwing a puppy. I hate people, but I like animals. So... I can't.

"Can you come with me, please? Klar is sick... she can't accompany me today."

I look at her for a few seconds and then I try to rethink the past two weeks that I've been staying here. Aside from waking up here, having an argument with Gabriel, and mistaken an asshole as a deaf guy, there's nothing much happened to me.

All plain and boring, like if I'm living in a fiction world right now, I'd assume that the author is struggling from a writer's block with a side dish of mild depression, anxiety, and severe hopelessness, causing her to make this book so lifeless and boring.

"I mean, it's okay you can say no if you don't really want to." Her voice pull me out of my trance.

I release a deep breath before saying, "No, it's alright. I'll go." I say. Not because I want to do her a favor, but because I want to do myself a favor. I wanna explore how this world works. I wanna feel like I belong to it because I've been wandering for a long time, trying to find my way back home.

Her face lightens, like she didn't expect that I'd say yes. "Oh my God! Wow! Thank you!" She squeals and the she did the most awkward thing for me.

She gives me a brief hug and she squeezes me before letting go.

"But are you sure? I'm not pressuring you, huh? Hindi ka naman napipilitan?" She tries to assure me but excitement was still written all over her face.

"Nope," I say. "I really wanna go out, too." Maybe I can buy something, too? I hope this world has Delight probiotic drink stored in big bottles. I hope they have some yogurt ice cream, too.

"Okay, okay. I'm just gonna go take a shower. I'll drop by at your house at like..." She stops, crinkles her eyes as she thinks of a time. "Does 10 AM sounds good to you?" she finally asks after a few seconds of pause.

I nod. "Sounds good." I reply and the she bid her excitement and cheerfully goodbye before we separate ways.

***

I went back home just to see my Dad sitting on the hammock placed on the porch feeding... birds?

He is feeding birds. They're three birds as I can count and they look majestic... except the other one. The other bird is blue in color while the other one with the longer beak has feathers that are emerald green in color. They look like this kind of birds that National Geographic channel would pay thousands of dollars for the transportation, equipment, and production just to capture them and their movements.

They're basically stars while the third one looked so out of place... it looks local. Brown in color, the kind of bird that I usually see as they sit and chill on the electricity wires posts.

They're all eating at the palm of my Dad and there's a faint smile plastered on his face as he watches them beak at the grains that he has on his palm.

I decided to take a few steps forward to take another good look before I go but it seems like my Dad as a strong radar when it comes to my presence.

Bumaling ang tingin niya sa akin at nginitian niya ako. Sinuklian ko siya ng isang tipid na ngiti.

"They look beautiful, aren't they?" He asks, giving them a brief glance.