The Warrior 1: Primo

Chapter 26

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A GOOD VACATION. I left Luzon with good hopes that I would be having the best vacation I'll ever experience and a peaceful meditation away from any disturbances of the people who caused me my peace.

But peace was immediately crossed off the list seeing how the ship docked yesterday. Meditation? I couldn't even sleep knowing Primo was sleeping next door of my hotel room. Isa pa'y kung laging nasa bingit ka ng kamatayan ay hindi mo maiisipan na matulog.

Kahapon ng hapon nang dumaong ang barko na sinasakyan ko patungo rito sa Mindanao. Since we left the port, I have no contact with anyone from my family. I don't have their numbers, I couldn't even memorize my own. Hindi pa rin hinahatid ng kung sino mang kasama niya ang bag ko. Maybe he couldn't find it, the sea is big and deep so I wouldn't be surprised if it sunk to the deepest tranches of the ocean.

So I have no choice but to cooperate with my "bodyguard" para makasurvive rito. Every time he annoys the hell out of me o kapag naaalala ko ang ginawa niya five years ago ay gusto kong umutang ng pera sa kanya at kumuha ng pinakamaagang flight pabalik ng Maynila.

But my pride keeps me from doing it.

Una, ayoko na malaman ni Daddy ang nangyari. He'll go paranoid at hindi na ako makakalabas ng bahay 'pag nagkataon.

Pangalawa, hindi ko gustong magkaroon ng utang na loob sa lalaking sinumpa ko kay satanas.

And where is that spawn of evil? He's walking behind me like he didn't care about the world. I stopped myself from doing an eye-roll nang makita ko kung paano siya titigan ng mga guests at pati ng mga staff. They were a lot of interesting people in the dining hall, some are even foreigners, but they choose to look at this annoying man behind me.

Nasa restaurant kami ng hotel dahil may breakfast na kasama kada kwarto ang hotel na binook ni Primo. I planned on sneaking out and leaving earlier but I know him, he's never the person you can sneak out to. I've known that since college.

I put a halt on my thoughts.

Hindi ako facebook para mag throwback nang mag throwback sa mga memories namin ni Primo.

I went directly to the buffet tables and chose my breakfast from the array of foods that they have prepared. Mula roon ay dumiretso ako sa bakanteng pangdalawahang mesa na malapit sa bintana.

Primo followed silently.

Napataas ang kilay ko nang hindi siya umupo sa bakanteng upuan sa harap ko sa halip ay mas piniling umupo sa katabing mesa. Gusto kong itanong bakit 'di siya umupo sa harap ko gayong bakante 'yon at magkasama kami pero iisipin niya na gusto ko siyang kasabay kumain – so I chose to shut my mouth instead.

But my quizzical look never made past to Primo. He must've noticed when I was wondering kaya agad siyang nagsalita.

"I don't eat with my clients. I also remember you saying we're not close and we're not friends," he informed, his voice flat and void.

"Suit yourself, Mr. Bodyguard." I shrugged then started eating.

Malaki na siya, kaya niya na kumain mag isa. 

I have to thank him for remembering what I've said yesterday, muntik ko pa yata siyang bigyan ng konting kabaitan.

He doesn't deserve any of that and I hate him.

"Did you know that the glass of the hotel's window isn't bulletproof? Kung may babaril sa'yo na sniper, you'll be instantly dead," he said before he started eating. "But anyway, I doubt they can hire those kind of professionals,  hindi uso 'yon dito sa Pinas," dagdag pa niya.