Wrong Name, Wave

Chapter 3

"How fast do you want to go home?"

7 hours pa ang biyahe bago ako makauwi sa condo ko. And with that amount of time, marami na dapat akong matatapos. Wasting time will never be admitted on my list. 

"Mas mabilis pa sa kisapmata." I couldn't exactly recall how this man got me out of the house. Maybe my desperation did the thing for me, forbidding my consciousness to bring it to a halt.

"Roger that, ma'am." Sumaludo pa ito sa akin at may tinawagan sa phone niya. 

Mga 15 minutes na siguro siyang nag d-drive kaya puro mga puno pa rin at mga galang hayop ang nakakasalubong namin. Malimit ang mga dumadaang sasakyan dito kaya payapang tignan ngunit hindi ligtas sa isip manirahan. 

My alter ego has been debating with my state in the passenger seat. I could've just walked barefoot for my means of access to the exit way or called Evelyn. Because seriously? This is another ridiculous memory to remember.  

Pero nandito na ako. As long as I can benefit from this uncomfortable situation, I'll take it. 

"We'll use my chopper." 

Huh?

"I think I misheard you." Ngumisi ito sa pagtago ko ng gulat sa aking reaksiyon. "Your eardrums are working fine, so whatever your request is, we'll find a way." The veins in his hands vibrated in a velocity bump when he moved the gear lever. 

What a sinful sight. 

I drape myself back over the seat and fixated my eyes on the aerial perspective behind the car window. "This should be my view," I convinced myself.

"Can we stop over my house?" Ang pananalita niya'y malambing. Nawala 'yong bahid ng pagiging agresibong malaman kung ano ba talaga ang nagbago sa 'kin. 

But I shouldn't feel safe and sound because what if he's only playing safe? The fact that he couldn't condition himself into calling me by my real name means he's still stuck with whatever beliefs he has. 

Wala akong sagot na binigay sa kanya kahit tango pero nag-iba ang ruta namin. Alam na alam niya ring basahin ang katahimikan ko. 

I expected that we'd be arriving in a huge house like the one we have, but we are welcomed by a one-story house covered up with a contemporary design. The glass was classically set up in a sleek manner, making every feature compliment each other. It's not that massive, but the vibes scream class.

"Dito ka lang, ha? Babalik din ako agad." Tinanggal na nito ang seatbelt niya at bumaba. Akala ko ay isasama pa niya ako sa loob.

Ilang sandali pa ay lumabas na ito kasama ang isang matangkad din na lalake na naka buzz cut. If I'm not mistaken, he's @tobias7. So this is what stalking do to you. You get to know a lot of people by only tailing one target. 

"Oh we have a passenger princess here," bungad niya agad pagkaupo sa backseat. Umirap ako dahil parang boy version ito ni Evelyn. 

Maingay, makulit, at sakit sa ulo.

"Shut up, Tob. By the way, Zel—"

"Ruth. Call me by my name." Ano ba kasing meron sa Zelda na 'yan?

"He's Tobias, the pilot and my cousin."

He'd rather utter curses than mention my name. 

"Hey there. Actually I've known you since we were kids. Lagi kang kwine-kuwento sa akin noon ni Wave tuwing nagbabakasyon sila sa Canada. We didn't get to meet because I heard you disappeared so, welcome to the Philippines?" Natakpan ng tawa niya ang musika sa loob ng kotse. 

I'm not in favor of whatever bang is going to crash here so I ignored them both. Nagkunwari na lang akong may ginagawa sa phone ko. 

After a while, I heard them unfastening their seatbelts. Sumunod akong lumabas sa kanila at niyakap ang sarili dahil sa lakas ng hangin na sumalubong sa 'kin. 

"Don't get sick." I felt a thick knitted cream jacket embraced me. He fixed it on me and I couldn't complain dahil nanginginig talaga ako sa lamig. His arms dropped on my shoulder as he led the way to the chopper.

Nikita kong nakasuot na ng uniform si Tobias at may mga kausap siya. I removed Wave's arm on me dahil alam ko ang tumatakbo sa isipan niya tuwing malapit kami sa isa't isa at ayaw ko 'yon. I can never accept to be treated this way by anyone through tricking their mind that I'm the person they want to act right with. 

The runway area is surrounded with a field of green. It should look exciting to watch and think that I would ride in a chopper for the first time, but the passage to my positive hormones is blocked. 

"Are you ready?" After the safety briefing ay nauna na atang lumipad ang utak ko. Gusto-gusto ko nang makalayo sa taong 'to.

"Nakasakay ka naman na nito dati kaya baka maninibago ka lang konti." At doon ako napatingin sa kanya.

"What are you talking about? This is my first time."

"Marami ka na nga talagang nakalimutan."

I wanted to express my rage of disapproval, but I stopped. Since the day I came back, I'm being emotionally tortured again. It's like there will always be this sensitive spot that fan the flames of the past, which is in a state of limbo. 

Ginusto ko lang bumalik para subukang magpatawad, but I gained more bones to pick that again, needs an extra time to be forgiven. 

"I hope this will be the last time we'll see each other. Ayoko nang may dumagdag pa sa mga trauma ko." I heard him take breaths.

"The world is too small for us. Besides, I have appointments in your city. So, see you again?" He smiled. Iyong ngiting hindi nahahaluhan ng anumang biro. Ngiti iyon na parang umaasa ito sa maraming bagay na hindi ko alam kung paano niya makukuha dahil labas na ako do'n.

Sumagi na sa isipan ko na maaari siyang makatulong sa mga eksplenasyon na gusto kong marinig pero umatras din ako sa posibilidad na 'to. 

He should accept first that I am not Zelda. Because every time her name will be in the conversation, a part of me aches, overthinking that I do not have my own identity. 

We landed, sooner that I waited for. I'm carrying my small luggage because I refused anyone to do it for me. 

"Nagpasundo na ako kay Evelyn kaya hindi niyo na ako kailangang ihatid," sabi ko nang nakatingin kay Tobias.

"We insist, Ruth. You're our responsibility." Umiling agad ako dahil isa rin sa mga ayaw ko ang nagsasayang ng oras ng iba. 

"Let me decide on this one." Aangal pa sana si Wave pero tinitigan ko nang mariin si Tobias para siya na mismo ang mag-aya sa kanyang umalis. 

Gladly, they didn't force me. Hinintay ko munang makaalis sila bago ako naglakad sa sidewalk. 

At a snail's pace, tiny drops from above started serving as my roof of my solitude. I have no umbrella or a signal to use. Wala ring malapit na masisilungan kaya nagpatuloy na lang ako sa paglalakad.

People may look at me as someone who should be given sympathy, but I don't need any of those now. The storm may fall, but I'm already rooted in the ground—I should be applauded, not rescued. 

"Ruth? Sakay na!" May tumigil na sasakyan sa gilid ko at nakita ko si Mr. Feur, my boss. 

Malakas na ngayon ang ulan kaya basang-basa na ako. Maaapektuhan ang sasakyan niya. 

"Come on. We have a meeting in the office." Hindi na ako naka hindi at sumakay na lang. Siya na rin ang nagpasok sa luggage ko. 

I blinked for a couple of times, making sure I didn't see a ghost across the road. 

It's really Wave...looking at us with an umbrella in his hand.