Dealing with the Delinquents (Finally Completed)

Special Chapter: iv.2 you'll be missed

Lunch time it is. Mag-aalas kwatro na ng hapon and Xander hasn't come back from his meeting so I decided to have my lunch, kung matatawag pa nga pang lunch, in a near restaurant. I actually wanted to wait for him kaso gutom na talaga ako. Maybe I'll join him in dinner. I fixed myself bago tuluyang lumabas ng bahay. I wore my sneakers and changed into jeans and shirt. Ibinili din ako ni Xander kanina ng gamot kaya hindi na gaanong masakit ang puson ko. I can't wait to spend the rest of the week here with him. After ng meeting nya mamaya ay makakapamasyal na kami at makakapaglibang.

I am near the restaurant when something caught my attention. Naupo muna ako sandali sa unahang bahagi ng restaurant. It is not a closed type resto at maaliwalas din dahil nakaharap ito sa dalampasigan. It's like those Hawaiian Resto that I've seen on magazines.

A lady went near me and handed me their menu. I scanned the whole pages and just ordered Lechon special Fried Rice omelette and Sari-Sari, savory soup with a mixture of local vegetables of long eggplant, long squash, onchoi, tomatoes and onions, simmered with baby shrimp and crispy pork, and a buko juice.

"Wag mo na iyang pansinin Hija. Palagi na lang may nabibiktima ang mga iyan at labas pasok na din sila sa kulungan. Layuan mo na lamang kung nais mo ay sa loob ka na kumain."The lady warned me when she noticed me staring at those young men.

"Kawawa naman po yung babae." I said while still staring at them,  then suddenly one of them caught my gaze. Agad akong nag-alis ng tingin. "Hindi sya masasaktan kung ibibigay nya lang ang kailangan nila. I'll just call the security para mapaalis sila dyan." She added like seeing those young men doing that is normal. The lady smiled at me bago ito tuluyang umalis ngunit hindi pa din ako patigilin ng konsensya ko sa mga nakikita ko. It's like seeing those delinquents again and I just can't stand doing nothing.

Muli kong ibinalik ang tingin ko sa kanila only to find out that he's still looking at me. Maya maya ay nakita kong nagtatakbo na ang babaeng pinapalibutan nila kanina and here they are coming towards me. One of them sits on the chair across my round table while the other one sits beside me and the other are on the other table. Inilibot ko ang paningin ko and some costumers are staring at me and some are probably talking about us. Talking about trouble.

I looked at the man in front of me and eyed him like asking him through eye contact. He then suddenly burst into laughter making me clueless. What kind of psycho is he? Inilahad nito ang kanyang kamay na tila may hinihingi. Pinagtaasan ko lang naman sya ng kilay na tila ikinapikon niya. Nagsimula na ding lumapit sa akin ang ba nyang kasamahan. I thought they are just simple young men like my delinquents not until I felt the cold tip of a knife on my side. Tila nanlamig ang buong katawan ko sa naramdaman ko. They're damn serious.

"Hindi nakakatuwa ang pagtitig mo." He said in a dangerous tone. More dangerous than Xander's, I guess? Naputol ang pagtitig ko dito at napatingin na lamang ako sa sahig. I can't look at his eyes anymore. It's different. I haven't been so afraid for my life again, ngayon na lang ulit. Ngayon alam ko na kung bakit ganoon na lamang ang takot nung babae kanina at kung bakit hindi din sila mapakialaman ng mga tao dito. They are afraid of them as much as I am now. Akala ko ay mahina lamang talaga ang babaeng iyon at kakayanin ko dahil naranasan ko na ang makihalubilo sa kagaya nila ngunit nagkamali ako.

Mas lalong idiniin ng lalaking nasa glid ko ang kutsilyo. Kaunting diin pa at sigurado ako babaon na ito. Hindi ko na din maitago pa ang takot na nararamdaman ko. I want to scream. Scream his name and save me.

I was about to lose hope when someone pushed that man on my side who's holding the knife and grab my wrist and drag me. Tumama ang tagiliran ko sa silya making me scream in pain but surely that knife will be more painful. Napalingon ang lalaking humila sa akin. I'm sure I never met him but he's familiar. He looks like someone I knew. Those eyes that closed eight years ago. It's like his eyes.