Chess Pieces #2: Hunter Sanford

Chapter 8

Hunter took my flight again back to the Philippines. So I wasn't surprised when the aircraft landed and I found him waiting for me again on the first class seats as I went out the cockpit area. I rolled my eyes when I saw his smirk at magkasabay na kaming bumaba ng eroplano.

Hunter's stalking went on for days. Then days became weeks and weeks became months. I tried to make him stop following me every damn time but he just wouldn't. Nasusunod ang gusto nya. Especially when he's buying first class ticket just to be with me on my every flight.

How much money is he wasting just for this? Hindi lang kasi flight tickets ang pinagkaka-gastusan nya. Even the accommodation at the hotels where I am staying at all the places and countries na nagiging flight ko. And Hunter didn't even missed one single flight of mine ever since he said that he'll start chasing me.

I don't even know why he's doing this! We only have like few interactions before. Bilang na bilang ko pa sa mga daliri ko yung mga naging pag uusap namin! And now he's going to act like this? What the heck does he wants?

Well, it's not like he's bothering me. He's actually making me forget about Joshua. Dahil kapag nandito sya, nakakalimutan ako ang about sa break up dahil sa inis ko sa kanya. What I just don't like is that he's always, always following me wherever I go. But even so, I feel like he's the diversion that I need so I can forget about Joshua.

Hindi naman ganoon kadali ang makalimutan si Joshua. The feelings won't disappear easily just because we've broken up. I mean, nag-break kami then few days ay mawawala na agad ang feelings? Hindi ganoon. Especially that we shared five years together.

The normal things that I was doing for five years is not normal anymore. Hindi na normal na i-text, chat and call sya every morning, every night or every damn time na mami-miss ko sya. Hindi na normal na makipag-kita ako sa kanya right after my flight back in Manila. Hindi na normal na kumustahin sya. Hindi na normal na mukha nya ang gawing wallpaper ko sa phone ko. Hindi na normal ang sabihing mahal ko sya.

Everything is not normal anymore when it comes to him.

First few weeks is hard. Naaalala ko pa na kapag gumigising ako every morning, I would reach for my phone. With my dazed and sleepy self, I would type a good morning message for him. Saka ko lang mare-realize ang ginagawa ko kapag ise-send ko na ang message. Dahil hindi na naka-save sa contacts ko ang number nya.

Then, I would start to feel so stupid. Stupid for still doing those things for him. Kaya kahit na inis ako sa pagsunod-sunod ni Hunter ay hinahayaan ko lang. His presence is helping me forget about Joshua. I know that it will look like that I'm using him. But heck, I'm desperate. Desperate to make my feelings for Joshua disappear. Kasi sa mga araw na lumilipas ay mas lalong lumalala ang pagka-miss ko sa kanya. And I would just hate myself for feeling this way.

I glanced at the man who take the seat in front of me and immediately frowned when I saw who it was. He just sipped on his cup of tea, not minding the reaction that I'm giving him everytime that I saw him.

"What the heck are you doing here?" I asked. Itong tanong na ito ang lagi kong ibinubungad sa kanya kapag nagkikita kami.

"Drinking coffee." he said. I rolled my eyes.

"Obviously, you're drinking coffee. What I mean is, anong ginagawa mo dito? Paano ka nakapasok? This pantry if for GE Airlines' employees only."

I looked around and saw that some employees were also glancing our way with confused look mixed with adoration as they stared at Hunter in front of me.

"Uy, Captain. Sino 'yan, ha?" asar pa ng isang flight attendant sa akin na palagi kong nakakasama sa mga flights ko. Umupo sya sa table na katapat ng sa amin.