SHE was watching a movie in a pangmahirap na cinema one weekend when he heard someone whisper. “Mamatay kaya yan sa dulo ng movie,” the male uttered in a low voice. Scarlette covered her ears because of the spoiler guy.
She stood up. Kanina pa siya naiinis sa nasa likod niya na kanina pa daldal ng daldal tungkol sa ending. “Ikaw ba yung narrator nung storya?” she asked politely.
Tinignan naman siya nung lalaki. “Ah, hindi,” he said as if it was a common knowledge.
“SHH!” pagsita sakanila ng katabing customer.
“SH your face! At ikaw, tumahimik ka dyan kung ayaw mong batuhin kita ng gold bars!” pagbabanta niya at umupo na. Inirapan lang siya nung babae na kadate nung lalaking sinita nya. Napa-isip tuloy siya. Uh. There are many fishes in the sea. But she didn't know that a shrimp can watch a movie.
As much as she wanted to hit the couple with her Jimmy Choos, she composed herself and went back to the movie.
“Ang epal naman nung babae,” bulong uli nung lalaki pero hindi nakatakas ito sa hampaslupa senses ni Scarlette. Tila naman narindi si Scarlette sa narinig. "Me, epal? Excuse me!" she said in her haid.
“Hindi naman sakanya yung sinehan eh,” the girl added. Boom. She had reached her limit. If they only knew na talagang kayang bilhin ng isang Scarlette Harper ang sinehan—o baka naman yung buong mall. Idagdag mo na ang kaluluwa niya, (na kanina pa nakaluwa) kayang kayang bilhin yun ni Scarlette.
So she stood up and said, “Alam mo, kung bubulong ka, pakihinaan! Tsaka ano ba? Manunuod ba kayo o magdadaldalan?”
"SH! Ano ba?" saway nang ibang nanunuod. Nakatingin na rin halos ang lahat sa kanila.
“SH your face ulit! This is none of your businesses!" she said and threw some popcorn. The cinemas roared because of anger.
Dumating naman ang guard, “Ma’am andami niyo na pong naiistorbo. Lumabas na po kayo,” utos nito at pinakita pa yung batuta. She rolled her eyes in disbelief. Oh great, another first time.
“Syempre, alanganamang pumasok uli ako? Tanga ka ba? Bilhin ko kaya yang kaluluwa mo?”
With lack of dignity, she walked out and swore she will do everything to get this mall down and her bwiset kababata. Leche.
She had a bright idea. Magsha-shopping na lang siya. Syempre, ano pa ba ang mas magandang gawin kesa sa mamili ng damit. Afterall, naubusan na siya ng bagong damit since she never repeats a dress. Para sa'n pa ang kayamanan niya?
Pero ang mas matindi, para sa'n pa ang kagandahan niya kung iiwan din pala siya ng ‘ka-date’ niya?
AFTER several hours of shop ‘til you drop marathons, she had reached the counter with tons of clothes in her hands.
"Ma’am is that all?” sabi nung nasa counter. She rolled her eyes and nodded. But in her head, she might want to stab that girl with her high heels. Ang tagal!
" 6 thousand po lahat, pagsasamahin ko na po ba sila no'ng mga accessories?"
"Hindi, gusto mo ihiwa-hiwalay mo pa para aksayado sa paper bag, kayo naman bumibili ng paper bag, di ako,” she said. Uminit na nga kasi ang ulo niya dahil sa encounter sa cinema.
“Ilalagay ko po ba sa paper bag?” she once again asked, as if Scarlette didn't understand her
“Hindi, ilagay mo dito sa bulsa ko,” she sarcastically said.
"Alam mo Miss, sumosobra na yang kapilosopohan mo!" she said while striking thunder looks at Scarlette. Agad naman na nandiri ang dalaga dito. Ew, so pangit she said in herself.
"Oh really? Good!" she said the smirked.
“You’re so mean!”
"Thank you," she simply said and smiled.
"That's not even a compliment!" the lady in the counter protested.
"Para sa'kin, oo," sabi niya, binato ang pera sa muka ng kahera, kinuha ang paper bags at umalis. The employee was dumbfounded.
She went home because she was really pissed with everybody’s face.
She was welcomed by a maid who resembles Vice Ganda. "Hello po ma'm! Muka po kayong malungkot." She added some pint of concern and pouted that made Scarlette almost threw up.
"Masaya ako kahit nakasimangot ako,” she reasoned while using her hands to fan. The air was humid. Tumatagaktak na ang pawis ni Scarlette dahil hindi siya sanay na mainitan.
"Ay ang abnormal mo naman ma'am," the maid said.
"Are you talking to me or are you describing yourself?”
“Ha? Ano po yung describing?” the maid asked. Scarlette mentally facepalmed herself.
“WHATEVER! Just go fix that freaking aircon.”
“Ma’am but it broken!” she explained. Akala siguro ni Ma’am siya lang ang marunong mag-english! –was the thought that runs in the maid’s head.
“What?” naguguluhang tanong ni Scarlette. May nakaintindi ba naman kasi sa sinabi nung maid?
HA! Nganga si ma’am sa English ko! She thought.
“I say, it’s broken! Uh no! It’s not broken. Just bent! And we can learn to love again!” she said with matching pakanta ng ‘Just Give Me a Reason’
“What are you saying? Tanga ka talaga,” Scarlette said. The maid actually thought she won the conversation. Ang totoo, naiinis na si Scarlette sa kaniya.
“I’m not dummy! I’m clover!”
“Anong clover? Tanga! CLEVER! Umalis ka na nga dito!” she commanded then stood up. Scarlette threw dagger looks at the poor maid kasi sinundan siya hanggang sa kusina.
“YEH! Nice ma’am! Ang cool niyo pala kausap! We shall talk most often!” she said then her hand landed in Scarlette’s shoulder. Wrong move.
“You’re fired,” she simply said then walked away leaving her maid devastated.
--
SHE walked several times into her walk in closet trying to calm herself with different blood-boiling scenarios that happened to her in a span of a day.
She reminisced how her bullshit childhood friend boycotted their meetup or so called, date. But geez, dates are for hampaslupa kaya!
FLASHBACK:
“SCARLETTE!” a familiar voice called.
“Now what?” she asked with a pissed tone. Which is true because puro stress ang nangyare sa araw na ‘yun sakanya.
“Pumunta ka. 3pm. Mall.” He said then waved goodbye. He left out an ear to ear smile then a kiss flew in the air which gave Scarlette goosebumps.
Weird but Scarlette actually thought it was nice.
And she felt something weird in her tummy.
HAMPASLUPA SENSES!
Her thoughts were interrupted when her iPhone rang. She smiled when she saw her mother’s name plastered in the screen.
"Baby! I miss you. How's Philippines?" her mom said with tons of excitement. It made Scarlette smile. At the end of the day, meron parin palang magandang mangyayare.
"Mommy, I miss you too! Okay lang… Pwede ba akong sumunod diyan sa America?" she asked with tons of hope.
"Mekayla… we talked about this already,” she heard her father’s voice. Mr and Mrs Harperp did everything to give their daughter a good life—or even the BEST life.
"Besides, you need to run Harper Academy, right?" Mrs. Harper added that made Scarlette lit up. Ang school lang naman ang gusto niya talagang mamana.
"Yes, mommy, I miss you!" she happily said then smiled ear to ear. Her mother sensed that and she quickly smiled, too.
“Mr and Mrs Harper, you have to go,” a voice called and Scarlette’s smile dissolved.
"Okay. Bye Scarlette. Magpakabait ka na ha! I love you!" The phone call was ended and Scarlette wiped a tear. Miss niya na lang siguro kasi ang parents niya. Napalapit kasi siya ng sobra sa kanila kaya hindi niyo siya masisi.
She will always be a kid when it comes to her parents. Mahal na mahal niya ang mga ito and the least thing she can tolerate is to see her mom and dad cry.
She smiled at the thought of her childhood memories. Teka! CHILDHOOD! She remembered someone. “Yohanne.”
Si Yohanne ang nagpapunta sakanya sa mall tapos hindi rin pala siya sisiputin. Todo pabongga pa kaya si Scarlette tapos hindi pala sisipot? Kaya at the end, she watched a movie to kill time and boredom which resulted to humiliation.
Malamang ay mapatay niya ang kababata niya sag alit. Malamang lang naman. Ang ibig pa naman ng malamang niya ay oo.
“YOHANNE SANTA CRUZ!” pambungad naman ni Scarlette.
“What?” Yohanne answered. Tipid lang sa laway? Hindi naman siya ganun eh. Kung talagang malungkot lang. O baka naman malungkot nga siya?
“Bakit hindi mo ako sinipot?”
“Bakit naman kita sisiputin?” nagtatakang tanong ni Yohanne.
“K-kasi… MAGANDA AKO!”
*dododoo doot*
Nabato na ni Scarlette kung saan ang cellphone. Isa nanamang first time! Ang mababaan ng phone. Ang dami namang first time! Napansin niya ang picture na nakalapag sa table na katabi ng kama niya. Aga naman niyang kinuha ang picture nila ni Yohanne at ang kakambal nito nung bata pa sila.
Kelan kaya sila magkikita?