This is a side story requested by my ever so loyal friend, classmate, and kapwa ko dyosa. Ahahaha. xD
Ang kumontra.. ipapahuli ko sa malalaking tutubi na nagtatago sa bundok umiiskembyular. wahahahaha!!
CHARLE’S POV:
Nick’s already inside the mall..
Cheska thought of this idea… but Dominic did all the work. He doesn’t even want us to help him.
Selfish moron.
Erick already left. And me?
I don’t know what’s keeping me here.. when there’s actually nothing left for me now.
as I saw the lights in the mall lit up one by one.. I realize.. I have to let go of her again..
I turn my back at the mall and started walking away. As I’m walking towards my car, I saw a girl running towards the mall.. it looks like she’s in a rush..
“I’m sorry miss.. but you can’t go in there.” I said as I stepped in front of her blocking her way.
“Anong can’t go??” she yelled.
Why does she have to yell? I’m just right in front of her. I think my eardrums exploded the moment her voice vibrated into my ears.
“This mall is reserved. You can’t go inside..” I replied.. trying to keep my patience.. if she gets in.. nicole’s moment will be interrupted.
“reserved?? Sino namang baliw ang nagpapareserve ng isang buong mall aber??! Tabi nga! May kailangan akong bilhin sa loob.” She said sounding irritated.
“Actually, I did the reservation. But I’m not crazy.” I said while looking down at her. She’s not that tall. I assume she’s still a teenager.
Kids. *sigh*
“sabi nang tabi eh!” and then she pushed me. And run like an animal towards the mall.
As I said she’s smaller than I am so I outrun her and I immediately caught her arms. But she’s weird. I’m holding her arms but she’s still running but not moving of course.. and she’s shouting. “WAAAAHH!! KAILANGAN KONG MAKAPASOK DIYAN!! MAY KAILANGAN AKONG BILIN!! BITIWAN MOO KOOOO!!”
I hold her firmly and then spin her to face me. “Stop shouting for God’s sake! What is wrong with you?!”
“Putcha!! Sinabi kong bitiwan mo ko! Ano ba di mo maintindihan doon??! May kailangan akong bilin sa loob ng mall na yan!” her face red.. I don’t know if it’s because of the shouting or the running part that makes her face red as a tomato.
“and I told you you can’t go in!” I said slowly losing my temper..
“WAAAHH!!! SABI NANG BITIWAN MO KO EH!!”
Then she started stomping her feet like a 5-year old child with tantrums.
With all her shouting.. I’m afraid dom and nick will hear her. So I grab him by the waist and carried her away from the mall.
“WAAAHH!! KIDNAAAP!! TULLOOOONGGG!!”
She shouted as I’m dragging her away.. she keeps on fighting.. trying to free herself from my hold.. but she’s a girl.. so she’ll fail.. she can’t get away from me.. and I won’t let her go..
“shut the f*ck up!” I said when I can’t take her shouting anymore.
And suddenly she stopped fighting. Good thing we’re beside my car now so I drop her to her feet.
She suddenly face me and then I felt the force of her hand on my face.
“F*CK YOU TOO! Gago ka ah!! Sino ka para sabihan ako ng ganun??! KIDNAPPER! RAPIST! …. AARRGGH! I HATE YOU!!” she yelled into my face.
She slapped me?? What’s wrong with this girl??!
“Did I say fuc* you?! Are you deaf??! I said shut the f*ck up!”
“parehas na rin yun!! May f*ck pa din!! Atsaka wag ka nga mag-english!! Nasa Pilipinas ka! Magtagalog ka!” she’s still yelling.
She turn around and started walking again..
“Where the hell are you going??!”
“Alam mo hindi ko alam kung bobo ka o bobo ka talaga. Ang sabi ko papasok ako ng mall kasi may kailangan akong bilhin! At subukan mo ulit akong buhatin at pigilan.. sisigaw talaga ako!”
So she’s not shouting the whole time?? That’s her.. her normal way of talking??
“huh. You’ve been shouting the whole time, and surprise! No one’s around to hear all your yelling. I told you, that mall is reserved. No one can enter that mall. So If I were you.. I’ll just go back tomorrow. Or go find another mall.”
She put her hands on her waist and looked at me. “anong sinabi ko kanina??! Di ba sabi ko nasa Pilipinas ka kaya magtagalog ka!! At pangalawa. Ngayon ko kailangan yung kailangan ko! At dito lang sa mall na to meron nung hinahanap ko! Kaya wag mo na kong habulin ulit!”
And the next thing I knew.. she’s running back again to the mall.
*Sighs* Isn’t she aware that her limbs are short and I have longer limbs.. so I’ll just caught her again and drag her again away from the mall.
“WAAAHHH!” there she goes again.. as I said.. I’ll reach her in a matter of time.
“IBABA MO KOO! IBABA MO KOO SABII EEHH!!” she said while she’s hitting my back. I’m carrying her now like a pig. A very noisy pig at my shoulder..
“Shut up okay! Why do you have to be sooo noisy?!!”
“TAAGAAALLOOOOG!! AT IBABA MO KO!! RAAAPPPPEEE!!! KIIDDDNNAAAAPP!! TTUUUULLLLOOONNNGGG!!!!”
This time I’ve learned my lessons. So I didn’t put her down, not until she’s inside my car and I’ve put on her seatbelts. I run to get to the other side. The moment I get inside, I saw her trying to take her seatbelts off. I hold her hand. Stopping her.
“Ano bang balak mo sa’kin ha??!” she immediately stole her hands from my hold.
I insert the key to the ignition.. the moment the car roared to life. I started driving.
“I’m planning on taking you away from here. ‘coz obviously you can’t unders—“
“tagalog!”
“*sigh* okay. Ilalayo kita sa mall. Kasi di mo maintindihan yung english ko.”
“tss! Anong akala mo sa’kin bobo??!” she leaned at the passenger seat, put her arms across her chest and pout like a child. “nakakaintindi ako no! wag mo ko igaya sa’yo!”
Staring at her lips.. I wonder where all her voice come from. It seems so small for all those noise.
“anong tinitingin-tingin mo?! Eyes on the road. Tss!” she whispered something after but I didn’t hear it clearly so I just ignored it.
Next followed a long silence..
When I can’t take the silence anymore..
“what is it that you desperately need insid—“
“tagalog.” She said calmly. Wow that’s a first.
I swallowed first before speaking again... I don’t know why I did that.
“ano bang kailangan mo sa loob ng mall na yun?”
“ano bang paki mo??! Hindi ka lang kidnapper. Pakielamero ka rin?!! Dagdag mo sa resume mo yan! Baka makatulong! At hindi ako naniniwala na sa’yo tong kotse na to! For all I know carnapper ka din! At isang scam artist!”
She’s shouting again.. did I make a fatal mistake on breaking the silence??
“Hindi ako isang scam artist.. o carnapper. O pakielamero. O kidnapper. O rapist. O kung ano pa mang pumasok sa utak mo. I’m Charles. And I don’t write resumes, I don’t work for people, they work for me.”
“so? Pake ko?! Kung ano ka na sa utak ko, yun ka na sa paningin ko! Wala ka nang magagawa!”
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. Patience.. more patience..
“We’re inside my car. And there’s no mountain between us. We’re seating beside each other. Hindi ba pwedeng magsalita ka ng normal??”
“Ganito ako magsalita ng normal! Kung hindi mo na kaya.. eh di ibaba mo ko!! Sino ba kasing nagsabing isakay mo ko dito sa KOTSE MOO??!!”
She’s acting like a child. Breaking the ice was really a big mistake. So I just shut my mouth and say nothing. As I was driving.. I saw a fastfood chain drive thru. Then an idea pops in my mind. She’s acting like a child, so why not treat her like one?
I ordered sundaes for the two of us.. and stopped my car into the park near by.
“Out.” I said. I think it’s safe now. We’re far from the mall.. so even if she run, her legs will give up long before she gets near it.
“huh?”
“sabi ko labas.”
“tss.! Baliw!” and then she opened the door and went out.
I also left the car and started walking into one of the benches in the park. The sun’s shining brightly today. I just noticed.
I look at her now still standing right next to my car. Looking at me as if I did something weird.
“Are you waiting for Santa to come??” I shouted.
“Anong ginagawa mo??!” she shouted back. Still not moving.
“kakain tayo ng sundae!” and then I raise the plastic bag that holds our sundaes.
“akala ko para sa anak mo yan?!”
What she said just made me laugh a little bit. Ako? Anak? Do I look like I have one? I know I have denise. Which I love like my own daughter. But do I really look like I have a child?
“wala akong anak! Halika na dito. Matutunaw na to oh.”
She started walking towards me.. I can see hesitation in every step. As soon as she reached the bench where I am seating.. she just stood there.
“I don’t mind if you seat.”
“Ano ba talagang balak mo ha?!!”
“wala. Can you please stop judging me. I just thought you’d like some sundae. And it’s my way of saying sorry. For dragging you here.”
“sigurado kang walang lason yan?”
her remarks make me laugh again.
“Magkasama tayo the whole time. May nakita ka bang inilagay ko dito?”
She pursed her lips then she seat beside me..
I give her her sundae. She didn’t eat it. so I take one scoop of mine and put it in my mouth. I think she’s waiting for me to be poisoned. But she’ll have to wait forever before that happened.
“kainin mo na yan. Walang lason ..”
I saw her took a scoop, I thought she’s going to eat it.. but she face me and put it near me.. “kainin mo to!”
“huh?!”
“kainin mo na lang! dami pa arte! Dalii!” and then she put it nearer my face.
“fine!” then I ate it. She stare at me for a moment.
Nothing happened.
So she started eating her sundae.
We’ve been eating silently beside each other. As I watch her eat.. I realized she looks cute when her mouth is shut. Her skin is fair.. she’s glowing under the sun.. She have this little chinese eyes.. red cheeks.. pointed nose.. and thin-lined lips.. which are…. Kissable?
Wait! Stop! What am I thinking??!
“kung sundae ako tunaw na ko kanina pa. itigil mo nga ang pagtitig. Hindi kita bibigyan kahit na ikaw pa bumili nito.” She said mildly now.
I smiled. “pwede ka naman palang hindi sumigaw kapag nagsasalita eh..”
She looked up at me.. “sumisigaw ako kapag naha-heightened yung emotions ko. Ginalit mo ko kanina kaya ayun.”
“ano ba kasi talaga yung kailangan mong bagay na ubod ng importante?”
“katulad ng sinabi ko kanina.. ano bang pakialam mo? Hindi tayo close kaya hindi ko sasabihin sa’yo. Isa pa. Naiinis pa din ako sa’yo.”
“kahit na nilibre kita ng sundae?”
“kahit na! kumain ka na nga lang!!”
“okay. Hindi na ko magtatanong ulit..” nag-uumpisa na naman kasing tumaas yung boses niya.
I finished my sundae and waited for her to finish..
“hay. Sarap talaga.”
“your favorite?”
“hindi. May sweet tooth lang talaga..” J
She stood up.. “thanks for the sundae. and sorry for almost shattering you eardrums. But I’m not going to apologize for anything else. You deserve the rest of it.”
I smiled.. before I’m able to say anything..
“and the next time you’ll reserve a mall. Pwede wag mo naman itapat sa araw na may kailangang kailangan ako?? Kung pwede lang naman..”
“I thought…”
“bye Charles.” And then she walked away..
“wait! Ihahatid na kita.”
She turned to face me.. and at that moment I don’t know why or how.. but it seemed like everything seems to stop and she’s moving in a slowmotion. Her shoulder-length hair swaying around. Her face beautiful with that smile.. and her skin just glowing..
“no thanks. Kaya ko umuwi mag-isa.. Stalker.” And then she smiled. “I doubt that we’ll see each other again, but just in case we’ll bump into each other for another time, atleast you know my name..
I’m RB. RB Santiago. And I understand English very well.”
And with that she walked away. Hailed a taxi. And left..
AND ALL I CAN THINK OF IS... WHAT THE HELL DID THAT GIRL DID TO ME??