"Bakit ba ngayon pa umuulan?"
Ang swerte ko talaga kahit kailan. Ngayong araw lang ako pwedeng maghanap ng malilipatan yung mura lang kasi nga since um-absent ako, lulubusin ko na pero heto't umuulan naman. Pwede bang sa ibang araw naman sana ang ulan? Demmit. Hindi ata nauubos ang kamalasan ko. Great!
Sumilong muna ako sa waiting shed, buti naman at dalawa lang kami dito. Wala naman kasi masyadong naglalakad sa mga oras na ito dito. It's 7pm in my watch. Tatlong oras na akong naglilibot sa siyudad and to my dismay wala pa akong nagugustuhan. Kung bakit? Hindi ko rin alam, ayoko namang makipag-deal agad-agad kasi baka magsisi lang ako. Kukunti nalang ang pera ko dapat ko itong e-budget ng mabuti.
Hinalukay ko ang bag ko to find my mahiwagang payong. Ang alam ko nagdala ako kanina. Hindi lang nga ako sure kasi wala ako sa tamang huwisyo kanina, potek talaga. Hindi na ako iinom ulit.
"George?"
Natigil sa ere ang kamay kong naghahanap. Inangat ko ang mukha ko and there I saw him again.
"Renz?" just to make sure. Baka kasi nagha-hallucinate ako e.
"Ikaw nga!" he said enthusiastically.
I smile at him, kahit medyo basa siya sa ulan, hindi man lang nabawasan ang appeal at kagwapuhan niya, samantalang ako, ah! Never mind.
"Anong ginagawa mo dito?" I asked.
"Sumisilong? Kasi lakas ng ulan. Nandun pa sa BDO yung sasakyan ko. Ikaw ba?" tanong niya pabalik.
"Sumisilong din. Bigla kasing umulan."
"Ah. Saan ba punta mo?"
"Ah kung saan-saan lang. Naghahanap kasi ako ng malilipatan."
"Oh. Independent woman."
"Hindi rin. Hehe! Walang choice eh."
"Ha bakit naman? Nasan ba ang pamilya mo?" nakakunot-noo niyang tanong.
"Ah wag na nating pag-usapan." I said closing the topic. Ayaw ko ng ma depress.
"Hmmm. okay." good thing na-gets niya naman."Well I have a spare apartment." he said smiling.
"Ha? Apartment? Kwarto lang ang kailangan ko. For me to stay for at least a week."
"You can stay there. Isang week lang pala. Wala naman kasing nakatira dun."
Is he serious? If he is, will I say yes? Nakakahiya naman. But it's a good opportunity. I can save a lot. Wala ng gastos sa renta. But it's too good to be true. Ano nalang ang sasabihin niya sa akin? Baka kasi he's asking me lang out of courtesy. Baka sabihin niya ang kapal ng mukha ko na pumayag lang agad sa alok niya? Pero siya naman ang nag-o-offer diba? I didn't ask him. At bakit ko ba kinakausap ang sarili ko?
"Uhmm. Nakakahiya. Okay lang ako Renz." totoo. Nahihiya ako.
"Don't be. Okay we will have a deal."
"Ha? What? What deal?" what is he talking about?
"I'll let you stay at my apartment, as long as you want, but act as my gf as a token." he is serious. Dammit.
"WHAT? B-but y?" nalilito tuloy ako sa kanya.
"Just to make someone, let's say regret and be jealous."
Nandito kami ngayon sa "spare" apartment niya. Define "spare apartment"?
Well if we say spare, it means extra, excess, tira-tira. But what the heck? Hindi ito joke, this apartment is in style and passably elegant. Bakit sa kanya spare lang? He must be damned rich. Now I'm confuse, nakakahiya and baka sabihin niya manggagamit ako. And speaking of "user", well, he's using me too, at least not yet today. I will act as his girlfriend. So we are quiet even. Demn.
"Okay na ba ito? Kunting linis lang naman to, and this will be a good shelter." sabi niya habang isa-isang kinukuha ang mga nakabalot na tela sa mga gamit.
"Of course! It's more than okay. Are you sure patitirahin mo ako dito?" I'm a lucky bish after all.
"Yes. Don't give me that look." he said smiling.
"What?" natatawa kong sabi. Now I'm really really confused.
We just met a few hours ago. But he's here telling me I can live here, in his apartment. Napakadali naman niyang magtiwala sa tao. Kung ako siya, no, hindi to pwede sa akin. I don't trust much. It's too scary to trust people immediately.
"Hindi ka ba nag-aalala na baka ibenta ko ang mga gamit mo? I can make use of them, you know? Money."
Maganda lahat ng gamit dito. And I can't digest well na spare lang talaga ito sa kanya.
Bigla siyang tumawa. Napakunot ang noo ko. Yeah I was joking but he should not laugh exaggeratedly! Lol. Was it really that funny ha?
"Bakit ganyan ka makatawa? Alam ko nagets mo ang joke ko but it's not that funny?" I said. Really surprised to hear his big laugh.
Tumikhim siya and he stop laughing.
"Well, I find you amusing and your joke funny." he said while starting to form a smile in his lips again.
"Ano naman ang nakaka-amuse sa joke na ibebenta ko ang mga gamit mo?" Okay weird.
"Naaah. I don't know. It amuses me."
"Ahh okay. So maa-amuse ka pa kaya kapag tinotoo ko?" syempre joke lang ulit.
"Hahaha! Oh stop it Georgy."
Tumawa lang ako. Nakakahawa naman yung tawa niya.
The next day.
I'm here packing my things, syempre nandito ulit ako sa Villa Azun. And aalis na ako dito.
I don't really know if this is the right thing to do, but for now I have no other choice.
Though I'm still not prepared sa "token" na sinasabi niya bilang kabayaran sa pag stay ko sa "spare" apartment niya, I will grab it. Hindi sa dahil gusto ko kundi dahil kailangan ko talaga. My situation leaves me one doubtful choice, the choice to accept his deal in order for me to survive for at least a week. Creepy and frightening and insane. And lastly I smell trouble!
I checked out and pulled my black and violet stroller. May bagpack din ako. Plano ko pa namang mag jeep nalang para tipid pero makakaabala lang ako sa ibang pasahero, so again that leaves me no choice but to spend some bucks para mag taxi. Maka "bucks" ako eh no? Hahahaha!
While I was busy checking every corner of his apartment when my antique phone rings.
"Hello Renz?"
"Are you already at the apartment?"
"Oo. Bakit?" tanong ko. Dudugtungan ko pa sana ng 'Why are you calling?' question kaso masyado naman akong feeler.
"Without further ado, I want you to blow my ex-gf's mind today. Game?"
"W-w-what? As in now na? Today talaga? Hindi ako prepared!" I blew out a sigh. Grabe nakaka stress naman.
"Yes, I'm sorry for telling this soon but may party kasi mamaya and I don't want to go there alone giving her the idea that I'm not yet moving on." kalamado pero I can hear the signs of pleading.
Sino ba naman akong tumanggi sa tumulong sa akin? Okay, I know this means trouble but I already agreed to this.
"Anong oras ba?" I asked. Hiding my bored look behind the cellphone.
"Gonna pick you up by 6pm in your apartment."
"Ha? My apartment? You mean your apartment?"
"A-huh. Basically it's your apartment at the moment kasi you are the one staying there."
Is he serious? So if by chance i'll ask him to give me this apartment malaki ang chance na talagang ibibigay niya ito? Alam ko being generous is a good deed but he is beyond the line.
Wait, what the hell am I thinking? I laughed alone. Ghad, I have a weird mind.
"What's so funny, George?"
He heard. Lol.
"I'm sorry some thoughts just crossed my mind. Okay kita nalang tayo mamaya."
"Okay. See you!"
Binaba ko na ang antique kong cellphone. Sorry naman ang luma na talaga e. Hehehe!
It's still 1pm. Ano naman ang gagawin ko ngayon? I can't go out takot ko lang na makagastos. Hahah!