04 | ENCOUNTER
WHAT'S HAPPENING?
Hindi niya mapigilang hawakan ang dibdib niya at damhin ang bilis ng tibok ng puso niya. Animo'y aatakehin siya sa bilis nito kaya hindi niya mapigilang mapabuga ng malalim na hininga ng paulit hanggang sa kumalma na ang tibok ng puso niya.
It was Chase. It was not expected, but it feels like she just unexpectedly saw him here. This encounter must have meant something.
The man looked at her with his eyes open wide, while she was frozen in her place and did not know what to do.
Hindi niya alam kung sino ang mas gulat sa kanilang dalawa. Siya ba o ang lalaki. Ang alam niya, ang bilis nang tibok ng puso niya at hindi niya alam kung ano ang gagawin niya sa kinatatayuan niya.
Chase, on the other hand, with his eyes wide open, looked at the cup of tteokbokki and looked at her again. She saw how the man's ears reddened.
"Is this yours?" He was stuttering as if offering his whole life.
Umiling naman siya at sumagot, "I put it back because the price was expensive." At napayuko siya. Humina ang kaniyang boses pero pakiramdam niya ay narinig siya ng lalaki.
Hindi naman makasagot ang lalaki sa kaniya. Her eyes look at his feet. She saw how big it was compared to her feet. She was small. She was just five feet and two inches tall.
She almost slapped herself when she realised that she was thinking randomly and she had to face circumstances.
"Do you still want it? I can buy it for you," the guy said.
She looked up and looked at the rackers where the cups are all the same and she could not see another cup of the same tteokbokki they both picked up.
Napatingin siya kay Chase at malalim ang tingin nito sa kaniya.
What could she expect from the guy who stares everyone coldly? Chase could be misunderstood, but the fact his cold eyes were contradictory of what he has just said is something more that she wants to know more about him.
I still need it, she thought, but she just smiled a little and politely shook her head.
"I'm fine . . . ?"
Dumikit ang kilay ng mga lalaki. Probably, the man was confused by the way she answered because it sounded like a question at the end of her sentence.
She smiled fakely and turned her back, leaving the guy behind speechless.
Pumunta na lamang siya sa mga refrigerators at pumili ng bibilhing yoghourt drink. She came across what Kharla had bought and gave earlier and got one of it. She really likes the taste of it even though it got a weird one though it still tasted like strawberries. She also got Kharla's favourite drink, a soda.
Papalapit pa lamang siya sa kwarto ay nakita niya si Chase na nagbabayad sa counter ng mga pinamili nito. Nakita niya ang tteokbokki na hawak ng staff ng convenience store at sina-scan para malaman ang presyo. Nilayo niya na lamang ang tingin doon. She couldn't help herself, but envy how Chase can buy anything. Sa counter kasi ay may tsokolate, ramen cups, at mga energy drinks. It cost a lot for her especially she doesn't have a lot of money.
Chase is probably rich, she thought.
Nadatnan niya naman si Kharla na ngayon ay kumukuha ng hotdog sa refrigerator. Kahit gusto niyang balingan ulit nang tingin si Chase ay pinigilan niya ang sarili at napabuntong-hininga na lamang. Kharla seems to notice her but just gets hotdogs and puts them in a bun carefully.
"May bibilhin pa ba tayo?" Kharla asked.
She shook her head. "I don't have anything to buy. Baka chips?"
Tumango naman si Kharla sa kaniya at pumunta sila sa mga area ng chichirya. They found a cheese flavored chips and bought it. Habang papunta sa counter ay nag-calculate kaagad silang dalawa nang babayaran. Umabot ng one hundred plus ang babayaran nilang dalawa kaya si Kharla na lang ang um-offer na bayaran muna ito saka na lang siya babayaran ng hati mamaya.
Pagpunta ng counter ay ini-scan kaagad ito ng staff. They were right with their computation. After binayaran ay pupunta na sana sila sa table nila nang magtanong ang staff sa kanilang dalawa.
"Ikaw po ba si Precious ma'am na naka-blue?"
Napabaling sila sa staff at nakita itong may dalang tray na may tteokbokki cup na hinawakan niya kanina.
I thought nabili niya na ito.
"Yes po. Ako po si Precious. Bakit po?" she asked.
"May nagpapabigay po nito sa sa 'yo," sabi ng staff.
Nanlaki ang mga mata niya at tumingin sa labas ng store. Baka mahagilap niya pa nang tingin ang lalaki, yet she saw nothing of his existence outside.
"Sure po ba kayo na para sa kanina 'yan?" tanong ni Kharla sa mga staff.
Tumango naman ang staff. "May nakapula pong lalaki ang nag-request kanina na iluto po namin ito at ibigay po sa babaeng naka-blue na baka ikaw po, Ma'am at ang pangalan daw ay Precious."
Nagkatinginan sila ni Kharla. Kharla seems to be curious, while she knows who the guy was. Ngunit pinasa na lamang ni Kharla sa kaniya ang isang tray na puno ng pagkain nila at kinuha nito ang tray sa staff.
"Sige po, maraming salamat dito," Kharla said and they went to the table.
Pagkarating sa table ay umupo kaagad siya at hindi makapaniwala sa nangyari.
"It seems that you know the guy, Precious," Kharla started the conversation with a little bit of teasing tone on her voice.
"You know him, Kharla," she answered and felt her cheeks heated.
Ngumisi naman sa kaniya si Kharla.
"Oh, the guy from yesterday?"
She nodded.
Tumawa naman si Kharla.
"Sabi na nga ba, e. So, ano na?" Kharla asked and get her hotdog sandwich together with sauces. "Kakainin mo pa ba 'yan?"
Napabaling siya nang tingin sa tteokbokki cup. If this is for her, she will eat it. Kaso tinubuan siya ng hiya bigla at ewan niya sa sarili niya kung kakainin niya pa rin ba ito. In the end, she had no choice, but to eat the food.
Unang tikim, nakaramdam kaagad siya ng kasiyahan sa katawan niya. It felt like heaven shoot fireworks in her mouth. The constraints she had felt earlier suddenly vanished into thin air of her eating continuously and nonstop.
Kinuha niya rin ang hotdog sa sandwich niya gamit ang chopsticks at nilagay sa cup. Nilunod niya ito sa sabaw at kaagad na kumagat. Her eyes closed and felt her cheeks heated. She was smiling while eating the food and her hands both landed on her cheeks and opened her eyes. She looked at the food and it still looks appetizing.
She continued eating the food with a smile on her face, silently thanking Chase in her mind.
AFTERNOON CAME, almost five o'clock, people were already in the café ordering foods they would like to eat. Kharla and her were both busy outside, cleaning and arranging the seats, and decorating the stage to be used beside their café.
May banda na naman kasi mamaya. Hindi niya alam kung sino ang mga imbitadong singer, at mga banda. She was left with nothing, but to wonder why her Tita did this, yet she tried herself to become unbothered. Maybe her Tita likes to watch some singers and bands play some majestic songs that are trends nowadays that teenagers would like to hear that even adults could not resist.
Some of the workers were finally here and help them preparing the whole place outside, putting parasols on their table and some barrier to control the crowd later and to put some people their limits silently telling that if you are not going to be a customer, you'll not be able to watch the bands and singers perform, hyping the crowd.
May mga pulis na rin na pumapasok sa kanilang café, meeting her Tita for the possibility of what might happen in their café later and others were regular customers. Her Tita knows a lot of police here in town, so it's not hard to look for those people who can guard them.
However, while her mind was wandering nowhere, she started to think things that she never fathomed to think about while working. She could not stop herself even though she resisted to think about him, however, all she could think was Chase and his actions towards her.
Ramdam niya ang pag-init ng mga pisngi niya kasabay ng mainit na panahon. When she realised that she was thinking of him all this time, she tried to slap her face with both of her palms, but it was not helping at all. She tried to distract herself from the noise of the transport vehicles, yet she was not distracted after all.
This feeling of having a crush was so strong that I couldn't resist it, she thought.
Napailing na lamang siya at nagpatuloy sa paggawa.
However, one of her co-workers, Sashta, who happened to be her schoolmate, a senior high school student, asked, "Ayos ka lang?"
Her voice was gentle and calming. She wanted to answer that she was not, but she just answered, "Ayos lang."
Sashta brows furrowed, probably reading her, but she just smiled, a feign one.
"Kung okay lang sa 'yong makipag-usap sa akin, nandito lang ako," Sashta said and went to prepare the whole place.
She appreciated it, but she could not because she was embarrassed to talk with others about her problems, especially it's all about just a minor issue. Kahit gusto niya mang tanggapin ang offer ni Sashta, nahihiya rin siya rito lalo na't hindi pa sila masyado close ni Sashta at mas bata ito ng isang tao sa kaniya.
She wants someone who is older than her. Someone who knows anything. Knowing Sashta, she often sees her at school and probably the person does not mind having a crush at all.
She sighed. Her dilemma was so minor that others could have a solution to it, yet she was having a hard time finding a solution. How would she deal with it?
Napasimangot na lamang siya at nagpatuloy sa pag-aayos.
"Precious!"
She heard a man's voice calling her out of nowhere. Napatigil siya sa pag-aayos ng mga upuan at hinanap ang tumawag sa kaniya.
Metres apart from her was Clark. From her place, she could see how Clark was waving his hands excitedly with a momentous smile on his face.
He was holding on to the barrier they put earlier and people were looking in his direction. She could also feel the stares from her co-workers so she felt her cheeks heated from embarrassment.
"Oi, Precious, tawag ka!" narinig niyang saad ni Kharla.
"Hayaan mo na!" the only words she could reply, but the boy did not stop calling her.
Kharla seems so confused. Hindi pa rin tumitigil katatawag si Clark sa kaniya hindi kalayuan. Sa huli, wala siyang magawa kundi lapitan ang lalaki. She saw how Clark smiled when she finally stood up in his front.
The smile he was giving was attractive. He was giving the ambience of the sunshine after the storm. It was a smile that assures everything will be fine. It was very attractive, she could not deny that, but she was not interested in him. Maybe, there are things that she noticed and gave her interesting perceptions about him, yet it does not mean that she had a crush on him, rather, another ambience that only fit them together.
Friends. That's it.
"What do you want?" she asked with her blushing face.
Clark smiled even more that his eyes that was almost dissapearing, disappeared more.
"To see you, of course. Ano pa ba?" Clark answered.
Hindi niya mapigilang ipikit ang mga mata at kalmahin ang sarili.
She doesn't know why she was always mad at Clark, even though there was nothing to be mad about this boy. His ambience was a green flag without knowing himself. He smiles a lot. He was a friend to everybody. He was always gentle and respectful. He does not have an issue with his attitude and behaviour. Yet, maybe her madness and disappointment about him has something to do with what happened between their family. And it's an issue and a bad perception of her even though there was nothing to be mad about it.
"So, anong ginagawa mo?" Clark asked and he leaned towards her.
Her face grimaced.
"Obvious naman sigurong nagtatrabaho ako," sagot niya.
He pinched her nose. Napahawak kaagad siya sa ilong niya at tiningnan ito ng masama. Umalingawngaw naman ang tawa niya sa buong lugar.
"Why do you have to pinch my nose?" she asked madly.
He answered, "That's because you're cute."
Napasimangot siya.
"Clark!"
"Yes?"
Napabaling silang dalawa ni Clark sa tumawag dito. There, she saw one of his cousins who had been with him yesterday night together with Chase.
Chase was wearing the same shirt he was wearing earlier when she saw at the convenience store. But he didn't look like he had been wearing it at all. In Precious eyes, he looked fresh and his face was screaming of I-just-woke-up-from-my-afternoon-nap.
She couldn't help, but smiled a little, yet it vanished when she felt a poked on her cheeks.
"Why are you smiling?" Clark asked.
She looked at Clark and he was making a face indescribable.
"Ano naman sa 'yo?" she said annoyingly and turned her back.
She felt him shock, but she sashayed away with her cheeks heating up.
THE SUN FINALLY SETTLED, but her heart was beating wildly for a man she had met two years ago. Chase, Clark, and the other one, probably their cousins, were sitting inside the café and were eating their orders.
Hindi siya ang kumuha ng mga order nito dahil busy siya sa pagtutulong ng ina niya sa pagse-serve ng pagkain dito sa loob ng kusina. She felt comfortable here because she could hide from him, especially to his annoying cousin who happened to court her.
Ewan niya ba na kahit naiinitan na siya rito sa kusina ay sumasabay naman ang pag-iinit ng mga pisngi niya. She was blushing so hard that her mother had already asked her countless times earlier of why her face was heating up, and her reasons were still the same. It's hot in this kitchen, even though it was really not.
She sighed. She doesn't know how to calm her wild beating heart. She tried to distract herself from helping her mother serve the food to their co-workers yet she made one mistake that made her mother mad and she was out of the kitchen.
Hindi niya mapigilang sampalin ang sarili niya. Ramdam niya naman ang sakit no'n kaya pakiramdam niya ay deserve niya 'yon.
"Oi! Pinalabas ka?" Kharla asked out of nowhere.
Napabaling naman siya nang tingin kay Kharla at nakita niyang stress ito sa kaka-serve ngunit parang tatawa pa ito sa kaniya.
"Obvious naman siguro," sagot niya.
Tumawa naman si Kharla sa kaniya.
"Ikaw naman kasi. Namumula ka. E, sino ba naman ang nakita mo para mas mamula ka ng ganiyan?" tanong nito sa kaniya.
She just rolled her eyes.
"None of your business," she answered.
Kharla mimicked, "None of your business." Tumawa pa ito sa kaniya bago muling nagpatuloy. "Gaga! Nandito siguro crush mo 'no?"
"Sinong crush ni Precious?"
Napatalon sila sa gulat nang marinig ang boses ng Tita niya. Nanlalaking mga mata napabaling sila nang tingin sa Tita niyang nasa gilid lamang nila na ngayon ay nakataas ang kulay at kuryuso sa pinag-uusapan nila.
"No one," Kharla answered, but she was trembling and was about to laugh.
Sinamaan naman niya nang tingin si Kharla dahil masyado itong nagpapahalata sa Tita Carmen niya.
"No one? I'm very sure I heard you were talking about crushes." Napabaling ito nang tingin sa kaniya. "Was it about your crush?"
Her Tita gave her a mischievous smile.
She felt her cheeks heated up and answered, "No, Tita. No! I don't even have a crush."
She was lying! Her voice was trembling and she was very assertive, defending herself even though there was nothing to be ashamed of. She could have denied it, but she was a total disaster when she lied.
"Nandito crush niya, Kharla?" Tita Carmen asked her friend.
"I don't know who is her crush, Tita. Wala naman siyang sinabi sa akin kung sino, pero I have a hunch na rin kung sino," sagot ni Kharla.
Napatango-tango naman ang Tita niya.
"Ituro mo sa akin."
"Tita!" She couldn't help, but hysterically shouted as if her life was about to end with this playful conversation.
Tumawa naman sina Kharla at ang Tita niya. Namumula na rin siya ngayon at hindi mapigilang mainis sa dalawa na mas lalo pa nitong ikinatawa.
"Ikaw naman, Precious, hindi maasar," sabi ng Tita niya at tumawa.
Namula naman siya at napanguso.
"Excuse me po, Tita Carmen."
A man's voice suddenly interrupted their conversation. They looked at the man. He was the man who happened to be the singer last night who had a captivating voice, a man who looked like he came from the Renaissance portrait, and the cousin of Chase, Clark, and the other one she forgot the name.
In physical appearances, he was the one who stood out the most, yet a man named Chase was the most attractive, for her.
"Oh, Craig. Good evening!"
Nag-beso silang dalawa. The man looked cold, yet refreshing and warm. Both him and Chase have the same aura yet this man screams more coldness and wildness in his face.
"Tita, the band's going to start soon. Is everything ready?" the man asked.
Her Tita answered with a smile on her face, "Of course. Everything is already ready here, Craig. How about you?"
"We're ready . . ."
The conversation between the two continued as if both of them were not there. She looked at Kharla and found that the friend was also looking at her. Their stares both agree on something and they walk away with those two feeling left out.
When they were already apart of those two, talking about business, they sighed in rhythm. She looked outside and found that the sky was getting darker, with some stars visible.
"Anong oras na?" she asked Kharla.
"It's almost seven," Kharla answered.
She spent almost two hours in the kitchen. Hindi niya alam kung nandito pa rin ba si Chase. She wandered her eyes around the inside of the café, but she saw none of his existence. As expected. She felt disappointed and blamed herself for just staying inside the kitchen.
"Oi, trabaho na tayo!" pag-aaya sa kaniya ni Kharla.
Sumang-ayon naman siya at tumingin sa labas ng pang-huling beses bago nagtrabaho.
While serving beers and food outside, biglang may nagsalita na malaki ang boses.
"Good evening everyone!" The man that her Tita had talked with earlier greeted in a cheerful manner.
The crowd greeted him back.
"I am Craig Cole Collins, your singer for tonight's event."
The crowd answered with growling and laughter. He laughed. It was husky and manly, receiving "ow" from the crowds, mostly coming from women.
"Okay, everybody! I was the singer yesterday if you were here last night," he said.
They continued serving the food and beers, not wanting to cause some delays from their orders. Yet, she was still listening to the man's speech.
"So, I am going to sing. This song is for my cousin, Chase." Then, he laughed.
Pagkarinig sa pangalan ng lalaking nasa isipan niya buong araw, she immediately wandered her sight from the crowd, hopelessly looking for him, until she found him just right below the stage with some of his cousins, probably Clark and the other one.
He stands out the most. He was wearing red. He was the only one who wore that colour in the midst of the crowd.
"He was wearing a red jacket, guys. Just right beneath the stage in front of me," Craig said, still laughing.
Naramdaman niya naman ang pag-init ng mga pisngi niya pero hindi na malala.
"Apparently, his crush has someone else already."
She heard different responses from the crowd. Some were laughing and saying it was okay, some were disappointed, some were angry that Chase had a crush, and some wanted to be a substitute, a response from the girls.
"Ako na lang!" a response from a girl that made everyone laugh that even Craig could not be missed by the response.
Napasimangot siya. Ramdam niya ang pag-iinit ng pisngi niya pero sa huli ay napa-buntong hininga na lamang siya dahil sino ba naman siya para sumigaw ng gano'n. Not knowing her crush has a crush too. But the feeling of having no chance must probably hurt Chase. It hurts her too.
Wait! Does it hurt me?
She shook her head from the thought. What the hell was she thinking? It's probably not good for her work. She became a hundred percent distressed and distracted.
Oo nga 'no, ako na lang, she thought, but it was not helping at all.
Sa huli, wala siyang magawa kundi ang mapangiti at mapailing na lamang.
She was being crazy. She doesn't know what to do with these rain of thoughts and feelings.
The strum of the guitars finally started and she continued serving.
"'Wag kang maniwala diyan, 'di ka niya mahal talaga," pagkanta ni Craig.
The crowd cheered. It was a response that was teasing and cheerful.
"Chase, maghanap ka na lang ng iba!" sigaw ng iba na ikinatawa ng lahat pati ni Craig na ngayon ay nag-uumpisang kumanta.
"Gago! 'Yong kanta, hindi ganiyan!" This response also made others laughed.
Oo nga, Chase, maghanap ka na lang ng iba. Nandito naman ako.
Bigla siyang napailing sa sarili niya. She blamed herself for thinking something inappropriate. It was as if she was pushing herself to a man's heart who does not have an interest in her.
"Sayang lang ang buhay mo kung mapupunta ka lang sa kaniya," Craig sang still laughing, yet still a voice that you would want to hear everyday.
"O, dinig niyo 'yon. Sayang lang daw buhay ni Chase kung mapupunta lang daw siya sa kaniya, e marami pa namang iba!"
"Tama! Tama!"
Tama.
Craig could not help, but laughed. Nahuli pa ito sa beat ng kanta, but the band was still strumming and finding the right key that Craig could continue singing again.
"Iiwanan ka lang niyan, mag-ingat ka, dagdag ka lamang sa milyun-milyong babae niya," Craig sang, earning different responses from the crowd, yet the crowd was still laughing.
"Chase, huwag ka ng magpakatanga. Lalaki ka!"
"Men do not chase. Let the women chase you!" a foreigner shouted, earning different responses from the crowd, most especially from women.
"Gagong foreigner!" the women shouted from afar
"Tama 'yan!" sigaw ng mga kalalakihan.
It was chaotic, but a fun night. Yet, she could not help, but think about what the song means. However, she heard Craig say something. The band was still strumming continuously, almost at the conclusion of the song, yet it was harmonious to the noise of the crowd and the beat of her heart.
"Let Chase have the decision everyone. This is why I am singing this song, so his crush could probably hear this. Maybe one of you guys is Chase's crush."
Bigla siyang natigil sa pag-serve at napabaling nang tingin kay Chase na ngayon ay nakasimangot at inaasar ng mga pinsan nitong katabi niya.
"Sing with me!" Craig shouted and the guitar finally ended its starting point, in the conflict of the drama that sounded like the conclusion.
"Akin ka na lang . . . " Craig pointed his microphone to the crowd.
"Akin ka na lang," the crowd responded probably, with a smile on their faces because it sounded cheerful.
"Iingatan ko ang puso mo!" The crowd and Craig both sang in sync.
Nararamdaman niya namang may umakbay sa kaniya. Napabaling naman siya nang tingin at nakita si Cynthia na nakangiti sa kaniya.
"Arat shot!" Cynthia said.
Napasimangot siya.
"Shot puno ba?" Kharla meddles.
Hindi na siya makaisip pa ng diretso. Two of her friends both laughed together while she was drowning from her thoughts.
Maybe, this feeling she encountered for Chase brought blissful feelings at first, yet a destructible one like how her father destroys their feelings and love for him.
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GLOSSARY
Strawberry flavoured milk: a popular drink from Nutriboost yet it got a copyright so we will never mention it to our story and will only be use in our glossary for a reference
Tteokbokki: Toppoki is its usual name in the convenience store; is a popular korean main dish, a mainstream anywhere and can be eaten anytime; is made of glutinous rice
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PREVIEW OF 05 | RACE
"Ayos ka lang?" a gentle voice asked out of nowhere. It was familiar, very familiar.
Napamulat naman siya ng mga mata at tiningnan ang mga taong nasa harapan niya. Her sight was still blurry and when her sight finally adjusted, her eyes opened wide.
Chase was in front of her together with Clark. He looked cold, but his arms were mid air. Parang pinoprotektahan siya ng mga kamay nito na kapag matumba ulit siya ay sasaluhin siya nito ulit anumang oras.
And here she was, having devilish thoughts saying she wanted to fall again so Chase could embrace her.
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This chapter is entitled Encounter because Precious encountered feelings only she could feel towards Chase that might give her a blissful feeling or might be a destructible one.
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Song used:
Akin Ka Na Lang by The Itchyworms