Serendipity

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I hardly grip the poor red string and toss it on the ground. The old lady thinks I'm a pushover, binenta sa akin itong pulang lubid para lang may pagkakakitaan. People nowadays will do anything, even fool people just for money. Well, hindi naman iyon malaking kawalan sa akin dahil bente pesos lang ang halaga ng lubid.

I just feel irritated for nothing. Naawa lang ako sa matandang babae. Naglalakad ako papunta sa hospital nang tinawag niya ako sa gilid ng kalsada. She's a weird street vendor. Kakaiba ang kaniyang mga paninda. Potions, ancient books, stuffs for curses, poisons, weird bracelets and jewelries, yellow paper with chinese words, old accessories, and other weird stuffs. I even saw a human skull, hindi ko alam kung totoo o hindi.

The thing is the old woman is more weirder than those stuffs. Mukha siyang mangkukulam sa kaniyang suot na mga dekorasyon sa katawan. Magulo ang kaniyang puting buhok. Kubain at maliit ang katawan. Her face looked gothic because of her black make-up. She looked like a witch on some Holywood movies. She definitely standout because of her weird bracelets and necklaces. What's worse, she's not your typical old woman. Pansin ang maraming tatoo sa kaniyang mukha at katawan.

I wonder if she's even allowed to sell these weird stuffs. Napailing nalang ako ng tinawag niya ako ulit.

"Iho, halika dito!" nakakakilabot niyang boses ang tanging rinig dahil kaming dalawa lamang ang narito. Kahit kalsada naman ito pero walang ni isang kotse man lang ang dumaan dito.

As a rude person myself, I simply walk away from danger. People shouldn't let weirdos like her run freely on highways.

Nagulat nalang ako bigla nang nasa harapan niya na ako. Without a word, nilampasan ko lang siya.

"The Legend of The Red String of Fate. Alam mo ba ang alamat na iyan, iho?"

Hindi ako huminto at mas lalong binilisan ang paglakad. I was annoyed when she tried walking with me. Mabilis na ang paglakad ko pero naabutan niya parin ako.

"Naniniwala ka bang may isang taong nakatakda sa atin? Isang tao na itinadhana sa atin, kahit anong---"

Binilisan ko ang paglakad at hindi na hinayaan pang matapos ang kanyang mga sinabi. I can even run just to prove a point that I am not interested on anything she's spouting.

"Woah, boy! Just let me finish talking. Pinahihirapan mo lang ang trabaho ko eh. Makinig ka muna sa akin," hinihingal niyang sinabi. Nanlaki ang mata ko dahil nakakapagtaka na naabutan niya parin ako. Now, she's changing her attitude, nagmumukha siyang pafeeling teenager.

This is nonsense, I mentally said. I am pissed already so I decided to talk, "Anong kailangan niyo po sa akin, lola? Naospital ang mama ko kaya kailangan ko pong magmadali."

Still, she is an adult, an old woman moreover, who deserved to be respected (slight) eventhough my piece of patience is slowy ripping. Ang pinaka-ayaw ko sa lahat, iyong mga tao na bigla nalang akong kakausapin kahit hindi naman kami magkakilala.

Mali yata ang pag-usap ko sa kaniya dahil kumikinang na ang kaniyang mga mata ngayon. Mabilis kong inalis ang kulubot niyang kamay sa akin. Nandidiri ko siyang tiningnan.

What the hell is wrong with this woman?

"According to the myth, may nakatadhanang isang tao para sa atin. Regardless of time, place or circumstances. No matter how sad or how impossible. That person... will  always be our endgame. Always. Our destined lover," she said it with ease as if she said it a hundred times already. She spoke english so well. I can say she is well educated. Or maybe not.

"And the Red String of Fate enters. You probably know this but the two destined lovers is tied by an invisible red string by God. So in a certain situation, those two will always find a way to be with each other. Because they are destined to be with each other. Oh, isn't that so romantic?!" I wonder how can she spoke english fluently when she's here on the streets, selling useless stuffs?