Amanda

Chapter 5

"Malayo pa ba?" naiinip kong ani habang sumusulyap sa katabi ko, yung sinabi kong hot mom. Hindi ko na alam kung ilang oras na ba ako nagbabyahe, lampas dalawa na yata.. tsk, nag aalala ako kay Manuel at heto ako kung sino na ang kasama!

"Malapit na.. what's your name? ayun, liko lang dyan then... nasa unahan na yung bahay, I think."

"Miggy."

"Right, right Miggy! thank you very much, kung hindi dahil sayo hindi kami makakarating dito." binigyan niya ako ng matamis na ngiti nang nakaparada na kami sa tabi ng daan. "Just call me.. baby! hahaha! just kidding-"

"Ma! ano ka ba!" sita ng dalaga na nasa backseat. "Hahaha! joke lang, to naman. I mean, call me Marga na lang. I'll just leave you too, if it's okay sayo Miggy?"

"Ha? I thought I can leave-"

Tinapik ako ni Marga sa hita ko while laughing her head off. She really found me funny. "You're not so gentleman, no? can you wait for us? madali lang naman to, I just had to check on this family."

If I said no I don't know if I'll like the stare she'll probably give me so ang nagawa ko na lang ay tumango ng walang imik. "Great!" she flashed me another smile and wink as she got off from the car. May sinuot rin siyang white robe.. huh.

"If you don't mind me asking, anong gagawin niya dyan?" di ko matiis ang pagtanong sa dalaga, but most likely sasagutin niya lang ako ng pabalang.

"She's their family doctor." diretso niyang saad. I heard her phone going ting! and a flood of messenger notifications.

"Huh.." I muttered, I squinted my eyes to see who was the person that opened the door to Marga. "What the.." kung wala akong kasama ngayon ay malamang ay napamura ako sa gulat. What ghastly face! not in a sense of common ugliness that you often see, this one is like a dead guy.. I mean, yung skin niya although I couldn't tell very well, had spots of blue purple all over his face and arms which is what I could only see.

"Nakita mo na ba mga pasyente niya dito?" usisa ko uli. I glanced at her, nagtama ang tingin namin. She frowned and sigh. "Yes.. I was just like you back then," then she laugh, she actully knew how to laugh, muntik ko nang makalimutan kung ano man yung nasilayan ko.

Umayos muli ako ng upo. I stared infront of me, not daring to look out of the window again. I heard the door closed outside. The thing that bothered me is his skin.. hindi ito namamaga like what you usually expect sa mga nabugbog.

And his face.. I think I've seen it somewhere. I just couldn't figure out who. Tsk.

"Mayroon bang sakit na ganyan o ano?" curious kong tanong. "Hindi ko alam, ask my mom.. I mean, search mo sa google and dont ask my mom." masungit niyang sagot.

"Kulang ka ba sa aruga?" natatawa kong saad. "What?! gosh.." I heard her grumble sa backseat. "Asshole.."

Akala ko makakauwi na ako but here I am, in a goddamn restaurant with Marga and her kid. It's already evening! wala sana akong reklamo if kami lang tatlo ang kumakain ngayon. Parang hindi nga umuusog yung pagkain sa sikmura ko habang katabi yung pasyente ni Marga. To my horror, nagkaroon na ako ng chance na makita ng malapitan ang itsura ng lalaking ito. It's a curious thing how no one in the restaurant seemed to mind him.

I must be going insane, if I didn't know better I think his blood must have been sucked out of him. He's blue and purple all through out his arms and face.. I had to force myself to chew!

"Excuse me.." I got up, I could feel yung dalaga na sinulyapan niya ako. I couldn't even go to the lengths of actually listening to their conversation!

I could sense that someone is trailing me. I stood outside the restaurant, near a vending machine. Nilabas ko yung dala kong isang kaha ng sigarilyo at nagsindi ng isa. "Bat walang nagtataka na ganun siya?" usisa ko sabay buga ng usok. She stood next to me after getting a can of coffee sa vending machine. "I dont know the details.. pero I think nakakita na sila ng gaya sa kanya before, so they're not surprised."

"Really? there's someone else like him?" I sounded so astonished, I want to laugh at myself.

Tumango- tango siya, "Is it like a gene thing? yung namamana?"

"Tinanong ko rin si mommy about dyan and she said no."

"Huh, so ano ba talaga?"

She shrugged, "Mom is very evasive pag yung pasyente niya na ang topic, you know what they say.. confidentiality and such."

"Right, so I guess I need to stop-"

"Uhhm, do you want to team up?"

"What?" I asked, hindi ko masyado siyang narinig habang nagchecheck ng messages. There's still no update about Manuel, Sally isn't answering my calls and Paula.. the usual pero I'm not in the mood so I didn't open her chats.

"Didn't you say you're curious?" usisa ng dalaga. I look at her wearily, suddenly her demeanor towards me is friendly. "Uhh not really.. no." I had to swallow my true answer. Tinaasan niya ako ng kilay. "If it is because you don't know me, fine, just call me Rei. Ok na ba tayo?" ako naman tong napakunot ng noo. What's the deal with this girl?

"I need to know what and how did he get those!" nasa harapan ko na siya at hinablot ang kwelyo ko. Ilang centimeters lang ang layo ng mukha niya sa akin. Her eyes were wide in excitement. "No.. no. no." I grab her shoulder at inilayo siya sa akin.

"Please? I need the story.. I'm a writer you see and I want their story." pagsusumamo ni Rei. "And I'm part of our occult and supernatural club in school so.." she added. Hindi ko napigilan na matawa, she looks so damn serious! What the hell! "You think ang rason ay dahil sa supernatural? like kinagat siya ng vampire ganun ba?" napasapo ako sa vending machine sa sobrang sakit ng tyan ko mula sa kakatawa.

She didn't laugh. Of course she's serious. Wala akong nagawa kundi tumigil at napahimas sa batok ko. I glanced around awkwardly, she's damn persistent. I wouldn't have guess that this one is a geek! and a writer on top of that. She really doesn't look like one, I thought maybe she's bad in excelling her classes but fine I admit I am a little.. judgemental.

"Kung papayag ako.. anong kapalit?" naisipan ko na lang na makisakay para hindi nakaka suffocate ang ka awkwardan dito. She smiled, finally! hinila niya ako muli hanggang sa height niya at may ibinulong siya.

"... virgin... "

"What?" gulat akong nakatitig sa kanya. Siya naman tong napahalakhak. "You dummy! I'm not going to give mine to you! ang bilis mong maniwala! Hahahahaha!" nagpunas pa talaga siya ng luha niya.

"I'll just give you money and to top it off, you'll have the privilege to visit our home!" sabay sundot niya sa tagiliran ko gamit ang siko niya. Napailing iling na lang ako. I am not accepting that, I have enough trouble as it is.