PARADISE OF THE DEVIL (GONCALVES 1)

Chapter 8

I woke early to prepare for the date Jair kept reminding me about. Since it was a plan, I got plenty of time to get ready, unlike my date with Savin if I could call it a date. I did enjoy it, but there were a lot of distractions. And I got exhausted.

I woke up the earliest, so I prepared breakfast right after I took a shower. The weather was fine today so I hope today would go well. Jair texted me last night that he'd pick me up around 8 am but it was already past 7 and I hadn't received any message from him yet.

"May pagkain na sa labas," sabi ko sa kanila atsaka humiga sa kama.

Dumungaw si Rach sa akin mula sa taas. "Hindi ka pa ba aalis?"

Mahaba ang mukha kong binalingan sya. "Hindi ko alam kung nasaang lupalop na ngayon ang gagong yun."

"Oh? Anong nangyari?"

"Hindi ko din alam. Tinitext ko pa pero walang reply."

Siguro ay ginogoodtime lang ako ng gagong yun. I gave in. I agreed to the date and now he got the victory. I should've expected this already. He definitely got me big time. I hate him.

I turned my phone on silent and then decided to grab my draft for my portfolio presentation. Naiwan akong mag-isa sa kwarto at lumabas na sina Rach para kumain. Pagtingin ko sa orasan ay mag-aalas onse na. Pagtingin ko sa phone ko ay wala pa ding message galing kay Jair. Ano pa ba ang aasahan ko sa lalaking yun?

Tumayo ako at lumabas atsaka naabutan sina Joerex at Rach na nagchichismisan kaya sumali na ako para kahit papaano ay maentertain ako at mawala ang inis ko.

"I called Jair. He didn't answer," Rach said. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's just wrong," matabang kong sabi. "Ayokong pag-usapan sya."

"Bakit may mahalaga lang na nilakad. Let's wait. Maybe he has an explanation," pagdedepensa ng bakla.

"Oo nga. Baka may emergency," pagsang-ayon naman ni Rach.

"You both should be on my side," I complained. "I bet he doesn't have a good one. He's a sucker."

"Don't be too upset," ani Joerex. "It's not like he gave you a promise."

"You're right. Whatever," I said. "Anyway. Should we do something? It's so boring."

"Sobrang init ngayon. Magpalamig tayo sa convenience store. Let's have ice cream," Joerex suggested.

Sabay kaming tatlo na lumabas ng nakapambahay lang. May lamesa sa loob kaya minsan kapag ganito ang panahon ay nagtatambay kami dito. Kilala na din namin ang nagtatrabaho dito kaya kahit na magtagal kami o walang bilhin ay hindi kami sinisita.

Halos magdadalawang oras na kami ditong nag-uusap nang dumating si Vanessa. Magkakilala na sila dahil halos apat na taon na din kaming magkapitbahay. Inaya namin syang umupo na muna kaya mas humaba ang usapan namin at nakalimutan na ang oras.

"Nasaan sina Brenda at Ran?" tanong ko dahil hindi ko na sila nakita kahapon pagkatapos ng klase.

"Umuwi sila ng probinsya. Bukas pa ang balik nila," ani Vanessa.

"Tama ba ang pagkakarinig ko? Ex ni Jair si Brenda?" panchichismis ni Joerex.

"They just hooked up. They weren't really together," sagot ni Vanessa.

I didn't know. Maraming tanong sila tungkol kina Brenda at nakinig lang ako. Halos lahat naman ng sagot ni Vanessa sa kanila ay alam ko na kaya hindi na ako nagulat. Wala din naman akong interes tungkol dito. Sapat na yung nasaksihan ko sa restobar.

He was really a jerk and I even became his victim. I knew what kind of person he was already, yet I agreed to this fucking date he was talking about and got stood up. Hindi ko na talaga sya papansinin kung sakaling susubukan na lumapit sa akin.