Eliana Rosé

Digging a hole

Chapter 3: Digging a hole

Third-Person Point of View

It has been two weeks since she met that girl.

He left without saying a word after her brief but highly disturbing introduction. He was so disturbed that even if he was a regular at the graveyard, he rarely visited the place for the time being. He's afraid that he might see her again.

The world is small after all. 

And he hates to admit it, but he also believes that tadhana's a fucking asshole because the possibility of seeing her again is slim but not impossible. He doesn't understand why he's grown paranoid over that incident. There are thousands of people with that name. But there's something about her that makes him anxious.

So he opted not to visit, even though he was itching to visit the graveyard. In the end, he decided to chill out at A Rosé, a bar he owns. He's supposed to de-stress here by drinking barrels of alcohol until he passes out. That's figurative, though.

"Awat na Nico. You already had your portion. Paniguradong magagalit na naman si Tito Nicolas pag di ka makapasok bukas" The nearby bartender warned to stop him from gulping another shot. He was Ban Ramoso, a bartender, but he managed the bar in his place. He's also a long-time friend of his. "Just do your job, and leave my ass here alone," he said while shaking the ice on his glass. "...with a drink."

"I'm just reminding you."

"Are you a fucking alarm clock now?" he asked. Ban raised an eyebrow, confused by what he was saying."Huh?"

"You're not a fucking alarm clock. So stop reminding me." Ban laughed at his explanation. "Ang corny ng joke mo."

"I'm not joking, asshole."

"Ang sungit." 

Instantly, a memory of that woman saying the same words played on his head. "Fuck."

"Not me. Di ako bading. Fuck others. Hanapan pa kita." Ban teasingly joked. Gabriel Nico gave him a sharp look. But Ban only teased her more. "What? Need mo na ata di ka na nakadilig. Tuyot ka na no?"

"Fuck you."

"Wag nga kasi ako." Gabriel threw the glass at him, but Ban dodged it. The glass shattered on the floor. "Hoy! Linisin mo yung binasag mo!" Ban complained, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he snatched a bottle of beer near him and continued drinking.

"Bakit ba kasi di ka mag move on." Ban murmured, but he heard it amidst the noises from the sound system. "You're saying?"

"Wala."

"You did, asshole." Ban sighed and faced him. "Ang sabi ko ba't kasi di ka mag move on?"

"Hand me a drink." He ordered Ban to dismiss the topic. Ban acted deaf and murmured. "Nagtanong pero duwag."

It made him furious. "Hand me a drink, asshole!"

"Not a chance, Nico. Umuwi ka na."

"Putangina!" he growled.

"Putangama!" Ban retorted back, mocking.

That angered him. Nico grabbed Ban by the collar. Ban whimpered in shock but gained his cool back in a matter of seconds, then smirked in his direction to jest him.