South Boys #5: Crazy Stranger

Chapter 59

RIO THEODORE ESTRADA.

With this man's handsome gentle face, calm smile, and all-white attire, from his polo shirt to his baston jeans, he still looked like an angel incapable of committing any crime. Wag mo lang talagang titingnan ang mga mata, dahil dalawa lang ang puwedeng mangyari, mararahuyo ka, o malalaman mo na nagkakamali ka lang pala.

Because this man was not as harmless as he looked.

"HONEY."

Kumibot ang sentido ko sa salitang sinabi niya. Maybe you were curious why his name was saved as Israel in my contacts, yes?

I would explain it, so brace yourselves. Let us start with Rio saving his own number on my phone under the name Israel, pangalan na inimbento niya mula nang ipanganak daw siya ulit. Yes, according to him, he was now a different person. He was reborn the moment he admitted to himself that he liked me as a man like a woman. Crazy, right? But, wait, because there was more crazier than that.

Ikinakahiya niya raw ang mga magulang niya dahil inaalipusta ako ng mga ito, as if hindi siya kasali sa mga umalispusta sa akin dati. Anyway, hindi naman na raw kasi siya iyon. Sa papel na lang daw siya si Rio Theodore Estrada, pero bagong tao na raw talaga siya ngayon. Ang itinuturing niyang kapanganakan ay iyong araw na napagtanto niyang ako lang daw ay sapat na.

"Are you surprised to see me?" nakangiting tanong niya. Binuksan niya na ang gate at pumasok bitbit ang kanyang maleta.

Muling kumibot ang sentido ko. "Alam man lang ba kahit ng kapatid mo na nandito ka?"

Lumamlam ang mga mata niya. "Honey, didn't you forget? I'm an orphan with no siblings."

See? He was no doubt crazier as a shithouse rat.

Napatingala ako para i-summon ang lahat ng pasensiya sa mundo, bago ko siya ulit tiningnan. "I'll text Renren."

Nakangiti pa rin siya. "Renren? Who's that?"

Speaking of Renren. That woman was the reason why Rio had tracked me down. Rio had been looking for for me since I left Cavite, but could not find me. Until one day, he caught Renren staring at something on her cell phone. When he saw that it was a candid photo of me somewhere in Mandaluyong, he figured his sister was aware of my whereabouts.

Determinado siyang matunton kung saang lupalop ako naroroon kaya hindi muna siya bumalik sa ibang bansa, at palihim niyang sinundan ang nakababatang kapatid, kahit saan ito magpunta. His desperation finally paid off after more than three months. He found out where I was.

I already gave birth with Bobbie that time. Akala ko ay matatauhan si Rio dahil may anak na ako, pero ganoon na lang ang pagkibot ng sentido ko dahil kabaliktaran ang nangyari. Todo pasasalamat siya sa akin dahil may anak na raw kami!

Doon na rin nagsimulang maging animated ang araw-araw ng buhay ko. Halos ginawa na nilang tambayang magkapatid ang apartment ko sa Mandaluyong kapag wala silang trabaho. Akala tuloy ng mga kapitbahay ko ay siya ang papa ni Bobbie.