Behind the Facade

IV. People from the Past

The sun is gradually sinking in the horizon as my friend and I waited for the departure of my other friend. Nakamasid lamang ako sa paligid at nagbabaka sakali na makita ang isang pamilyar na pigura. All of a sudden, a groundbreaking voice knocked on my eardrums. My head was prompted to raise to find that familiar voice.

My face brightened when my eyes met a familiar mestiza woman dragging her luggage and belongings. Napatayo ako nang maayos, dahilan para magising si Asher na nakasandal sa balikat ko.

"She's here!" I exclaimed with my lips stretched ear-to-ear. Asher squeezed her eyes for a second, at tila halos lumabas na ang voice box nito nang makita nang malinaw si Neiah dahil sa malakas na tili nito.

"Panget ka! Ba't 'di ka man lang tumawag na nag-landing na pala ang eroplano sa noo mo!" na-una pang tumakbo sa'kin si Asher para lapitan ang kaibigan naming si Neiah. Asher received a glare from her shortly, dahilan para mapatawa ako nang makalapit sa kanila. "Este, sa airport pala." Hirit nito.

It's an inside joke between the three of us. Neiah Jane Carillo, the modest woman among the three of us. She has this slim face and pretty wide forehead. Though, inaasar namin 'to, hindi pa rin ma-ipagkakaila na isa 'to sa mga sikat na models.

I grinned at my newly-arrived friend, saka nilahad ang dalawa kong kamay para ako naman ang aasar dito. "Pasalubong?" I greeted her. Neiah shot me the same glare she gave to Asher. Isa rin 'to sa mga na-m-miss ko, e. Ang mang-asar, at makatanggap ng gano'ng tingin.

"Kidding!" humirit na'ko, baka totohanin nito ang pagtatampo. Asher and I then simultaneously jumped toward her for a long tight hug, to the point that she has to nag us both as she couldn't breathe more. "We missed you so much, girl." I whispered.

Neiah returned the embrace, escaping a wide smile in her face. But the momentum of the three of us was interrupted all of a sudden when I heard another voice—an unfamiliar one—calling my name. Maaari ring si Neiah ang tinatawag nito.

"Neyah!" but it sounds like... mine. Napabitaw ako sa pagkayakap sa'king kaibigan at napilitang hanapin ang boses na 'yon. Not from afar, I saw a guy running towards our direction. My brows shrank when he kept calling my name, or my friend?

"Eya, do you know him?" I asked. Baka hindi pala para sa'kin 'yon. But my friend shook her head at me and averted her gaze to him. We watched the dude wearing his hoodie jacket and jeans running to us, hanggang sa makarating ito sa direksyon namin.

My squinted eyes observed his looks, while trying to recall encountering this man. But I don't have any recollection of it. Who the hell is this? Do I even know him?

"Oh, ikaw lang ba?" a man with an overgrown faded haircut with fringes on his forehead, asked. Mas lalong kumunot ang noo ko nang sa'kin siya nakatingin. "Buti naman!" dagdag nito saka ngumiti nang malawak, having the confusion in me tripled.

"Do... I know you?" hesitatingly, I asked with the same expression, while he was having a bright face looking at me.

Ngunit, mas lalo pa akong nagulat nang umakto ito na tila nasaktan. He hit his chest dramatically with his eyes bulged out at me. "Wow! Nakakatampo ka, ah. 'Di mo na kilala itong si Zyan?!" he complained and pointed himself.

My face wrinkled into a frown, "Zyan..." I murmured with narrowed eyes. Wait, he's telling me he's Zyan?! Belatedly, my eyes widened in surprise when the name rang a bell to me—a huge-ass bell! My mouth gaped open as my jaw dropped on the ground.

Napabalik ako sa pag-obserba ng mukha nito. "Oh my God..." I whispered, then my lips slowly stretched into a wide bright smile. "Ikaw ba talaga 'yan?!" I repeated as I scanned him from head to toe.