Azure: The Retired Assassin

Azure 12

Savannah

I am on my way now to Azure's unit, kailangan naming magshopping at magpaganda since mamayang gabi na yung party. Sobrang excited ko ngayon, first time ko kasing magshopping kasama ang isang kaibagan na alam kong  hindi fake. Oo mayaman kami but because I am just plain and ordinary kung titignan walang gustong makipagkaibigan sa akin sa school. Buti nalang talaga dumating si Az, I may not know her that much but what I know about her now is enough reason for me to trust her. She is not like other girls, unang tingin pa lang alam mo na talagang kakaiba sya. And the fact that she trusted me about her real reason why she's here, her mother is really overwhelming.

Bata pa lang ako tampulan na ako ng tukso, walang gustong makipaglaro sa akin maliban kay V. Kababata ko sya at natiis nyang makipaglaro sa akin kahit na pati sya nilalayuan na din ng ibang bata. Wala syang pakialam kung ano man ang sabihin ng iba which really made me happy. "We will always be bestfriends right?" I remember I asked him that, he nodded and we sealed it with a pinky promise. But like most stories he left, lumipat sila ng tirahan at hindi man lang sya nagpa-alam. I was so down that time we've been friends for 5 years tapos ganun lang kadaling nawala.

I was 10 when he suddenly disappeared and I saw him again after five long years. My freshman year at Stonewall, he changed a lot hindi na sya ang V na kalaro ko dati. May iba na din syang kaibigan at tingin ko kinalimutan na nya ako. My V was gone. Sa sobrang sikat ng grupo nilang 5X aasa pa ba akong mapansin nya? Hindi nga nya ako tinatapunan man lang kahit isang tingin. I was devastated and crushed knowing he doesn't care about me anymore kaya ako nalang ang nagkusang umiwas. I was supposed to be in the special class pero sinadya kong babaan yung grades ko. Ayuko syang makasama bumabalik lang kasi yung sakit, I waited for him for years tapos hindi na pala nya ako kilala. Tsaka isa pa wala namang pakialam sa iba ang isang Vincent Tiu ngayon maliban sa grupo nyang 5X at sa pinakamamahal nyang laptop.

Naalala ko tuloy ang nangyari last weekend, we accidentally bumped with each other at the mall. Akala ko talaga lalampasan nya lang ako, ganun na kasi sya ngayon walang pakialam. But my heart starts to beat fast when he offered his hand. Nagdalawang isip pa ako nung una pero na-isip ko minsan lang mangyari ang isang to kaya tinanggap ko na din. I give him my sweetest smile when we came face to face but his expression remains impassive kaya unti-unting nawala yung ngiti ko. "T-thank y------------"

"Save it." Pagputol nya sa sasabihin ko at bigla nalang syang umalis. Naiwan nalang ako nakasunod ang tingin sa likuran nya. I tried so hard not to cry that time, first time kasi naming magkalapit ng ganun after how many years but there was never a hint of recognition on his face. Ang sakit lang, hintay ka ng hintay sa taong nakalimutan na pala na nag e-exist ka.

"Miss Savannah nandito na po tayo." Pagkuha ng pansin sa akin ni Mang Bert. Ang layo na kasi ng nilipad ng utak ko. Nagmadali naman akong bumaba para sunduin si Az.

"Pakihintay nalang kami Mang Bert, madali lang naman kami." Pagbilin ko sa kanya bago ako lumabas ng sasakyan. Unlike other condominium buildings this one is small pero namangha ako sa interior nito. Halatang mamahalin at high tech ang facilities. Sumakay na ako kaagad sa elevator pagkabukas nito at ngtungong 3rd floor kung nasaan ang unit ni Azure.