My Perfect Stranger

-The Gift -

My parents held a small gathering and prepared food in our house so that we could invite our relatives and neighbors. Tita Baby, tito Jun, and tito Niel together with their families came and congratulated me (siblings of my papa).

Ngayon ko na lang ulit nakita ang mga pinsan ko. They've changed a lot. They all look different now. It's been a while since I last saw them. Sina Lee, Tonya, ate Ria, Angel, ate Gigi, kuya Lawrence and many more. Ayos to ah, parang reunion ng mga San Roman kulang na lang sina tito Danny at tito Ringo. Nasa Bicol kasi sila kaya di nakapunta.

If you'll gonna ask me where my relatives on my mother's side are, well they're in Spain. Isa lang kapatid ni mama, si tita Marietta. They live in Spain for almost a decade now. They rarely visit the Philippines. Busy daw. The band mates of kuya Keith are also present. Tsss. Gusto lang ni kuya na uminom eh.

"Woi! Gusto mo ba yung t-shirt ni kuya Dax? Hingin mo na lang kesa titigan mo ng ganyan. Bibigay naman nya siguro yun." Gonzales nudged me and whispered.

I'm sitting here on the sofa and he is sitting beside me eating a plateful of pasta. I can't keep my eyes off of kuya Dax. Siya kaya yun?

"Anyone could have the same shirt as that boy you were talking about. A lot of people are also living in Pasig line. Hindi mo man lang ba siya namukhaan the second time around, if siya nga yun. Jeep is not a big public vehicle, you should at least have a glimpse of his features. You get what I mean? And one thing, nung bumaba yung lalaki di mo man lang ba nakita yung mukha kahit side view?"

I remembered our conversation that night. Yeah, kuya Aidan's right. How in the world wouldn't I recognize him, if it's him? I've been seeing him a lot of times and I've known him for quite a while so it's goddamn impossible that I wouldn't recognize him and his voice.

I shift my gaze at kuya Aidan. He's staring at me already. Maybe, he noticed the way I looked at kuya Dax. He immediately looked away when I raised my eyebrow. hehe. Sungit ko ba? Staring is rude eh (parang ako hindi nagstare kay kuya Dax).

"Remember the boy inside the jeep, Gonzales?" I asked him.

"Whoa! Di mo pa din pala nakakalimutan yun. Oh, what about him?" he still continue to eat his food.

"Kuya Dax is wearing the same shirt as that boy." I said.

"Ehh?....So?....Teka nga. Buti ka pa naalala mo yung suot. Bilib din naman ako sa memory mo tol. Ang lupit pati t-shirt baka naman pati yung bag at sapatos alam mo din yung tatak." he said teasingly.

Right. Brilliant! He gave me an idea on how to figure out who's that mysterious stranger.

I face him and say "Galing mo talaga minsan tol. Salamat sa idea mo pero seriously, Siya kaya yun? Feeling ko it could be him."

Ack *cough* cough *cough

Nabulunan na naman si Gonzales. Everybody is staring at us. Geez! Nakakahiya talaga tong lalaking to. Kuya Lawrence handed him a glass of water and I'm stroking his back. I wanted to perform the Heimlich maneuver on him or I'll give him a big blow at the back to get even. OA kasi reaction nya eh.

"Okay ka na?" I asked him. Nakakatuwa! Pulang-pula ang mokong. Haha. He's still catching his breath. Takaw kasi eh. I wonder, gaano ba kalaki yung nalunok nya, eh pasta lang naman kinakain nya.

"Papatayin mo talaga ako sa mga tanong mo eh no. Nag-aadik ka ba?" he looked at me with his horrible expression on his face.

"Huh? Bakit, anong masama ba dun sa tinanong ko?" I raised an eyebrow.