Ethan
"Okay ka lang ba Ethan? Hibang ka na ba? Gutom lang yan. Chibog pa!"
I grunted as I roll my eyes at her. Pambihira. Yun na yun kasi eh. May nadidinig na akong drum rolls pagkatapos she'll answer me like I was so stupid to ask a question like that?
Freaking yes. I am so stupid to ask her that question. I knew Serra almost half of my life and I never remembered her knowing someone named Angelica. So stupid. So stupid!
I continued finishing my food while I'm telling her things to buy.
"Get a notebook and a pen."
She scratched her head. How could I not see this coming? She has nothing but herself, Ethan. How could she have those?
"So stupid to even ask. Here, use my phone. I already opened the app. You just need to type. Ayt. Hygiene's first. Jot down, a bottle of shampoo, a set of soaps, body gel, body scrub, skin moisturizer, toothpaste, toothbrush, a spongy scrub, face towel, body towel, a robe. Veet or shaver, anything. Col---"
"Ah.. Ethan, pakibagalan."
I sighed.
"Where d'you stop typing?"
"Uhm.. ewan. Nageelyen language ka yata eh."
Napasapo ako ng noo ko. Bakit ko ba nilagay ang sarili ko sa ganitong sitwasyon?!
---
"Wow! Tignan mo yun Ethan oh! May taong nasa ibang mundo sa loob ng box na yon! At gumagalaw siya! Punta tayo don Ethan! Nakakalusot ba don? Nakakita din ako ng ganyan sa bahay niyo eh! Pwede din akong bumili?"
Guess what. She's talking about the tv. We've been walking around and there she is, saying weird things that I only could imagine a kid would do. She even sang infront of the electric fan saying that it's amazing because it makes our voice somehow sound like it's vibrating and produces so much air that our hair flies. I'm going to die soon with the stares we got from other customers as well as salesman and salesladies here.
"No. That is called a tv where you can watch. You can use the one at home when you got bored. Now, we've got to go to the department store."
*~*~*~*~*
Angelica
"Whoo! Ethan, napagod ako! Uuwi na ba tayo?"
Napagod talaga ako. Bumili kami ng mga damit, pagkaen at kung ano ano! Yung iba nga hindi ko alam kung para saan pero sabi ni Ethan kailangan daw yun eh. Sabi niya nga, madami naman daw akong pera, bakit kailangan pang tumira sa kanila. Sabi niya pa, 'you're so stupid. Hopeless. Idiot. Annoying' blah blah blah. Ang saya saya ko talaga ngayon! Nakapamasyal kami! Para kaming nagdate!
"Not yet. Pero aalis na tayo dito. We'll drop by at Book Cover. Dala mo ba ang resumé mo?"
"Nagpasa na ako ng resumé kanina. Sabi nung babae, start na ako next week."
Sa totoo lang puro kalokohan ang pinaglalalagay ni Spirit sa resumé ko. Yung Birthday ko na nandun ay yun daw ang araw ng pagkamatay ko. At kung ano ano pa. Kailangan ko talagang makausap yung Spirit na yon. Nilagay pa dun na musically inclined ako. Mamaya pakantahin ako don edi napahiya pa ako.
"Good. Now, we're going home. Just wait a minute, I'll hail a bus."
Bus? Eh di ba jeepney ang sinakyan namin kanina?
"Bakit bus? Akala ko jeepney ang tawag don?"
"Well, it's more convenient to go on a bus. Then we'll just ride a trike."
Pakipaintindi nga sakin ang pinagsasasabi niya. Kanina pa siya english ng english talaga eh.
"Bakit hindi mo yun naisip kanina?"
"For fun."
Inirapan ko nalang siya. Minsan hindi ko din magets ang nga trip ni Ethan eh.
"Dude? Ethan?"
Humarap kami ni Ethan sa lalaking tumawag sa kanya. Sino naman to? Hindi naman namin to kilala ah?
"Ethan! Ikaw nga! Never expected na makikita kita dito o sa kahit saang mall."
Tumawa siya sabay tingin sa akin.
"Who's this? Girlfriend? Finally moved on huh?"
Aba. Ayoko ng pananalita nitong isang to ah.
"Nah. Would I date someone who eats more than I do? She's nothing important. Just dragged me to help her buy stuffs."
I felt a lump on my throat hearing what he said.
She's nothing important.
Hindi niya ba pwedeng sabihing kaibigan niya ko o kakilala man lang? I get it. Hindi niya ako nakikilala dahil nasa ibang katauhan ako. But to refer me as nothing important? Kahit naman siguro sino, hindi deserve ang ganon di ba? We've bond this day. Akala ko we're fine besides him insulting me.
"Ganun ba? So, I can make a move on her, I suppose? Ipakilala mo naman ako ng pormal!"
Nahalata yata nung lalaki na ayoko ng sinabi ni Ethan. He's looking at me like he's sorry. Whatever. Any moment pakiramdam ko bubuhos na ang luha ko. Bakit ba kasi nangyayari to?!
"Angelica, this is Tristan, some pain in the ass, he's a dick. And Tristan, this is Angelica."
Tristan.
The name of someone I've been looking for. Siya na ba yon?
"Nice to meet you Angelica."
Ngumiti ako kahit sa totoo lang ay nasasaktan pa din ako sa sinabi ni Ethan. I can't believe he said those words to me.
Nakipagshake hands ako sa kanya nang biglang may humablot sa cellphone ni Ethan na kanina niya pa pala hawak.
"Oh fuck! A thief!"
Magnanakaw?! I don't even think of anything when my feet moved. Tatakbo na sana ako nang pigilin ako ni Ethan.
"It is not safe. Don't do something stupid."
Puno na ako. Lagi niya nalang akong iniinsulto. Ano bang ginawa ko?!
"Why would you care?! You already said I'm nothing important. Just let me go."
Naramdaman ko namang lumuwag ang hawak niya sa kamay ko and I take that opportunity para habulin yung magnanakaw. Cellphone ni Ethan yon. Andun yung unang picture ko nung bumaba ako sa lupa at iba pang picture ko kanina habang nagsusukat ng damit. I'm not materialistic but no. Not the memories that it holds.
Ramdam ko naman na nakasunod na sa akin si Ethan at Tristan na tumatakbo din. How I wish the bodyguards saw it kahit nasa labas na kami ng mall.
Nakita kong tumakbo papasok sa isang eskinita yung lalaki. Sinundan ko siya at nakitang wala na siyang ibang matatakbuhan. But unfortunately, he brought out something that sparked at the touch of the sunlight... a knife.
Naramdaman ko na ang presensya ng dalawang lalaki sa likod ko.
"Give me my phone back."
Lumapit pa si Ethan dun sa lalaki nagulat naman kami nung ibigay ng lalaki ng walang kahirap hirap. Akala namin okay na, pero nung tumalikod si Ethan nakita ko nalang yung kamay nung magnanakaw na may hawak na kutsilyo ang nakataas pointing to where Ethan's standing.
Kaya mong patigilin ang oras at magpagalaw ng mga bagay.
I looked around only to see pile of boxes beside the thief. Hinigpitan ko ang hawak sa kwintas ko at sinubukang pahintuin ang oras.
Just when I opened my eyes, I saw everything stopped.
Limang minuto.
Limang minuto lang to. I point my finger to the boxes and tried to make it move. And then I let go of my necklace.
I didn't know what happened next. Nadinig ko nalang ang malakas na pagpito at ang pagtawag ni Ethan sa pangalan ko. I felt dizzy. Inaantok ako na nahihilo. I felt my knees weaken. Just when I was about to fall someone caught me.
Everything went black.
