Jim’s POV
Bright lights, loud sounds, dancing crowd, strange people and alcohols are my best companion for tonight. I have been going in this bar for almost two weeks and always went home drunk. But who cares? What’s new if I’m drinking hard? I am doing this when I was college and well I think even how hard you wanted to escape from these vices, if you’re really enjoying their company then all those vices will hunt you down. And I guess that’s what happening on me.
“Sir, another bottle?” a young man, probably the bartender asked me. I simply nodded to say yes, and after some minutes, he went back at me with a Bottle of Tequila on his hand.
“Thanks.” I handed him the money and opened my tequila.
“Sir, yung mga babae po sa may gilid, kanina pa po nagpapa-cute sa inyo. Ano pong gagawin naten sa kanila boss? Gusto daw po kayo makilala nung isang babae.”
Girls. I smiled and shook my head. I raised my glass to catch the attention of the bartender that my ice was almost melting. He hurriedly gets another one and put it in my glass. It’s not that I am not attracted with girls, but, okay, I am not attracted and interested.
“Sir, hinay hinay lang po. Baka hindi po kayo maka-uwi ng maayos nyan.”
I looked sharply with that bartender, problema ba nito? Kanina pa ako kinakausap as if I’m asking for his concern. E ano kung malasing ng sobra? Mabuti nga yun e, when I get heavily drunk and got into an accident, mapabilis ang punta ko ng heaven.
HEAVEN? O common Jim. So gay!!! Haha. Who said I believe in heaven? Only those weak hearted persons believed that heaven do exist.
Ang heaven para sa akin e eto… maingay, magulo, mga babae at alak. Bukod sa tabi nya, Eto ang totoong heaven. Kung sana andito lang sya… sana.
I am in a hurry to go back home after our seminar in Baguio. On my way pa lang pauwi, I can’t stop imagining what will happen if we ever see each other again. I missed her that much and I will never let our 4th year anniversary go into nothing. Upon arriving in Manila, dumiretso ako agad sa condo unit ko to get the things I needed. I even texted her happy 4th anniversary Hon but she didn’t replied back. Maybe she’s too busy kaya pinabayaan ko na lang. I wanted to surprise her. I excitedly drive my way on their condominium bldg. which is not that far from mine. After 20 minutes, I already got in there.
Habang nasa elevator ako paakyat sa unit nya, I texted her again “can’t wait to see you, miss you hon.” Kinakabahan akong lumabas ng elevator at tinignan yung mga dala ko. Flowers, check. Chocolates, check. Gift, check. And teka… nilabas ko yung maliit na box sa bulsa ko. Engagement ring, big check. Kompleto na lahat, sya at yung ‘oo’ na lang nya yung kulang. I been planning this since last year, and four years with her is already enough for me to decide what I really wanted. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and I know the feeling is mutual.
I knocked at her door thrice, pero no Laureen showed to open the door for me. Kinuha ko yung spare key ng unit nya sa ibaba nang lamp sa gilid ng pinto nya. That spare key was our secret, para magkaroon na din ako ng access sa unit nya whenever I wanted to go here. Pagbukas ko ng pinto, I feel somewhat relieved when I heard a loud music coming from her room. Yung babaeng yun talaga, nakatulog na naman siguro habang nagpapatugtog ng malakas, kaya rin siguro hindi nya sinasagot ang texts at tawag ko. I gently open her room door.
Teka, bakit nga ba ako nandito? I am supposed to surprise her but damn, I was the one who was surprised.
I saw Laureen with a guy on her top, together naked and making out.
“Laureen!” I shouted with all my might. She heard me and she stopped kissing that bastard. Nabitawan ko lahat ng dala ko.
“J-Jim-m…” she said while making the guy stop. The guy noticed me and smiled at me with full of sarcasm. And with that, I lose my control. I hurriedly ran towards him and bring him down. I started punching him and made him stand against the wall. Nagkamali kayo ng ginago. I want both of them dead. DEAD! Hindi ako titigil hangga’t hindi ko sya nakkikitang duguan.
“Jim, looked, I’m sorry, please stop!” Laureen shouted while crying. Tumingin ako sa kanya at sa mga dala kong regalo. dahan dahan nyang tinignan yung mga yun and cried heavily. Hindi ko na din napigilan pang umiyak. Why Laureen, why?
“Pare, teka-”
“Don’t call me Pare, hindi tayo magkaibigan gago!”
I am about to punch him again when suddenly I felt something hit my head. I touched my head slowly then saw blood running down on my face. I felt dizzy.
“Sorry Jim.”
“Bakit Laureen? Mahal na mahal kita….”
I fell on the floor.
“Sir, sir?”
I opened my eyes, naiyak pala ako
“Magsasara na ho kami Sir.”
I consciously stood up, nakatulog pala ako while drinking kanina. Ouch, my head aches.
“Here.” I handed him a thousand peso bill for the tip. Kinuha ko yung half consumed bottle ng Vodka then walked outside the bar.
Pestebg kupido ‘to, bakit ako lang ang nagmahal ng tama samin ni Laureen? Hindi ba nya alam kung gaano kasakit? Dapat sya ang pinapana hanggang mamatay, para alam nya pakiramdam ng buhay pero patay ang puso. Curse that Cupid.
4 years. Those 4 years of unrequited love, 4 years sa kanya lang umikot ang mundo ko. I did everything para mapasaya siya, I even turned my back from my college girlfriend just to be with her, pero hindi pa din pala sapat. This may be what they called ‘karma’, nut loving her for all these years is one of the things I didn’t regret doing. Maybe….not for now.
“Hello?” I mouthed over my phone while opening my car.
[“Hello Jim.”]
“What now?” I turned the loudspeaker button on upon sitting at the driver’s seat.
[“Chill bro, I called to tell you that we will come to your house tomorrow, no excuses ha, wag kang aalis ng bahay mo.”]
“Tss.”
[“Hey! I’m serious; Jean and I are coming, pupunta din siguro si Grey.”]
“That’s it?”
[“Yes, hoy mag-ayos ka! Kasama naming yung inaanak mo, he’s been looking at you for almost a week, bakit ikaw pa kasi ang paborito nyang Ninong, tss… teka, are you drunk?”]
“As if that matters on you.”
[“Hey, teka---”]
I ended the call. It’s not because I don’t’ like the idea of them going at my house, pero kase kahit pagbawalan ko sila, still they’ll do what they want. After all, what’s the sense of asking for my permission, diba?
A/N: thanks for reading.
'til next update. :)
