The Second Time Around (The Starving Squad #1)

Chapter 4: Wreckville

Cameo lang.

--

They were already done repainting the walls on the first day. Sa ikawalang araw, rearranging na lamang ng mga gamit. Fresia thought that she'd already be free on the that day, but Bullet had other plans.

"Your furniture don't fit my design," sabi nito. "Pang-minimalist ang mga gamit mo."

He told her yesterday that he wants the apartment to have warmth. He said that the previous design was cold and impersonal and that might be the reason why she feels angry most of the time. So he wants to add a lot of brown and neutral colors to compliment the blues and grays on the walls.

She agreed to go with him to this gallery where he said they could find one-of-a-kind pieces for cheap prices. Nagkita sila nang alas nueve ng umaga. Bago pumunta sa lugar, dumaan muna sila sa McDo para kumain. Apparently, Bullet has a thing for pancakes.

"My mom used to cook pancakes for me when I was a kid," paliwanag nito nang punahin niya iyon.

"Where's your mom now?"

"She died 15 years ago."

He sliced the second piece of pancake in quarters, smeared the rest of the butter and poured what's left of the syrup on top of it. Hindi ito mukhang malungkot. It's been fifteen years. Maybe he had shed every tear he could shed for his mother already. But she could feel that he still misses her. It's just based on how he is when he eats pancakes. It's like it's the most enjoyable thing in the world.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

"It's all right." He emptied his cup of coffee then headed to the counter for a refill.

When he came back, he also brought two cups of cold water. Ibinigay nito sa kanya ang isa.

"Hindi ka ba nininerbyos nyan? Ang OA mong magkape," kumento niya.

"I wasn't able to sleep last night," he explained. "Nightmares."

"What kind of nightmares?"

Kumurba ang mga labi nito. "Curious?"

"A little."

Nilantakan nito ang hashbrown habang nagkikwento sa kanya.

"Scary nightmares. Minsan, magigising daw ako only to find a woman hanging above my bed. Sometimes, she'd even look at me."

Kinilabutan siya bigla.

"I can't sleep alone," dugtong nito. "Been this way for five years now."

"Five years? And you always have that same nightmare?"

Umiling ito. "Well, no. That's just the most vivid nightmare. But I have other nightmares too. Kaya normal na sa 'kin na tatlong oras lang ang tulog ko palagi."

She can't imagine living that way. Kapag kulang siya sa tulog, nangangain siya ng tao.

"Buti hindi ka nagkakasakit nyan."

Umiling ito. "Actually, madalas akong magkasakit dahil sa puyat. Then I figured that maybe I need to surround myself with people to prevent the nightmares. So when I was in Canada, I lived in an apartment with three other guys. The nightmares aren't always as vivid when I have people with me when I sleep. Kaso mga party animal 'yong mga 'yon kaya madalas din silang wala. When I got back here, I tried a different approach since I'm living alone again."

"And that is...?"

Ngumisi ito. "Women."

Somehow, that doesn't surprise her.