Tall, Dark and Dead

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CHAPTER ELEVEN

A l e k

The drive was silent. I never said a single word until we got to Sta. Cruz and so does she. She took a lot of glances and even took a snap of me while driving, I just pretended not to notice. "Well, do you want Filipino food or Spanish? There's a Fil-Mex Cantina next to this, actually, and a Korean restaurant two blocks away. So, uh, whattaya want?"

"Ikaw, ma'am? Ano bet mo?"

"'Wag mo akong sagutin ng tanong. Ano na?" I asked her, breaking the ice. She kept on texting someone and it's starting to bug me. "Hoy, kinakausap kita. Sagot." Ayaw talagang tigilan ang telepono, nakakabanas. "Ako na nga magde-decide. Dito na lang tayo."

"Great!"

Pagdating sa lugar, sinabi ko sa waiter na ibigay sa amin ang lahat ng best dishes nila. In-order ko na lang lahat at ayaw namang sumagot ng specific ng babaeng 'to. "Gracias."

"Ooh, I love the accent."

"Daming alam. Ano'ng kakainin mo?"

"Anything, as long as you won't put poison in it," Sagot nito sa akin, parang nahihiya. Nahihiya pero ganun ang sinabi, ang galing talagang sumagot ng babaeng 'to. Nakakainis. "Kakainin ko lahat ng kakainin mo pero kakagatan mo muna o titikman bago ko kainin. Mukha kasing regular customer ka dito kaya baka palagyan mo ng lason yung kakainin ko, mahirap na."

"You have trust issues."

"Interesting coming from someone who has the same issue."

"You are starting to tick me off, stranger." Paglapit ng waiter, "Paella for me and the little girl," sabi nito, bago ako tignan ng masama. "Ano'ng tinitingin-tingin mo dyan?"

"Wala naman. It's just that you make me feel uneasy, that's all."

"And why is that?"

"Isn't it obvious? You hate me. I'm with the person who hates me." Ewan ko pero natatawa talaga ako, para kasi siyang bata. Sabagay, bata pa naman talaga siya. "And now you're laughing. What is your problem?" She'd gone back to her phone again. "Dinala mo lang ba ako dito para asarin? At bakit non-stop ang pagdating ng pagkain? Fiesta ba? Daming pera. Maharlika pala si ma'am."

"Eh, malay ko ba kung ano'ng gusto mo! Bilhin ko lahat 'yan, eh."

🎶 My Chemical Romance, Teenagers 

"Ay, sandali," Tumikhim si Talia. "...um, okay. Okay na 'ko. Sweet mo naman, ma'am." Namula siya. May sakit ba siya? Hahawakan ko sana ang kamay niya pero 'wag na lang. "Alek..." I leaned back to my seat, looking at her. She's too busy that she didn't notice me smiling at her. "Siya nga pala, dito sa labas, si Alek ka lang, hindi si professor Cefiro, okay?" Tumango na lang ako habang nagbabasa ng diaryo. Nakita naman niya siguro 'yun kahit na natatakpan ng binabasa ko ang aking mukha.

"Your name?"

"Pardon me?"

"Ano'ng pangalan mo 'ka ko."

"Natalia Lois Claveria," Sagot niya, pasungit pa. Alam kong nagsusungit kahit na 'di ko siya nakikita. Sunod ko namang tinanong ang edad niya. "Nineteen years young."