Someday

Part 2

Ali. Short for baliw. Yeah right. I don't even know what your real name is. I guess I don't even know much about you. But still I really wanted to see you again. Ali...

I don't get it. Hindi ko talaga maintindihan tong babaeng to. She never fails to amuse me everytime she opens her mouth or when she do something out of the ordinary. Mukha atang nasobrahan to sa vitamins noong maliit pa siya.

It was that time habang mapayapa akong nanonood ng TV. Nabigla ako ng bigla lang siyang umupo sa tabi ko at inagaw ang hawak-hawak kong beer at sigarilyo at tinignan ako ng masama. What does this girl want this time? Pusta ko may pinaplano na naman tong baliw na babaeng to. Hindi niya inaalis ang masama niyang tingin sa akin.

"Mag-iilang araw na ako dito, at alam ko namang wala akong karapatan para husgahan ka, at isa pa nakikitira lang ako dito pero nahihiya talaga akong sabihin to, baka sabihin mo hinuhusgahan kita o ano at baka meron ka ding sarili mong dahilan—"
"So what are you trying to say?" I cut her off.

"Ako lang ba o hindi ka masyadong lumalabas dito sa apartment mo?" She asked me with a questioning look. Mas lalo pa niyang nilapit ang mukha niya sa akin while looking at me for answers. Napa-atras ako mula sa kina-uupuan ko dito sa sofa. I could feel the sweat trickle down my forehead habang iniisip kung ano ang sasabihin ko. I tried to reach for my can of beer to divert my attention nang maalala kong kinuha niya din pala kanina.

"W—hat..." Nauutal kong sagot. Why the hell am I this flustered?

"Ahh, Antisocial ka bang klaseng tao?" She never gave me the chance to answer. Mas lalo pa siyang lumapit sa akin habang nakataas ang isang kilay niya at nakahalukipkip, mukhang seryoso ata tong baliw babaeng to ah. But damn, I can't help but stare at her eyes. I'm starting to feel getting suffocated with this kind of atmosphere.

"wa—"

"O baka naman meron kang Agoraphobia?" She cut me off again. This is bad. Tyler, mukhang nasobrahan ka na sa iniinom mong beer. Parang mababaliw na ako. I can't even think straight now nor defend myself. Instead of contradicting her, here I am noticing how her long lashes suits her or how her long black hair falls gently on her shoulder or how fragile looking she is when up close.

"Panic Disorder??" Mabuti na lang nagsalita siya ulit at nahimasmasan ako on what I am about to do. I was already raising my hand and was about to caress her hair. Mabuti na lang napigilan ko ang sarili ko.

"Masyado kang madaming alam." Itinulak ko siya papalayo to cover for my actions. I could feel my loud heartbeat reverberating under my chest. No good. This girl is really making me crazy.
"Pero di nga, ba't ayaw mong lumabas? Ang ganda nga pa naman panahon ngayon sa labas. Look." And she's really clueless about what she have done to me. Napailing na lang ako. Itinuro niya ang bintana. Her smilling silhouette covered the window when she opened the curtains to reveal the blue skywaiting outside.

"No reason at all. Ayoko ko lang lumabas." Umiwas nalang ako ng tingin.

"Yun naman pala. Labas tayo." She said with a wide grin.Mukha ata hindi niya naintindihan ang mga sinabi ko.

"Are you deaf or something?" I asked. Umiling lang siya habang malapad na nakangiti parin

"Hehe. Hindi ako susuko hanggang hindi ka pumapayag."She said with a spark in her eyes.
"Shigggee naaa...Labas na tayooo. Please." At lumuhod pa siya sa harap ko habang nakayakap ng mahigpit sa mga paa ko. Wala talaga akong masabi sa baliw na babaeng to. Napaface palm na lang ako.

"Will you stop that?"

"Paano ba kita makukumbinsing lumabas?" She pouted and continued on hugging my legs tights.

"Sinabi ko na nga. That's not gonna happen." Diniinan ko ang bawat salita para maintindihan niya. Hindi sa ayoko talagang lumabas pero who knows kung anong pwedeng mangyari hangga't kasama ko tong baliw na babaeng to.

"Just give me a chance. If I don't make you move from that seat after three tries, hindi na kita kukulitin." She looked at me with her puppy dog eyes. I sighed. I continued to ignore her while trying to calm myself.

Hindi pa nga nag-iisang minuto, tumayo na lang siya at malungkot na umalis. Hindi sa nakokonsensya ako pero...

"Siya tong nagsabing hindi siya susuko—" Mahinang kong bulong habang tinitignan siyang lumakad papalayo.

"SUNOGGGG!!! TYLER!!! NASUSUNOG ANG KUSINA NATIN!" Bigla na lang siyang tumakbo mula sa kusina at mukhang gulat na gulat at nagpapanic.

"Ano pang hinihintay mo?!! TUMAWAG KA NANG BUMBERO DALIIII!!" Malasirena niyang sigaw. I watched her panicked while pacing back and forth.

I get it now. I smirked. Eto pala ang plano mo ah. Let's see.

"Heh. Matibay tong isang to. Strike one na ko." She smirked. Mukhang hindi pa rin siya susuko. "Eto kaya..."

Pen pineapple apple pen..." I was caught off-guard. Bigla na lang siyang kumanta at sumayaw habang ginagaya si Pikotaro.

"I got a pen, I got an apple." I tried biting my lip hard para lang pigilang tumawa. Talagang gayang-gaya niya ang kantang PPAP. It may be funny but it's not enough to make me leave my seat.

"Apple pe—." She suddenly stopped singing and clasped her chest and writhed in agony.

"Hey, OK ka lang?" I asked to make sure she is OK dahil baka parte pa din to nga mga plano niya.
She didn't answer and continued on holding her chest. In a matter of a few seconds, bigla siyang natuba at nawalan ng malay. Bigla akong kinabahan. Napatayo ako mula sa kina- uupuan ko and found myself running towards her.

"Ali! Gumising ka!" I tried shaking her but there was no reply. I could feel fear creeping inside my chest. Adrenaline surged on my veins habang buhat-buhat ko siya papalabas ng building ng apartment ko. I didn't even noticed the throbbing pain ng nabali kong kamay na nakacast habang binubuhat siya.

"Ali, are you still there? Gumising ka please." Tinapik ko ang mga pisngi niya pero ayaw pa rin niyang gumising. This is bad. This is really bad. I don't know what the freaking hell am I doing or what am I gonna do. I placed her on the passenger seat of my car at handa nang umarangka papuntang ospital.

"Huli ka." I was driving when I felt something pinched my right cheek. Paglingon ko, malapad siyang nakangiti habang nakapeace sign.

"Napalabas din kita sa apartment mo." She chuckled. Mabilis pa sa alas dose kong inapakan ang preno ng sasakyan at itinigil to sa gilid ng daan. I was speechless. I don't know what to say or feel. Magagalit ba ako o magpapasalamat na OK lang siya? I looked at her. I can't blame her can't I? Damn. Lumabas ako ng sasakyan at nagsindi ng yosi.

"Pasensya na." I heard her say from my back. Sinundan niya ako dito sa labas. Napa-upo ako sa gilid na daan, umupo din siya sa tabi ko. Tumayo ako at naglakad papalayo, parang tuta din siyang bumuntot sa akin. Napahinto na lang ako. I looked at her again. She was looking at me while pouting. Mukhang ako pa ang nagmukhang may kasalanan nito ah. Napaface palm na lang ako. I tried to find the right words to say kahit pa nagugulahan ako ngayon.

"Do you know how worried I was? Kung baka ano nang nangyari sa iyo?" I looked at her. Natigilan siya. Umiwas siya kaagad ng tingin.

"Hwag mo nang uulitin yun." There's so much more to say pero yun lang ang nasabi ko.

"I get it. I'm sorry." She looked down. Mukhang nawalan na ng bisa ang vitamins niya. Her enthusiasm from earlier was now gone. Tahimik siyang bumalik sa loob ng sasakyan. She must've badly wanted me to go out. Hindi ko na mapigilan ang sarili ko. Without hesitation, I patted her head.

"So, saan mong gustong pumunta?" I asked out of the blue. I looked at her. Malapad na ulit siyang nakangiti na parang baliw. It's as if, nakalaklak na naman ulit siya ng isang bote ng vitamins, pagkarinig niya ng mga sinabi ko. Mabilis pa alas dose siyang nabuhayan ng loob ulit. The spark in her eyes are back. Mas mabuti na to kaysa sa sitwasyon niya kanina.

"Tyler! Baliw na talaga ako sa iyo!" She squealed happily while hugging me tightly.
"Oy! Ang baling braso ko!!!"