Glimpse Of Their Stories

7eleven

Different kinds of vehicle pass by me, sending dusts to the wind and making me cover my mouth and nose as I walk my way to the near 7eleven. I'm just done eating my lunch and decided to kill some time there.

This city is way too foreign to me. It is my first week here thus, I have known nothing about the whole place at ang malapit na 7eleven lamang ang alam kong maaaring pagtambayan.

Mag-isa ako lagi sa apartment na inuupahan ng aking ate dahil nasa trabaho siya at umuuwi lamang kapag gabi. I am spending my entire May here before the start of another school year. Sure this place is beautiful. I always wanted to study here and I am hoping that I'll get to next year.

I am slipped into a gray oversized hoodie that extends more or less 3 inches above my knees paired with a denim shorts. I am wearing my sister's black cap with a big white check in front while letting my long, wavy hair fall behind my shoulders, and a black headphones plugged in my ears blocking the noises from the busy street.

I'm sixteen, but I'm always mistaken for as a college student. Maybe because I stand taller than those girls of my age and my features are more matured. Words of others, not mine.

I pushed the glass door of the store and made my way to the counter, asking for their mix-flavored ice cream. Binigay ko ang bayad bago gumalaw ang crew para gawin ang order ko.

I became satisfied when I smelled the strawberry mixed with chocolate, my favorite flavors together. Tiningnan ko ang banda kung saan may dalawang mesa na may tig-dadalawang upuang magkaharap sa loob ng 7eleven at nakitang walang nakupo roon.

I marched towards the tables and made myself comfortable on one of the benches there. With my headphones still plugged in, I dig in my ice cream and a sated smile made its way to my lips. Ah, this feels heaven. I always love ice cream.

Ilang sandali pa ay kinuha ko ang aking cellphone at nagsimulang kalikutin ito. I tapped the app that's always on my recents, Wattpad. Binuksan ko ang pinakaunang librong nasa library at ipinagpatuloy ang pagbabasa.

Nothing's as satisfying as this. Reading a vampire story of april_avery with music in full blast and, of course, a delicious ice cream in hand in this cold and quiet place. I can sit here forever.

An hour, I am not really sure, or hours have passed, naramdaman kong nakasandal na pala ako sa glass wall. I am so drowned with the thrill of the story.

Suddenly, a red car stopped feet away from the glass wall where I am leaning on making me snap out of my imaginations. Inangat ko ang tingin sa dalawang lalaking sakay nito na dumeretso sa loob ng kinaroroonan ko. I ignored them and went back to reading.

Ilang saglit pa ay naririnig ko ang usapan nila kahit naka full volume ang tugtog sa aking headphones. And the voices come from more than two persons. I cannot concentrate anymore. Darn! Pero pilit kong pinagpatuloy ang pagbabasa.

Naibaba ko na lamang ang aking cellphone ng tuluyan nang maramdamang mas naging malakas ang usapan nila. I can clearly hear their words despite my headphones and I feel  like I'm evesdropping here. Nakaupo sila sa mesa sa likuran ko and talking about something like 'eating this and that'.

Ibinalik ko ang atensyon sa cellphone at sinubukang gumamit ng Messenger App para naman maiwasan ko ang pakikinig sa kanila pero mahina ang signal sa lugar at hindi ako iyong taong matiyaga sa paghihintay ng 'loading'. So I ended up ordering another ice cream but left my wallet on the table. Thankfully they got my point pag balik ko dahil kahit hindi sila nagkasya sa dalawang upuan ay hindi rin sila umupo sa upuang inuukupa ko kanina.

I see that there are 6 of them pero hindi ko tiningnan ang mga mukha nila nang dumaan ako. Nakayuko lang ako habang nakatakip ang hood ng sumbrero sa aking mga mata. At isa pa, the two who are standing are towering over me. Siguro hanggang dibdib lang nila ako. 6 footers? That's for sure.