The Dark Heroine

Chapter 9: Curious Minds

CHAPTER 9: CURIOUS MIND

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Soundtrack: You're Somebody Else by Flora Cash

"You knew my name," tahimik kong sambit habang naka-upo sa passenger seat. Nagtatanong ang aking mga matang nakatingin sa kaniya. What she had said at the bus was still a blank sheet of conclusion to me. Alam niya ang aking pangalan at labis ko iyong ipinagtataka. I'm not the kind of person that was truly sociable. In fact, I'm the reticent one, and it takes a rough incident just so my name to be remembered.

"I guessed it." Sagot nito at tumingin sa akin. Mapaglaro ang mga tinging ipinupukol niya sa akin habang naka-ngisi. "Did I actually guessed it correctly?" Tanong din nito bago ibinalik ang tingin sa daan.

"It was really weird na nagawa mong hulaan ang aking pangalan," tugon ko sa kaniya. Pero alam kong may mga hindi siya sinasabi sa akin. Ramdam kong maraming bagay ang nakatago sa katauhan ng babaeng ito. I could feel this uncertain feeling around me. And my instinct ushering me to avoid her. I couldn't just trust a strange person for my life. Who knows she was a member of syndicate, or an assassin, or worse... a monster.

"I could read minds," bigla niyang wika. Gulat akong tumingin sa kaniya ngunit nanatili ang walang emosiyon niyang ekspresiyon. Hindi na rin kami nag-usap pa hanggang sa marating namin ang lugar.

Huminto ang kotseng aming sinasakyan sa tapat ng isang bookstore. Mabilis siyang lumabas ng kaniyang sasakyan at sinenyasan niya akong bumaba. Lumabas ako mula sa kaniyang sasakyan at sumunod sa kaniya. I glance at her full puzzled.

"I thought you're having mall?" Kunot-noo kong tanong. Based from her previous words, she needs my taste for fashion.

"I changed my mind. I want some new books for the night, instead," aniya.

Napa-iling na lang ako at halos magkasabay kaming pumasok sa loob ng bookstore. Maaliwalas at malawak ang loob. Mayroon din ilang mga tao sa loob na nagbubuklat ng mga front page ng libro, tila sinusuri kung ang libro ba ay ang kanilang hanap. The scent of these published books was like a smell of freedom and amusement to me. I felt like I'm home whenever I was surrounded by books. They were my hand-carried bestfriend.

Dumako ang aking mga mata sa isang volume na binubuklat ni -- ano nga pala ang pangalan niya? -- "Wintering Out?" I asked in suspicion.

"I'm into poetry. And Seamus Heaney was one of those who fills my bookshelf," tugon nito sabay ngiti. Bumaling muli ang kaniyang mga mata sa librong nasa aming harapan. I am skeptically watching her while she's picking some works of Alan Bloch, Robert Frost and Antoine Marie de Saint-Exupéry.

After I grabbed the book that catches my interest ay dumiretso na kami sa counter upang bayaran ang mga librong aming kinuha. Pagkatapos niyon ay umupo kami sa isang bakanteng mesa. Bukod kasi sa mga libro, ay nag-o-offer din ang bookstore na ito ng kape, cookies at cakes. Mainly, for those who loves coffee and sweets while reading their books. I'm planning the next day to come again here. She ordered for a honey-coated mousse. And mine was a cup of mocha frappé and a slice of raspberry cake. Nang ibigay ng waiter ang aming mga hiningi ay umalis na agad ito.

"Why you have to bring me for book shopping?" Tanong ko. "And for a piece of cake," baling ko sa mga pagkaing nasa harapan namin.

Nagkibit-balikat ito sabay sabing: "I was thinking that you can't say 'No' to books," magiliw nitong sagot.

"Bukod sa libro, may iba ka pa bang kailangan sa akin?" Tanong kong muli. Hindi ko rin maiwasang pagdudahan siya lalo na't hindi kami magkakilala. She didn't just kidnapped me for books, right? She might have something beyond that.