Sari
I headed to the canteen to get my lunch and read a few pages of the book I was currently into at my favorite spot.
When I passed by one of the lines, I saw Malik. Our eyes met and, as is our usual greeting, we rolled our eyes at each other.
I was a few pages in when he came over. "Ehem, Sarimanok."
"Yessss?!" I looked up, annoyed at the disturbance. When I looked up, I almost had to do a double take because I thought I saw him with longer hair and in ancient warrior clothes. Quickly shaking it off, I asked, "O, what?!"
"Napakasungit mo talaga. May araw bang gumigising ka na hindi inis sa mundo?"
"Meron. Pero pag nakikita na kita, naaalala ko lahat ng dahilan para mainis at nasisira na yung araw ko."
Malik grinned. "Ganun ba? Samahan na kita maglunch."
"Malik!"
He laughed again. "Prinsesa ng Inis, naiwan niyo po yung gulay niyo. Pinadala ng nanay mo kasi nagaalala na baka hindi enough yung canteen food."
"Oh! Okay. Salamat!" I was thrilled when my mom still doted on me.
"Iwan mo pa madalas yung baon mo."
I rolled my eyes at his sarcasm. "Hindi ko naman sinasadya! Pasensya na sa abala!"
Malik made a face as he stood up. "Problema mo?! Gusto ko talagang maiwan mo. Kasi kapag pinadala ng nanay mo yung food, binibigyan niya din ako."
He held up his share — which was bigger than mine. Then, laughing at my expression, he left.
*
At home that night, I was out on the balcony watching the stars. They were beautiful tonight and I enjoyed looking at them.
I glanced down and Malik was again on the grass, staring at the same night sky.
I recall one night, I came home late night, drunk and there he was on the grass staring up at the night sky. My friends mistakenly dropped me off at his house and I walked in, stepping on him.
"Anak ng —"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH MAGNANAKAW!!!!"
"Sari, shut up. It's me."
"Malik?' TULONG MANYAKIS!!!!!" I burst out laughing and then fell on their yard. "Ba't ka nandito sa bahay ko?"
"Bahay ko 'to."
"Wow, kung maka-claim ka naman."
Malik made a face. "Lasing ka nga. Wala ka na sa sarili mo. Sa kabila yung bahay niyo."
He escorted me to our porch and helped me get in.
"Malik?"
"O?"
"Panget ba ako?"
Again, he made a face.
"Alam mo, when you do that, gusto kong kalmutin yang mukha mo."
"Huy! Wag. Sayang kagwapuhan ko."
"Di ka gwapo. Magkasing panget lang tayo."
He laughed. "Leche. Dinamay pa ako. Kung gusto mong maniwalang panget ka, sige. Ako? Gwapo ako. Yan ang belief ko."
"Malik! Ano nga kasi? Panget ba ako?"
He crossed his arms. "Why do you ask?"
"Kasi no one in the bar attempted to kiss me kahit nagfflirt na ako."
"Alam mo, pasalamat ka nalang safe ka. Next time nga — hay nako. Next time na kita sesermonan kapag hindi ka na lasing."
"Kiss me?"
"Anak ng — hoy, Sarimanok. Umayos ka!" He brought me to our guest bathroom and washed my face, then put me in the guestroom. "Nahimasmasan ka na ba?"
"Kissssssss pleeeeaaaasssseeeee."
"Putcha. Ang baho ng hininga mo."
"Malik!"
"Ganito, if you remember this tomorrow and you still want it, sige. Pero magtoothbrush at magmumog ka muna."
"Okay. Tomorrow ha?"
I remembered it the following day when I woke up in a different room. Our families had dinner together that night and when we found ourselves at the buffet table together, he whispered, "Uy, minty na yung breath. Kiss na kita?!"
"Shut up, Malik!"
"Uy!!! Nagbublush! May gusto ka talaga sa akin eh."
"Heh!" I stomped away and he kept grinning like a fool.
It was that night that I found out he had been asked by my company to join us. "They were very impressed with Malik's credentials and hired him aggressively," his father bragged.
"Alam ba nilang nangopya ka lang?!" I said.
Our parents were used to our bickering.
"Hinde! Buti na lang. At buti nandun ka, makakakopya pa din ako."
I rolled my eyes and he did the same.
He won most of our exchanges that night and to get him back, once he was on the grass again, I turned on their sprinklers.
I looked down at him now. He was performing an experiment of making fire without using matches or lighters. He has built a pile of dried leaves and was now rubbing wood to make a spark.
I frowned. I knew this wasn't the first time I saw him do this — he had always been doing one experiment or another because of his interest in science and his boy scout membership — but again, there came the vision of Malik with long hair and a cloth tied around his forehead.
It was Malik, but it wasn't.
I blinked and he was back to the annoying Malik I knew, now doing a victory dance because he was able to make a fire.
"Look, Sarimanok! I did it!"
Something about his triumphant expression made me stop. There was that strange sense again. From where he stood below, he also stopped gloating and gave me a strange look. "Sari..."
My heart seemed to beat double time.
"Malik! Patayin mo yang apoy na yan bago lumaki!" His mother reprimanded and he scrambled to put the fire out, all the while still giving me strange looks.
Finally, he said, "Good night, Sari... manok."
