Truly, Sincerely

Chapter 2

Oh gosh. It's already 5 pm.

Binilisan ko ang paglalakad ko para makarating kaagad ako samin. Dapat sana nakauwi na ako by 1 pm eh. Si Lake kasi. Haysht.

"Ash!" I called out for her nang makapasok na ako sa bahay.

Tumungo ako sa kitchen at nakita kong may mga plato doon na nakahanda at mga ulam na tinakpan ng pantakip. Binuksan at sinilip ko ang isa sa mga dito. Oh gosh. Niluto niya nga ang paborito kong ulam. Pero heto ako at hindi siya sinipot.

"Ash?"

Tumungo naman ako sa master's bedroom at doon ko siya nakitang natutulog.

I sighed. Napaghintay ko siya ng matagal.

"Ash," niyugyog ko siya ng konti. "Did you eat lunch?"

Kumilos siya at humarap sakin. "No."

"What?! So you waited for me?"

Bumangon siya at umiling habang nakangiti. "Psh. Why would I?"

Nakahinga ako ng maluwag. Mabuti naman at hindi pa niya ako hinintay. "I'm sorry I'm very late."

"You're not late, sistah. You never came, that's the right reason." Napa-pout ako sa sinabi niya. "But Lake called me that you were with him. It's okay for me to eat alone as long as you ate lunch too."

"Yiiieee so sweet."

At napatawa kaming dalawa. Haay. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam.

Napag-desisyunan namin ni ate na initin yung mga ulam na niluto niya nong lunch at sabay kaming kumain para sa early dinner namin.

Pagkatapos naming kumain ay nag-shower ako, nagbihis ng pampatulog at in-open ang site ko para i-upload ang video ko kanina.

"So why did Lake take you to Paparbs?"

Nagulantang ako sa biglaang pagsilip ni ate sa kwarto ko. "Hello? There's a door, you can knock if you don't want me to have a heart attack, you know." I rolled my eyes at her at ibinalik agad ang mga mata sa laptop.

"Sisters don't knock." sabi niya at nag-shrug lang ako habang nakatutok parin sa laptop ko. May konting katahimikan muna ang dumaan. Akala ko umalis na siya pero nandiyan pa pala. "Your cousin is just making it up to you. You know, you haven't seen each other for how many years since you were still 10 years old."

"I can feel it, Ash. Don't worry." I said it sarcastically kaya nagbadya siyang batuhin ako ng kung ano. "I mean, I can feel that he wants to bond with me. But we really haven't changed that much. He's still weird."

"Weirder, you mean." humagikhik kami pareho.

"You noticed that, too?" It was supposed to be a joke but she answered anyway.

"I don't know. I moved here 2 weeks before you did but...ugh, I really can't figure it out. Maybe, it's just his fashion that changed a bit?"

"I don't think so."

Napaisip ako, at natandaan ko kung ano ang napag-usapan namin ni Lake kanina habang kumakain. Ang rason kung bakit nakalimutan kong umuwi at kumain ng lunch with ate.

"It's on me today. You order anything you want." wow, ang gara ah.

Napangiwi ako pero nagkibit-balikat na lamang. "Okay, I'd like to order this one." may tinuro ako sa menu at tinignan naman niya ito.

"Okay, this one and two mango shakes for the side dish."

Tumango naman yung waiter at umalis na.

"So," napatingin ako sa kanya nang mag-crossarms siya and rested his back on the chair. "I know you got a novel for your teenage story and this is the time for you to share this to me."

I laughed a bit. "Why would I?" naramdaman kong sinipa niya ang paa ko sa ilalim. "Ouch!" sinamaan ko siya ng tingin.

"C'mon! I've missed all of your activities since we've parted." umirap na lang ako at umiling-iling. "Okay, I'll be the first one to tell and after, you promise me to tell yours, okay?"

Napatango ako. "Deal. Since you seem so excited to tell me."

Napangiti siya. "Well, I really don't know where to start but... okay, I am rank one in our class, I got a dog named Ally, I am studying at Notre Dame Academy, I am an arts club officer, and what else? Uhm..."

Natawa ako. "Psh, seriously? You're not obviously bragging about your achievements, huh? Just tell me something interesting about you. I know you already, couz. You don't have to tell me anything I've known for so long. Give me something new about you."

Dumating na yung waiter at inilapag ang mga in-order namin. Sumubo muna si Lake ng isang scoop ng kanyang pagkain, ngumuya, lumunok, bago nagsalita.

"Well, aside from I've already kissed a girl and tried exchanging briefs with my friends,"

"Yuck." Komento ko. I really don't like the idea of that. I mean, what can they get from it? Tumawa lang siya. "Okay continue."

"I'm currently interested in books about mental disorders." he continued.

Nanlaki ang mga mata ko. "Shocks. That's really something new."

"I know, right?"

Natahimik muna kami kasi sumubo kami ng sunod-sunod na scoops.

"And what have you discovered?"

Ngumiwi siya. "Naah. Just something about the disadvantages of having such a condition and how they coped up with it." tumango-tango lang ako. "And now, I'm reading a book about a person who has multiple personality."

Napatingin ako sa kanya ng wala sa oras. "What's in that book?" I've heard about this thing already pero parang gusto kong malaman kung ano ito.

"You know, that person who changes personality from time to time." tapos na siya sa pagkain ng main course kaya tinira na niya ang mango shake niya. "But the scariest part of it is when that person changes into a personality that he himself can't even control. Well, if you have a condition like that, you really can't control yourself. But this is different. He turns into someone like you can't imagine he'll be."

Nangunot ang noo ko at natigil na rin ako sa pagkain. "What personality is that?" I asked as scenes flashed in my mind.

Messy hair...

Red eyes...

Clenching fists...

Tumingin siya sa kisame na parang nag-iisip. "A personality that controls him, commands him to do something that he doesn't like."

I rolled my eyes. "Just get to the point already, Lake."

Natawa siya. "Excited?" nag-sip muna siya sa mango shake niya. "That personality makes him feel the desire to kill, Dandy. He kills people without a second thought. He's a criminal or more like a murderer, something like that."

Murderer...

A murderer personality...