The Unnoticed

Mang Sito

"Is that you, Franky?" Jody shouted.

Frank stood up and approached her. He gave her a light hug and they began to talk like a bee. Somehow, it annoyed me. Bakit noong ako ang tumawag sa kanya noon, ayaw niya? I maintained casual but who am I kidding? For sure these people beside me were hungry predators.

In the end, Jody pulled him to our table. The asshole chose to sit across me. Their topic went on and on. How they loved extreme sports. 

"Do you want a sunny-side-up, Juls?"

Mula sa basong kape sa harapan ko ay bumaling ako kay Clifford. Sa kanan nito si Calum na halatang nakikiramdam, gaya ni Margerine sa kaliwa ko.

"She doesn't like. A fish or a loaf with butter will do," Frank butted in.

Nanatili ang titig ko kay Clifford, kahit pa gusto ko ng bumuga ng apoy. Sinong nagbigay sa kanya ng karapatang mangialam? Halatang nagulat siya. Nagtataka, pero hindi isinatinig ang katanungan. Tinawag lang nito ang waiter upang kuhanin ang order ko. The rest of us remained silent or had their own topic, until the food arrived.

Pinag-uusapan ang itinerary para mamaya sa pangunguna ni Montmeyer at Margot nang marinig ko ang bulungan ni Jody at Frank.

"Are you going to stay here for good?" asked Jody.

Frank gave me a gentle gaze before he answered, "No."

"That's bad. Work sucks. The company sucks. Being a boss, fuck! You've been away for how many years and got stuck to your box. You look dashing now... not as if you aren't before but... look at you. You matured. What's with the beard, though? I don't stay in Paris anymore. I found myself in Canada. I love the mountains there—" Jody bit her lower lip and giggled. "—Canadian Rockies, eh!"

"Canucks," bulong ni Frank. Lumipat sa akin ang atensyon. Nahuli akong nakikinig sa kanilam kaya tinaasan ako ng kilay.

What? Inirapan ko siya. Padarang na tinusok ng tinidor ang kapirasong salmon sa plato.

"It's just five days and counting. Anyway, why you were here?"

"To relax," he lazily answered.

Tumayo ako upang sagutin ang tawag sa phone ko. Lumayo ako roon, kahit pa gusto kong pakinggan ang pinag-uusapan nila.

"Hello?"

"Georgina," the deep voice from the other line made my back straightened. I saw that the caller is unknown, but I was too preoccupied to give attention to it. It sent a scary goose bump on my arms.

"Sino ka?"

"May mas mahalagang tanong kaysa d'yan, Georgina. Ang tungkol sa pamilya mo, gusto mo bang malaman?"

May kung anong dumagan sa dibdib ko at bumigat iyon. "Anong alam mo? Sino ka? Paano mo nakuha ang number ko?"

Malakas na halakhak ang narinig ko sa kabilang linya. Ang iritasyon na kanina ko pa nararamdaman ay lalong napunan. Lumingon ako sa mesang pinanggalingan ko. Ang kaso, nahanap ng aking atensyon si Frank. Kapwa nakatingin sa akin habang kausap na ngayon si Sander. Nakabalik na siya sa mesa nila.