Short Stories

The Unsent Letter Part II

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They both agreeed to go to a nearby 24/7 cafe after that to talk things out.
They wanted to patch things up between the two of them. Ang dami nilang dapat pag-usapan at pagkwentuhan kaya naman hindi na nila hinintay ang kinabukasan para gawin iyon.

"I'll just order some coffee for the both of us. Could you wait me here?" Zeki asked her. Nang um-oo ito ay agad niyang tinungo ang counter.

There was a long queue at the counter but he patiently waited for his turn.

"Uhm, two cups of espressos and two slices of cheesecake please," he ordered. But it seemed like the cafe staff didn't hear his order. Nanatili itong may kung anong pinipindot sa monitor. Siguro hindi nga nito narinig ang order niya so he repeated his order.

This time, the staff looked at him with a weird look on his face. Napansin din niyang parang natigilan ito bigla habang nakatitig lang sa kanya na tila ba namamalik mata. 

"W-what's . . . . y-your order, S-Sir? He stuttered as he asked for his order. The staff's eyes were looking anywhere but him. He seemed kinda nervous too under his stare.

"Two cups of espresso and two slices of cheesecake, please."

"O-okay, S-Sir. Coming right up!"

"What's wrong with him? Why is he acting that way towards me?"Zeki asked himself. "Ang weird naman nito!" pansin pa niya habang pina-punch nito ang order niya.

"Are you with someone? I mean, m-may kasama po ba kayo, Sir?"

Zeki was surprised when he spoke to him in Filipino. Hindi naman kasi halata na may lahing Filipino pala ang cafe staff. Mas mukha kasing Japanese ang lalaking kumuha ng order niya.

"I'm with my girlfriend," he told him as he looked at Mia's direction. Nakaupo ito sa pinakasulok na bahagi ng cafe. 

Kumaway pa ito at ngumiti nang makita siyang nakatingin sa direksyon nito.

"Ang ganda naman po pala ng girlfriend ninyo," the staff complimented, finally loosening up to him.

"Salamat," he said as he smiled proudly at the staff.

"By the way, this is your order, Sir," saad ng staff sabay lapag ng order niya sa counter.

He was about to pay for his order when he stopped him.

"Okay na ho, Sir. You don't have to pay for it. Libre ko na ho sa inyo kasi idol ko ho kayo pagdating sa pagpapatakbo ng negosyo," nakangiting saad ng lalaki.

"Ow! Really?"

"Yes, Sir. Sayang nga lang at . . . " he trailed off.

Naguluhan si Ezekiel nang tingnan siya nito ng tila ba may panghihinayang.

"By the way, enjoy your coffee, Sir."

"Thank you again, . . .

"Yukimaru, Sir," pagsusupply nito.

"Maraming salamat ulit," muling sabi niya bago tuluyang tumalikod dito.

Hahakbang na sana siya papunta sa kinauupuan ni Mia nang mapatigil  sa kanyang narinig.

"Who were you talking to few seconds ago?" He heard a man asked in a thick American accent.

"I was talking to a fellow Filipino," narinig niyang sagot ni Yukimaru.

"You know what, you're getting weirder every single day," narinig pa ni Zeki na komento ng katrabaho nito.

The guy even uttered some foreign language before he heard his chuckle.