Definitely Out of his League | published under Ukiyoto Publishing

5th League: His Visitor

5th League: His Visitor

NAKATAYO SI Iris sa labas ng isang madilim na eskinita. By dark, she meant like there was a dark aura surrounding that narrow path she was about to go in. She was scared if she had to be honest. Para na ngang babaliktad ang sikmura niya sa kaba.

There were several people that were looking at her. Sa isip niya, katakot-takot na panlalait na ang gusto niyang sabihin pero hindi niya magawa.

May mga nakahubad na tambay na nakaupo lang sa maduming sahig. Malansa pa ang amoy ng hangin. Probably, the least place she wanted to be at. Dinig din niya ang mga nanay na nagbubunganga sa mga anak nila o kasugalan.

Then, a mother walked out of the narrow, almost haunted alley. She was being followed by seven children. Iris figured that they were that woman's child. She looked at her with disgust.

Ang baho naman dito. Talaga bang may mga lugar na ganito? Eww. And look at that guy. Mukha siyang unggoy. I wonder if mga drug addict ang tao rito. How can that Travis live here? This is worse than hell. Yuck!

And that nanay with seven children. What is she? A dog? Why does she have so many kids?

Kabaliktaran naman ng mga iniisip niya ang ipinakikita ng mukha niya. She approached a random lady that was selling some street foods outside. She covered her nose because of the smoke.

"Uhh... Hello po, saan po nakatira si Travis?" tanong niya.

"Sinong Travis ba?" tanong ng manang.

"Travis Gary Falcon po," she said.

"Falcon? Ahh... Baka 'yong kapatid ni Trixie! Anak ng namayapa kong kumareng si Nancy. Si Pogi! 'Yong tisoy ba na matangkad? Mahaba ang buhok?" Paninigurado ng babae.

"Opo. Siya nga po yata. Where does he live?"

"Travis pala ang pangalan no'n. Pogi lang kasi kung tawagin dito 'yon. Girlfriend ka ba niya? Aba't kaganda. At halatang mayaman ka, hija!" wika pa nito.

Tinawanan lang ni Iris ang matanda at umiling. Sa loob-loob niya ay naiirita na siya. Napaka-chikadora naman ng matandang 'to. At hindi ko boyfriend ang lakaking 'yon. Eww.

"Ka-schoolmate niya lang po ako," sagot ni Iris.

"Diretsuhin mo lang ang eskinita na 'yan. Tapos kumaliwa ka, tapos kanan naman. 'Yong unang bahay sa kaliwa, doon sila nakatira," anang tindera.

Napalunok naman si Iris. Talaga bang papasukin niya ang mabaho at maputik na eskinita na iyon? On top of that, there were a lot of suspicious guys standing by that alley.

"Greta, anak, samahan mo nga itong si ganda. Baka bastusin ito nina Itoy, kilala mo naman ang mga 'yon. Samahan mo siya kanina Pogi," utos ng tindera sa anak niya.

The teenage lady was shocked to see Iris.

"Iris Jang?" the girl asked.

"Yes?" she said.

Bigla na lamang nagwala ang babae at niyakap nang mahigpit si Iris. Iris was clueless and disgusted with what was happening.

"Idol na idol kita, puwedeng pa-picture?" anang babae.

"S-Sige... But please, take me to Travis," aniya.

Pumayag siyang magpa-picture kay Greta. Matapos iyon ay hinatid na siya nito sa tapat ng bahay nina Travis. It was just a small house. She could not even think about it as a human house.

Pinagtitinginan naman siya ng mga tao sa paligid. She kind of expected a small house but she was not expecting it to be that small. She knew that she was in a squatters' area now.