Franki's POV
Nakita kong parang nagbubulungan ang dalawa,
"What 'ya doin'?."
Nagulat naman silang makita ako.
"K-kanina ka pa dyan?." Kabadong sabi ni Diana. Something is really wrong here. Hmm.
"Uhm nope. Ang sarap naman nyan." Referring to the shake.
"Oh yeah babe, wait lang--there you go, tikman mo." Argel's panicking habang binibigyan ako ng isang baso ng ginawa nilang fruitshake.
"Mmm ang sarap nga. Sige, akyat lang ako sa taas."
Pumunta muna ako sa terrace para magrelax at tingnan ang napakagandang view.
"Hey." Napalingon ako sa nagsalita. It's Diana, dala dala rin ang glass of shake niya.
Umupo siya sa chair sa kabilang side of the table.
"So, I heard you own this successful wine company. What's your brand again?." Sabi niya.
"TRES."
"Kasunod ng DOS?."
"Pwede din, but it really stands for The Russell Effect Syndrome."
"Haha witty. What does that mean?."
"Are you familiar with the Russell Effect?."
"No, not really. Tell me about it Franki."
"Well, it is the ability of an agent other than light to make a developable latent image in a photographic film emulsion. You can also call it photechic effect. Example is printing photos with ink or volatile liquid."
"I don't get it. What does it have to do with the wine brand?."
"The idea here is the development of something through other factors rather than what is traditionally used."
"Why is it considered a syndrome?."
"Well, my grandfather Mr. Frank Russell Sr. said it like this, Imagine that you're the latent image and the wine is that factor you need. It helps you develop yourself which includes showing your image that tells about courage and vulnerability at the same time. You taste it little by little until it becomes your obsession subject. You believe that you need it to be more confident."
"Pero that would mean that you're undergoing The Russell Effect Syndrome yourself and not the factor."
"That's the whole point, you take in the factor inside your body and you become one. You compliment each other that it becomes an indestructible affair. You see, the brand name in the bottle is a warning that if you get addicted of what's inside, you're making a shortcut towards your own death. And I think that's really amazing because no wine company would ever tell their buyers that their product could kill."
"But isn't it supposed to be a good strategy for marketing?."
"Selling Truth is always better than any strategy, Diana."
"You really are something."
Nag-usap pa kami ng nag-usap hanggang sa medyo dumilim na.
Kumain lang kami ng dinner nang biglang nagsalita si Argel,
"Sya nga pala Diana--may bago tayong investors na dapat i-meet."
"Really? Kailan daw?." Tanong ni Diana.
"Bukas, at sa mga susunod pang araw. At yung pinapatayo mo kasing casino, malapit na rin yun matapos."
"Thank you for reminding me."
"About that--sinabi ko na na I'll handle it for you."
"What? Why? Why would you do that?."
"Diana, ayokong napapagod ka. At saka marami kana ring tinatrabaho. Let me handle this nalang." Ayan na naman sya sa pagiging concerned niya kay Diana. Ano ba talaga Argel?
"Argel, I'm not disabled. Kaya ko pa. Besides, this is your vacation with Franki."
"Andyan ka naman eh. Pwede mo syang samahan--"
"Teka lang Argel ah, seryoso ka? Aalis ka talaga?." Inis ko pang sabi sa kanya. Trabaho na naman kasi inaatupag niya!
"Babe, 4 days lang naman eh. Importante lang talaga to."
"Tapos ako, hindi?."
"You are important, but babe--kailangan kong gawin to."
"Argel, kaya ko na kasi yun. Just stay here with Franki."
"Hindi. Diana, hindi pwede. Dito ka lang."
"Pero--"
"Wala nang pero pero. Aalis ako bukas. And you two, you're staying here."
Hindi na nakapalag si Diana.
9pm bumaba ako para uminom ng tubig nang makita ko si Argel na umiinom din ng tubig.
"Alam mo Argel, ano ba talagang meron sa inyo? Bakit ganun mo sya tratuhin?. I know pinaliwanag mo na sakin pero may iba parin akong pakiramdam dito. May mali. Ipaliwanag mo nga sa akin, what is going on?."
"Here listen, someone out there wants to kill Diana kaya hindi sya pwedeng makita ng kahit kanino. Her life is in danger and we couldn't trust anyone. Kaya I want you to take care of her."
"Siraulo ka talaga, bakit mo kasi ako dinala pa dito? Madadamay pako sa gulo ng babaeng yan."
"Pwede ba, stop being your immature self right now. Franki, I need you to do this for me. Basta kahit anong mangyari, wag na wag kayong lalayo sa bahay na'to. You can't go further than 1.08E−5 miles squared, okay?."
"Okay, fine. Pero what on earth is 1.08E−5 miles squared?."
KINABUKASAN
Nagising nalang kami na wala na si Argel. I can't believe that he's letting me risk my own life for this woman. What a nice boyfriend tsk.
Sobra sobra na kasi tong pagtrato niya kay Diana. Although, ayoko namang mainis kay Diana dahil dun kasi nakikita ko namang wala siyang planong agawin sakin an boyfriend ko.
Habang tinutulungan ko syang magluto ng breakfast,
"How did you know you like girls?." Tanong ko sa kanya.
Napaisip siya saglit.
"I don't know. How did you know you like guys?." She said as if she's avoiding eye contact.
"Ano ba yung feeling ng may girlfriend? Kwento ka naman about your ex or baka may current girlfriend ka ngayon. Yun ba yung kausap mo sa phone nung--"
"Ah hindi. That was my ex. Sobrang kulit kasi, gusto pang makipagbalikan."
"Kung ako ba naman ex mo, babalikan talaga kita."
"You don't know what you're talking about Franki. I'm sure you'd leave me once you see me in the morning."
"I've seen you in the morning Diana, pero andito parin ako."
"That's not what I meant. Morning for me is a metaphor for showing my darkest sides."
"Huh?. Pero maliwanag ang umaga Diana--"
"I'm talking about my state. When I was younger, I wasn't really a morning person. So, I went to school starting each day of my life with a bad mood. I am the most terrible version of myself every morning. While at night, I'm still the same but people aren't really bothered by it because no one could see clearly in the dark."
"How did you get all those right words?."
"Self reflection, more ME-Time. Try mo minsan."
