Oneirataxia: My Fictional Man

CHAPTER 05

Chapter Five

"Why did you run away?"

The moment Madam Chua's secretary goes out, nakakasindak na tanong agad ang ibinungad niya sa akin. Matigas ang pagkakabigkas ng bawat salita na para bang gigil na gigil siya sa ano mang ginawa ko. Teka, ano bang ginawa ko?

"What you did was very unprofessional. Madam Chua confirmed it's really you and it seems that she really trusts you that much, but I wonder what she sees in you to the extent that she appointed you as her understudy while she's still not around."

Teka ulit, what is he talking about? If this is relevant to what I did, revealing that I was just mistaken by the secretary of whoever that Chua is, at kung totoo mang nangyari ang araw na yun, eh bakit ganito ang pinagsasabi niya na parang ako talaga ang pansamantalang kapalit ng Chua na iyon? Tila pinapahiwatig niya na nagsinungaling lang ako sa sinabing hindi ako ang tinutukoy na substitute.

Naligaw lang naman ako. As far as I remember, a one heck random woman just approached me from nowhere, told me I wore the same dress as what her boss described, and the rest was history.

Matatalim ang mga mata ni Benjamin na nakatitig sa akin habang tila hinihintay ang aking paliwanag. At eto ako, hindi pa rin makabigkas ng kahit ni isang pantig dahil naguguluhan pa rin sa mga pangyayari.

Is this place some sort of parallel universe, a fourth dimensional of the earth where there is living another me?

Or is this a surreal dream where I can feel pain physically?

Or maybe, I'm just having a bizarre delusion of these happenings. It could be, I might have a delusional disorder where I can't figure out what's real from what is being imagined. But in contrast, I'm very much aware that this place has nothing to do with me.

Maraming bumabagabag sa akin. Whatever may right, I can't still get why I'm here. Oneirataxia indeed.

Wait... speaking of.

That old woman. Is it truly possible that she granted my paradoxical wish? Plus the fact that his name is Benjamin adds to the notion that it could be somewhat possible.

But nah, there are many Benjamin's in the world. Baka coincidence lang.

"Cat got your tongue?" Panunuya niya, grinning without paint of humor at all.

"I-I'm sorry---"

"You should be! What would you actually get for fooling us around, huh? You even ran like you were really guilty." Nagtitimpi niyang bulalas.

Ano mang oras ay baka sasabog na siya na parang bulkan. Halos magkasalubong na ang dalawang kilay sa gitna at hindi magka-ugaga ang noo sa pagkakakunot. Minsan ay kinakagat pa niya ang labi, pinipigilan ang tila apoy na unti-unting sumisiklab sa kanyang dibdib.

Hindi ko maikakaila ang mas lalong pagkahubog ng kung ano sa kanyang mukha. Tila ba mas lalong nadagdagan ang kanyang kagwapuhan kahit na nagpupuyos na siya sa galit.

Imbis na matakot ay napalitan ng kung anong kaba ang umusbong sa aking dibdib. Parang pamilyar ang ganitong eksena, katulad lang ng nababasa ko sa mga nobela.

"Hindi lang si Madam ang napahiya dito kundi ako rin! I chased you like you were a fuckin' Cinderella. You even acted passing out. And I was like some poor damn prince who carried you and put you inside my car."

Ano? Hindi ko halos maintindihan ang kanyang sinasabi dahil abala ako sa kakatitig sa kabuuan ng kanyang mukha pero parang nakuha ko naman ang huli niyang sinabi.