Chasing Mr. Z

Z

We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January
This is our place we make the rules
And there's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear
Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?

"Come on, bro. Let's meet this chic," pangungulit sa akin ng magaling kong pinsan.

We are currently in a bar. His bar to be exact. Sa dinami-dami ng pwede niyang gawing business, itong bar pa ang napagdiskitahan.

Umiling ako sa kanya at ininom ang laman ng shot glass na nasa harapan ko. He groaned in disappointment.

"It's been what? More than 11 years since the girl you loved left this beautiful world of ours. I understand your regrets  for not telling her you love her before she died. But you shouldn't let yourself suffer for such a long time..." payo niya sa akin.

I smiled bitterly. "Look who's talking. Don't tell me you're completely moved on with my cousin Perly dela Paz?"

Natahimik siya sa tanong ko. Tinapik ko ang kanyang kanang balikat saka sinalinan ng alak ang kanyang baso.

"I guess it really runs in the blood. So don't flirt when you're still madly in love with her, Angelo Christian Demonteverde," sabi ko at tinaas ang shotglass ko sa harapan niya.

"Cheers?" nakangisi kong sabi sa kanya.

"You really know how to shut my mouth. Fuck you, bro!" sabi niya at tinaas din ang kanyang baso. "Cheers!"

Halos sabay naming nilagok ang aming inumin.

Can I go where you go?
Can we always be this close forever and ever?
And ah, take me out, take me home
You're my, my, my, my lover

Napatingala ako. The song is quite good but it makes me kind of sad.

"My music team is a die hard fan of Taylor Swift," pagbibigay-alam niya sa akin.

Nakangisi akong tumango sa kanya. Ilang sandali pa ay napabuntong-hininga siya.

"Alright. She's her favorite music artist. Are you happy now?"

Natatawa akong itinaas ang dalawang kamay. "I haven't said anything."

"Screw you, bro."

Napailing na lang akong iginala ang paningin sa paligid. I like this place. Hindi siya katulad ng ibang bar na sobrang ingay. This bar is more like a chilling bar where you can have a drink with your friends and can still talk with each other without shouting.

It's almost midnight kaya dumarami na rin ang customers. It seems like they're done in the clubs and they want to chill for a while.

Tumayo si Angelo Christian at sandaling nagpaalam. So I left alone in our table. Napabuga ako ng hangin.

Naalala ko ang sinabi niya kanina. It's been 11 years yet I couldn't afford to take one step forward in forgetting that tragedy. I tried to move on but it's really hard to do.

Marami na silang pinapakilalang babae sa akin. I tried to entertain them pero hindi tumatagal. My thoughts are always wandering somewhere. It keeps me coming back to the memories I had with Ali.

So it's either I ended up getting slapped or tapunan ng inumin sa mukha ng mga babaeng kinikita ko.

Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand?
With every guitar string scar on my hand
I take this magnetic force of a man to be  my lover

Muli akong nagsalin ng inumin sa aking baso. I was about to drink it nang may umagaw no'n sa kamay ko. Gulat akong napatingala. I narrowed my eyes because she was standing there with a dazzling lights behind her.