"Tara na! Papakilala ko na kayo sakaniya."
"Ate? Sino sila?"
"Oh ayan na!"
"..."
"Gago! Bakit kayo nahihiya? Bata lang 'yan! Ano? Crush niyo?"
"Hindi. Puta ka. Kamukhang-kamukha mo kasi. Twins ba kayo?"
"Ah-eh. Ewan. Basta alam ko mas maganda ako sakaniya."
"Boo!"
▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂
I am pretending to not know who he is. Actually, he's one of my sister's bestfriend. Na nahiwalay. With an undefined reason.
Ayaw kong matandaan. Ayaw kong matandaan ang kung sinong naging parte sa buhay ng ate ko. I am trying to move on, bakit isa-isa nanaman silang nagpapakita?
Now I get this misery. Why this is happening. We're all connected. Like a random string, buhol-buhol, onti-onti nang natatanggal.
And every thing will now go back to their own places after every thing will happen how it is supposed to be. But the question is, how is the ending supposed to be?
This is like a book with tons of myseteries and questions left behind. No one knows the real answer except the villain. Who's the villain?
And once I--- If I keep doing this question charades this will never stop. Basta, andami talagang tanong. Kada araw iba-iba ang nangyayaring kaka-iba. This questions my existence. A boring life suddenly bloomed with blood.
Umuwi na ako without worrying about Sai. He's in good hands, and I know they can take care of him. Malalagot talaga si Yishai kapag napahamak ulit si Sai. He'll be at fault after all. Isa rin siya sa iniisip kong posibleng maging suspect.
No.. no. Hindi ko dapat pinagsususpetyahan ang kaibigan ko. Instead, dapat pagkatiwalaan ko sila. Huh, funny. I am talking like I have never been betrayed once.
What if the past happens again? Will I be able to miss the pain?
Kahit pigilan ko, napapatanong nalang ako bigla sa sarili ko. That pain. It fucking hurted. Made me even lose my family.
Urgh! I promised myself not to talk about it again, but here I am. Umayos ka nga, You. Hindi ba sabi always think positive?
Yeah, yeah. Positive.
Positive na bumalik ulit sa dati ang buhay ko.
Napamura ako sa hininga ko. Hindi ko talaga kayang mabuhay pang ganoon ang nangyayari.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Who the fuck is system?!
This is driving me crazy. Hindi naman ako detective, ni hindi ko gustong maging detective 'no! I'd rather be a criminal.
Ah, I almost forgot. I loathe criminals like system. They are all the reasons why I am living a hard time now.
It makes me want to leave again.
Pero paano kapag umalis ako, who will save them? Who will help them? What if I am the only one that could solve this puzzle?
While having a deep thought, my phone suddenly rang. Breaking the dramatic atmosphere. Matagal-tagal ko na ring hindi naririnig ang tunog ng ringtone na 'yan. It was customized only for one person. But that doesn't mean they're special. Maybe it could be a sign of a warning. We never know.
"..." I answered the phone, along with my heart beating fast. But no one is answering, only the sounds that air creates was heard. A probably, breathing perhaps.
Seconds after, the phone call was dropped.
Hinayaan ko nalang, baka namali ng pindot sa contacts. But my guess was wrong, the phone rang again. Showing the same name, same number, same caller.
I guess people really have boring lives to begin with. If this is a prank makakasapak na ako ng tao kahit sino pa 'yan.
I had no choice but to swipe right to answer. Bumuntong-hininga ako bago itapat sa tenga ko ang selpon.
"Hi. Did you miss me?"
Napatigil ako at napakunot ang noo. Namali ba ako ng basa? Why did the voice change?
"Oh. Don't be freaked out it's still me. Your sister." Her tone was convincing.. yet surprising.
Umiling ako. Hindi. Hindi. Hindi tama 'to. Baka nagkakamali lang ako! This is so impossible to happen! At hinding-hindi p'wedeng mangyari 'to!
"Kumusta ka na? Do you still study? Don't tell me you skipped school because you're lazy huh? I've known you for years and you kept on whining about school."
Wala akong sinagot. Kasi hindi ko alam ang isasagot ko sakaniya. At.. marami rin siyang tanong.
Should I be happy? Sad? Angry? Scared? If only there's a name for mized emotions. This is confusing me to the highest level.
"Alam mo, ang buhay rito, napakasaya na napakalungkot. Kasi.. wala kayo. Masaya kasi malaya ako. Gets mo? Hahaha. Walang selosan na magaganap, because every one is treated the same."
"Kung sana gano'n din dati." Her tone sounded like her heart broke into pieces. I could feel it, too. Pero anong magagawa natin? It already happened.
Hindi pa rin ako nag sasalita. I just let her be. Maybe I miss her? Maybe I don't. It's between those two.
"How about you? Do you enjoy there? Do you enjoy that life? Baka naman kailanganin mo ulit ako. Hahaha!"
Hindi ko maintindihan ang sinasabi niya. She talks like she has no problem at all. At that became my problem.
Is this really my sister? Paano kung isa lang siyang impostora? What should I do? Report the police?
"I-I.." Bumuntong-hininga ako.
"Why honey? What's wrong?" I could feel her smile behind the phone. Made me feel scared, afraid.
Inipon ko ang lakas ko para sumagot. Huminga ako ng malalim at lumunok ng laway.
"B-but you're dead. You can't be in the phone."
A silence imerged on our lines, suddenly, with my expectations, the call ended.
BINABASA MO ANG
RESTART
Mystery / ThrillerAll life she had lived in misery, playing hide-and-seek with her tremendous past. She had no friends, or-so her friends have left her. One day, after mysteriously downloading an app, her life changed. Eight guys teasing each other, and suddenly, in...