It Started With The Test Paper

1: Geyl

Maria Geyl's POV

Caliskey Café, ang clue ng test paper ay tinuturo ang café shop na iyon.

I know the café eversince I got my first tooth pero sa nagdaang tatlong taon: the café made me a risk taker because there's something down there: dark, noisy, and in mess. There's a dark hideout— its illegal and disguises as a Cafè. Normally, sa ganoong mga kagandang coffee shop ay sa social media lang nadidiskubre.  

O' well ako, I found it when the day that my one and only crush pretended as a hot lady. Noong araw na iyon ay mas maganda pa siya kaysa sa akin!

All things just lingered when I headed to the counter para makapag-solve na ng codes  at mag-exhibitions sa mga given words.

Yes, I would probably bend, stretch, translate, or organize the clues. Mostly TagLish ito. Kailangan pa'ng may bahid ng pagkabalbal sa lengwahe para masagutan ang ilang logics.

Hindi madali.

And the masculine man in the counter —that I'm always seeing  three times a day, before—  just gave me a smirk and then, "May I take your order, Ma'am? But there . . . here. We have our new sweets."

He deserves an extra pay, he's not just a cashier at Caliskey Cafè.  I always think that he is a Highest Official. I immediately took the piece of shiny paper. I already feel that it will contain clues.

There, in the flyer, written on it 'Try our new sweet! Strawberry ice cream on a cup!' 

I also noticed the fancy image of strawberry on top of the ice cream. Mukha namang delicious at appetizing ang nasa larawan pero may naging reklamo pa rin ako sa cashier.

"Bob this is not new," giit ko.

Nakatalikod siya at hindi ako pinapansin.

Eh?

Hindi n'ya ako pinansin at nag-intindi pa ng ibang costumer. He ignored me until I didn't get the right word or the clues or the password. 

Ganoon na lang ang frustration para maayos agad ang clues.  "Damn," I whispered and just glanced at the flyer.

Strawberry? What's wrong with that red fruit filled with sesame seeds?

"O' okay, focus Geyl. You should know it."

I asked myself, how can I focus if the recipe is not really new? May mali na agad. Nakaka-pressure lang dahil I already stopped with such kind of activity; playing with words. It's been years ago n'ong last time na nanghula ako at ramdam kong nangangalawang na ako.

Mula sa manghuhula ay naging isang Rising Agent ako. Nag-iba ang pananamit at pagsasalita ko. Konti na lang, malapit na talaga, ay magiging Alpha Senior na ako.

I clapped my hand to my right leg thinking about the flyer. New recipe? New sweet? Alam kong hindi iyon bago sa product nila.

I thought of the word 'strawberry' at the same time the word 'new'. Nangiwi ako pero sinubukan pa rin ang salitang naisip.

"Baguio," I uttered.  Bob turned his head at me and pressed his lips together. Slowly turning his back at me. That screams I am wrong.

I'm wrong and that was a shame. Siguradong hindi naman ganoon kadali lang ang code. Nanakit ang ulo kakaisip kung ano ba talaga dapat ang password.

Tinanong ko ang sarili ko, What's with Baguio? Habang nag-iisip, umupo ako sa isa sa mga upuan. Naalala kong kostumer rin pala ako at needed kong mag-relax.