What If's

CHAPTER 31

"The worst thing about being lied to is knowing that you're not worth the truth."

- Anonymous

***

"Kuya, five more shots of vodka please," I said to the bartender with matching puppy eyes.

"Ma'am, dami niyo nang nainom ah... may pinagdada-anan ka?"

Aba, chismoso ka rin kuya?

"Kuya vodka please, 'wag kana magtanong... chismoso ka masyado," pagsusungit ko. The bartender shook his head in disapproval but he still gave me the shots anyway.

Hindi ako lasengga, I once believed in the saying that, 'Alcohol won't solve your problems' but come to think of it neither does milk.

"I don't know anything much about alcoholic beverages pero based on movies 'di ba dapat nalalasing na ako?" pag kausap ko sa bartender, but he seemed occupied. I screamed and the bartender took a glance at my direction. Ugh! Be damned with this blasting music.

"Can you give me that?" I pointed at the bottle behind him, napatingin din siya dun. "Yeah! Give me that... uh Ba-car-di, yeah Bacardi!" I smiled nang mabasa ko ng buo ang label.

The tapster hesitated, maybe concerned if I can still lift my hand to take the drink. "'Wag ka mag-alala kuya, I'm fineeee..." sluggish but fine.

Lalagyan na sana niya ng ice 'yong baso but I stopped him, "Ow no, no, nooo! I'm drinking it neat," I boastfully said. I'm so proud of myself.

"Alam mo ba Mr. Bartender, I hate people who lies, damn those liars!" The barman looks at me while listening to my rants. "You know, we are all entitled to the truth. Bakit ba ang hilig nila mag sinungaling? Does it satisfy them? May yumaman ba because of lying? Wala naman 'di ba? Oh wait meron pala, politicians and swindlers, tsk tsk tsk..."

I turned my back to see the sweaty dance floor; the colorful lights are making me feel dizzy. "Look at this people? For a fact, almost everyone who's in here lies, maybe they're someone married who lied and says their single just to get on someone's pants." I faced the bartender again. "They lied to me! There I thought that I was somehow at fault! I was kinda' guilty, and here I found out that I was repenting for nothing?" I chugged the bottle of Bacardi and I felt it burn down my throat. "All this time I was led to believe lies? How could they!?" and there I cried.

Masakit kasi, for years I deprived myself from having fun because I thought I don't deserve such luxury since I hurt Ryan, like what he told me that day.

Fuck them!

I was about to finish the drink when someone held my hand. I was about to sass the nosy being who touched me when the impudent spoke, "That's enough, Alex."

Wait, I know this voice, instead of facing the guy I called the bartenders' attention. "Kuya oh, look who's here, the lying jerk." I really emphasized the LYING and JERK part.

"Alex, let's go! You're drunk." He held my arm to assist me. "Can you walk?" he asked.

"Of course I can walk. I can even smell you..." I'm kinda dizzy really, pero I'm sober... I think.

"Okay let's get you home, now."

"Home? With you? No way." I snapped as try to get away from him. "Alam mo may nalaman ako," I said as my tears threatened to fall. I struggled just to fully face him without falling backwards. "I found out that you're one hell of a liar, you all are." He flinched at my remarks.

"When we met at the park you know who I am, and yes we established that already pero the mall incident...the one where we met Ryan and Mika..." para naman maalala niya. "I knew there was something fishy between you two!" I breathed hard to calm myself down.