"Hi."
I couldn't help but flinch when I felt something on my shoulder. Mula sa pagkasubsob sa lamesa, inis kong tinanggal ang suot na earphones at nag-angat ng tingin sa kung sino man. Sumalubong sa paningin ko ang isang babaeng nakasalamin at may tipid na ngiti sa mukha.
I swayed my brows upward, my way of asking what the hell does she need from me.
"Yes?" I blurted out after ample seconds of silence of her just staring at me with a timid smile.
Mabilis kong ipinadaan ang paningin sa kaniyang kabuuan. She didn't look familiar to me. Pero kungsabagay, almost everyone seems to be a stranger to me.
But who cares? Wala rin naman akong pakialam sa kanila.
Inis akong nagpakawala ng malalim na buntonghininga.
'Di ba siya magsasalita? She's obviously wasting my time. I'd rather sleep than join her in what seemed like a staring contest for her.
Nang akmang babalik na ako sa pagtulog, sa wakas ay nagsalita rin siya.
"May nakaupo ba rito?"
"Obviously," I cant help but roll my eyes.
If she sees no one, why bother asking? Stupid.
She seemed surprised by my attitude. But I didn't really care. Pasensiyahan na lang. I find her question really stupid. I find her as one too. Kaya nang tumayo siya ay alam ko nang na'sa dalawa lang 'yan: lilipat o lilipat.
I just shrugged it off and let myself sink into the deepest chamber of music while waiting for this day to finally end.
"Here."
Sa pangalawang pagkakataon, someone dared to bother me again.
It was her. Again.
"Ano naman?" inis na tanong ko nang mahagip ng tingin ang hawak niyang softdrink.
"Pampalamig ng ulo," she beamed an amused smile as she threw it at me. Good thing I dodged it before it could hit me.3
"What the hell?!" I looked at her with my brows furrowed in extreme annoyance, but she just laughed at me like I was some kind of a joke.
Oadabog akong tumayo at pinulot ang bote ng softdrink sa sahig.
When she noticed me staring at her ferociously, she tried to stiffle her laugh with her hands, but she failed.
Mabilis kong dinampot ang bag na nakapatong sa upuan. I glanced at her who was now sitting on the chair beside me. She was busy pretending to fix her eyeglasses. She met my gaze and I shot her an annoyed look before going out.
"Ingat!"
She even had the nerve to say a word.
Normally, I would have thrown it at her already, but I didn't. Just because... I couldn't.
Her laugh kinda looked refreshing.
It was something I am used to before life started to shit on me.
I halted when I felt something rough in my hands holding the bottle tightly. I checked it out and noticed that a paper was taped around the bottle. I carefully peeled the paper off the bottle and found something written on it.
Nice to meet you, Gab! :)
- Alex
