Project LOKI ③

Chapter 48: Honor Thy Father III (A + B)

A/N: Third update for this week! The November rush is in full swing!

LORELEI

YOU WOULD not believe what I saw. Kung itsitsismis ko 'to sa buong barangay, walang maniniwala sa akin. Everyone would laugh at me. They would think that I was joking, I was lying or I was out of my mind.

And I understand why people would react that way. Because no one would expect it. No one would see it coming. It's like telling people that the sun has begun revolving around the earth. It's impossible. It's laughable.

Matapos umalis ng sasakyan ni dad, pumasok na ako sa aming apartment. It's already five-thirty in the afternoon when I came home. The sight that welcomed my eyes caught me by surprise. The place was sparkling clean. Maayos na naka-arrange ang mga libro at iba pang papel sa ilalim ng center table. Symmetrical ang pagkakaayos ng mga couch. Wala nang sticky notes sa screen ng TV.

Nang pumunta ako sa kitchen, doon na halos magdikit ang mga kilay ko. They almost formed a straight line. Malinis ang mesa, walang coffee o chocolate stain, walang patak ng tubig. Wala ni isang baso o plato na nasa sink. Maayos na nakasalansan ang mga plato at utensil sa lalagyan. The trash bin was also empty.

Hindi ganito ang unit nang iniwan namin kaninang umaga. The place was messy. Well, we did not have time to clean everything or anything. Nakakapaglinis lang ako kapag nakauwi na ako.

For a moment, I thought Tita Martha did all of these. But I remember she doesn't clean our unit. She's the landlady here. Kahit na pamangkin niya ako, hindi niya ako itatrato na parang VIP sa apartment niya. She'd let me clean our unit on my own.

Could it be Tita Frigette? Minsa'y napapadaan siya sa amin para i-check kung kumusta si Loki. But she never touched any of the items here. May one time na nag-volunteer siyang maghugas ng mga plato, pero inunahan ko na siya. Nakakahiya rin kung siya ang maglilinis sa hindi niya dumi.

So that left only person who might be behind this strange cleanliness: Loki himself.

And that sounded outrageous. Imagine him washing the dishes? Imagine him sweeping and mopping the floor? It's unimaginable. It could only happen in one's dreams. Siguro kung magkaka-amnesia siya, baka posible pang mangyari 'yon.

"Oh, you're here?" Loki leaned against his room door, arms folded.

Ibinaba ko ang aking bag sa couch at iginala ang mga mata ko sa paligid. I turned to him and wagged my forefinger. "Did you..."

He nodded. Ayaw kong maniwala noong una. I was expecting a punchline or a "just kidding!" remark, but it didn't come out of his mouth. "I needed a distraction so I decided to clean the unit. I surprisingly found the activity liberating. It clears my mind. Like a palate cleanser. Is that why you enjoy it? Don't worry, I didn't clean your room. I respect your privacy and I do not want to mess with your girly stuff."