LINKED HEARTS

CHAPTER 41

Chapter 41

Pagkatapos naming kumain ng dinner sa labas ay nagsi-uwian na ang mga kasamahan namin pero kaming dalawa ni Gremlin ay nasa ocean park pa rin. Alas otso na ng gabi and he called my parents our whereabouts luckily wala si kuya kaya walang tumutol.

"I don't know why my knees are shaking whenever I saw sharks." aniya.

Hawak-hawak niya ang ice cream na nakalagay sa disposal box habang sinusubuan ako na parang bata. Maraming mga matang nagtitinginan sa amin and I couldn't focus on the animals in the aquarium.

"Maybe because you watched movies about sharks too much. You know they eat human alive." sagot ko habang kumakapit sa strap ng bag niya.

"Maybe. I couldn't imagine the feeling if I am the one who they'll eat. It's so scary." pormal niyang sabi tsaka muli akong sinubuan ng ice cream.

"Don't you want to eat it?" takang tanong niya.

"You feed me too much. Why don't you help me finish it? Masyadong nabusog ako sa kinain natin kanina."

Hindi siya sumagot at sinubo ang ice cream. Patuloy kaming dalawa sa paglalakad habang tumitingin sa mga dolphins na lumalangoy at mga isdang may ibat-ibang kulay. Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit kami nandito e hindi naman kami parehas na mahilig sa mga hayop.

"Aren't we going out? I don't like to see sea animals anymore." reklamo ko.

"That's a good idea. My knees are trembling in fear since we enter." aniya.

"It's better na lumabas nalang. Naiinis ako sa mukha ng mga isda."

"Why?"

Nilunok ko muna ang ice cream bago sumagot, "when I was a child, we had fish for dinner. I don't want to remember it but since you ask me, why not share it to you diba? Ayun na nga when we were eating dinner, I accidentally swallowed it's bone, it got stucked in my throat for more than hours. I cried so much and wanted to get an operation but my parents refused since I'm still a kid back then, they know how much I hated syringe." iritadong pagpapaliwanag ko sa kanya.

Nagtaka ako nung pigil tawa siyang umiiwas ng tingin sa akin. Hinampas ko siya sa balikat sa sobrang inis.

"Did I tell you to laugh?" mataray na tanong ko. Kaagad din siyang umayos na parang walang nangyare.

"What happened next then?"

"They forced me to eat a lots of bananas. I hated bananas as much as I hate fish."

Nakikinig lang siya sa akin ng tahimik na tila na nag-aantay kung ano pang kasunod ng sasabihin ko.

"For what reason?"

"Mom said na pinaglihian niya ako kay Kingkong. You know it right? It's a gorilla in the movies. It's a kind of insult to me being called Kingka---"

"HAHAHAHAAHHA!"

The punk burst out laughing before I could finish my words. It's another insulting act to me. Sana pala hindi ko nalang sinabi sa kanya. Hinampas ko na naman siya sa tiyan kaya napatigil siya sa pagtawa.

"Stop laughing. It's not funny!"

"I'm sorry."

Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin, "no, just laugh. It's okay." nakangusong sabi ko sabay talikod sa kanya at naunang lumabas sa exit door.

Hinabol niya ako at mabilis na umakbay sa akin, "I didn't laugh because it's funny."

"Then what's the reason?"