Day off ko pero wala akong ginawa kung di isipin ang nangyari kanina. Di tuloy ako nakakain ng maayos at nagsasalitang mag-isa habang nasa harap ng pagkain ko.
I decided to go to the beach para maglibang. It's past 3 in the afternoon palang naman. Konti lang ang naliligo sa dagat. Kadalasan mga surfer lang ang makikita sa paligid o kaya naman ay maliliit na bangka na naghahatid sa mga turista papuntang iba pang isla.
Habang naglalakad ay napadpad na naman ako sa malaking bato kung san kami unang nagkita ng lalaki kagabi. "You're quite pretty." Yan ang paulit-ulit na nagplay sa isip ko at iniisip kung magkikita pa ba kami. Okay lang kaya sya? Nakauwi kaya sya ng maayos? Sino kaya sya saka san sya tumutuloy dito? "Gosh, why am I hoping to see him? And why do I care?" Pumikit ako sabay umiling. "Arri, you're such a fool." I decided to check him sa nearest nipa hut kung saan ko sya dinala.
"Nobody's here." I felt disappointed kasi di ko sya nakita. "I'm sure wala syang naaalala." I sighed and was about to leave the place nung biglang may magsalita.
"There you are... Miss Sanchez!" Boses ng isang lalaki sa likuran ko ang gumulat sakin. His voice gives me chills. He's that guy. Para akong naging estatwa. Hindi ko alam kung lilingon ako o tatakbo palayo.
"I- I came to check kung okay ka lang."
"I'm good. And I've been waiting for you. You left something."
Humarap sya sakin at pinakita ang name tag at butones ng blouse ko. Maybe he didn't know anything. P-pero the button thing... What if he asked me kung pano nalaglag yun? Ano nalang sasabihin ko.
"Buti naman at okay ka na. I think I better get going." Kinuha ko yung name tag at butones sa kanya sabay lakad ng mabilis palayo sa nipa hut.
Nang alam kong malayo na ko ay huminto ako sa dalampasigan para umupo at pagmasdan ang dagat. Matagal din akong tulala. I didn't even got a chance to look at his face.
"It seems you're thinking deeply about something..."
I was shocked. Pero I still can't face him. I just stared at the ocean. "Why are you following me?"
"It's true."
"True what?"
"That I followed you. And about the thing I said last night..."
Napatulala ako pero this time nakaharap na ako sa kanya.
"You're pretty. No, you're so pretty." He's looking at me like I'm the most expensive thing in the world. No. Yun lang yung feeling ko.
"And you're an as*****" Wait, what? Did I say something?
"For what I did earlier, yeah. You took care of me and I took advantage of you."
"Wait. You're not drunk then?"
" I am. But I still know what I'm doing."
Sobrang pula na ng mukha ko.
"I really am sorry about what happened." yumuko sya. Umupo sya sa tabi ko nung di ako sumagot sa sinabi nya. Tumingin lang din sya sa dagat.
"So, how long have you been working here?" tanong nya.
"2 years."
"What can you say about this place? Do you like working here?"
"Wait. Am I in an interview or something? Coz you've been asking me random questions like you're an HR or the Manager or the owner..."
Nagulat din sya. Pero matapos yun ay tumawa ng malakas.
Doon ako nakakuha ng lakas ng loob para pagmasdan sya. He's handsome. He's like an international model. The way he dressed I knew that he's not just an ordinary man.
"So, who are you?" I asked him.
"Ah-"
"You're not just an ordinary man. You're not working here. Are you one of Ma'am Sandra's friends?"
"Do I look like one off her friends?"
"You knew her."
"Of course I knew her. She's the Gen. Manager of this whole Island."
I laughed when he said whole island.
"So who are you?"
"Just call me Finn. I'm her friend."