"Whoa! You're cool with that Xheann!" He smiled as he complimented my outfit tsaka binuksan ang pinto ng kotse
"Tss! Hindi pa ako disabled may kamay ako."
"Hahahah! That's what you called gentlementalism!"
"Gentlementalism?"
"I mean pagiginggentlemen!"
"Tss! Gentlemen my foot! Anong pinag usapan nyo ni nanay?"
"Sinabi kong maraming nang a away sayo sa sch- -"
"WHAT????SINABI MO KAY NANAY YUN!?? - - -"
"JOKE!!! Chill! Wag kang mananapak yow! Hahahaha! "
"Masasapak talaga kita pag di ka umayos!"
"Nagkwentuhan lang naman kami ni Tita about - -"
"Whoa!Srsly? Nakapulot ka ng Tita ah!"
"Ano ba! Wala kang pakealam! Tsaka sya nagsabing Tita ang itawag ko sa kanya...so wala ka na dun! ganun ako kapogi eh!"
"Srsly! Magkasingkapal kayo ng aklat ko sa English!"
"Just stating the fact! Hahaha"
"Tss!"
"Arggh! You're face is serious again. Hahaha don't worry wala akong sinabi sa nanay mo. Tinanong nya lang kung sinong mga magulang ko and nung sinabi ko ayun! Classmate pala ni mommy ang tatay mo nung highschool. Patagal tagal ka kasi sa paggayak kaya marami pa kaming napagusapan pero wala ka sa topic! Wag kang pilingera. Wala namang magandang pagusapan pag ikaw ang topic eh - -"
"Eh kung basagin ko yang bibig mo para wala ng lumabas na kahit anong topic?" Tsaka ko hinimas himas ang kamao ko
"He he he. Joke lang naman.." Sabi nya tsaka nag peace sign.
Tss!
"So san mo balak pumunta?- -"
"Langit."
"Tss! Xhean! Seryoso na ako - -"
"Hindi halata!" Sagot ko at tinignan nya naman ako ng masama
"What?"
"Sarap mo ring tuktukan minsan nuh! TSS! Saan nga? Restaurant or playground?"
"Mag iinterview tayo tanga."
"Kaya nga tinatanong kita..makatanga ka dyan.."
"Bat akong tatanungin mo? Ikaw nakakaalam ng mga yun! Baliw!"
"Alam kona! Magdate nalang tayo!"
"Sige ba! Eto oh! Simulan mo nang makipagdate sa kamao ko.." Sagot ko at tumawa naman sya at nagpatuloy sa pagdrive. Tss!
Wala kaming pasok this week at ngayon namin napagpasyahang gumawa ng project. Yes it's an interview. We need to interview someone professional na gusto naming maging paglaki. Like if you wanna be an engineer, you need to interview an engineer of course. May ganitong project din kasi ang baliw kong kasama at nabanggit Kong kami din and good thing may kilala syang doctor. That's why I'm with this crazy guy again.
It's been a week also since that incident happened. But the scar that gorilla have marked on my arm is still there. Tss!
"Aren't you gonna ask for your partner's help?" Tanong ko.
"Nope. I'm assigned with this. And the other member of mine, ayun sila na sa written."
"Member? You mean, groupings kayo? Not just by pair?"
"Yup?" Damn! So kami lang ang by pair? Well..even so, wala parin namang tatanggap sakin as member kahit groupings payan. By pair na nga lang out of pity pa. Tss!
"How 'bout you xheann?"
"Pair."
"What? Ang hirap nun ah! So, who's your partner?"
"Si Xheann."
"Ahh.... Wait - -what? You mean you're alone?"
"No. I'm with S'S, my best buddies."
"S'S? Who are - -"
"Soul and Shadow." I replied and he chuckled. Tss!
"Then Why don't you partner with Femme?"
"Our seatmate should be our partner and - - damn it! It's a long story and I don't have time to explain shits! Tss!"
"Ahahaha!! I knew it! That's why you have me! I can be your partner for today..." He said and winked. Tss!
Maya-maya huminto kami sa tapat ng - -
"Sementeryo?" Taka kong tanong and he nodded.
"Don't tell me kaya mong kumausap ng mga kaluluwa at sila ang iinterviewhin mo?- - -aww! Shit!"
"Idiot." Mahina nya akong pinitik sa noo. Tss!
"I'm just going to visit my sister, my twin." Uh? So he have a twin?
"Ah..sorry" he smiled and drag me in front of the tomb.
"There she is..."
"Britt Thania?" Basa ko sa pangalang nakaukit sa puntod
"Yes. That's her name. We both born on Britain. Honestly, my name wasn't Brix. It's Brihxan but I am used to be called Brix and I prefer to be called like that." I nodded
"Don't be offended but....how did she died?"
"Heart problem. We don't even found a heart donor for her because it's so quick. We're just happily playing back then and at night she wanted us with mom and dad to slept together and at exactly 10:00 nanikip ang dibdib nya at nahirapan ng huminga. We tried to brought her to the hospital but she died on the way... "
"Yeah it's too late but....condolence.." Ugh! It's not me! IDK but I felt his sadness.
He smiled at muling nagsalita
"You know I really love my twin so much but..... I started to hate her name.." Sabi nya habang nakatingin sa puntod
"Wae?"
"Britt sounds like 'breathe'. Thania, thann sounds like ten. At exactly ten she started to have difficulty in breathing. And she just died at ten years of age. Funny but...since then, I started to her name...but what should I do? We don't own life. Anytime and anywhere we can die. As of what happened to my twin, ansaya saya lang namin but we don't know that that would be our last moment together. We don't foresee and we'll never know what'll happen later or tomorrow. That's why, I felt sad 'bout those people hating and cursing their lives..." I replied.
"...But they only hate their lives becoz it was really sucks. They hate it becoz no one cares...even those people they love tends to hate their existence, cursing their existence. They hate it coz even the world hated them. That's why they ended up hating themselves, too..."
"Even the world curse, there's still someone cares for you.." Lumingon sya sakin at ngumiti and pointed his fingers above and I smiled. Yeah, that's right. That's why I resumed living and breathing up until now.
Humarap muli sya sa puntod.
"Thann, meet my friend..." Ugh! Srsly! Talking to a tomb?
"She's pretty cool but totally crazy...."
Tss! You're the one who's crazy.
"....unfortunately, you didn't happened to meet her.." Tumayo sya kaya tumayo din ako.
"Happy birthday, twin....we missed you so much...but bye for now. I'll visit you again tomorrow.." Sabi nya tsaka kami naglakad pabalik sa kotse. So, it's their birthday today?
"Uhh...so...Happy birthday den." Bati ko at napalingon naman sya at ngumiti
"Thank y- -"
"Don't thank me, wala akong regalo!"
"Hahah! It's alright! Having you with me right now was a very nice gift..." Ngumiti sya tsaka pumasok sa kotse. Sumunod naman ako at sumandal sa sandalan. I missed my twin, too. November na at birthday na din namin on 30th day next month. And I think, I would celebrate it alone, too.
Maya maya huminto kami sa isang restaurant. Pumasok sya at sumunod naman ako.
"Good morning! Can I talk to Mr. Sy?"
"Ah! Yes Sir, this way please.." Sumunod naman kami sa babaeng hanggang tenga ang ngiti. Tss!
Sumakay kami sa elevator at huminto sa harap ng isang room.
"Sir, Mr. Trenezeo is here..yes Sir.." Sabi ng babae sa telepono at bumukas naman ng pinto ng room nato
"Thank you.." He said at ngumiti naman bago yumuko yung babae at umalis.
Pumasok naman kami sa room nato. Well.. It's nice and wider than our house but I'm not amazed with that but in the very wonderful view that can be seen in it's glass window.
Lumapit ako dun. It feels nice to see something great view like this.
"Pretty.....I mean nice view..right?" o.o mula sa likuran ay bumulong tong baliw na lalaki nato
"L-Lumayo ka nga!" Tinulak ko sya at humalakhak naman sya. Tss!
"Oh! Hey bro!" May isang lalaking biglang dumating at nagyakap naman sila netong baliw
"Nice to see you again!"
"So sad..you only came here kung kelan may kailangan ka.."
"Hahaha! I'm busy with studies! And oh! By the way, meet my friend. She is Xheann, Xheann..he's Raxn my cousin and the owner of this restaurant" tsaka ngumiti sakin yung maputing lalaking Parang labanos
"Hi! Nice to meet you!" Ngumiti sya at inilahad ang kamay nya but I just look it and nodded. "Yeah.."
"Hahahahaha!!!" Tumawa naman ang baliw Kong kasama
"Cool! Your hand got rejected,too. Hahahah! Sorry bro! But she's just like that.." Tss! Ipag untog ko kaya kayo!
Tiningnan ko muli yung lalaki, he looks like someone I knew...or wait- - did we met already? Pero ngayon ko lang nakita ang muka neto eh. Tss! Whatever!
"Quit staring..that's playboy!" Whispered this crazy guy again.
"Tss!"
"Oh! Hahah! Is she's the NEW? Iba yata ang pinakilala mo sakin before?"
"TSS!" This crazy guy suddenly turned red.
"Let's start may pupuntahan pa kami." Tsaka sya umupo at sumunod din naman ako
Tumawa naman yung labanos nyang pinsan- - uhh! No doubt they're really a cousin.
"So bago nga bro?"
"Tss! Wag mo akong itulad sayo! Umupo kana dito at ng makauwi na kami!"
"Hahahaha! Chill!" Sabi nung labanos at umupo. Nagsimula namang magtanong ng kung ano tong katabi ko at sinasagot naman nung pinsan nyang labanos. Mahusay sya kung sumagot kung wala lang kalokohang kasama. He's quite good in terms of speaking he really looks like professional na akala mo nakaharap sa media. TSS! Baliw lang ang kaharap mo dude! Tss!
Maya maya may nagdala ng cookies at juice kaya dun ko nalang tinuon ang atensyon ko. Dahil Hindi naman ako mabubusog sa pakikinig sa magpinsang baliw.
"She's cute bro! - - aww!" Reklamo nung labanos ng batuhin sya ng ballpen
"Makinig ka nang ayos at sumagot ka ng matino! We're not yet done here.."
"Hahahahh!!Fine! Fine! Fine!"
Nagtanong nanamang muli yung baliw at sumagot nanaman yung labanos. Tss!
I almost ate all the cookies on a plate when they finished the interview. Tss! Bute naman. Nauna akong tumayo at pumunta sa pintuan - - -
"Hey! Ms. Xheann, can I saw you again - - -"
"Tss!/you can't see her" sabay naming sagot nung baliw at humalak naman ang labanos.
"Tss! We're leaving" hindi na namin hinintay sumagot ang labanos at tuluyan ng lumabas at
Sumakay ulit kaming elevator.
"He's still crazy.."
Magpinsan kayo eh. No wonder.
"So how old is he?" Tanong ko na syang ikinagulat nya.
"I told you! He's playboy!"
"Eh kung sapakin kaya kita? May koneksyon ba yan sa tanong ko? I'm just asking!"
"Hahahah! Don't get interested with him. He'll just surely play with your heart - - -ah.. He he he" nag peace naman sya ang tingnan ko sya ng masama
"..26 na sya. Why?"
"So he's already a professional chef?" He nodded.
"Though he's the owner of this, he still chose to be this restaurant's chef...pero kapag sinumpong, nandyan lang sya sa office nya. But I can say that he's really good in cooking...actually he's one of my inspiration para maging chef and I wanna be like him.." Nakangiti nyang sabi
"He's older than you right?" He nodded.
"Pero muka lang kayong magtropang baliw.."
"He's my closest cousin and he's also like a brother to me that's why..and he just have that young face but I'm more handsome than him..hahahahah" tss! Praising himself again.
"But if ever he'll ask you out, wag kang papayag. He's Playboy and he- - -"
"The eff!- -" srsly! Tss!
"Hahaha! Just kidding! C'mon let's eat first.." Tsaka kami pumwesto sa isang table at umorder.
"Sayo xheann?"
"Ikaw na umorder ikaw naman magbabayad nyan." He chuckled tsaka tinuro sa babae ang order nya
Maya Maya napatingin ako sa dalawang taong dumating and they're the shit..
"She's xyrhyll. Your classmate right?" I nodded.
"Who's the guy she's with?"
"Jae..." (Jay)
"You knew him? How?"
"I answered your question. I don't think i still need to explain it how.."
"Hahah! Chill! You're getting mad again. Wait - - - is he's your ex that's why you're like that?"
"Tss!" Nonsense.
"So, I'm right? He's your ex? Really?"
"No.."
"C'mon! Tell me.. I can keep it as secret.."
"Shut up or I'll punch you? Choose."
"Hahahahah!! Just kidding! Masyadong seryoso ang muka mo.."
"Tss!" Maya Maya dumating na ang order namin at sinimulan ko ng kumain. Inapura kong ubusin ang pagkain ko tsaka kami lumabas.
"Pwede ka palang isabak sa bilis ng kainan, xheann maging sa pabilisan ng paglakad.." Hindi ko sya pinansin at pumasok nalang ako sa kotse.
"Sasamahan na kita kina tita malapit lang yun dito.."
"Ok.."
"And wag kang sisimangot sa harap nun xheann, tsaka chill kalang. And..may pagkamaldita yun but wag kang matakot. Mabait naman yun..."
"Ok...."
Tahimik lang ako hanggang sa makarating kami sa lugar na sinasabi ng baliw nato.
Nung nasa harap na kami ng isang pinto ay bigla akong napatigil ng mapansin ang isang simbolo don. Isang malaking 'Z' na simbolo ng pamilya nila.
"Bakit xheann?" Tanong nya
"What's your auntie's name?"
"Elvereiy....Elvereiy Zeduelo"
And that made me turned my back at agad na lumabas.
No! I Don't wanna see one of them.