Chapter 2
Yshia's Point of View
All I could hear is loud music, and there are a lot of neon lights everywhere, may spotlight ding umiikot, ang daming tao at may sarili silang mga mundo. Hindi ko mapigilang tingnan ang mga tao, kahit madilim kita ko kung gaano pinaghandaan ng bawat isa ang suot nila upang pumunta sa bar habang ako naka suot lang ng isang fitted black dress at black boots, simple lamang ang suot hindi tulad ng iba na may animal coat pa talaga, may iba ring revealing ang suot na may kung ano-anong belts, wala talaga akong alam sa fashion.
Napatingin ako sa dance floor, mukhang lahat ng nandon ay lasing na kaya todo body na lang sa mga kasamahan nila, I am not even sure if magkakakilala sila. There are some who are kissing, I am not surprised this is a bar after all.
Hindi ako gaanong iinom baka mamaya matulad ako sa kanila, mahirap na. And I promised too na I won't get home drunk.
"Yshia, promise us you won't get drunk, and if you can don't even drink, it's too risky especially with our family history," my Dad said. It's about my grandma's heart disease.
I nodded.
I can't be drunk kahit wala akong klase bukas.
Oliver invited us to his family's bar, it is not a bar party exclusive for us kaya may mga strangers. Kasama ko si Winter at Warrior ngayon dahil sinundo nila ako, si Apollo naman ay nandito na, kanina pa, lagi naman yun naka tambay dito marami kasing babaeng pede niyang landiin.
My friends have different personalities, kaya minsan nagtataka ang mga parents namin paano kami nagkasundo, kahit daw friends ang mga magulang namin noon pede naman daw huwag naming kaibiganin ang isa't isa.
Sa totoo lang dahil magkakaiba kami ng ugali ayun yung naging dahilan kaya kami nagkasundo. Sabi nga hindi ba "opposite attracts", we're polar opposites and that's a good thing.
My phone vibrated, it's from Jame.
Jame:
Don't drink too much, please? And are you sure you didn't wear any revealing clothes? I am worried. Susunod ako, talagang traffic lang. I love you. ❤
I looked at my dress, nakahinga akong maluwag dahil mahaba ito, he won't get mad at me. I don't want to make him mad because of my clothes.
A smile painted my face, why does he always put those three words plus that heart in all of his messages?
Me:
It's long don't worry. I'll wait, I love you too. ❤
I am sure it will take him almost an hour on the road, galing kasi sya sa kanyang University at sobrang traffic d'on kapag gabi. He's currently in his first year in College, studying Civil Engineering. I wanted to take an admission test sa University niya because I want to go to the same University as his, para na rin hindi kami LDR, kaso walang pre-med sa pinapasukan niya at CICM ang may pinaka magandang offer.
Napabuntong-hininga ako.
Hindi ko alam na magiging hadlang pala ang pangarap kong maging doctor para makasama ko ang lalaking mahal at pinapangarap ko. Parehas kong pangarap pero hindi ibinigay sa akin pareho.
Napatingin ako sa kasama kong si Winter, she is raising her right eyebrow.
"What?" I asked while smiling.
She rolled her eyes. "Nakakabitter talaga kayo ni Jameson, mapa-personal or text, graveh!" natawa ako.
"Magjowa ka na kasi," kinuha ko ang braso nya at inilock sa akin.
Tumawa siya ng napakalakas. "You think madali? My gosh, Yshia, hindi madaling magjowa at ayoko na magjowa nakakastress."
"Bakit naman?" tanong ko, sa tingin ko dahil iyon sa recent boyfriend, ayaw niyang magkwento kasi wala lang daw, pero hindi iyon ang pakiramdam ko.
"Basta, tara na dun kila Oliver," aniya, hinigit nya ako papunta sa mga kaibigan namin.
*
Napaparami na ang inom namin at hindi na ako natutuwa d'on, nararamdam ko nang nag-iinit ang pisngi ko. Tsaka wala pa ang boyfriend ko.
Nasa tapat kami ng the bar at si Oliver ang nagseserve sa amin ng drinks.
"Ano kaya pa?" he asked, I blinked twice because his face is getting blurry. He is seated infront of me.
I hiccup. "I think I am drunk," sambit ko.
"Halata nga," tumawa sya but it's kind of distorted, parang wavy distorted voice, wala na rin akong marinig na music, hindi ko sigurado kung tahimik na ba talaga o nabibingi lang ako, I am doomed. Surely, I am drunk.
"Don't tease me!"
I saw him raised his two arms while nodding.
"Oh my gosh!" mahinang sigaw ni Winter, katabi ko siya. "Oh my gosh, Yshia, he is here!"
Kumunot ang noo ko dahil hindi ko siya maintindihan.
"You meant your ex boyfriend, Winter?" Oliver stood up. "Tangina, ayun yung nanloko sayo?"
Nanliit ang mata ko, someone fooled my bestfriend, as in that effing guy cheated on him? Tiningnan ko ang tinitingnan nilang dalawa, blurry pero I can see people.
What the ef?
"Leave it to me, asan ba?" I asked as I stood up confidently.
"Come on, Yshia, you are drunk," Winter grabbed my arms but I got away with it.
"Where is he? I will just splash this liquor on him, and that's it, ituro mo."
Napansin kong nagkatinginan si Oliver at Winter.
"You know Yshia, Wint," he said. Of course they know me, kapag may gusto akong gawin hindi ako papayag na hindi ko iyon magawa.
"Fine!" dahan-dahan itinataas ni Winter ang braso niya kasabay nang pagturo niya sa gago niyang ex, nag-iinit talaga ang dugo ko!
My vision became more blurry.
"That's him," tiningnan ko ang tinuturo niya, it's not from a far, malapit lang ang table na pinaglalagyan niya, he is firmly sitting while reading a book-like stuff.
I blinked. He's reading?! The audacity.
I walked confidently towards the asshole who fucked up my bestfriend.
I clenched my fist while holding the glass of tequila I have. I want to put fire in this kapag sinaboy ko sa kanya para mas dama nya ang galit ko.
Isa sa mga kasama niya ay binati ako. "Woah! Bakit may anghel na napadpad dito?" napairap ako, so even his friend are jerks too.
Kumunot ang noo ko dahil parang walang pakialam sa mundo ang ex ng aking kaibigan, nakatuon lang sya sa pagbabasa.
Nag didilim na talaga ang paningin ko, the next thing I realized is I splashed the liquor unto his face.
I chuckled loudly.
Napatayo siya at nagsalita. "Anong problema mo?!"
"Masarap ba? You deserve that asshole!" sigaw ko, it's my first time to drink kaya siguro marahas at walang filter ang pagsasalita ko. "After what you did nagagawa mo pang magbasa nito?" kinuha ko ang hawak-hawak niya. I was expecting it to be a magazine for men, but it is not! Isa itong librong may nakasulat na "Med School Confidential".
How on earth? This is the book I read five years ago. And one of my faves!
Sinong lalaki ang magbabasa ng medicine book sa isang bar?
Naririnig ko ang boses ni Wint from my back, papunta na siya sa aking pwesto.
"Anong ginagawa mo?" bulong niya habang nakangiti. "Balik mo na 'yan," kahit kinukuha na ito sa akin ni Wint hindi ko pa rin binitawan.
Nag-init ang dugo ko nang marinig ko ang ginawa ng lalaking ito sa aking kaibigan.
How can he have sex with my bestfriend and break up with her after?
"Give me my book," utos niya, wow, the guts of this guy is above average.
"Why would I?" mataray kong sabat sa kaniya.
A smirk landed on his mouth. "I think you picked the wrong guy, it's probably my friend, labas ako diyan," aniya pa sabay taas ng dalawang braso na para bang sumusuko. "Brain existed for us to use it to think, everyone has a brain一even animals but unlike them we have the ability to think, so it's easier to say that we should think before doing an action, am I right?"
Nanlaki ang mata ko. "Sinasabi mo bang hindi ako nag-isip nang iapproach kita??!"
He shook his head. "Iapproach? Mas tama ata kung inattack, ah? Wala kang ebidensya na ako ang tinutukoy mo. Nga pala, hindi ko na kasalanan kung ganoon ang pagkakaintindi mo," inilagay niya ang kaniyang isang kamay sa bulsa sabay singhap. "Alis na ako, dude," he patted his friend's shoulder na parang walang nangyari.
The guy left me hanging from ignominy.
"You okay, Yshia?"
Napaupo ako at napatakip ng mukha. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? My gosh, I am so ashamed! I need to apologize!" tumakbo ako para sundan ang lalaki.
Umuugong pa rin ang tugtog sa bar, medyo nahihilo na rin ako dahil sa alak pero ininda ko iyon para sundan ang lalaki, I really hate what I've done, I need to fix it, he said that we have a brain, even an animal has one, but unlike them we can think, I want to prove that I am not some animal that can't apologize for her mistake.
When a person make a mistake he/she can speak and say sorry. Animals cannot. I just realized his point, it is how I attacked him like some animal that does it because of its nature. I realized my mistake. Realizations make us a better person, or even just a person.
"Excuse me," sambit ko, I followed him hanggang sa labas ng bar, naghihintay ata siya ng masasakyan. Tiningnan niya ako habang nakakunot, o baka ito talaga ang normal nyang itsura. "About sa kanina一" I cut off because I felt unwell, nandilim ang paningin for a second.
Sumisikip din ang dibdib ko, I breathe heavily.
"As I was saying一Ugh," hindi ko na napigilan dahil ang sakit ng dibdib ko, isang segundo lang pero dama ko ang kirot hanggang ngayon, napalunok ako.
Inalalayan niya ako. "Ayos ka lang ba? Can I take your pul..." he paused. "A-Ano pa lang kailangan mo?"
"I want to say sorry, I am really sorry, I didn't mean to mistook you for someone else, it was rude of me to一to misjudge you like that," this is weird, my vision kept on blurring, dahil ba sa alak? May sasabihin pa sana ako regarding how I thought the book was a magazine for men and compliment him for reading such a gem 30-year-old book but I lost consciousness: I fainted.