Chapter 5
1080 Words
“Sakay, maldita.”
He teased, sneaking into the front seat of the jeepney like he owned the place.
I just nodded at him, then stepped inside and took a seat. He slid in beside me effortlessly.
“Angkol na west lang.”
He said again, pulling out 50 pesos from his wallet like it was nothing.
My brow furrowed. Magbabayad na agad siya? I quickly grabbed some money from my own wallet, reaching out to Manong to pay.
“Neng ya paga ya di tuyu boyfriend.”
Manong joked with a laugh.
“Boyfriend?”
I glanced at him, confused. The only word I caught was ‘boyfriend.’
Then, *ehem I
He suddenly cleared his throat beside me. I looked at him with an eyebrow raised. Literally, a question mark hovering on my face.
“Ay! Sabi ni Manong, bayad kana.”
He said, barely hiding a smile, like he was trying not to laugh at my fluster.
“Huh? But I haven't paid yet.”
I replied, still puzzled.
“Libre ko na.”
His tone was smooth, charming.
“Ok.”
I answered briefly, uninterested in the small show.
“Tss, maldita gat haystt.”
He whispered again in a soft voice, but it was loud enough for me to catch.
I rolled my eyes and pulled out my ear pods. Slipped them in, drowning out whatever else was being said.
I hate communicating. Exhausting. My social battery is dead.
Habang nasa byahe hindi ko napigilan mairita sa lalake, because even though I'm on my earpods kita ko parin ang pagbubukas ng bunganga Niya na kung ano-anong lumalabas. Hindi ba siya napapagod na mag salita.
Grabeng social battery. Tss and rolled my eyes again but curiosity hits me.
I stopped the music that being played on my phone, para marinig kong ano man pinagsasalita nitong lalaki sa tabi ko pati si manong driver.
“Ya pwede debo tata gana na kaso, Eros?”
Manong asked in Chavacano.
Eros? So that’s his name.
The hell. What a Greek name.
“Nusabe po iyo Kun papa, nuay man updates pa,” Eros replied smoothly.
“Belib lang tamen gat iyo kun Amir,”
Manong said again, sounding impressed.
I furrowed my brows. Amir was Eros’ father? What kind of work does he do? I had no idea; the Chavacano words flew past like a foreign language.
The setup was clear: Manong sat on the right, I was in the middle, and Eros on the left. Yet despite the distance, these two already seemed like old friends, gossiping effortlessly.
“Tata se di mio,”
Eros joked, laughing. Manong chuckled along too.
“Kaya gane iyo yan PolSci kol, pero ara kere iyo man biga ya lang,”
He teased again, cheeks flushing as he shook his head.
“Naks.”
Manong laughed heartily.
“Bunita le kol nu?”
Eros asked Manong, glancing at me but not quite looking straight.
Manong nodded like he was totally on board.
I raised an eyebrow, feeling like Eros had just poked at a wound. To me, it was gibberish, a string of words I couldn’t make sense of. I was used to confusion, but this Chavacano was on another level.
His eyes widened when he caught my look, and he quickly looked away.
“But maldita lang gat kol, tormento kita man biga,”
he teased again, laughing softly.
I didn’t respond. My face stayed cold and blank,my own shield against the confusing chatter and his teasing charm.
“Salawayun!”
Manong teased again, laughing loudly.
Ya dura ya.”
The guy beside me replied with a cheeky grin, flashing a ‘cool guy’ hand sign.
Ew, gross.
Baba, maldita.”
He said.
Maybe because I was quietly listening and watching their reactions as they chatted the whole ride, I didn’t even realize we had reached our destination.
He got off first; I followed after. As soon as I stepped down, a wide gate greeted me with the words: Welcome to West Mindanao University.
The tall buildings were impressive, cream white with bright red accents. The style was very modern, with a mix of minimalism and a futuristic vibe, like the universities I often see in China online. The campus itself was huge, about the size of Ateneo de Manila.
The grass and plants were carefully arranged, and trees provided shade that seemed to invite students to rest or think quietly. The place was full of life, students walking around, laughing, busy with their own things.
Banners and school logos decorated the grounds, proudly showcasing achievements from academics to sports. The pride was clear, and the respect the university held as one of the top schools in Zamboanga City was easy to feel.
“Welcome to West Mindanao University,”
my companion said with a smile.
Tara na, pasok na tayo.
He urged again, full of energy.
I just nodded and followed, carrying the weight of my own cold detachment, surrounded by noise and energy that felt miles away from me.
As we walked, I couldn’t help but glance around the campus again.
“Si Eros ba yan? Chene ele girlfriend.”
I turned to look where a group of curious girls were watching us.
“Baka Hindi, baka ermana lang nics.”
One girl with short hair said.
“Yeah, Eros is Eros.”
Another girl laughed, and others seemed to agree with her.
“First year ata se, baka ermana.”
Another group of flower pop girls whispered.
“Siguro. Infairness she’s pretty.”
One of them added.
“Nah, Ellery is prettier, maputi lang yan.”
Another teased, shaking her head.
Suddenly, a guy shouted, “Eros, Bro, my man!” as he ran toward us. He was petite and moreno, reminded me of Jericho Rosales.
“Ivan.”
Eros said, greeting the guy with a handshake.
“Naks, bunita man El chic’s.”
Ivan jokes, scanning me from head to toe.
“Loko Hind pa, pero serka ya.”
Eros teased back, putting an arm around Ivan’s shoulder and ruffling his hair.
“Paga gat iyo misa, Eros.”
Ivan laughed.
They looked like kids just playing around.
“Prepara bo 1k. Hahaha”
Eros laughed.
Meanwhile, I just stared blankly, feeling confused. They didn’t know I was wearing earbuds, but no sound was playing. Even though I didn’t understand their words, it was clear they were just teasing each other in a carefree way. As I care.
- Writer
