Zeke's Secret Obsession

Zeke's Miss Zekhaila Abraham, please proceed to the main office. I repeat, Miss Zekhaila Abraham, please proceed to the main office. Thank you. Hindi ko maiwasang mapakunot ng noo at mapabuntong-hininga nang marinig ang pangalan ko. Nakakatulig naman 'yang intercom na 'yan. Ano ba kasing kailangan ni Kuya sa'kin? Siya lang naman yung taong ipapa-aanounce talaga ang pangalan ko kung may kailangan siya. Hah, using his position to do anything as he pleased. "Zeke, puntahan mo na si Boss." sabi ni Elrick, "Mamaya mag-alburoto pa 'yon." Humalumbaba ako sa desk ko at tinitigan lang siya. He just smiled at me in return, his eyes looking delighted like a kid. Matagal na kaming magkasama sa trabaho kahit na simula't sapul pa lang ay sa research department na siya naka-assign. Everyone here was almost familiar with each other anyway. We've known each other for quite a long time at nasanay na rin ako na papunta-punta siya rito sa puwesto ko para makipag-usap, mangamusta, at kung ano pa. My thoughts started wondering around. Halos lahat ng mga tao rito, sinasabi lagi na napakaswerte ko dahil isang Elrick ang nanliligaw sa'kin. He's quite hot, they say—clean cut, makinis ang mukha, walang kabalbas-balbas ni bigote, has pointed nose, lips that looks prettier than girls', and those gentle, almond eyes. Idagdag pa ang katawan ng lalaki—he's working out and maintaining that good physique obviously. Aside from that, he's no doubt intelligent and well off, any girls will choose to settle down with him. No one can't ask for more sa ganitong klase ng lalaki. Nasa kanya na ang lahat, sabi nila. Pero hindi ko makita sa kanya ang hinahanap ko. Honestly, hindi ko rin alam ang eksaktong hinahanap ko. I can't feel anything about him, I can't feel the sparks or something na makakapagpa-realize sa akin na posibleng magustuhan ko siya. It's not like something's wrong with him. It's just that, no one has ever caught my attention yet. "Zeke, nakikinig ka ba?" Hindi ko pinansin ang tanong niya at basta na lang tumayo. I suddenly craved for something sweet and cold. "Wait, Zeke, where are you going?" Tumayo siya at hinawakan ako sa braso. Marahan ko namang inalis ang kamay niya. "D'yan lang." Maikling sagot ko. "Bye-bye!" I winked at him before I turned my back. Kaagad kong binilisan ang paglalakad, ignoring him. "Zeke!" Hinayaan ko na lang siyang tawagin ang pangalan ko nang hindi siya nililingon. Pumunta ako sa pinakamalapit na ice cream parlor. Bukod sa malapit, sikat din ang lugar dahil sa sobrang dami ng varieties ng ice creams, gelato, at kung anu-ano pang malalamig na dessert na ino-offer nila. Even the place had such good exterior. Not that some ice cream parlor wasn't good looking, sadyang type ko lang ang isang ito. Masarap din ang products nila at siyempre, hindi nakakasawa. Hindi gaanong matao ngayon. I go here once in a while, depende sa mood ko like this sudden craving I was having right now. Kaagad akong dumiretso sa counter at kagaya ng dati, rocky road pa rin ang pinili ko with few toppings. Kilala na nga ako ng nasa counter, ni hindi na halos nagtatanong ng gusto ko sa sobrang consistent ng order ko. Naupo ako sa table malapit sa glass wall. I took my first scoop, sighing at the sweetness and coldness that filled my taste buds. Napatingin ako sa labas, kitang-kita rito ang building namin na isa sa pinakamataas na gusali rito. I can't help but think about my brother. Being his sister sucks sometimes. I've been working and all but...whatever. He's too protective just because he thought I chose a dangerous path. Maybe it was, pero para sa akin, it's challenging. Hirap kasi kapag boss ang relative. I was working under his supervision as an agent on our very own Blue Royalty Organization. It was built by our parents. We were affiliated with the government, too. If I was to describe what we do in the organization, masasabi kong para kaming superhero, the only difference was that, we work on the background—maintaining it a secret from the public. I chose my expertise on the field area since doing office works really bored me to death. Kuya didn't like it one bit pero wala rin naman siyang magagawa. I was actually great with my profession, and he as well, needed to be professional. He can't just stop me just because he wanted to. Since we're being discreet, we needed to cover up the real intention of the organization. So, aside from being the background superhero, we're working as well as staffs in a traveling agency. To put it simply, the Blue Royalty Organization wasn't just an organization that was dealing with the villains but a normal agency as well that assists people who wanted to travel. Napailing ako at mahinang napatawa. Now, to think about it, parang nasa action movie lang kami. Secret agents, secret organizations, bad guys, and James Bond. Not that secret agent weren't true, they're real. Natigil ako sa pag-iisip nang may babaeng naglakad palapit dito sa table ko, she's holding her big glass of cookies 'n cream flavored ice cream. She was already eating. I didn't know if my mind's playing tricks on me but I felt like everything became on slow motion, enabling me to check her out. She has this straight, reddish hair softly kissing her shoulders, waving as she moved. With a pair of down-turned, black eyes, the girl has small pointed nose, and those pinkish lips that looked thin on the upper part while the lower part was quite thick. It suited her triangle-shaped face, she's so pretty. I thought of how her body suited her, not too sexy and not too dull. She's petite but not too thin. Her chest was a thumb's up as well. Damn, she was one hell of a hot chick. And I felt weird with the way I assessed her. Tumingin siya sa'kin while her spoon was still in her mouth nang mapansin niyang nakatitig ako sa kanya. Damn. "Problem?" tanong niya. She didn't show any expression but still, she looked damn cute. "N-nothing." I shook my head. Bigla akong nakaramdam ng hiya. "Please don't mind me." Hindi siya sumagot at naupo na lang sa bakanteng upuan sa katabing table. She focused her attention on her ice cream like nothing happened. I wondered if she's already used with someone staring at her. I felt my face burning. I didn't know if I'm embarrassed or not. It's not that I did something inappropriate but, oh, my gosh. Realization pooled over me. Did I just really check her out? I tried to look away kaso ang hirap ialis ng tingin sa kanya. There was some kind of force that's pulling me to keep staring at her. It tickled my stomach, like I was suddenly invaded by butterflies. It was weird, but it's good. Napapunas ako sa leeg ko, noticing I've been sweating kahit na malamig naman dahil sa aircon. I took a scoop of my ice cream, gulped it, and wondered. I can hear some beating, like something came into life. I can hear it inside my head, I can even feel my every pulsing point, thumping a little bit big than usual, especially my heart that's been beating loud for quite a while. Para akong nakainom ng ilang cup ng kape. I looked down. I did a few breathing exercise, inhaling and exhaling, calming my nerves. I tried gazing at her again, only to feel electrocuted. Damn. Parang may gumapang na kuryente sa buong katawan ko, nakakakiliti. It was like something sparked—wait. Spark? That spark. I gulped. Iyon ang...hinahanap ko. That sudden spark. It wasn't like what I imagined in my head. Akala ko literal na firework display. But it's spark, still, it was. And the signs! Napahinga ako ng malalim. Oh, my God. Never did I expect this kind of feeling. I think it's what they call love at first sight. I know it's too soon to say but...this was it. I think I was in love. But...she's a girl. I mentally frowned. Wait, did it even matter? It's not like I counted myself as straight nor being gay either. Basta ang alam ko lang, never pa akong na-attract, and this was the first time. Maybe since I never thought about my gender orientation, it now looked like I took it way too loose. I didn't mind if she's a woman. I shook my head. I need to stop assessing myself too much. Namalayan ko na lang na tapos na siya sa kinakain. She stood up at isinauli ang pinagkainan niya—which I thought was too kind of her—bago lumabas. I can't just sit still and watch her leave so I left my ice cream na ni hindi ko man lang nakalahati at kaagad siyang sinundan. I can't let this chance to pass. This was my first time seeing her, I may or may not see her again. I wanted to know where she lives, her name, her favorite foods—everything about her. Damn, these thoughts were creepy! I was a few meters away from her. I can't help but notice how she carried herself. She's wearing a black t-shirt that's perfectly hugging her curves, although it's not too tight. Her long slender legs looked good on her fitted black skinny jeans with a pair of black converse shoes. So, she's into black, huh? She looked like a professional model sa way ng paglakad niya like she's done walking on a rampage kahit na medyo nakatungo siya maglakad, she obviously lacked some confidence as well—okay. I'm checking her out, again. I scowled to myself. I looked like a pervert but I can't help it. She's just too gorgeous to ignore. Patuloy lang ako sa pagsunod nang may humatak sa braso ko. I was about to flipped this someone when I quickly recognized the person. Kumunot ang noo ko. Hinatak ko ang braso ko sa kanya at nameywang. "What are you doing here, Elrick?" "Kanina ka pa hinahanap ni Boss. Kanina pa kita tinatawagan kaso 'di mo sinasagot, buti na lang hindi mo pinatay kaya na-track kita." Mahabang paliwanag niya. "Geez, wait nga lang!" Lumingon ako sa direksyon no'ng babae pero wala na ito. Where's she? Nagpalakad-lakad ako, checking out the streets, even the other side of the road. "Sino bang hinahanap mo? Kanina ka pa lingon nang lingon, eh." Sinipat ko ang buong paligid pero wala na talaga siya. Paano ko pa siya makikita kung kahit pangalan niya hindi ko alam? I stomped my foot a little, clenched my fist, and sighed loudly. Nakakainis naman, oh. I brushed my hair frustratingly. I hate this feeling. I suddenly felt empty...and lonely. I just met her, we didn't even share a long conversation. She just asked and I answered then nothing followed. And yet, why did it feel like she already took something big from me? Why did it feel na parang sa ganoong kaikling oras, naging parte na kaagad siya ng buhay ko? I tried to calm myself by relaxing my facial muscles, erasing the scowl on my face, and breathed slowly. Nothing good would happen kung paiiralin ko ang inis at disappointment ko. Tinapik ko si Elrick sa balikat nang masigurong ayos na ako. "Halika na." He obliged without a word and followed me until we made our way back. In the back of my mind, I was thinking of how I lost my first love, just like that. It was annoyingly depressing. Pagpasok pa lang namin sa gusali ay nakita ko na agad ang mga katrabaho ko na sumesenyas na lagot ako. I huffed and shook my head. I'm not scared. I've been with my brother since we're kids, sanay na sanay na ako. Especially right now, I was having mixed emotions and it's irritating. Ginamit ko na ang private elevator na kaming mga agents lang ang pwedeng gumamit at pinindot ang number fifty. Sa pinakatuktok ang office ni Kuya. Secured naman 'yon at siguradong walang makakapasok na kahit sino ro'n maliban sa amin. Whenever there's agency related issue that's needed to be solved or that may seeks my brother's presence, si Kuya na mismo ang bumababa. He never let any civilians get to his office except from us. Pagkalabas ko ng elevator ay kaagad kong pinuntahan ang nag-iisang pinto na narito. The whole floor belonged to him anyway. I growled and stared at the little square shaped voice and eye scanner that's attached on the right side of the sliding glass door. Ito ang ayaw ko kapag pumupunta ako rito, eh. Kailangan pa kasi ng retinal scanner at kailangan pang banggitin ang agent name and code number ko para bumukas ang pinto. Pahirap. "Agent Zeke, 097582134." I said at the front of the device. Name and code confirmed. Please, come in. After hearing the automated voice ay kusa na ring nagbukas ang pinto. Dire-diretso akong pumasok sa loob at umupo sa swivel chair sa tapat ng table ni Kuya nang hindi siya binabati. "Saan ka ba nanggaling? Napakakulit mo talagang bubwit ka." iritableng tanong niya. Kakarating ko lang, nagta-tantrums na kaagad. He's frowning brows looked funny to me. "Kuya, relax ka nga. Nandito na nga ako, oh." I said, trying to calm him down. "Ano bang kailangan mo?" "Manners mo, Zekhaila. Ibabaon talaga kita sa lupa kang bubwit ka." He scoffed, like he's ready to kill me. Bad trip na kaagad. Ang bilis talaga niyang mapikon pagdating sa akin. Hindi na rin naman effective ang mga ganyan niya, I know he's just concerned, at saka mabait naman kasi siya, ayaw lang ipahalata kung minsan. I stared at his desk nameplate kung saan nakalagay ang pangalan niya —Zero Abraham. He's been the leader of the organization ever since our parents died. At a very young age, he started learning a lot just to run this place. Siya ang nagdi-distribute ng mga missions namin from easy to difficult. And me, being Zeke, puro difficult ang kinukuha ko kahit na ayaw niya. Wala naman siyang magagawa kasi ito ang gusto ko, eh. He tried stopping me a million of times, even trying to give me easier missions, pero ako itong nagmamatigas, even getting to the point of exchanging missions with the others dahil hindi naman iyon bawal. I have my personal reason why I chose this path and he knew it. Pinili ko ang field kung nasaan ako ngayon because I wanted to kill those people who murdered our parents with my own bare hands. Because of them I lost my parents too early, when I still needed them the most. I can't accept it, I won't accept it. Because of those murderers, my brother had to grow up quick, not fully enjoying his youth. Now he's bound with responsibilities, and so was I. I have to take their lives. That will be my greatest revenge. "Hoy, bubwit," he called, "are you listening?" "No." Tiningnan niya ako ng masama. I faked a cough. "I mean, yes." I smiled at him. "Ano nga 'yon?" Kumunot ng todo ang noo niya, pati kilay magkarugtong na—a sign that he's pissed off already. Ang ikli talaga ng pasensya. "Sabi ko, may new mission ka. An easy one." "Easy?" "Yes. You need to guard our client's daughter—" "Ayoko." I quickly declined just by hearing the first part. Bahala siya riyan. "Wait," Lalo siyang sumimangot. "Why?" "Easy lang pala, eh." I answered with an audible sigh. I crossed my arms, giving him an uninterested look. "Ayoko. Just give that mission to the other agents. To guard? Hindi ako bodyguard." "Ikaw na lang ang available." Napahilot na siya sa sentido, halatang stress na sa katigasan ng ulo ko. "Ayoko pa rin. Bahala ka. Kung gusto mo ikaw na lang." Humalukipkip ako at tumitig sa kanya. "Pwede ba huwag kang makulit?" Iritableng saad niya. "Kuya mo pa rin ako at ako ang boss dito, so susundin mo ako sa ayaw at sa gusto mo. Stop acting like a kid, brat." "Eh! Basta ayoko. Bahala kayo—" Pinakita niya sa'kin yung laman ng files na about sa mission ko na nakapagpatigil sa akin. Suddenly, I felt my world stopped. Still, I gathered my strength, took the folder from him, suppressing a grin. "I changed my mind. When will I start?" _____