Chapter 8
2063 Words
8
(page 1 of 126)
Iris. Eureka Cortez had a black camcorder named Iris. For her, Iris was not just a camera but a companion, a witness. A witness of the moments held by those people she tapes. Who is this girl, really? Why does she also have a camera named Iris? Iris, to think of, is a fitting name for a camera. She can’t be the real Eureka of ‘A Starless Night’ can she?
“Hey, Luke right? Could I have Iris, I mean my camera back? My flow of thoughts was disrupted. I gave her the black camera and then she clenched it like it was some sort of a mechanical teddy bear. My legs felt numb so I sat on my bed. Now she is standing right in front of me fiddling her camera.
“You said you were from Cavite is that correct?”
“Just wait a moment.” She flicked open the screen of her camera and aimed it right at me. A little red light glows right beside the lens of it.
“Are you recording?” I asked. My voice sounded deep and weird. Good. Now I am feeling conscious about how I sound.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“Because this is memory. The first day we’ve met. I want to record it so when we want to look back to it, we would not feel amnesiac about it. We could just watch it.”
“Okay? But I don’t think we would come to that point.”
“Really? I fear that you are mistaken. Want to bet about it?”
“No. I don’ bet” Really I don’t bet. I am the worse in the field of betting. Like they say the outcome was really obvious yet I fail to bet it.
“Excuses” She shook her head sideways, like a sign of disapproval. “So, what is it?”
“Huh? What is what?”
“Your question, what is it?”
Oh yeah, I forgot about my question. “You were from Cavite, right?”
“So this is like an interview, huh? Well yes, as I have said before.”
“Yeah this is an interview. But somehow reverse.”
“Reverse?” she tilted her head just like a puppy would look like when it is confused. Strands of her black hair covered her left eye.
“Reverse because even though I am the one who interviews you, I am the one who gets to be filmed.”
“Right. But the one who yields the camera is forbidden to be seen by it.”
“Why?”
“You have a lot of question Mr. Interviewer.”
“That is why this is called an interview” I sheepishly smiled at her to make a point.
She sighed and brushed her hair away from her face. At the gleam of the light, I noticed that her hair has a tint of brown in it. “Man, it is hot in here. One sec.” she said placing Iris on my study table just across my bed. Iris is still focused to me though. She then began to remove her gray hoodie revealing a loose blue shirt that says ‘NEVER GIVE UP’ in bold letters. I felt awkward looking at her change clothes. Now she is wearing all blue.
“Shall we continue?” I asked. Now I began to feel the hotness all of a sudden. My shirt at the chest area has already accumulated sweat.
“Sure, Mr. Interviewer.”
“Have you read this book?” I handed her ‘A Starless Night.’ Its gritty cover left my palm a little itchy. One question- this one question may answer every question I might ask to identity of this girl. As soon as she received the book, she surveyed it; first the cover and then the pages. She flapped the pages one at a time at first then she flipped through them like she was searching for something. I waited for her to say something but she just shut the book after she browsed through it.
“Are you sure about your question, Mr. Interviewer?”
“Why? What’s the matter?
“You asked me if I have read a book that has no single word in it. Are you serious?”
“What? No words?” I took the book from her hands and opened it widely and saw....a blank white page. It can’t be. There should be words in these pages. I flipped them one at a time and saw plain empty pages. With the biggest surprise of all, was at its cover. The silhouette of the girl under the empty night sky is missing!
“I don’t know how you have read that book but I have a question? Do you eat breakfast, because I’m starving?” Though beautiful, she rubs her belly like a ravenous man.
***
We had our breakfast at a silogan (a place where they serve combination of a processed meat products, fried rice, and egg) named ‘We Deliver’. Apparently, despite what their name says, they don’t deliver. I know it’s stupid. So Eureka and I have to walk a few blocks to get there.
“The air smells fresh here!” Eureka said. She raised her chin and inhaled through her button nose while her eyes are shut. It was like her first breath of fresh air. She was still recording. She aimed it to the street and trees that we have passed by.
“Yeah, that’s one thing that I love in this place.”
“What is this place, anyway?”
“What, you don’t know?” I figured that she didn’t know but I asked her anyway. Her existence in here, it is like she just suddenly appeared in this place. Though, I haven’t fully grasped the thought that she might be the real Eureka Cortez.
“You’re in the University of the Philippines Los Baños. You’re in college.”
She stopped walking for a second and then paced up with me right back. She looks surprised but she was still smiling. A couple of people walked past us and seems to be bothered with her because she was holding a camera. Some people just can’t stand being recorded. Glad I’m not one of them.
“You know what’s funny?”
“What?” I asked idly, to make her feel that I have no business of being friendly with her. I just want to know her mysteries.
“I ran away from home because I don’t want to go to college and look, now I am in a University. The irony. I am such a failure.”
“You’re not a failure. You found a bed to sleep at last night. Most people would sleep on the streets. That’s pretty impressive.”
I could hear her smile again. It is weird but yeah. When she smiles, she exhales gas from her nose making a weak noise. “Thanks, but you don’t have to bring that up again.”
“Why not? It is my bed anyway. Was it fine that you hugged me?” I kid.
“Ha! As if I dared to hug you”
When we have reached the place, we were welcomed by the sweet greasy aroma of the store. A few people were standing in line looking up to the menu. For me, I only order one meal every time I go here.
“So, what do you want?” I asked Eureka. She was also looking at the menu board, carefully deciding what to eat.
“I’ll have....cornsilog.” Corned beef with fried rice and egg.
“Really? You’ll have that one?”
“Yeah, why? Does it not taste good?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t ordered that. And I will never would.” She pouted her lips. “Don’t worry, it would taste good. I just have something else in my mind. You could get us some seats.” I reassured.
“Yes, Mr. Boss!” Mr. Boss? I shook my head no and a smile was fixated on my face. Why am I smiling like this?
After I have ordered, I sat down across her. She was fiddling with her hair, making a little curl with her fingers.
“What did you order?”
“You’ll see.”
It took a minute or so when our orders arrived at our table. My order, was grizzling with oil and I couldn’t help but to look at it passionately. Bacon and egg- the dish appears to divinely made, a gift of the marriage of nature and science.
“Bacon and egg? That is your order?”
“Yes! It is delightful, isn’t it?”
“Yeah right.” She smirked at me.
“Wait. You don’t like bacon? That is impossible!” I started to reconsider the idea of her being any human. Right, she may be a book character.
“Bacon is like a meaty fame whore.”
“Oh my God, your mouth!”
“Yeah, you heard me. Bacon is overly praised making her processed meat cousins look bad. You know how bad it is to sausage, hotdog, and ham. Bacon is overrated while them, they don’t receive much praise.”
“Are you exactly waging processed meat equality?”
“Maybe I am.” She said indignantly.
“Okay, first, bacon is a he.” I told her slowly so she would comprehend how wrong she is. “Second it’s not bacon’s fault to be overly delicious.”
“Why is bacon a he?”
“The same reason a jewellery is a she.”
“Do you have synaesthesia? You’re not thinking right, maybe because the over-indulgence of bacon makes a man stupid.”
I gasped at her statement. Yeah, gasped. First I don’t know what synaesthesia means. Second, the presence of bacon makes people motivated in life; it makes them realize that life has something more to offer.
“Maybe you’re saying that because you haven’t had bacon in your life.” She froze. Her pupils dilated and looked at my bacon. “Aha! You really haven’t had bacon in your life!” I sneered at her.
“It’s because it wrinkly and greasy.” she made a disgusted face.
“Don’t you know the statement “Don’t judge a book by its cover”?”
“Oh no, don’t get me started with that false statement...”
“Well, then eat a strip of bacon first then we’ll argue with that after.” I forked a juicy strip of bacon from my plate and transferred it to hers. Sometimes we ought to make sacrifices for the sake of salvation for our friends’ taste buds.
Eureka sliced the strip of bacon into half and placed it on her mouth. She slowly chewed it then she closed her eyes indulgently. I triumphantly grinned at her and began to eat my own bacon.
“You don’t have to say it.”
“What?” I innocently asked. Though I know the one she’s talking about- the sentence: “I told you so.”
“Bacon is good, poor corned beef, now you wouldn’t satiate me.”
“Aren’t you going to apologize?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not to me.” I eyed at my bacon. She giggled and made a serious face.
“I’m sorry bacon for being so oblivious. Now about that false statement: Don’t judge a book by its cover...”
My grin on the face never faded throughout the meal.
- Writer
