Diary ng Maitim

Chapter 13

Entry 16.1

Dear Diary,

The reporting went amazing! First time kong magreport nang ganon ka-confidently, beautiful with a heart. And I was confident because Onin kinda made me feel so.

Ganito kasi kami mag-report – Onin will read the article, ako ang taga-define. Since the article was a definition in itself, in my own words ko d-in-efine. Onin would draw an illustration in the blackboard, ako tiga-explain. To make it more interesting and unforgettable, ginamit kong example ang aming mga sarili – ako kuno si Obligor (ang may obligasyong to do and to give), si Onin si Obligee.

And that's the first time we've seen our prof that happy, that proud, kasi siguro kahit papano, nagawa namin kabuhay-buhay ang discussion because to be honest, his class either was boring or horrifying (think palabunutan sa index card recitation).

We received the highest grade; pangalawa lang sina Harold. It wasn’t our intention to get passed them. Basta diary, ang sarap ng feeling na for once nasa top ten naman ang pangalan ko. Lagi na lang kasing nasa bottom three e. This wouldn’t be possible without Onin.

Kaya lang after ng class na `yon, something was off about him, kinda distant. Right after ng class, isinuksok ko mga kagamitan sa`king bag at siya’y hinabol sa corridor. I wasn’t able to congratulate us at that time since we’re the first reporter at we weren’t seated as a partner.

Naabutan ko siya, and I put my hand on his shoulder. “Oy, Onin, ang galing natin kanina, ano?'”

I was smiling my biggest smile tapos siya hindi na nga nag-oo apaka-tipid pa ng ngiti. Like, na-C-C.R. ba siya? I was bothered because a while ago okay siya, okay kami. Then parang babaeng may buwanang daloy, he just wasn’t.

Add ‘investigator’ in my c.v. now, seswang, since I didn’t let the day pass without knowing what’s wrong. I followed him like how Sherlock Holmes followed his evidence. Pero napa-isip din naman ako no’n, like 'Wow, aaksayahin ko talaga oras ko para dito?' Well, kesa naman magsagot ako ng sudoku, right?

Okay, so diary, first stop, na-spot-an ko siya with his friends sa lilim ng batibot. Just chillin’. I couldn't quite make out what were they talking kaya lumapit ako ng slight at nag-camouflage sa likod ng halamanang hindi ko alam ang pangalan. Definitely not a posion ivy.

They were talking anime at ni isa walang, ‘Uy, alam ko `yang anime na `yan’ kind of realization on my part, which just went to say, napaka-ancestral ko na. But I admire Onin’s knowledge on this field.

I was about to end what I was doing kung `di lang may nanggulat sa likod. "Huli ka!"

"Ay pucca!" Napalundag talaga ako, diary, I swear, with my hand on my chest, as I stared at his cousin. Ang liit nga naman talaga ng Earth o!

"Sinong ini-stalk mo, ha?"

"Stalk agad? Hindi ba puwedeng nagka-interes lang ako sa halaman?" Fineel ko ang dahon sa aking daliri.

"Boyfriend ko ba ini-stalk mo?" diretsahan niyang tanong. Mukhang may mapapahiya.

"Sino ba boyfriend mo?" tanong ko, raising my brow in the coordinates of 5 and 7 Quadrant 1. I heart Cartesian plane!

"Oh, forgetful much?" Humalakhak ang gaga. Sungalngalin ko `to sabihin niya lang ‘Tagal’.

Or maybe there's another way of throwing shades at her.

Like I told you, diary, I camouflaged my beauty here sa may halamanan which was by the way nakatanim sa miniature pond kung saan may fishes and turtles. I know right, it's so posh!

So while she was blabbing about her cousin, Onin – na siya raw ang ini-stalk ko, dahan-dahan kong kinuha ang isang pagong. I wasn’t scared because ang small lang naman nito. And besides, I like turtles. Not her though. Haha!

"You're so malandi! I already warned you that –"

"I'm sorry what? Pakikuwento nga uli sa pagong?" I showed the turtle in front of her at inimitate niya ang tunog ng bell noong highschool.

"Aaaaah-aaaah-aaaah!" With feelings pa talaga’t matching pikit-pikit pa ng mata. She hit a G#6 note, by the way. Pa-staccato. Halimaw! Vocal coach kasi talaga ako hindi HRM.

"Hey, don't shout at turtles!" Binawi ko ang pagong sabay maingat na binalik ito sa ponda. "Angelica, buko ka na. Nagdate kami ni Onin and told me pinsan ka lang niya. Huwag kang masyadong ilusyunada, you fraud. Ayon sa batas, any fraudulent act has a corresponding sanction." Mag-lawyer na lang kaya ako?

Eventually, nagkaroon kami ng expectators. All because the btch was crying which was her way to get their sympathy para ako ang lumabas na masama.

“Girl, if you push me I might spill the tea,” sabi ko. “Gusto mo bang sabihin kong pinalalandakan mong boyfriend mo ang pinsan mo?”

She just stared at me so straight parang may lalabas na na laser. Then she said, "You're evil."

"You're evil-er," sabi ko naman. Haha!

So no’ng pinalibutan kami ng mga tao’t nagtanong about sa pagsigaw, I let my impromptu skills do the work.

"Ah, kasi guys, alam niyo, na-inspire kami sa movie na Pitch Perfect 2. W-we were just practicing, right?" P-in-at ko siya sa balikat like we're some kind of a bff. "Sa’n na nga ba tayo? Ah, okay. 'Baby you're a firework! C'mon let your colors burst! Make them go...o girl ikaw na `yan." Give ko kay albino ng floor. And they were waiting.

"Aaaah-aaaah-aaah!" "As I shoot across the sky –" "Aaaah-aaaah!"

Umakbay ako kay Angelica and faced the crowd. "Guys, medyo `di pa perfect ang pitch namin but we'll get there! So sorry kung na alarm kayo sa vocalization namin."

And they slowly left us. `Yong mga nauto lang. But Onin stayed, crossed arms, pursed lips. I just realized, parehas sila ni Angelica ng mata kapag naka-tigerlook.

"Angelica, 'lika nga." Pinasunod ni Onin ang pinsan by bobbing his head. Before I could go, he said my name. “Dana."

Slowly, I turned. And when I did, he said, "Diyan ka lang."

He wasn’t the boss of me but for some unknown reason I did. I mean, I didn’t wanna but I was there. I didn’t want to look like I was ordered to stay so kinuha ko muna ang time titigan ang pond as if it was my fascination where in fact, deep inside I was panicking na nagawa kong kausapin ang pagong.

Sinilip ko ang dalawa. Pasimple lang. Angelica’s head was bent down. Pinagsabihan niya ang gaga! I rebeleed against the thought na gagawin niya sa`kin `yon so when he came to me later, I brought my angsty look.

Angelica was nowhere pero si Onin seryoso pa rin ang mukha. "Dana, tinakot mo raw siya gamit ng pagong."

"Malay ko bang takot siya sa pagong. I was just using it nang dito niya ikuwento kagagahan niya. Kasi hindi niya na ako mauuto.”

"Ini-stalk mo daw ako."

"Ang sinungaling talaga ng pinsan mo!" sabi ko, naasar na. "`Di kita ini-stalk! `Wag kang assuming!"

"Then I guess kung ayaw mong umamin I should get going,” sabi niya sabay talikod.

And that's what I was talking about. Something's wrong with him. `Di kami ganyan mag-usap. Nobody would just give up or stopped making a comeback. And yet he did. So I came clean na nga, diary.

"Wait lang," sabi ko. He stopped moving forward and faced me. "Oo na. Ini-stalk na kita!"

"Bakit?" "E para ka kasing tanga ever since natapos ang reporting. Galit ka ba sa`kin?"

"Hindi," sagot niya. As simple as that. Di man lang i-elaborate.

"E kung hindi bakit ganyan ka kung sumagot?"

"May problema ba sa sagot ko? Sabi ko 'hindi’, `di ba?"

"Oo nga, 'hindi' nga! Pero the way you said it...it's really not you!"

"Sorry," he said.

Nag-sorry siya but I didn’t know why. "For what?"

He sighed. "Di ko alam kung sino ang sisisihin. Ikaw ba na nakalimot o ako na nakalimutan kang i-remind?"

Mas lalo lang akong nalito. “Putek `di na tayo nagkakaintindihan."

"Oo nga." He agreed. "Well, since maganda ang naging kalabasan ng reporting natin, sinunod ko lang naman `yong napagkasunduan natin - na `di kita aasarin for one and a half day."

Napa-blink ako ng eyes. "Ay, oo nga pala! Putek, nakalimutan ko! Nagsimula ka na palang hayop ka? Kaya pala gano’n ka na lang kung maka-ignore sa`kin!"

"O bakit parang galit ka? Binigyan ka na nga ng one and a half day immunity, free sa pang-aasar ko, `di ka pa masaya?"

And I gave his question some time to mull over. Oo nga. There I was, given that liberty and yet I was not happy. I thought I would. Pero hindi.

"I don't know!" sabi ko.

"Ang gulo mo."

"Ang gulo mo rin!" sabi ko. "Okay, you know what, para wala ng gulo, wala ng immunity! I declare!" I wasn’t really thinking when I said that.

Mayamaya, nangiti na lang si Onin nang nakaloloky; may pag-iling pa. "I knew it."

"Anong 'I knew it'?" tanong ko, curious.

"You won't last a day without me,” sabi niya. “Maglalasing ka `pag nagkataon ta’s iinom ka ng Ginegra. Ginegra San Miguel! Hahaha!"

Putek diary, bato! Kailangan kong may maibato sa lalaking `to!

"Gagsti! Napaka-assuming mong impakto ka! Ang kapal mo! Hayop!" sigaw ko, hahabulin ko sana para basain ng tubig but then he went off, chanting, ‘Ginegra! Ginegra!'

My god, diary! Nakaka-highblood. Nang `di ko na nasilayan karakas ng unggoy, I caught myself sitting near that pond, nagpapakalma as well as asking, ‘But if it's not true that I won't last a day without him, why did I react like that, right?’

Could it be tama si Onin ng hinala?