There Goes Monteverde (Patrick POV)
1081 Words
“Alam mo ba kung gaano karaming lalaki ang sinusubukang makipagkilala sa akin araw araw?”
Nasa VIP lounge si Patrick Valdemor habang nakasandal sa upuan, naka relax pero alert ang aura, habang ang buong paligid ay puno ng elite students na nagkukunwaring casual pero halatang pinipiga ang bawat pagkakataon para mapansin siya.
Sa harap niya, si Alyssa Monteverde.
Hindi siya ngumiti nang todo. Hindi rin siya umarte ng sobrang formal. Nandoon lang siya, steady, parang hindi naaapektuhan ng kahit anong pressure sa paligid.
“Hindi ko alam,” sagot ni Patrick, diretso ang tingin sa kanya. “Hindi ko binibilang.”
Tumango si Alyssa, parang expected na niya ang sagot.
“Typical.”
Sandaling katahimikan.
Sa paligid nila, may mga usap-usapan na nagsisimula na, pero sa table nila, parang huminto ang ingay ng mundo.
Patrick leaned back.
“Bakit ka nandito?” tanong niya.
Alyssa looked at him calmly.
“Same reason as you.”
“Which is?”
“Curiosity.”
Napangiti si Patrick ng bahagya.
“Hindi ako interesting.”
Alyssa tilted her head.
“Hindi ako ang nagdesisyon nun.”
That line made him pause.
Hindi siya sanay na may sumasagot sa kanya na parang hindi affected sa presensya niya.
Most people adjust to him.
She didn’t.
“Then what am I?” tanong ni Patrick.
Alyssa studied him for a second.
“Unknown variable.”
Sandaling katahimikan.
Sa isip ni Patrick, hindi niya gusto yung salitang yun.
Variable.
Ibig sabihin hindi kontrolado.
“Hindi ako variable,” sabi niya.
Alyssa nodded slightly.
“Everyone is. Some just deny it better.”
Patrick smirked.
“Confident ka.”
“I’m observant.”
“Same thing?”
“Not even close.”
Sandaling katahimikan ulit.
Sa paligid, may announcement na magsisimula na ang pairing session. Pero walang gumagalaw sa table nila.
Parang hindi nila kailangan sumunod.
“Anong goal mo dito?” tanong ni Patrick.
Alyssa didn’t hesitate.
“Wala.”
“Lagi mo bang sinasabi yan?”
“Kapag totoo.”
Patrick leaned forward slightly.
“Walang tao na walang goal.”
Alyssa looked at him directly.
“Meron. Yung mga hindi pa decided kung ano ang worth chasing.”
That line hit differently.
Hindi dahil romantic.
Kundi dahil controlled.
Parang sinasabi niyang hindi siya naghahabol ng kahit ano.
Si Patrick ang unang kumurap.
“You think I’m being chased?” tanong niya.
Alyssa shook her head.
“No.”
“Then what?”
“I think you’re used to being followed.”
Patrick smiled slightly.
“That’s the same thing.”
“No,” sagot ni Alyssa. “Followers don’t see you. They just react to you.”
Patrick paused.
Alyssa continued.
“I see you reacting.”
Sandaling katahimikan.
Sa unang pagkakataon, hindi agad sumagot si Patrick.
Hindi dahil walang sagot.
Kundi dahil may tama sa sinabi niya.
“Arrogant assumption,” sabi niya pagkatapos.
Alyssa shrugged.
“Call it what you want.”
Patrick leaned back again, pero ngayon, mas mabagal ang galaw niya.
“Hindi ka ba natatakot na mali ka?” tanong niya.
Alyssa smiled faintly.
“Hindi.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t build conclusions. I build observations.”
Patrick looked at her.
“Same difference.”
“Still wrong.”
Sandaling katahimikan.
Then Alyssa stood up slightly, inayos ang bag niya pero hindi pa umaalis.
“Bakit ka palaging mukhang bored?” tanong niya.
Patrick raised an eyebrow.
“Hindi ako bored.”
“Pero ganun ka tumingin.”
Patrick smirked.
“Ganyan lang ako tumingin.”
Alyssa shook her head lightly.
“Hindi.”
“Then how do I look?”
Alyssa studied him.
“Parang naghihintay ng susunod.”
That made Patrick pause.
Hindi niya inaasahan na may makakapansin nun agad.
“Next what?” tanong niya.
Alyssa met his eyes.
“Next thrill.”
Sandaling katahimikan.
Patrick leaned forward again.
“Hindi lahat ng bagay thrill.”
Alyssa nodded.
“Alam ko.”
“Then why are you still here?”
Alyssa paused.
“Because you are.”
Patrick smirked.
“So same game?”
Alyssa didn’t answer immediately.
Then she said,
“Depende kung paano mo titingnan.”
Patrick stared at her.
“Explain.”
Alyssa leaned slightly forward this time.
“Kung laro lang ito para sayo, mabilis kang magsasawa.”
Patrick raised an eyebrow.
“And?”
“Pero kung hindi ka sigurado kung laro lang, mas magtatagal ka.”
Patrick paused.
That sounded like manipulation.
But it didn’t feel like it.
It felt like analysis.
“You’re trying to figure me out,” sabi niya.
Alyssa shook her head.
“I’m not trying.”
“Then what are you doing?”
“Watching.”
Sandaling katahimikan.
Patrick stood up slowly.
“Observation won’t change anything.”
Alyssa looked at him calmly.
“It already is.”
Patrick stopped.
“Hindi ako nagbabago dahil sa tingin ng iba.”
Alyssa nodded.
“I know.”
“Then bakit ka nandito?”
Alyssa met his gaze.
“Because you react like you do.”
Sandaling katahimikan.
Sa paligid nila, nagsisimula na ulit ang ingay ng event, pero sa table nila, parang may sariling mundo.
Patrick exhaled lightly.
“You’re different,” sabi niya.
Alyssa smiled slightly.
“No.”
“Everyone thinks they are.”
Alyssa turned slightly to leave.
“Hindi ko kailangan isipin.”
Patrick watched her.
“Then what do you need?”
Alyssa paused.
“Time.”
Then she walked away.
At sa unang pagkakataon sa buong gabi, si Patrick Valdemor ay hindi agad sumunod ng tingin sa iba.
Kundi sa kanya lang.
Brian approached him after a while.
“Bro, what was that?”
Patrick didn’t answer immediately.
He looked at the empty chair in front of him.
“Nothing,” sagot niya.
Brian laughed.
“Lagi ka nalang ganyan.”
Patrick stood up.
Pero bago siya umalis, napatingin siya sa direction kung saan nawala si Alyssa.
At sa isip niya, isang simpleng bagay ang unti unting pumipigil sa usual pattern niya.
Hindi siya chase.
Hindi rin siya distraction.
Something else.
Something he hadn’t labeled yet.
“Patrick,” tawag ni Brian.
“Let’s go.”
Pero habang naglalakad siya palabas ng VIP lounge, may natitirang tanong na hindi niya inaasahang mag-stay.
Kung wala siyang hinahabol…
bakit pakiramdam niya, may nagsisimula nang humabol sa kanya sa paraang hindi niya kontrolado?
“See you around, Valdemor,” boses ni Alyssa ang huling narinig niya mula sa likod ng hallway.
- Writer
