Malediction

What's Wrong With Him?

"Woah, easy man." Chris jumped back. The knife almost pierced through his abdomen if he hadn't noticed me swinging it at him. "I said I was sorry. We don't want that happening again right?" He held his hands up by the sides of his chest. I stepped back, lowering the knife. "What the hell, man. You almost got stabbed." I muttered with stress to the last word. And now that I noticed, the knife was actually in its cover since I had actually attempted to cover it while admiring earlier. Even if I had swung it straight at him, he would just be hit. Luckily, the guard was not looking. His attention was focused on people entering, looking out. "Why would you do that?" I said exasperated. " I just wanted to surprise you a little bit, bunny ears." Smiling while his hands were still on his chest, he shrugged.

"Put down your hands, you look like you got caught stealing." I told him, disregarding what he called me. He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Where's the fun without a little attention?" This was his petty excuse. I unconsciously held one of my temples with my fingers and massaged it. "Are you aging backwards?" I hissed at him. Hell, he's still the same as ever. "Get lost." Andrea is probably hurt, I need to get back there. This shocked Chris and made a puppy face, a puppy face from a grown man. Really? I just wanted to punch him. I could but I really didn't want to be kicked out from the closest grocery store.

I walked away with my cart, leaving him alone in the middle of an aisle. He's on his antics again. He followed me, tailing me like a child with his mother, afraid to get lost. He didn't say a word but he continued on trailing my footsteps. It was bothering me. Despite the short span of time, I was already hanging by my thread of patience. A few minutes more and I gave up. I gave him what he wanted. Attention. "What are you doing here, Chris?"

Chris smiled victorious. "I was just going to buy some beer when I saw you. I wanted to meet you again someday but there you were, looking like a madman with a knife." He explained. "You already scared three kids that passed you by."

"No way." I replied almost immediately. " If we're talking about scary faces, you're the first one on the list." I remembered that time on the island again. His veins popping from his temples and his eyes bloodshot. I thought it was trauma's way of resurfacing. We continued to walk to the canned goods section. "Can you stop referencing the island? It's a really bad experience for both you and I." He looked at me indirectly scolding me. Now he's the mother. I raised my right arm and showed him my new pinkish scar from his attack. "Until you get the same as mine." He sighed and shaked his head. "What happened to forgive and forget?"

"I'm still talking to you, ain't I?"

" I guess so."

Chris and I continued to talk about a lot of things and we walked slowly, letting people pass by us. We tried to talk as quietly as possible but we were just getting looks from them. What was their problem?

Chris reminded me of a lot of things when we were younger. It helped me connect some loose dots in my head. Mostly, he focused on our junior highschool. I smiled at remembering a few of them, atleast. I didn't let him stop as usual so he did. "You never let me talk this much most of the time. This feels new."

"I lost my memories so I really was listening. I still have a quarter of things on my list, go on." I replied, happy that someone got to fill in some things Andrea wasn't able to since she met me after graduation. Chris was genuinely surprised by this. A look of guilt painted his face. "I never knew it was that bad. I..." He trailed off, looking down in shame. "It's fine, Chris. It's already there." I waved it off, laughing. "Since you know me since we were kids, just fill me up with the details."

He brightened up a bit after what I said. A few seconds later he was smiling again. " So should I start from when I met you or..."

"Maybe we could do that after I drop the groceries back home? And where are you staying right now?" He looked embarrassed. He wasn't expecting those questions since I really don't care where he is. He was a travelling guy. "A chick lives near her so… Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Oh.

I laughed. "Poor girl. Why can't they see what you are, huh?" "A what?" He tried to clarify. "A handsome working man traveling the world? Isn't that what girls dig?" He placed his hand by his chest, proud of himself, walking a few steps ahead of me feeling like a king for a minute in the middle of toiletries. "A douchebag." I spat out. He stopped walking after hearing it and took a hard turn back at me, his lips on one side in disappointment. "Hey…that hurt. That's not true." Chris was serious.

"And what are you gonna do about that, princess?" It feels good to get back on the annoying one. He just scratched his head. "Try better, I guess." Well, I think he's really trying. We went for our last item, ice.

"By the way, I lost the apprentice, you remember the weird girl, right?" He asked, looking at me. We were in the same phase now. "I think she saw me following her at some point. She went with a wave of people to Quiapo after meeting someone there."

"Doesn't really matter because I saw the witch herself earlier." I said casually. "No way." He pointed to my ears. "She did that?" I shaked my head carefully to not loosen the bandage. "She was screaming so loud that I had to press my ears so hard that my nails dug deep to my skin." Chris looked horrified, and with no doubt he believed.

We reached the cold section of the store. Beer and ice laid close to each other in the freezer. The freezer slide door was clear that our faces could be seen on it, just a little hazy. But was it scientifically possible our figures merge on the reflection? Were we too close? I clenched my teeth upon seeing it didn't change even right after Chris stepped closer. I didn't say a word about it. I just told Chris to get some flavored beer and ice for me too.

"You drink flavored beer now?" He asked without even hiding his surprise while giving me what I asked for. The reflection still looked like we were conjoined twins attached by the face and ear. It was freaky.

"Who are you to judge?" I shot back. "Get serious with a girl and you'll know what adjusting means." I said while putting the beer in the bottom compartment of the cart. He was in disbelief as he took a six-pack of hard beer for himself and my ice. I was in disbelief as well as the same reflection spread through the fridge doors ominously. All of them were faint, but they were there. They were everywhere. I felt myself sweating from discomfort. It felt like all those hazy apparitions were looking down on me. Chris' voice seemed to fade. He continued to talk while I continued to ask myself what’s real and not.

I thought of getting energy drinks just to get closer to one of those weird apparitions. I saw some near where we were and went for it, completely forgetting Chris. I peered into it deeper, closely. It didn't do anything so I just took some energy drinks for myself, regardless. Things are really messing up my head lately.

An old man, a customer like me, tapped on my back and I almost lost balance with the four cans in my hand as I turned my head over. I looked at him and raised my eyebrows as to non verbally say why. "Uhh, you dropped your beer and bag of ice on the floor," is what he said. I wasn't able to answer back, looking for Chris with one sweep of the eye. Chris was gone. He just disappeared.

He attempted to pick them up out of his kindness. I felt bad and said sorry. He continued to pick up the stack of beer as I lifted the ice, as both stood from crouching, I saw his face closely. He was so tanned that he was brown like he bathed in the sun endlessly. I noticed it because he had fair tan lines by his ears. On a slither of his shirt, I saw a tattoo that felt familiar to me but I can't simply remember where.

"Thank you. Sorry for the trouble." I said genuinely to the kind man. He just nodded and walked away. He was an interesting man. You couldn't find many people who were genuinely kind. But the tattoo… it just kept clicking in my head. Why is it bothering me so much?

And where is Chris anyway?

A few minutes later, he popped out of nowhere.There he was, waving a pack of condoms all so shamelessly. What in the actual hell was he doing? I just wanted to disregard his existence entirely as a friend of mine. He looked like somebody's kid. "You should stock up on these, lover boy." He said convincingly. I know it was meant to be a joke but I couldn't laugh. I was unhinged but tried to calm myself by breathing longer and deeper than before.

"Do you really have to leave the beer and ice on the floor?" I handed over the beer and snatched the pack of condoms away from him. How did he disappear without me noticing? Now I was unhinged and confused. He didn't answer.

___________

We were supposed to chat more in the apartment but Chris left in a hurry. He said it was an emergency he needed to take care of. I didn't ask much because his personal life was a mess and he liked to be left alone. It just felt like he avoided further conversation.

Opening the door, I saw Andrea laying by the sofa with the TV open. She noticed me and smiled like she found me from being missing. I can see that she looked seconds away from sleeping but she was waiting for me. I placed the groceries by the counter and started to arrange them. Andrea stood and came near me. She sat right beside them. Without a word, she pulled me close and hugged me like she knew that I needed it because I do. She wrapped both her arms and legs around me like a koala on a tree. She sighed loudly and whispered, "I love you," out of nowhere. I kissed her forehead and continued to arrange the groceries with her hugging me. Everything was at arm's length so it wasn't an issue except for cans that I left behind to arrange tomorrow. Putting ice to ease her pain could be done tomorrow.

I could sense she was down and tired as she continued to mumble things that I decided to ask about the morning after. By the time I was done, she was already sleeping in, embracing me. Not wanting to wake her, I lifted her from the counter, walked my way to the bed and carefully laid her there.

Her lashes fluttered with the soft blow of air that circulated in the apartment as she slept peacefully in the covers. I laid beside her and wrapped my arms around her shoulder and waist and hugged her tight, as if the earlier one wasn't enough. I wanted to explode from frustration of the confusing things that were happening to me. I was so bewildered by everything but here she was, becoming my peace. She was keeping it together, holding it tight. I hope I don't break, I want to be her peace too.