His Greatest Regrets (Taglish)

Chapter 6-Higad

Makalipas ang kalahating oras, nandito na sila ngayon sa palengke. Naririnig na niya ang reklamo ni Jake at ng dahil ay umulan kahapon, maputik putik pa ang palengke at nangingitim na ang kanal na nadadaanan nila. Nagtatakip pa ng ilong ang Jake na ngayo'y di magkamayaw sa paglakad sa putikan.

Good! He need to learn how to be a pilipino. In fairness, kahit hirap ito sa paglalakad ng naka tsinelas hindi naman ito nagpapahuli.

"Manang pabili nga po ng bangus isang kilo. Samahan mo na din ng isang kilong tilapia!" Wika niya habang tinitingnan ang Jake na may kausap na babaeng higad.

Seriously? Kahit sa palengke meron itong natitipuhan? Ang higad kung maka asta, kulang na lang ay hawak hawakan nito ang dibdib ni Jake. Ito namang kutong bakulaw kung naka smile wagas.

Pinagtitinginan na nga sila ng mga tao. Sa tangkad at puti nito talagang mapapansin lalo na't ang kausap nito ay ang syota ng bayan. Si Jennylyn na kaklase niya simula elementarya hanggang college. Ang pok pok ng paaralan nila na ngayon ay nakangiti pang sabay hawak sa mga braso ni Jake na parang tuko.

Nakakahighblood, inililiyad pa nito ang dibdib na alam naman ng lahat na peke. Nakakabwisit ang malanding butiki na ito, ano ba naman kasi ang pinunta ng kwagong Jake na ito sa gulayan? Akala niya nasa likod niya lang ito.

Malapitan nga.

"What are you doing here Jake? Are you going to buy that cucumber or that fake pokpok?" Tiim baga niyang tanong habang nakatingin sa mga mata nitong nagtatanong at kilay na nakataas. Bigla namang nagsalita si Jennylyn. "Hoy babaeng walang jowa! Kung makapokpok ka dyan ang linis linis mo ha, nagkasasakyan ka lang ang tapang tapang mo na ah!"

"Hoy babaeng luwang ang pwerta, umayos ayos ka dyan ha kung ayaw mong makatikim ng sipa ng demonyo, kung makakapit ka sa bisita ko'y parang may pandikit yang kamay mo ha. Umayos ka! Kung ayaw mong makatikim ng mag asawang sampal." Sagot niyang akmang hahampasin ng dala nitong isda. Bigla naman itong napasigaw at umalis ng nakasimangot ngunit lumingon ito at pinandilatan siya ng mata. "May araw ka ring malandi ka!" Sigaw nitong itinaas pa ang kamay at binigyan siya ng gitnang daliring nakataas.

Aba't ang pekeng higad!

"What's pokpok?" Tanong naman ng higanteng kasama niyang nakangiti pa.

"A w***e. So please do us both a favor and don't talk with that b***h, or you'll be the talk of the town. Understood?"

"Are you jealous?" Jake asked, at first glance he would have sworn it was a chunk of jealousy he saw on her eyes.

"Why on earth would I be jealous?" Tanong niyang naglakad na at pumunta sa kabilang tindahan.

Jake was amused, he saw the shock register on her face before she could hide it. A small smile played on his lips, he guessed she got that a lot. It wasn't what she said though, her words were like vanilla pudding, sweet in their ordinary sort of way, it was the richness of her tones – luxurious and warm yet scary at the same time. This woman was giving him enough headache every bloody minute in the most shockingly way, she was entirely unreadable and an open book at the same time.

Maka jealous to, yung hikad na yun pagseselosan niya? Ha! Maghalo na ang balat sa tinalupan. Ano bang pakialam niya rito, di ba nga ang responsibilidad lang naman niya at pakainin itong higanteng ito at samahan kung saan ito gustong pumunta. Yun lang naman ang sabi ng ate MJ niya ah!

Pagkatapos mag libot nabili na niya ang lahat ng kailangan, nakasunod naman ang Jake na dala dala ang lahat ng pinambili niya. Ha! Buti nga sayo, kung makalandi ka sa babaeng maluwang na yun. Ayan napala mo, dalhin mo yang lahat. Matangal sana yang braso mo!

Makalipas ang ilang minuto, nasa sasakyan na sila at natapos na din sa kakareklamo ang isa, "Will you stop complaining?" Saad ni Roxanne na pinandilatan niya ito ng mata.

"I'm not complaining, I'm just stating the fact that you did not warn me enough. This marketplace is scary!" The stinkiest and the ugliest marketplace he had been to.

Kung maka scary, ano naman ang nakakatakot dun? Aside from that pokpok wala naman itong dapat ikatakot ah,

"What the hell is that supposed to mean? Scary in what way?" Tanong niya habang nagmamaneho na ng baby itim at pinaharurot na ito.

"It was oddly disgusting and filthy. I have never been in such a depressing market!"

Ha! Kaya nga dinala niya ito rito. Job well done Roxanne, mabuti nama't narealize ng nilalang na ito na mabaho at nakakadiri ang lugar na ito.

"Well, you can just go back to London you know! This place is not a vacation get away. So would you like to get yourself a ticket and fly back home? I can help you with that, just say the word." Oh, ano Jake suko ka na? Bumalik kana kasi sa pinang galingan mo at ng makatulog na siya ng maayos.

"So this is it? You are getting rid of me?"

"Oh Jakey, I did not say that!"

Nginitian niya itong nakakaloko, mabuti naman pala at hindi ito slow. Nagets agad nito ang gusto niyang mangyari.

So the woman was on mission to get rid of him? Was she challenging him? Him? The Jake Collen? Fascinating. His vacation wouldn't be boring after all. For perhaps a split second his surprise was suspended, the amazement protecting him until it grew like a tree. He guessed he could call it shock, but to him they were the same thing for the first fraction of a second -an inability to compute his wonderment. This woman was challenging him. He was never challenged by a woman before, more or less with someone who now drives like a maniac. Jesus this woman loves to drive fast. That was quite the challenge when until he can prove it, she will think he was mad and threatened by her and with the consequences that come to her insane driving skills.

Tingnan nga natin kung ilang araw ito tatagal na kasama siya, hmp! Katulad lang din yata to ng mga nakilala niyang mga lalaki, takot malamangan ang p*********i nila kaya tuwing nakikita at nararamdaman ng mga ito na para bagang nachachallenge ang p*********i nila ay bigla bigla na lang itong nawawala. Well, what to do? Wala pa siyang nakitang lalaking kayang maki kompitensya sa kanya, lahat halos ng mga nakilala niya ay mga bahag ang mga buntot. Sana naman itong higanteng ito ay tatagal kahit isang araw man lang.