Diary ng Maitim

Chapter 6

Entry 9

Dear Diary,

May itatanong ako; you can sing your answer if you want.

Can this be love… I’m feeling right now? Ugh! Diary! Please help me! Bakit `yong demonyitong Onin ang ruma-run devil-run-run sa utak ko magmula noong isang gabi? Hinatid niya lang naman ako noon ha? At pinakain; I almost forgot.

Pero Barbz, sapat na ba `yon para magboom-badum-boom-boom ang aking heart? Hindi ba’t parang ang aga naman atang bumigay ng aking superbass?

Gosh, sis! The fact na I’m stressing myself like this can only mean one thing: Nagkaganda problem na rin ako for real! And here’s another catch – may kakompetensya na si Harold pagdating sa`kin! Assuming he’s competing. Shocks! Ang ganda ko pinag-aagawan.

While I did imagine something like this, in reality, ayoko ko ng may karibal si Harold. At the same time, ayoko rin ma-sight mag-crying bading `tong gf ni Onin na pinaglihi sa fluorescent light. Hindi ko pinangarap maging kerida, kabit, mistress, number 2.

Yet there I was secretly waiting for Onin to come in and swept me off my feet. Chour. Darla,nekeke-ines! Dati-rati I don’t care-eh-eh-eh-eh about him but now… ugh! Hinahanap-hanap ko siya!

Tulad ba kanina.

Okay, so apparently, the professors liked us alphabetically arranged and I, Danariah, happened to possess the surname, Zobel. Meaning, I always seated at the back. Sino mang pumasok sa alinmang pinto could not escape my vision. Puwera na lang kung hawak ko ang cp at mas entertaining ng nakikita ko sa screen. And at that time, hindi ko `to hawak.

Thus when the man I’ve been patiently waiting walked inside, everything was in slow motion. `Yong backdrop mistulang napalitan ng flowers and all things colorful tulad ba gyud sa anime.

I caught myself in awe. As in, awe-tang ina. It’s not like bagong gupit siya or something. Para ngang walang ligo e. But there’s something in him that I’ve seen for the very first time.

Yes, Diary, the lopsided smile. Alam mo `yong ngiting mapapangiti kahit sino? Gano’n `yong ngiti niya. I wasn’t sure what or who caused that smile but shortly after he’s in, he looked at my direction – with lustful and sinful eyes! Chos lang!

I had no clue why he’s looking at me. Okay, alam ko talaga kung bakit! Haha! It’s because I’m too beautiful to be ignored. Tama ba, Diary? Sumagot ka nang naayon kung hindi gagawin rin kitang pambalot ng tinapa.

As usual, late na naman ang aming professor so the guy thought, ‘Hey, why don’t I chat with this beautiful lady?’ Okay, fine, that was my thought; prinoject ko lang kay Onin. Happy? I also had another thought while he’s walking up to me: Dadamoves na siya sa`kin, or perhaps yayayain sa isang date.

So I got attentive. I was alarmed like an alarm clock (pweh, corny!). Siyempre, puntahan ka ng lalaking mabaho man ang pangala’y amoy baby naman `di ka ba magiging aligaga? Siguro hindi… kung wala kang nararamdaman. E may naramdaman ako! E `di wow.

So I was having this image playing in my mind, until nilatagan niya `ko ng lengthwise paper sa anyo ng resibo.

Then he said, “`Yan `yong total amount ng kinain mo no’ng isang gabi. Ni-less ko na diyan `yong price ng fries at softdrink.”

Bakla, na-shookt ako.

“Akala ko libre na `yon? Tumanggi ka pa ngang magpabayad no’n, `di ba?” I leaned back like a boss. “Wala akong extra ngayon.”

At wala akong extra dahil `di na `ko pinagdala ni Mamshie ever since I told her na-s***h-an ako. Pinarating niya ang balita kay Papshie, thus inaprubahan ang rekomendasyon ni Ina. Pa’no na `ko makakapag-milktea nito, `di ba?

“Wala talaga?” tanong niyang parang may pagbabanta.

“Wala nga!”

Nirolyo niya ang resibo’t binulsa. “Ganito, Sabado, labas tayo. Ilibre mo rin ako.”

Nag-lean forward ako, put my hands on my chin and, like a foxy lady, said, “You mean like a date?”

“Mukhang pasma ang utak mo,” aniya. “Ang sinasabi ko lang, kung wala ka ngayong dala, e `di sa Sabado magdala ka.”

“Pero of all the days, bakit Sabado? Weekend usually sounds like a day for a date.” “Ba’t nangingialam ka pa? It’s either ngayon o Sabado.”

He might deny but I knew in my gut it was a date. Oy gaga, hindi ako nag-iimbento para lang may ma-entrada sa`yo, ha! Totoong accountable event ang nangyari. `Di lang guniguni. If it was, hahagikgik ba na parang biik at mang-aasar `tong mga talipandas kong kaklase? Don’t think so.

“What if hindi ako pumayag?” tanong ko. Siyempre, hindi tayo easy to get. Kailangan mag-show rin tayo ng little defiance. Tapos pipilitin niya `ko. Tapos ibibigay ko ang matamis kong oo. Ay, kire!

But then that didn’t happen.

“Pagsisisihan mo.” was what he said sabay balik sa kinauupuan, doon sa harapan. Onin’s last name is Catindig; his middle name is Drama Queen.

Honestly! Hindi ko naman tinanong `yon para lang mang-tease. I said that cautiously thinking about her lightbulb of a gf. Kung natapat lang buang-buang ako no’n, `di sinsana’y in-expose ko na siya, saying, ‘`Di ba may girlfriend ka na? Ano, mangtwo-two timer kang impakto ka?’ My tact was intact back then. But not so much as to say,

“Okay, sige, pumapayag ako.” Yes, diary. Rumupok tayo today.

Shortly, our professor came in and started class. Nang matapos, bumalik na naman si Onin sa lugar ko – if it wasn’t a sufficient, appropriate evidence na lapitin akong babae. Only that time, instead na resibo, cellphone ang kanyang nilabas, nakatutok sa`kin. And so while posing, I asked,

“Bakit mo `ko kinukunan ng pics? May pahintulot ka ba?” “Eto ibibigay kong larawan sa nangungulam naming kapitbahay oras na `di ka tumupad sa usapan.”

Hininto ko ang aking pang-ANTM pose, thinking papa-print niya ang shots into wallet size (for his wallet), just to learn gagawin lang palang kasangkapan sa pangungulam!

I was giving him the death glare pero ang banak, tuloy-tuloy pa rin sa pagkuha ng photo ko.

“Oy, tantanan mo na nga kakakuha ng pics ko! Mas malala ka pa sa paparazzi, a! Asa’n ba panghambalos ko?” Hinanap ko kuno sa lugar ko ang panghambalos.

Luckily, huminto naman siya, hindi ko lang sure kung dahil ba sa sinabi ko or what. Bigla niya na lang kasing nilapit ang cp sa mukha, with the same look I had whenever I now open my wallet.

“Ugh! Ang malas!” bulalas niya. May paghawak pa talaga ng ulo for dramatic flair, oo.

Ako namang si curious and concern, nagtanong, “Bakit? Anong nangyari?”

As slowly as ever, binaling niya ang tingin sa`kin as he said, “Na-corrupt ng mukha mo memory card ko!”

After that, matulin siyang tumakbo. Because he knew once my hands got a firm grip on his head, he’d be hairless.