Pero hindi pagsakay sa taxi ang kwento ko. Lahat naman tayo alam yon kung paano. Ang ikukwento ko ay ang nangyari sa akin habang naghihintay ako ng masasakyan pauwi...
So...naghihintay nga ako sa ilalim ng waiting shed dyan sa may EDSA habang ang ulan naman ay humahampas sa mukha ko (mahilig kasing hindi magdala ng payong, ayan buti nga!) Few moments later, after counting thirty-six cars, eight buses, and twenty or so jeeps, a red car stopped in front me. At first hindi ko pinansin, but the way the car parked was kinda...odd. It stopped only a yard away. It was a Toyota lancer with dark tinted windows. But the weirdest part was, the driver or whoever the hell inside the vehicle seems observing something...or someone, dunno. Kinabahan ako. Kinabahan but not to the point to act hysterically. I mean duh! I’m soaked in rain, with jackets and all na mas mukha pa akong holdaper kesa sa holdaper. Then suddenly an awkward feeling creeps inside me: baka may nangyaring masama sa driver! Heart attack, perhaps? Wag naman sana. Hindi ako marunong mag CPR! Hindi ako marunong mag-drive papuntang hospital. Nangangatog na ako dahil sa ulan at sa dala na rin ng pag-alala. Kasi kung ganun nga ang nangyari sa driver at tatayo lang ako doon, napakasama ko naman di ba?
Then after few or so minutes past, sa wakas nasagot din ang aking katanungan.
The tinted window glide down slowly and then a guy peered out and I'm telling you, he's damn cute one. Though it was dim, I can see his brown eyes, his white skin emphasized through the dark interior of the car and I said to myself, “Ohah, tignan mo nga naman.” And I don't know what came to me that night to let myself walked near the red vehicle. Was it because of his cuteness, his smile, his eyes...
Wait...Puta sino ba toh?
I back away a little. "Can I help you?" I asked. Syempre inengols ko. Mukhang foreigner eh. But thank goodness hindi pala, kung hindi mapapalaban ako 8D.
"Ano ginagawa mo dito? Malakas ang ulan ah," he said with a smile. "Wala kang payong?"
Duh. "No need. Basa naman din ako eh...er...do I know you?" I said at length, baka kasi talagang kilala n'ya ako o kilala s'ya ng kakilala ko na pinakilala sa akin at ako naman si estupida eh hindi matandaan.
"It's me," he said, kinda excited. "Max!"
"Huh?"
"Don't yah remember me? We've met..." tumingin s'ya sa kisame ng kotse n’ya na parang nandun ang sagot, "about ten days ago."
Ten days ago? Teka nasaan ba ako ten days ago?
"Jay introduced me to you," he supplied. And I think he's just bluffing, kasi alam n'ya na talagang hindi ko s'ya matandaan.
Max. Max. Max? I don't know any name Max.
"But you have a friend named Jay, right?"
I nodded slowly. Wow. Of all the names, Jay pa ang ginamit. Henyo.
"See? Told yah I’m right," he smiled wildly and open the car door. “C'mon, let me take you home. Magagalit sa akin si Jay kapag nalaman n’ya ito.”
Puta, bakit ka ba Jay ng Jay?! "No thank you,” I said, and I’m telling you right after the no-no thing, tinignan n’ya ako ng masama. Shit.
My hand fished my cellphone at putaragis, naalala ko pala lobat! Emergency leche.
I took a step away, really away.
“Are you sure you’re not coming?” he said, brows furrowed.
I nodded in return, in a way na parang okay lang. But deep inside, I’m shitting my pants!
“Okay...your bad,” he shrugged and then slammed the car shut and drove away...
And then stop again.
Just few meters away.
In the middle of the road.
And I’m alone.
Well not that alone pero kahit na!
A year ago I’d read some article that there’s this car wandering around the metro victimizing civilians. Holdup, Rape, ewan ko! Not to brag or anything pero baka isa ako sa balak biktimahin and that night, I’d never been scared all of my life.
The car was still in a halt state when I look back, tale light’s blinking. Obviously the guy inside precariously watching me.
Kinginamo ano ba talaga kailangan mo!
Hindi ko na hinintay na sagutin pa n’ya tanong ko, sumampa nalang ako bigla sa humintong bus. Kahit anong byahe basta Bus!
Nakarating na ako sa Novaliches bago ko naalala na Malanday pala dapat sakyan ko. Napalayo pa tuloy ako, bwiset!
