"Dogs! Err~" napatayo kaagad ako ng magsipasukan sina Mapple, Milo at Shark sa kuwarto kong hindi ko namamalayang nakabukas pala.
Excited silang tatlo na lumundag sa kama ko kaya agad akong napaiwas at pilit na pinapaalis sila.
"Mapple! Milo! Shark!" Dinig kong sigaw ng aking kapatid, si Beatrix. "I told you not to leave my room! Ate Ellie is allergic to your pur, right?" My sister seemed so crazy about talking to dogs but I wouldn't mind.
"Call yaya Lorenza to change my bedsheet. Next time, make sure your dogs won't bug me again or else I will give them to the dog pound," I warned her as I sat on my long couch, holding my phone.
Muntik ko nang makalimutan na may pasok pala ako kaya hindi ko na hinintay si Yaya Lorenza na pumasok sa kuwarto ko. Nagbihis na agad ako and drove myself way to the school.
A lot of students greeted me pero hindi ko sila pinansin, I was looking for Janeth and Tammy - I really have no time for them.
As I walked inside the main building, kaagad kong naalala na malamang ay wala sa room si Tammy kaya nagpunta ako sa library. She likes to read books, maybe she's there. Naging assistant librarian na nga rin siya, dagdag pa na Mommy niya ang librarian and I assumed that she did it to spoil her daughter.
"Shakespeare again, Tam?" I groaned as I entered the library. I didn't even mind the other students reading their books.
"No, it's not," she answered and looked at me with a bright smile. "It's about the man who suddenly disappeared from 2012," she continued.
"That man named Lewis Yasay?" Napaangat ko ang braso ko kasama ng bag ko nang itanong ko iyon. As expected, she nodded. "Why do you seem so interested in that man? Don't tell me... you're in love with him by just seeing his old photos?" I teasingly said and she rolled her eyes at me and shifted her gaze to the book.
"He went to the mysterious place but no one ever knew the place's name," she read the book so I took a look at it and it's a book that contains a lot of letters and he has a picture of it. He's too young.
"His face probably is not the same as in the book, it's ten to eleven years ago na," sambit ko habang nakakunot ang mga noo. "Almost everyday mong binabasa iyan? Want to look for him?" She nodded so my eyes widened a bit.
"I want to become a smart detective but in his case only. He's an important person. Hindi ko alam kung bakit nafi-feel kong buhay pa siya and still seeking for help," she answered that made my head hurt.
"To be honest, Tam, I think he's already dead. Is that book updated?" Tanong ko and he looked at the published date and it was 2015. "See? 2015 pa iyan. Iyong mga news stopped forecasting about him, police stopped to look for him, his parents even gave up. Ikaw na lang yata ang kilala kong pinapakealaman pa rin ang kaso niya."
"Just leave it to me, Ellie. I will ask for your suggestions some other time kapag nakaisip na ako ng magiging way to find that Lewis Yasay," he even rested his chin on top of her thumb, acting really like a detective.
"Whatever," I shrugged both of my shoulders and left the room.
Tammy is so crazy about that man's case. I guess naman ginusto rin ng lalaki na mapunta roon sa kung nasaan man siya huling natagpuan. Kung hindi sana siya pumunta, e 'di sana buhay pa siya hanggang ngayon.
After my first class for today, I went straight to the supreme student government office to tackle some problems inside the university. On my way there, nakasalubong ko si Janeth na walang expression ang mukha.
"Janeth, hi!" I greeted then she smiled at me.
"Have you seen Tammy?" She asked, holding my elbow. It's her habit.
"I've seen her three hours ago sa library, I am not sure kung nasaan na siya ngayon," I answered and moved closer to her. "Tammy is like a crazy woman, right? Like my sister?" I whispered then she furrowed her brows.
"Pa'no mo naman nasabi?" She asked.
"Palagi niyang binabasa iyong nag-iisang libro about that man named Lewis Yasay, his disappearance in 2012," I explained then she giggled.
"Let her be. Masaya siya d'on at alam mo naman utak n'on, puro adventure. Para namang may bago," aniya habang tumatawa-tawa pa. Binitawan niya na ang siko ko ngunit nananatili pa rin ang ngiti sa labi niya. "Let's have sushi later at the sushi bar, sa tambayan natin?"
"G!" I said in smiles then we both parted ways.
Eating sushi is like our routine everyday kapag natatapos ang classes ng 6 pm. Kahit na minsan 4 ng hapon ang tapos ng klase ko ay tumatambay ako sa SSG office para magpahinga and sometimes, I'm doing my homeworks na there. Iyong sushi bar ay hindi kalayuan sa university, sobrang lapit lang talaga as in.
"Everyone is settled for the foundation day, everyone here in the meeting already gave their suggestions they wanted to happen in the said event," the SSG's vice president, my crush, Nicholas said.
"Where's your suggestions?" Tanong ko habang tinititigan isa-isa ang mga papel na binigay niya sa akin.
He moved closer to point his suggestion on the paper and it made my heart stop for a moment. I feel like I was in heaven for a couple of seconds.
"Nicholas," I muttered and slightly cleared my throat so he looked at me with anxious eyes. "Your suggestions are good, let's have this in the event," I smiled at him then the smile on his face drew.
"Thank you very much, Elle," he's the only one who's allowed to call me Elle, not even my family. People prefer to call me Ellie or Elliana or Yanna - kung anong mas madali sa dila nila.
Naramdaman ko ang matatalim na tingin sa akin na nakapalibot sa office kaya kaagad kong inilipat ang tingin sa kanila at hindi nga ako nagkakamali, masasama ang titig nitong lahat sa akin.
"What's the problem, people?" I asked while busy stapling the papers in my hand. "If you have a problem regarding my decision, then take my seat and I'll let you be the president," I said then moved the chair slowly away from me.
Hindi para sa lahat ang sinasabi ko kun'di sa nag-iisang tao lang - Si Gwyneth. She's been jealous since I was elected as president of this student government. She believes that I bribed the vote counter to put all the votes at me. Hindi ko na pinapatulan dahil ganiyan talaga ang mga putak ng mga taong inggit. Palibhasa, nakakuha lang ng 557 votes from 15 thousand students on this campus kaya't naging secretary na lang siya.
Mabait pa ako n'on kaya't pinakiusapan ko ang principal at school president na siya na lang ang gawin kong secretary imbes na sa nanalo. I felt bad for the winner kaya siya ang ginawa kong auditor since walang tumakbo as candidate.
"Did I even reject some of your suggestions? Not yet, right? Maghintay kasi," pahabol ko pa at pabagsak na inilapag ang mga papel sa lamesa ko. "I liked your suggestions and want it to happen in the event, baka gusto niyong punitin ko 'tong proposal niyo?" Nakataas ang dalawang kilay na tanong ko habang nakalagay ang dalawang palad sa ibabaw ng lamesa at nakaharap sa kanilang lahat.
Walang nagtangkang magsalita kahit isa. Parang may anghel na dumaan.
I looked at my watch and faced them again. "Let's talk about the event and about your attitudes some other time, it's dismissal time," I announced and they all - synchronously stood, backing their things up.
"People think na kaya ka lang mas pabor sa mga pinapasa ko is because you like me or you have some feelings for me," napahinto ako sa pag-aayos ng gamit ko at napamasahe na lang ako sa sintido. "I know it's just a rumor, but I want an assurance para hindi ka na rin napagsasabihan nang hindi maganda."
"I'm fine. Kaya ko naman silang harapin... and thanks for your concern," sambit ko bago tuluyang lumabas ng office.
I got a message from Tammy na nandoon na sila sa sushi bar kaya't minabuti kong magmabilis na.
I was about to leave the school when a paper on the ground called my attention. Without a second thought, I picked it up and took a look at it.
It was a picture of Lewis Yasay and me!
I felt my heart raced so fast like it was about to explode. It's just a plain picture of him and I. Madumi na ito at medyo gusot kaya hindi ko alam kung anong pinanggalingan nito. Ipapasok ko na sana siya sa bag ko nang may napansin pa akong isang papel.
It was a map. A map of my city with a road track, leading to some place. Hindi ko maintindihan and gustong iparating ng mapa dahil putol na ito kaya hindi ko alam kung saan patungo ang road line na iyon.
I put it in my bag and left the area.
I went straight to the sushi bar at imbes na pagbati ang ibungad sa akin ng mga kaibigan ko ay mukhang problemado ang mga 'to.
"What happened?" I asked as I sat and put my bag beside me. I looked at the paper they're holding, looks like they're trying to puzzle it.
"Someone left this intentionally in front of our gate to call our attention," Janeth explained. So, the paper was there because someone dropped it intentionally? "And there, it has a map with a cut road line which led to this part," she pointed at the edge of the paper. It looks ripped.
"And then our maps were put together then we both connected the road line," Tammy added and it made my brain work. "We even both got our picture of us with Lewis Yasay," she added then made me face the picture they're holding.
"Is it just coincidental or someone intentionally wants to play with us at this moment?" I asked that they furrowed their brows.
I slowly grabbed the paper from my bag and put it on the table.
"I also got this before I left the school. It has a picture of young Lewis and Me, the map is also unfinished," I said before scratching my temple.
Kinakabahan ako.
They tried to put our papers together and the map is now complete.
"I think they're commanding us to follow this map," Tammy - together with her adventurous mind said. "I'm dead serious. Sino ba namang mag-iiwan ng ganitong bagay intended para sa atin, right?"
"Let's find a clue behind papers," Janeth suggested that's why we hurriedly got our papers back in our hands.
I noticed the red pen written at the back of my picture.
'YOU'
I tilted my head a bit so I took a look at Lewis' photo.
'DESTINED'
Destined? What the heck‽ You destined?
"What words do you have, guys?" I waved my photo in front of them, making sure they also got a word.
"I got 'were' and 'this'," naningkit ang mga mata ko sa isinagot ni Janeth.
"I got 'to' and 'have'," Tammy said in her sweet little voice.
"I think we have to connect these three words again," Janeth suggested and we tried a lot until we got the right sentence structure.
"YOU WERE DESTINED TO HAVE THIS?" we all both asked ourselves and we both looked at each other with anxious eyes.
"I told you, guys, we must follow the map," Tammy said with a grin on her face.
"No way, Tam, it might put us in danger," I said, rejecting her idea. "Let it be," hindi ko na lang iniisip ang negatibong nais iparating nitong naglapag nito.
Wait. Destined but intended?
"Why? Did you realize something?" Janeth asked me.
"It says that we were destined but we all got the papers intended for us," I answered. "Someone wants to play with us," I added.
"Let's play along then," Tammy suggested again and Janeth and I both looked at each other.
"Tomorrow morning, let's ditch class," I decided and made Tammy clap.
Gusto kong malaman kung anong pakay nitong taong naglagay nito sa amin. Walang p'wedeng may mapahamak sa amin dahil kung sino man ang taong nagbigay sa amin nito ay mapapatay ko.