JULIE ANN
"Bakit mo ako sinusundan?"
I ASKED the man wearing a hoodie jacket. Siya 'yong lalaking natamaan ko ng bato sa parke at 'yong nakita kong nag-iisa sa restaurant.
He removed the hood of his jacket and look at me. Gone was his shocked expression.
His forehead flinched. "Who told you that I was following you?" he asked. His voice is as manly as Drake's. Just like Drake, matangkad lang siya ng kaunti sa akin.
I look at his eyes at pinigilan ko ang sarili kong mangatog. May kakaiba talaga sa mga mata niya. Para talagang humihigop ng lakas.
Iniwaglit ko iyon sa aking isipan. Inilagay ko sa aking beywang ang mga kamay ko bago ako sumagot. "Ako. Bakit, sino ba dapat ang magsabi sa akin na sinusundan mo ako? Ikaw?" I sarcastically said to him. "Sabagay... ikaw ang makapagsabi niyan. Whatever---So, bakit mo ako sinusundan?" I asked again, raising a brow.
"What makes you concluded that I was following you?" he asked. I laughed inside my mind when I realized he was just paraphrasing his question.
I cleared my throat. "Kasi noong hindi mo na ako makita ay huminto ka at saka luminga-linga sa paligid. And then, you were shocked noong makita mong nahuli kita." I show him my mischievous grin.
He let out a sexy chuckle---err... is there a sexy chuckle? Oh. Forget it.
"Nice deductions but I wasn't following you. I was looking for my little bro na nagpaalam sa akin na bibili lamang siya ng maiinom---oh... there's no need to say it to you. So yeah. I wasn't following you." then he smiled. That was the first time I saw him smiling. And, okay... I admit. Mas maganda siyang tingnan na ngumiti kesa kay Drake. Oh wait... bakit palagi ko siyang ikinukumpara kay Drake? Whatever.
Pero anong sabi niya? Hindi niya ako sinusundan? Hinahanap niya ang kapatid niya?
Oh really? Dapat ba akong mahiya dahil sa pagka-feelingera ko? No... paano kung palusot niya lamang iyon?
Pinangliitan ko siya ng mata. "Maayos ka ring magpalusot, eh, 'no?" I sarcastically said to him.
"I'm not making story here because I am not an author." he also responded, sarcastically.
Aba'y gago. Noon ay parang napaka-intimidating ng aura niya. 'Yong tipong mahirap siyang i-approach pero ngayon, nawala iyon lahat. Hindi siya intimidating. Nakakainis siya. But hey... I feel comfortable arguing with him to be honest. I don't know why.
"Huh?! Really---?"
"Oh there he is..." biglang sabi niya kaya napatingin ako doon kung saan siya nakatingin.
There, I saw a little boy who is running towards our direction. "Kuya!" sabi nito sa gitna ng kanyang pagtatakbo.
Bumalik ang tingin ko sa lalaki---what's his name, by the way?
Nung makita niyang nakatingin ako sa kanya ay tinapunan niya ako ng I-told-you-I'm-telling-the-truth look at inirapan ko lamang siya.
Okay, I am wrong. So sino ang nakasunod sa akin kanina? Am I just being paranoid?
Kasalukuyan na niyang buhat-buhat ang gwapong bata. I think he was already 10 years old or above base sa laki nito. I examined the face of the boy para makompirma kong magkapatid ba talaga sila.
Well, they have similarities. They both have thick eyebrows. Their nose, lips and the shape of their faces are also the same.
Their eyes? No, they don't have the same eyes. 'Yong sa bata ay malumanay lang samantalang sa lalaking ito ay parang ang init. But in fairness, pareho sila ng mukha kaya confirm, magkapatid sila.
"Hi, ate!"
Naigting ako noong biglang bumati sa akin ang napaka-cute na bata.
I smiled at the boy. "Hello... you're so cute." sabi ko at pinisil ang mukha niya.
Tumingin ang bata sa lalaking hanggang ngayon ay hindi ko pa rin alam ang pangalan.
"Sino siya, kuya? Gilpren mo ba siya?"
Napaubo ako dahil sa tanong ng bata. Ano raw? Gilpren? As in Girlfriend? Jowa?
No way...
The man in hoodie jacket just chuckle. "No. She is a stranger so don't talk to her, okay?" sabi nang lalaki.
"Hey... don't tell that to your brother." apila ko.
"See this?" turo niya sa kanyang noo, ang parteng natamaan ng bato noong nakaraang araw. In fairness mukhang effective ang hagunoy leaf na iginamot ko sa kanya. But hey, what's his point? "Siya ang may gawa nito." pagpapatuloy niya.
"Hey... that was unintentional! Hindi ko iyon sinadya." depensa ko. I was out of my mind that time na hindi ko naisip ang posibleng mangyari.
I saw his mouth formed an O-shape. "So... ikaw nga ang nambato sa akin kaya kargo de konsensya mong gamutin ako?" he said na ikinabigla ko.
Oh, sh*t! I fell on his trap!
"A-Ah..."
"See? Don't you ever talk to her. She also said I am a stalker." pagpatuloy niya sa pagsabi sa bata. The boy just nod his head.
"Hey! 'Wag mo nga akong iba-bad record sa bata. Lahat ng pangyayari ay hindi ko sinadya, okay? Sorry. Okay na?" pagkatapos kong sabihin iyon ay hindi agad siya nagsalita. He only stared at me for a while at saka bumaling ulit sa bata. I want to befriend the little boy! He's so cute.
Oh wait...If I'm right that he was 10 years old, then I am 25. Oh yeah, 15 year-gap is not bad. Oops. Joke. I am not a pedophile.
"And also, you don't know her name kaya she's totally a stranger." dagdag ulit ng lalaki. I don't know his name either kaya patas lang kami.
But hey... I want to introduce myself to the little boy para hindi na kami stranger sa isa't isa. Bahala na ang isa diyan.
"Ahm, hi baby boy... Ako si Ate Julie Ann. You can call me Ate Julie, Ate Ann, Ate Jul-jul, Ate Ann-ann." nakangiting sabi ko. "Ikaw, ano name mo?" tanong ko sa kanya.
"Paul po." sabi nito sa pinaka-cute na boses. Eeh! Ang sarap pisilin! Paul is so cute, okay?
When I was about to pinch Paul's cheek slowly, biglang umatras ang lalaki dahilan para hindi ko maabot ang pisngi ng bata.
I look at him with brow raised.
"Tara na, Paul, our mom's waiting." sabi niya sa bata at saka umalis sa harapan ko.
Urgh! That man.
It's unfair. Alam niya ang pangalan ko dahil tiyak na narinig niya iyon noong nagpakilala ako kay baby Paul.
Pero ako, hindi ko alam ang pangalan niya.
Okay, whatever. I'll call him Paul Sr. instead so that I have a name to be called for him in case magkakita ulit kami.
Just in case lang na magkakita kami---I have never wished to see him again, okay. Si baby Paul lang.
×××