Chapter 3: Alien?

Weekends are my favorite. I always have a date with myself during weekends. Dinadala ko ang sarili ko sa bookstore, bibili ng libro at buong maghapong mananatili sa coffeeshop, sipping my favorite coffee and reading my new book.

Grabbing a copy of a classical book that I have long rooting for, I went straight to the nearest coffeeshop. Nang makapag-order ako ay sinimulan ko nang basahin ang libro. I was flipping over the pages when I had this weird feeling that someone is watching me. I rubbed my hands in my arms to remove the weird feeling. Pinagpatuloy ko ang pagbabasa ngunit nararamdaman ko pa rin ang kakaibang pakiramdam na iyon. I drank from my cup at iginala ang paningin sa paligid.

And to my surprise, I caught the reason of this weird feeling. Nang pumasok ako kanina dito ay iilan lamang kami doon. There were couple on the side, a group of teenagers taking selfies with their coffee and an old woman munching on her cake slice. But now there was one additional customer inside who was sitting near the glass wall, right behind me.

Semper.

Bigla akong nanlamig nang maalala ang boses na narinig ko sa isipan ko nang huli ko siyang makita. Bumigat ang dibdib ko, and I doubt if it is the coffee or Semper, but the latter was more probable. Itinaas ko ang librong hawak ko upang matakpan ang mukha ko, at gamit ang isang kamay ay niligpit ko ang mga gamit ko. I stealthily move, picking up my shoulder bag to leave the coffeeshop but just as I was only few steps near the door, a hand grabbed me by the arm.

Napatuwid ako ng tayo at dahan-dahang inangat ang paningin ko mula sa kamay na nakahawak sa akin hanggang sa mukha ng may-ari ng kamay na iyon. My gaze slowly ran from his arm, to his slender neck that was shown, and his face topped with the messy hair that looks like a damn fashion trend that perfectly suits him.

I pulled myself together, trying to hide the fear that crept inside me. "Y-yes?"

"Please stay."

Bigla na lamang napataas ang isang kilay ko. I would have been shaking right now because that voice was the same voice that I heard in my head, but his words left me dumbfounded. Or maybe it's just my imagination that the voice was the same. Pero ang salitang binitawan niya ang dahilan kung bakit ako natigilan.

Please stay.

Seryoso? Iyon ba talaga ang sinabi niya?

"Excuse me?" Naguguluhang tanong ko. He had no intention of letting go of my hand at hinayaan ko lamang din iyon. His palm was warm as it was holding my arm.

"Ang ibig kong sabihin ay huwag ka munang umalis. Maybe we can have a cup of coffee."

Okay, the voice has become scary now.

"I... I j-just had coffee." Ni hindi ko nga naubos ang kape ko dahil sa takot ko sa kanya!

"Please continue reading your book."

"T-tapos na ako..." Who am I kidding? My bookmark was placed not even on the 1/4 of the total pages. Semper looks at it like he was saying he caught me lying and I forced a smile. "I'm j-just re-reading this..."

His gaze fell on the paper bag that contains the other books that I bought on the same bookstore as printed on the paper bag. Again, he caught me lying. I sighed in surrender.

"Alright, I'll continue reading my book," pagsuko ko at naunang humakbang pabalik sa upuan ko kanina. He walked behind me, and I can feel his tall height covering me. My high heels are my best friend today and if I haven't been wearing one, magmumukha akong unano sa tabi ni Semper.

Semper sat across me while I read my book. Ang totoo niyan ay hindi ako makapag-focus dahil nakatingin siya sa mukha ko. I tried raising the book so that it will cover my whole face, but I stopped when I realize how stupid I look.

Huminga ako ng malalim at isinara ang libro. "M-may kailangan ka ba sa akin?"

He pouted his lips and shook his head. Cute.

Wait, what? No that wasn't cute. It was creepy. When guy who wears all black and can talk to you through your head, it isn't cute. It's creepy. CREEPY.

"Do I know you?" tanong ko sa kanya. I know his name. Sana naman ay maintindihan niya na ang translation ng tanong ko ay: Magpakilala ka naman.

"Maybe."

"And you knew me?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Are you following me?"

"No."

That's it. Hindi ko siya maintindihan. He asked me to stay yet this is what he is doing. Staring at me like a specimen in a microscope and who knows he's thinking something. "Hindi ito Pinoy Henyo okay kaya wag mo akong sagutin ng yes, no at maybe mo."

For a second, I thought that he would laugh or find me funny, but he didn't. Sa halip ay mas naging seryoso pa ang mukha nito.

"Are you aware that you're scaring me?" Hindi mapigilang tanong ko sa kanya. Hindi ba niya alam ang joke? Sana man lang ay nagkunwari siyang natatawa man lang.

"I figured that one out. Your eyes tell me that you're scared, your fingers quiver and your lips are trembling." His voice was monotonous, and his eyes seconded his tone.

"T-that's really scary." Wika ko. I was thinking how should ask him to formally introduce himself. Wala kasi akong maalala na nagkakilala kaming dalawa.

"Semper."

"What?" I asked.

"My name is Semper. You want to know my name, right? It's Semper."

"And-" No. First is that I thought he can only speak in my mind. Now he can read it. What is he? Alien? X-men? Nakakatakot siya!

"Huwag kang matakot sa akin," wika niya. Irony, his words only made me more afraid.

"Binabasa mo ba ang nasa isip ko?" I asked and he shook his head.

"I'm not reading your mind. I'm reading your face. It tells it all," sagot niya sa akin at hindi man lamang inilalayo ang mga mata sa mukha ko. Baka sa ibang pagkakataon ay nag-blush na ako.

"Semper?"

"Yes?" His eyes were not leaving every corner of my face.

"No, hindi kita tinatawag. I'm asking for your last name," wika ko sa kanya.

"Galvez. Semper Galvez."

I waited for him to ask me the same question ngunit nanatili lamang siyang nakaupo doon, his eyes were still fixed on my face, making me conscious. Pasimpleng chineck ko ang mukha ko mula sa cellphone ko baka sakaling may muta ako kaya ganoon na lamang ang tingin niya ngunit sa awa ng diyos ng kahihiyan ay wala naman.

"Aren't you going to ask me a question?" Suhestiyon ko.

He shook his head. "Please continue reading."

"Unbelievable!" I exclaimed. "Kung gayon ay kilala mo ako? Teka lang ha, sinusundan mo talaga ako ano?"

"I know you. You just transferred to our class. Violet Dizon." Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero nagustuhan ko ang pagbigkas niya sa pangalan ko na para bang isa talagang babasaging bagay ang pangalan ko na kailangang ingatan.

"Mahirap man itong paniwalaan pero kailangan mong maniwala okay?" He didn't respond but he continues looking at my face. "I think I heard your voice inside my head."

Akala ko ay bubunghalit siya ng tawa o di kaya ay iisipin niyang nababaliw ako but his face didn't show any changes in his reaction. No, it was the only reaction that he has (I guess)- His serious face.

"Really?" wika niya and let out a barely-there smile. Mahirap isipin kong seryoso ba siya o pinaglalaruan niya lamang ako.

Baka naman pinaglololoko niya lang ako. Ano bang problema ng lalaking ito? Now he is really under my skin and creeping me out with that smile.

"Huwag mo akong ngitian ng ganyan! Alien ka siguro ano?!" Napalakas yata ang boses ko dahil napatingin sa direksyon namin ang ilang mga naroon. I maybe out of my mind. Nang wala pa rin akong nakuhang reaksyon mula sa kanya ay napatayo ako at kinuha ang bag at mga libro ko.

"Huwag mo akong susundan!" My voice was louder this time. I don't mind as long as Semper wouldn't follow me because I might die in fear. Dire-diretso lang ako hanggang sa sakayan ng taxi at agad na nagpahatid pauwi.

When I reached home, I took a heavy shower to calm my mind. Hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin ako makahanap ng logical na rason kung paano iyon nagagawa ni Semper. I also cannot think of any rational and logical explanation about what he is.

I dried myself with a towel and covered my body with a robe. Naupo ako sa kama at napatingin sa larawang nasa bedside. It was a photo of me and Daven, smiling happily when we were hailed as the Mr and Miss Acquaintance during my freshmen year. Maganda ang ngiti naming dalawa at nakapulupot pa ang braso niya sa beywang ko. I guess I won't be seeing his smile anymore. Kung ngingiti man siya ng ganoon kaganda, I will not be the reason behind it.

Nakapagbihis na ako nang marinig ko ang katok mula sa pinto. It was my younger brother Laven Der.

"Ate, may naghahanap sa'yo sa baba."

Hindi ko na naitanong kung sino iyon dahil narinig ko na ang mga papalayong mga yabag ni Laven. Tumayo na lamang ako sa kama at bumaba sa sala kung nasaan si Mommy at ang sinasabi ni Laven na bisita. My feet stopped when I saw who it was.

Semper Galvez.

He really followed me.

And creep me out as always.

"Violet, nandito ka na pala," Mom said which caused Semper to look at me with his dark eyes. I cannot see anything in it except that it is dark. "Nandito pala ang kaibigan mo."

"He's not my friend Mom."

"Violet!"

"What are you doing here?" Tanong ko sa kanya. I looked at his lips so that I wouldn't be lost in his dark stare, but it was a bad decision since I was lost in those red things down his nose. His lips twisted a little like he knows what I was thinking kaya nag-iwas na lamang ako ng tingin at ibinaling ang atensyon sa kung saan maliban na lamang sa kung saang bahagi ng katawan niya.

"I'm here to ask you out," sagot niya. His voice, still monotonous, makes me doubt if he is serious or not.

"At six in the afternoon?!" I asked checking few times if my wristwatch is functioning well. Sumulyap pa ako sa digital clock na nakapwesto sa sala.

"Mas mabuti nga 'yon Violet kasi sabi niya, he can have a long chat with you and he'll be able to return you home by nine. Uh, what a sweet boy!" Sabat ni Mommy.

"Mom, he's not sweet, okay?" He's creepy. And I doubt if he's a boy. I mean a human boy.

"Hindi pwede. Hindi ako papayagan ni Dadd-"

"Tinawagan ko na ang papa mo and he said yes," Mom said and smiled at Semper.

"Mom!" Mukhang nakuha ni Semper ang loob niya. "I don't feel like going out." Hey, it's my way of saying no. Maybe Semper got Mom under his spell. May spell ba ang mga alien?

"Then we'll stay here", wika ni Semper.

Whaaaat?!

"Okay lang sa akin, nasa kusina lang ako," wika ni Mom. I eyed her a look like I'm saying to send Semper out ngunit hindi niya ito naintindihan. I don't like seeing Semper here. Baka ano pang kababalaghan ang gagawin niya dito. I sighed in frustration.

"Mom, doon ka na sa kusina I think I heard Lav calling you," hinila ko si Mommy at dahan-dahang tinulak patungo sa direksyon ng kusina . "Kakausapin ko muna si Semper."

"Hindi ka ba magbibihis. anak?" Mom asked, habang iginala ang paningin sa kabuoan ko.

"You look pretty in those clothes," Semper said which made my jaw drop samantalang kinilig naman si Mommy. Yes, she's a hopeless romantic.

Anong naka-pretty sa suot kong pajama at lumang PE Tshirt? Niloloko ba ako ni Semper? Muli kong tinulak si Mommy at nang tuluyan na itong umalis si Mommy matapos ang nakakalokong ngisi ay hinarap ko si Semper.

"Ano ba talaga ang kailangan mo sa akin?" diretsahang tanong ko sa kanya.

"I want to ask you out."

"Hindi ako interesado sa pakikipagrelasyon," sagot ko. Mas mabuti nang prangkahin ko siya. I'm not over with Daven yet kaya hindi ako mag-e-entertain ng manliligaw as of now.

"I didn't say I want it either."

Hindi ko mapigilang taasan siya ng kilay. Ayaw niya rin na makipagrelasyon? Then why is he asking me out? Wait, ito ba ang set-up na madalas kong nababasa ngayon sa social media confessions? How do they call it? Ah, f*ck buddy. Is that why he's following me because he wants me to be - no way! Bakit niya ba talaga ako sinusundan? Kinalma ko ang sarili ko.

"Then why are you asking me out?"

"Gusto kong makipag-usap."

Ang labo niya. O baka naman sinasabi niya lamang iyan dahil tinanggihan ko na siya kanina pa lamang?

"We're already talking," I answered.

"Privately."

Privately? No way! Baka kung ano pa ang gawin niya sa akin! He can speak in my head kaya hindi ko alam kung saang kulto siya galing! Hinding-hindi ako makikipag-usap sa kanya!

"No. I heard your voice in my head kaya hindi ako makikipag-usap sa'yo. Hindi ko alam kung anong klaseng tao ka- if you're even a human!"

"If you tell others about that, they might think you're crazy. Paano naman ako nakakapagsalita sa isipan mo? Are you on drugs?" Wala man lamang halong pagbibiro ang kanyang tono. Pero may point nga naman siya. Did I really hear my voice inside my head?

"Am not!" Ngayon ay pinagdududahan ko na ang sarili ko. But I swear it's the same voice that I heard! Ah! Ewan! Lumapit ako sa pinto at binuksan iyon. "Sige na, umalis ka na."

Inilipat-lipat niya ang paningin sa akin at sa nakabukas na pinto. Sa huli ay tumayo na lamang siya at dumeretso sa pinto. He stood and faced me.

"We'll talk one day," he said in a tone like he is very sure. I felt my hands gripped the doorknob hard, my knees were becoming weak at tila nawala ako sa sarili. Saka lamang ako muling natauhan nang tuluyan siyang makalabas ng pinto at tinatahak na ang daan patungo sa gate.