“Amira, kung hindi mo kakainin, h’wag mong panlisikan ng mata.”

Inis kong tiningnan si Peter na nasa aking harapan. Nasa hapag kami at nag-aalmusal kasama rin ang mga magulang niya maging ang kay na Cara at Tyler. Inirapan ko naman s’ya at muling tinuon ang atensyon ko sa almusal.

Dinig na dinig ko ang pagtawa n’ya maging ang biglaang pagtataray sa kanya ni Cara dahil magkatabi sila.

“Is something bothering you, ija? Don’t worry, Tyler is still free—”

“Dad, tigilan mo nga ang kakabugaw sa akin kay Amira,” Singhal ni Tyler sa kanyang Ama na inosente lamang siyang nilingon. At gamit ang tinidor n’yang may hotdog pa, gigil na tinuro ni Tyler si Parker, “Iyan ang ibugaw mo kay Amira!”

“Anak, wala kang jowa. Concern lang naman ako lalo na’t may pandemya, mahirap na makahanap ng magagandang babae ngayon. ‘Yong iba nanakmal—”

“Dad!” Tyler screamed with disbelief. His father teasingly zipped his mouth and winked at me as he suppresses his laughter.

Parker’s father curiously raised his brow while he was switching glances towards Parker and me, “So, what’s the meaning behind Tyler’s remark?” I suddenly felt a glint of nervousness when Spencer’s lips slowly curled.

“Tito Pierre! Tito Pierre! Magkatabi sila sa RV matulog tapos nag-momol sila tuwing—”

Parehas kaming nasamid ni Parker dahil sa biglaang pag-imik ni Spencer. May nakalolokong ngiti ang nakausbong sa kanyang mukha na tila pinahihiwatig n’ya ang kanyang munting ganti sa hindi ko pagtulong sa kanya kahapon na makasali sa meeting.

“Momol?” Tanong ni Tita Mathilde, ina ni Cara.

Napangiwi na lamang ako. Gustong-gusto ko na talagang tumayo kung hindi lamang n’ya hawak ang aking braso. Makakaganti rin talaga ako sa batang ‘to. Hintayin n’ya lang.

“Sabi ni Ate Cara sa akin dati ‘yon po ay naghahalikan—” Wala sa sarili kong nasampal ang bibig ni Spencer upang manahimik s’ya.

Samantalang ang kapatid ni Parker ay hagalpak na kakatawa, kulang na lamang ay patayin ko s’ya.

“Manahimik ka, please lang,” I pleaded. Spencer suddenly bit my hand and forcefully shook his head, simply telling his refusal to my request.

I glared at him and pointed my fork, “Shut up—”

“Shut up or what, Amira?!”

I gasped and looked at Parker, “Daddy! He is not calling me Mommy any… more…” I shut my mouth when I realized what I just have said.

And the fucking kid beside me was wiggling his eyebrows as if he just won against me. Malapit ko na talagang makalimutan na bata lang ’to. Kitang-kita ko ang pamumula ng mukha ni Parker sa gilid ng aking mata maging ang gulat na pagtingin sa akin ng matatanda sa paligid.

Tumikhim ako at umakto na tila walang mali sa paligid. Nang matapos akong kumain ay umayos ako nang upo at napansin na nakatingin sa akin si Mr. Gonzalo.

“Ija, Parker na ba—”

“Dad, subukan mo… makakakita ka ng anak na sinaksak ang tatay.”

Natatawang bumaling muli sa akin si Mr. Gonzalo matapos s’yang pagbantaan ng kanyang anak, “Ija, may dalawanf infected na nakatali sa loob ng laboratory. Wala pang formula ng Lycoris Albiflora sa katawan nito dahil baka matunaw agad ang katawan nito. Sasamahan na lamang kita sa loob—”

“Salamat po pero kaya ko na po ang mag-isa,” sambit ko. Hindi sa ayokong may kasama, ayoko lang talaga na may madamay ako sa katangahan na gagawin ko.

Sumulyap ako kay Kelly saka nilahad ang kamay ko sa kanya, “Akin na…” mabuti na lamang dahil hindi ko na kailangan magpaliwanag sa kanya at agad n’yang binigay ang papel kung saan nakalagay ang formula.

Nang tumayo ako ay nagpaalam ako sa kanila at kinuha ang susi kay Mr. Gonzalo ngunit bago ako tuluyan na makaalis sa harap nila ay pinigilan ni Parker ang braso ko.

“There is no way that you’re going in there alone—”

“Ay, wala na talagang pag-asa ang anak ko.” Bigla kaming nabalot ng hiya dahil sa biglaang pagsabat ni Mr. Gonzalo. Gets na gets ko kung bakit na-babadtrip na sa kanya ang anak n’ya. Sobrang layo talaga ng ugali nila, parang s’ya pa ata ang tatay ni Spencer e.

I was about to speak when Parker suddenly held my hand and pulled me out of the crowd. My eyes seem fascinated by him, and for an unknown reason, I can’t seem to focus on anyone around except him.

And when we reach the laboratory, he suddenly stopped and looked at me.

“What are you planning?” He asked.

“Ano bang ginagawa sa laboratory? Edi mag-eexperiment.” Bigla naman n’ya akong tinuktokan dahil sa aking barubal na sagot.

Nang inabot ko sa kanya ang susi ay may inabot muna s’yang mga protective equipment at sinuot namin iyon bago pumasok sa loob. Saglit kong binaba ang facemask ko nang pihitin ko ang doorknob, bumungad naman sa akin ang isang maliwanag na kuwarto na kumpleto ng mga kagamitan sa pag-eexperiment.

Sa gitna ay may dalawang bozos na nakatali sa steel medical trolley at parehas nakakadena ang mga bibig nila. Muling hinawakan ni Parker ang kamay ko saka ako ginawi sa direksyon kung nasaan ang dalawang natitirang Lycoris Albiflora.

I slowly reach the syringe with the extract of the Lycoris Albiflora formula, and without any second thoughts, I injected it into one of the bozos.

Parker immediately pulled up my mask to cover my face when the body abruptly exploded. I swiftly gathered the remaining body parts of the bozo before it could entirely disappear into specks of dust.

And with Parker’s guidance, I magnified it to the microscope to the highest magnification available. I was fascinated to witness the peculiar scene happening to the bozo’s decomposing body.

“They failed to overlook this…” I mumbled and gestured Parker to look at the microscope. I smirked at him when I saw his reaction.

My conclusion was right. The Lycoris Radiata and Lycoris Albiflora were actually contending inside the bozo’s body. In which, the Lycoris Radiata was being pushed back, making it gathered into a single place only. And as a result, the specific body part cannot contain the sudden change in its body, making it explode into pieces.

The ingredients in formulating the cure were never wrong; the only thing that is screaming their mistake was the formula that they are following. I pasted the formula of Lycoris Radiata to the whiteboard. I wrote it, in which I replaced the word ‘Lycoris Radiata’ into ‘Lycoris Albiflora’ — the amount of Lycoris Radiata extracted from the flower was 65%.

“What are you doing?” Parker asked.

I squinted my eyes and analyzed the board. If using the same 65% of Lycoris Albiflora leads to explosion instead of curing it, then it should be replaced.

“Re-computing…”

“You’re really good with numbers, huh?” He mocked. I looked at him and pouted, making him pinched my cheeks. “Ah, if Spencer could see us t’yak ay naisumbong na tayo no’n.”

“Parker… I have a question,”

“Hmm?”

“Do you like me?” He was caught off guard by it. He coughed hard, making me worried. “Hey, I—I didn’t mean to—”

“Like is not the word to use.”

Saglit ko s’yang tiningnan nang bigla n’yang ginulo ang buhok at humarap sa whiteboard.

—Not the word to use. Not the number to use!

I immediately erased the 65% and replaced it with 35%. I galloped to the machine, which extracted the flower into the desired percentage and inserted the petals of Lycoris Albiflora in it, and entered the new percentage.

And when the extraction has been finished. Parker and I curiously looked at the last bozo as I slowly injected the new formula.

Our cold sweat was dropping in our temple as we watch the bozo. It was stabilized, unlike the first one, which immediately exploded.

“Will it work?” I asked.

“We will find out.”

Parehas kaming nagulat ng biglang pagtunog ng heart rate monitor at imbes na flat line ay nagkaroon ng heartbeat ang bozo sa aming harapan. Gulat kaming napalayo ni Parker do’n ngunit hindi pa rin nagbabago ang katawan nito.

“Let’s tell this to Tito Tristan.” He once again pulled me, and after getting out of the laboratory. We noticed that they are being entertained by the stupid kid eating a bunch of chocolate again.

We both removed the protective equipment we are wearing and threw it in the trashcan. I squinted my eyes when I saw Spencer dancing awfully and when his eyes set on us, he immediately grins while looking at our hands.

“Alam na this…” Makahulugan n’yang bungad sa amin. Inirapan ko na lamang s’ya at kinuha kay Parker ang susi bago iyon binalik kay Mr. Gonzalo.

“I don’t know if my findings were correct, but the other bozo— I mean, the other infected didn’t explode,” I mumbled.

Mr. Gonzalo amusedly smiled at me, “What did you do?”

“I’ve changed the formula. Instead of using 65% of Lycoris Albiflora, I decreased it to 35%. I think that the explosion was caused by the sudden collision of high amount formula in their body.”

“What do you mean, Amira?” Tita Abigail asked.

“You see if the bozos were to received the 65% Lycoris Albiflora. The 65% Lycoris Radiata will be pushed back by the new formula inserted into the body, and it was the phenomenon that causes the explosion. If both of them were at 65%, then the body will never get to keep up, especially if they are exceeding the 100% maximum.”

Mr. Gonzalo suddenly turned his head to Tyler, “Ayaw mo talagang makipaglaban kay Parker? Sayang, anak!”

“Dad, sasaktan na talaga kita!” Tyler shouted.

I laughed while watching them until karma suddenly hit me, making me cough hard. Parker immediately handed me a glass of water to drink in order to stop the sudden coughing.

I was about to thank Parker when the front suddenly open, making all of us cautious.

In our facade, a familiar leering bozo suddenly appeared.

Einstein.

#