Strangers with Midnight Memories

Chapter Three : vanished in an afternoon

Umiwas ako ng tingin. My cheeks are on fire... kahit na malamig naman ang ininom kong tubig. Tumayo ako at pinaypayan ko ang sarili ko gamit ang aking mga palad. Inisa-isa ko ng tingin ang mga picture frame nila doon na kanina ay hindi ko maaninag ng maayos.

Nakita ko yung mga baby pictures ni North, sobrang cute niya. Marami siyang pictures na palagi siyang kasama ng Mom niya at halata ang pagiging sobrang close nila. He's the type of kid that has a very upbeat personality, is adventurous, and can be a little naughty, but all of that changed when he lost his mom.

That is something I observed in school. Never kaming naging magka-klase, but I always saw him at school. Nung buhay pa ang Mom niya palagi ko siyang nakikitang nakikipag-laro sa mga kaklase niya, he was actually very popular when we were in elementary school, palagi kong naririnig nun sa mga kaklase ko na may crush sila kay North at kahit saan ako sumuot ay pangalan niya ang naririnig ko. As a child, I was baffled as to why everyone appeared to like him.

Tuwing makikita ko siya dati, hindi ko talaga siya masyadong iniintindi kasi syempre bata pa naman ako nun and ganun rin siya at ang palagi ko lang nasa isip ay ang maglaro just like all the other kids. But one day, when my Dad chose to become engaged to a lady he met on a business trip, talagang hindi ko matanggap, I don't know maybe because as a child ayokong palitan niya ang Mom ko kahit pa my Mom also died when I was just four years old. Considering the fact that she has done nothing wrong to me, I regard Hillary to be an awful stepmother.

Syempre kakanood ko nun kay Cinderella, ang tingin ko sa mga step mother ay evil kaya pakiramdam ko nun evil din si Hillary at paglalabahin niya ako, paglilinisin ng bahay tapos hindi niya ako papakainin, and imagine, I have the same huge house as Cinderella, biruin mo kung gaano kahirap linisin yun. Kaya naman kapag nasa school ako ayoko talagang umuwi nun as in, kahit anong pilit ng driver namin na sunduin ako hindi talaga ako nasama hanggang si Dad na ang sumundo sa akin na halos paluin ako para lang umuwi ako, but he can't do it since he's the Mayor at makikita siya ng ibang mga nanay. So, even though he wanted to hit me, he never did.

Paulit-ulit na ganun ang scenario tuwing after class, which is why Miss Elery, my adviser, approached me one day. She spoke to me thoroughly as if I were an adult, and she explained everything to me na hindi sinasabi sa akin ni Dad. Siguro kasi naisip ni Dad na bata pa ako at hindi ko maiintindihan ang sitwasyon, but once Miss Elery explained everything, naintindihan ko na why my Dad remarried. As simple as "Your Dad is very lonely when your Mom needs to go to heaven without him and he needs someone other than you who can make him happy and take care of him while he's taking care of you... and he thinks that Hillary is the perfect woman who can do that. Your Dad loves your Mom so much. Your mom is irreplaceable Rosheen, but he doesn't want to be alone anymore. You don't want your dad to be lonely, do you?" Miss Elery stated.

After that conversation, hindi na ulit ako nag tantrums ng ganun and I gave Hillary an opportunity to prove that she deserved my Dad, and she never let me down. Until now, my Dad has been happily married to Hillary, even though they don't have children, and it's true that she takes care of us as much as she can, but she has never shown an intention to replace my Mom. Perhaps in Dad’s heart, pero sa puso ko, tanggap niyang pangalawa lang siya and hindi sya kahit kailan naging greedy sa atensyon or anything else. She's truly the best, and I'm glad I gave her a chance.

Since that day ay humanga na ako ng sobra kay Miss Elery at sa tuwing makikita ko silang magkasama ni North ay unti-unti ko na ring napapansin si North at nare-realize kung bakit siya nagugustuhan ng karamihan ng mga kaklase ko at ng iba pang mga batang babae dito sa school.

He truly has a wonderful family, a kind mother and a diligent father of whom he is incredibly proud. Kung papangalanan nga lang ang pinaka-masaya at maswerteng bata sa bayan namin, I'm sure he'd be at the top. But all of that vanished in an afternoon. One afternoon changed his entire life. That afternoon, North and his parents were returning home from their Christmas holiday when they were hit by a logging truck, and the portion where her mother sits gets underneath in one of the logs, killing her instantly. North's father almost lost a limb, but he only suffered minor scars. After that incident, North became agitated. Hindi na siya masyadong nakikipaglaro sa mga kaibigan niya, palagi siyang umuuwi kaagad after class, hindi ko na madalas makitang tumatawa na kagaya ng dati, he has become aloof and somber.

But when he started dating Nahla, his eyes gleamed once more, and he smiled again. He's genuinely very happy with her, and it's great to see him smiling again. Medyo introvert pa rin siya kasi madalas si Nahla lang ang kasama niya or maybe si Nahla lang din talaga ang gusto niyang makasama. Actually, she became his entire world.

"Halika na?" Napatalon ako nang marinig ko ang boses niya. Kaagad akong lumingon. Ngumiti-ngiti ako atsaka ako tumango.

I noticed his change of clothes since he was the first one to walk out the door. He's now wearing a sleeveless white shirt, black weekend shorts, and a plain black slipper. Napatingin tuloy ako sa suot ko ngayon na denim short and white spaghetti strap tank top. Ngayon ko lang narealize na kanina ko pa pala ito suot habang kasama ko siya, akala ko kasi ay ako lang mag-isang magswiswimming, hindi ko naman akalaing makakasama ko pala siya. Nahiya tuloy ako bigla sa suot ko.

Hindi kalayuan sa harapan ng bahay nila ang dagat kaya rinig na rinig ko na sa saglit pa lang na paglalakad namin ang pumapagaspas na agos ng tubig.

Napansin kong may dala siyang backpack na nakasabit sa kaliwang balikat niya.

"Anong dala mo?" tanong ko para mabasag ang katahimikan namin habang naglalakad.

"Um..." tiningnan niya saglit ang dala niyang bag. "Ah, damit pamalit ko, mga towel at may iilan din akong dalang beer. Ah teka.. umiinom ka ba ng beer?" nilingon niya ako mula sa pagtingin sa nilalakaran namin.

Tumango ako kahit na hindi pa naman ako nakaka-inom ng kahit na anong alcoholic drink in my life. I really don't want this to be an awkward situation.

"Ikaw? Ano naman yang dala mo?" he asked, taking a glance at the canvas bag draped across my shoulder.

"I have a towel, a car key, and some chips here." sagot ko.

"Wala kang dalang pamalit na damit?"

Natigilan ako sa tinanong niya. I have no plans of bringing a change of clothes, and I just have this towel to keep me from dripping water on the car seat I'll be sitting on later. I was thinking earlier that I would just go for a little swim since I felt hot and wanted to cool down in the cold sea water, and then I would go home.

"It's okay. I'll just go home after the swim. May towel naman ako." naka-ngiti kong sabi sa kanya.

"Hindi ka ba lalamigin sa pagda-drive pauwi? Ito na lang pamalit ko ang gamitin mo. Diyan lang naman ang bahay ko kaya okay lang." nag-aalala niyang tanong at minustra sa akin ang backpack niya na may laman na damit niya. May naisip tuloy ako bigla dahil sa sinabi niya, like, ako? Magsusuot ng damit ni North?

Tatanggi pa sana ako when he suddenly turned to the side of the path where we were walking. Naglalakad kasi kami sa isang hindi sementadong lupa tapos may forest sa parehong gilid namin. North's home is located in the forest.

I was wondering what he was going to do on the side, yun pala ay kumuha siya ng mga firewood kaya tinulungan ko na din siya.

"Ako na..." pigil niya sa akin nang makitang kumukuha na rin ako ng mga panggatong na kahoy.

"Hindi. Okay lang, tutulungan na din kita."giit ko.

"Sigurado ka?" paninigurado niya.

Tumango-tango ako habang patuloy na namumulot ng kahoy, at hindi na naman niya ako pinigilan na.

"Mag-iingat ka lang sa kahoy baka magka-splinter ka." nilingon niya ako habang kumukuha pa siya nang mas marami pang kahoy at tumango lang ulit ako sa kanya.

Hindi naman kami nahirapan maghanap kasi marami naman sa paligid.

Nang makarating na kami sa pampang ay inilapag na niya ang mga kahoy at iniayos niya iyon saka sinindihan ng dala niyang lighter.

I recall the first time I saw him smoking. It's just another normal day for me, and I'm sure it's the same for him. When I came home from class, I remembered I had left my book for our quiz tomorrow under my desk, so I went back to school and spotted him leaning against the railings in front of my classroom. I'm not sure why he's there because his room is at the end of the corridor and mine is in the center.

Sa sobrang clueless ko ay hindi ko napansin na matagal na pala akong nakatitig sa kanya at nakatitig na din siya sakin, nagtataka malamang. Siguro nasa isip niya, “ngayon ka lang ba nakakita ng naninigarilyong estudyante?” But that's not what his face says, I'm the only one who believes he's saying that.

I didn't say anything, and neither did he. Ano nga bang sasabihin namin sa isa't-isa, di ba? We're total strangers to one another.

Kinuha ko yung libro ko, and when I went out, nakatingin na ulit siya sa view kung saan kita ang buong town namin at ang overlooking na dagat.

I can't take my eyes off him. Parang may bumubulong sakin na titigan siya doon. How beautiful his hair is, moving with every gust of wind. I used to believe his hair was just plain dark brown, but now I can see all of the colors in it; it's a combination of light and dark brown, and maybe some dark blondes as well, because the sun is setting. I can smell the cigarette, but I can also smell his perfume, which I really like. Yung scent na sa kanya ko lang naaamoy, na kahit hindi ko siya nakikita kapag naaamoy ko yun, alam kong malapit lang siya, and I've never been wrong about that.

His face is still perfect, though he seems pallid today, his lips... His lips are still red, and every time his lips touch the cigarette's filter or tipping paper, I get a rush of excitement that I want to deny but can't, dahil sa katangahan kong yun ay napalingon tuloy muli siya sa akin.

His body remained still. He merely turned his head and glanced at me, his hands still on the railings, his chin on his right shoulder, and the cigarette in his lips... What do I expect of myself? Of course, I froze in front of him.

"H–Hi." he murmured almost quietly.

Sa sobrang katangahan ko ay basta na lang akong umalis without saying "Hello" or kahit man lang ngumiti. Basta na lang ako umalis at medyo patakbo pa ako nun, ha. Malamang sinundan niya ako ng tingin sa ibaba ng building habang naglalakad ako palabas ng school grounds namin. Weird is probably the most accurate description he has of me.