My Krung Krung Bae

Chapter 5: Starballs!

MY KRUNG KRUNG BAE – Chapter 5

Starballs!

Aljon Aquino

This is not right, I told myself as I walked back to the apartment building where I ‘supposed’ to live. I stubbed my foot and it hurt. I tried pinching my face and it hurt! I just looked stupid for screaming in the middle of the street. Somebody asked me if I was okay.

Again! With that dialect!

Maybe in my dreams, I’m also crazy.

Well, that is not good.

I headed back to my dream’s abode. I thought of trying to learn this me in this dream or hopefully this world. Maybe if I did that, I could control what would happen. If this is in fact a different world, ha! I’m staying here.

Good thing I remembered my code to my apartment. I got inside and I still could not believe I have a nice room. I walked inside and grinned to myself. The door was painted with a rainbow and on the cloud at the end of it is a handsome man winking at me and saying, “Seize the day, Al!”

That tickled my heart for some reason. The guy must be an actor or something. The me in this world or dream is so me! I He loves and knows what to tell me and show me! I love it!

Oh, ‘the me’. Yes. Got to find out who I am.

The folder my landlady gave me was in my desk. The desk is placed against the wall next to what seemed to be an entertainment center. I have a large TV screen in the middle hanging on the wall. Under it is a long but short entertainment console cabinet. It’s modern, white in color. Instead of CD’s or DVD’s however, it’s filled with books and some manga on one side. Oh, yeah. That’s me, alright.

To the right of the console is a taller white cabinet with drawers at the bottom. At the top is a cute little character. A calico cat and one of its dark spot is in a shape of a heart. I gushed.

Darn it, Aljon! Focus!

Okay. I got this. The folder. Yes, the folder.

I walked back to the desk and picked up the folder my landlady gave me this morning. There was no mistake. The me in this dream or world is different. Well, except for my first name and the college degree I am trying to get.

Huh? I could go to university still in this dream? Or world?

Good lord! What do I do???

I fell hard on my back. Groaning, I turned to my side. I forgot I have this balcony. I smiled to myself ad got up to open the sliding doors. I closed it earlier before I left. The curtains and the blinds were pushed to the side.

My balcony was facing the parking lot of the building. Less than half of it was free. Even in this dream, I don’t know how to drive so let’s scratch the parking lot and not think about it. My application clearly said I don’t own a car and was yet to get license.

I sulked on the railing, placing my chin on my crossed arms on top of it. Across my building is another one almost identical to it. Maybe the landlady owned it, too.

One of the unit’s curtains were pushed to the side and I could see inside. I didn’t want to pry but the man and his cat caught my eye. I giggled when I noticed it was a calico cat. Cats are just too darn adorable. Whoever don’t like them are just bad.

I sighed and looked around. Some units were open as well. I didn’t want to be nosy but I could not help it. I lived in a house and never been able to observe my neighbors like this. Besides, they always wore that stupid glare or judging look. I hated it but what could I do? I’m different.

Another sigh escaped my chest. As I looked ahead without staring at anything particular, I heard a voice.

“Hi! Are you the new tenant?”

I looked to my left side and there it was the handsome business guy I met earlier. I turned back to my right, whispering to myself how I was just too lucky today. I met two very handsome men!

This dream is awesome!

“Um, hello?”

“Ah, hi!” I said as I almost twisted my head when I turned back to him. “Yes, I think I am.” I tried to smile. Hopefully it didn’t look creepy like I had been told.

He reminded me of a famous singer who left his boy band group, cheated on his girl with a model and got her pregnant later. Or so I learned from entertainment news. It worked out well for him and his ex-girlfriend since the ex found the man of her life. I guess things work out in the end no matter how much you have to go through.

Good for them.

“I’m Paul,” thy handsome neighbor said. Oh boy, he just smiled at me.

If you have a lover, leave her for me!

What?!

Aljon, get I together. This dream might just be feeding my fantasies. This is not good! When I wake up, I’d be a total egocentric, perhaps narcissistic, conceited gay dude!

“And I’m leaving,” I said as I waved goodbye then ran back to my apartment.

What the heck was that?! I should be celebrating my lucid dream. Take advantage of it, right? I have to get up. I have to wake up!

I couldn’t go anywhere after I got inside my apartment. I shut the doors, closed the curtains and the blinds. It proved to be a feat because I had to use a remote control to close them. Good lord. Well I found them on night stand table on the right side of my bed.

By evening, I’ve read two manga and watched an entire limited series on TV about a cat that traveled from one world to another in search for his soul mate. I was exhausted. I made myelf dinner—chicken sandwich and chips on the side. I started another series and fell right to sleep somewhere in the middle of it.

I woke up and what was even more odd was I remembered everything that happened the day before and the day before that. I got up from the same bed, stared at the same stuff which meant I was still in the same room.

Wait. I drank a can of Louco the night before. Maybe, just maybe, if I got drunk again, I’d wake up. I have to wake up, right?

I picked my bum up and took a shower to get ready. Even in my dream, cleanliness is next to… Yes, next to being the best of what you are.

After I got ready, dressed in a rainbow printed overalls and orange and red shoes, I left my apartment. I remembered the convenience store I passed by the day before so I headed there. I as greeted by the staff in Tagalog. It didn’t bother me. And I didn’t have to get used to it either if I was to wake up, right?

The store was small and I found where the cold drinks were at right away. Drinking age starts at eighteen and I did bring the ID I have in the bag I found in my apartment. I could not be mistaken to be younger than my age which is 20, right? It happened all the time.

My brows knitted when I could not find the can with a giant L on the label followed by “ouco” written diagonally. “Um,” I approached the clerk standing with her phone on her hand, eyes on the screen of it. “You guys don’t have Louco?” I asked.

Her right brow was raised when she lifted her eyes to me. “Lo-what?”

“Louco beer,” I told her.

She frowned and looked towards the cold drinks refrigerators. She shook her head. “Sorry, buddy. I don’t know that beer. And I know all the beer.”

“It’s very popular,” I said to her.

Her face looked comical but it softened. “If it was, I would know. Are you from around here? T’s my first time seeing you.”

I shook my head.

“Anyway, we don’t have that one. There are other brands.”

She didn’t even ask or wonder why I would be drinking this early in the morning. She went back to staring at her phone and scoffed at something I wanted to know about but my mind went back to how to wake the heck up.

“Too early to get drunk, don’t you think?” a voice said as I turned to look at the beer choices in the fridges. My heart skipped a beat. I heard this voice before.

I looked to my right side and found the same man I slapped yesterday. Starballs!

“Hi,” he said to me. His perfect smile melted me to the core.

Yeah, why did I want to wake up again?

I’m the cat who came to this dream to find this soul mate of mine. Heck yeah, I am staying!

I felt something warm touch my chin again.

Kiss me…

What did I just say?!

I stepped  back and shook my head vigorously. I heard him laugh. My heart went hay-wire. That laugh. It made my heartbeat race faster. What would I do to keep hearing that?

Oh, yeah. I smiled to myself.

Don’t wake the heck up!

____________________ chapter 5 ends.