Stranger Next Door

I'm still thinking why that young man run away. He looks scared. I want to ask him why but before I could speak, wala na. Nakatakbo na siya palayo. I just shrugged. I'm still carrying the food that he gave me and silently entered the house. "Oh, lasagna! Kanino galing?" Ate Khaytelyn seems interested. Kinuha niya ang hawak kong lasagna then she placed in on the table. "It's from our neighbor." I quickly answered, "He's kind, but a lil' bit weird." Napairap na lang ako. I feel a bit irritated because of his reaction. Para kasing nakakita ng multo like duh, do I look like a ghost to him? "Bakit naman?" Ate Khaytelyn stopped from what she's doing and faced me. "Just because after he gave me that food, he run away. If you can only see his expression, he looks so scared." I explained, "He looks at me like, as if I'm a ghost. Nakakainis kaya." "Baka nagulat sa ganda mo. Nakakaakit ka raw kasi." Ate Khaytelyn laughed but I just shooked my head, since hindi kapani-paniwala ang sinasabi niya. "Sana totoo 'yan." inis kong sabi saka kami nagpatuloy sa pag-aayos ng mga gamit. After a small talk, we decided not to eat the lasagna first. Maybe we will just eat that on dinner, since none of us know how to cook. What we know is, eating canned goods and instant noodles. What a shame for us. We decided to live on our own and yet, all we know is to eat. Naligo na rin ako after naming magpahinga. Pagod kasi ako sa biyahe. Buti na lang at merong shower dito tho walang bath tub, pwede na ring pagtiyagaan. Ah—I feel so relieved right now. I finally escaped living in a miserable life together with my Mom. I miss Dad. I miss our old life. I miss everything where I'm treated like a princess. Ayoko ng nangyayari ngayon. While in a deep thinking, I saw a shadow in the shower curtain. I suddenly felt goosebumps, but I reminded myself na baka si Ate Khaytelyn lang 'yon. Mahilig pa naman 'yong manakot. "Ate?" nilinga ko pa ang tingin sa paligid. I suddenly heard a laugh. My heart skipped a beat. "I told you, I am tired. I'm not in the mood to play, okay? So, stop it. Hindi ka nakakatulong." inis kong sabi. No one responded. Matatakutin akong tao kaya naman dali-dali akong naligo. I even forgot doing my routine because I was frightened. "Himala, ang bilis mong naligo." Ate Khaytelyn mocked me when she saw me walking outside the bathroom. "Because you're scaring me." I rolled my eyes up because I'm pissed, "Stop playing around, okay?" "What?" she looks confused. Her eyebrows also met, "What are you saying?" "So you're acting innocent right now?" I crossed my arms and I'm still staring at her. She look at me like she didn't do anything. She's not good at lying but how can she lie to me like she really did nothing? "Look, Bella. I'm just here in the sala the whole time. What are you talking about?" base on her reaction, it looks like she's telling the truth. That bothers me. "Don't mind me. Maybe I'm just tired." I sighed pero may bahid pa rin ng pagkatakot sa boses ko. "You should take a rest." she patted my head. Well, after what happened, I guess I'm not going to sleep tonight. After what I heard, who the hell could sleep? I decided to help her fix our stuffs, para naman malibang ang isip ko. Magandang magpaka-busy sa mga bagay-bagay kung gusto mong makalimot. After few hours, we finally finished fixing those stuffs. Instead of eating lasagna on dinner, we ate it as our merienda. Nakakagutom rin namang maglinis ng maalikabok na bahay. "This lasagna tastes good. I guess, he's a good cook." Ate Khaytelyn laughed, "He's also too kind for giving us this." "I think so, too, Ate. Do you think, we can be friends with him?" I'm enjoying eating the lasagna when we heard a loud noise coming from the comfort room. "Ano 'yon?" natigil kaming pareho sa pagkain ni Ate Khaytelyn. Nagkatitigan pa kami na parang iniisip kung ano ang pinagmulan ng ingay. "Baka may nalaglag na gamit?" I asked nervously. "Oh, yeah, maybe." she laughed like it's nothing to her. Samantalang ako, halos mamatay-matay na sa kaba. "Don't mind it. Kung ano man ang nahulog na 'yon, let's just fix it tomorrow." Ate Khaytelyn strengthen her arms and she suddenly yawn, "I'm sleepy na, Bella. Goodnight." "Wait!" I called her out. She face me with a confused expression on her face. "Can I stay on your room tonight? Please?" I'm acting like a little puppy to her but she laughed. "You have your own room. You can sleep there." tipid niyang sabi. Of course, I won't let her win. In the end, napapayag ko pa rin siya na makitulog ako sa room niya. Magkatabi kaming natulog that night just because I'm still afraid of what I heard. Mga bandang alas-dos ng umaga ng magising ako. I checked at Ate Khaytelyn but she's sleeping soundly. Tumingin ako sa may bintana at medyo madilim pa ang paligid. I tried to sleep again but I can't sleep so I opened the window near our bedroom. Saka ako nagpunta ng terrace para sana magpalamig. There, I saw the young man who gave us lasagna on their terrace also, breathing with his eyes closed. Parang pinapakiramdaman niya ang hangin. I can't deny the fact that he's handsome. His eyes are still close, so he couldn't see me staring at him. Medyo napatagal ang titig ko when he suddenly opened his eyes. I was shocked. I don't know what to react. I simply smile and wave at him, but he didn't respond. He's just staring at me, with his eyebrows furrowed. Bigla siyang pumasok sa kanila. So, okay? What was that? Weird. It was 10 o'clock in the morning when me and Ate Khaytelyn decided to go out, to take a look in the whole subdivision. Halos walang makikitang tao na lumalabas kaya naman ang tahimik. In the first glance, you will think that this place is abandoned. Parang walang janitor na naglilinis dito. "Hi, Good Morning!" the young man opened the gate. Parang kanina lang, nakakunot ang noo niya sa may terrace tapos ngayon maggo-Good Morning siya. Weirdo. "Good Morning. Your name is Keith, right?" I sounded confused, since I'm not sure if that's really his name. "Oo, Keith." I saw him hold his nape, "Glad you remember me. By the way, where are you going?" "Uh, we're just taking a look in the whole subdivision." Ate Khaytelyn suddenly butt in. "Oh, I forgot. This is, Ate Khaytelyn, my cousin." I grab Ate Khaytelyn's arms, "Ate Khaytelyn, this is Keith." "Oh, so you're the one who gave us lasagna?" Ate Khaytelyn smiled a bit, "It's delicious!" "Salamat." Keith smiled, "If you want, I can accompany you. Wala naman akong gagawin. Pwede ko kayong ipakilala sa kaibigan ko." "Oh, sure! No problem!" I answered gladly. Nilibot niya kami sa subdivision. Doon ko narealize na sobrang luma na pala nito pero kahit luma na, maganda pa rin naman ang mga bahay. Medyo creepy nga lang kasi hindi pala-labas ang mga tao rito. Parang ilang sila na makitungo samin, especially when I told them that we live near on Keith's house. "Eto 'yung pinakadulong bahay dito sa subdivision. Dito nakatira 'yung tropa ko, si Harris." Keith explained, "Bukas na bukas din, pwede namin kayong samahan mag enroll." "You know what, Keith? You're too kind." I complimented him, totoo naman. He just smiled. Suddenly we heard a voice coming from the house that we visited. "O, pre! Napabisita ka?" the gate opened. Iniluwa no'n ang isang lalaki na tingin ko, kaedad ko rin. He's handsome, chinito, he's taller than me, I guess. Mga 5'8? I just shooked my head, as a disappointment, for having a 4'9 height. "O, may kasama ka rin, ah? Aba naman, pre. Kailan mo pa pinagpalit si Gwen?" the guy smiled, and I admit, I find him attractive. "Gago, bagong lipat 'to dito." Keith shooked his head and smiled, "Si Bella, tapos pinsan niya, si Ate Khaytelyn." "Ate? Mas matanda siya sa'tin?" the guy named Harris looks confused. "Excuse me. What do you mean by that?" pataray na tanong ni Ate Khaytelyn at parang natakot naman itong si Harris. "Oh, no. I'm sorry if I offended you. You look too young for your age that's why I was shocked after knowing that you're ahead from us." paliwanag niya, "Anyway, pumasok na muna kayo sa bahay. I will prepare some snacks." We just laugh after what he said. I thought he's living together with his parents, but looks like he's alone in this house. "You're alone here? Where's your parents?" nililinga ko ang tingin sa paligid, the house is too clean. Mukha siyang masipag. "They migrated in London. Ayokong sumama do'n. I want to be independent." he just smiled, "Ano nga palang gusto niyong ihanda ko?" "Anything, Harris." Ate Khaytelyn answered. We waited for a few minutes. Harris prepared juice, and pizza. "Pasensiya na, hindi pa ako nakakapag-grocery." Harris smiled shyly. Marami pa kaming napag usapan, hanggang sa nakaabot sa lumang bahay yung usapan namin. "By the way, is it true that the person who lives in the house before, died?" Harris and Keith became silent. "Yeah." Harris smiled a bit, he bowed his head, it feels like he doesn't want the topic, "Why? Is she haunting you?"