A Man's Cold World

Nine

Nine

Kurt is sitting, just scratching his nape as he is staring at the woman in front of him. His father set him up!

He's having a blind date and all of the restaurants out there, dito pa talaga sa café where anybody can see him or know him!

Anak ng tinapa naman o..

He doesn't know what to say, maya't maya kinakamot ang batok. The woman is the same. Umiinom lang ng kape habang naka tingin sa kanya.

Then she smiled. Lopsidedly. "You don't find me attractive, yeah?"

Napaubo si Kurt. "N-no" bahala na, honestly is the best policy.

"You're too honest. No worries, the feeling is mutual. I don't find you handsome. You're... Just" ngisi, hindi ngiti na saad nito.

He was offended! Indeed! Wala pang nagsabi sa kanya na hindi siya guwapo. Alam niya sa sarili niya na guwapo siya. "My name always added by the word handsome" aniya.

The woman tssk. "Well Mr. Gazmen, sad to say, I'm not one of them. There's only one man my eyes can see that word handsome that you're talking about— she sipped her coffee — and don't be offended by what you heard from me because I wasn't when you called me ugly"

"I didn't call you that way"

"Not attractive is equivalent to ugly for us women Mr. Gazmen"

Kurt scoffed. This woman is hard. He cleared his throat and scratched his nape then his neck "Ahm. Then, let's end our conversation here—"

"What? Are you that offended by me calling you just? Look, the man in the corner of this café is —she smirked —that's what I call.. handsome." she made a puff sound and sipped her coffee with a little smile on the corner of her lips.

Pagtingin ni Kurt sa sinabi nitong pwesto, he saw a familiar built. He frowned and glared at the back of that man, pinaliit niya ang mga mata kapag kuwan ay ngumisi" You find him handsome? Really? "

The woman raised her left brows Yeah, why?"

"Nothing—he sshh— That animal isn't that handsome —"

"Oh he is, especially when he's naked" walang gatol na saad ng kaharap.

Napanganga na lang si Kurt sa narinig!

Paglingon niya sa kanang bahagi niya, he saw Sabina, sipping her drinking straw habang nakatingin sa gawi niya. Napakurap ng tatlong beses ang lalaki dahil parang kakainin siya ng buhay sa klase ng pagtitig ng babae sa kanya!

Jesus!

"What's your name again?" aniya sa kaharap na nakatingin pa din kay sabina.

The woman tsskd "Irvy.. Irvy Perez"

"O" that is the only word came from Kurt's mouth.

Sa isip niya kasi naglalaro kung paano siya makapag explain sa babaeng nakatitig sa kanya ngayon.

Pero bakit ko kailangan na gawin 'yon?

He tssk, and tilted his head, facing the woman in front of him only to find out that she's devily smirking "What?" aniya.

Umiling lang ang babae saka kinuha ang cellphone na nakalatag sa tabi ng purse nito. Nakangisi pa din na hindi maintindihan ng lalaki.

Woman and their craziness!

Sabina is staring at Kurt, and she's just having troubles in breathing. Not him wearing a backward hat!

"I mean, who the f**k go in a date wearing hat like that?" aniya na hindi mailipat ang tingin.

Shaina nodded, though Sabina's eyes only seeing Kurt right now "I know right"

"He's not that rude, yeah?"

"Na ah. He's cool" Shaina said "Pero bakit ka nga nagu-guwapuhan diyan sa lalaking 'yan, ang laki ng katawan. Para ka lang kakainin ng buhay e. I mean, he's too cold to begin with"

"Tumigil ka, hindi ikaw ang makipag chukchakan diyan" walang gatol na saad ni Sabina.

Shaina scoffed "Nasa ganyang level na' yang utak mo?" nakataas na kilay na saad niya sa katabi.

Sabina clicked her tongue "Saan ba dapat? Hindi ako ipinanganak kahapon para ihele niya ako sa mga kamay niya ang laman ng isipan ko — she made a 'ssshh' sound— ihele sa langit, pwede pa"

Then she continued staring at him.

Hindi alam ni Sabina kung maiinis siya sa babae o maaawa. Kurt is wearing plain white shirt, navy blue cotton walking short and the backward black hat.

O diba nga? Sino ang mag-aakalang makikipag date ito? Sabina learned that he's here on a date, narinig daw kasi kanina ni Shaina kaya siya tinawagan agad-agad.

Inayos niya ang suot na coat dahil wala nga siyang bra tapos lumingon kay Cathy na nasa counter at nakapangalumbaba na nakatingin sa gawi nila.

Nang magtama ang mga mata nila, kumindat ito saka ngumiti ng pa-side na hindi niya alam kung ano ang ibig nitong sabihin sa ngiting iyon.

"Baliw yata ang isang 'to"

Shaina smirk "Sinabi mo pa"

"Is she always like that to her costumers? She's like reading minds. Hell"

"Nah, she's cool tho" Shaina said, chuckling.

Sabina decided to leave the café, hindi na niya hinintay na makaalis si Kurt doon. Nauna na siya dahil ayaw niya sa lahat ay iyong siya ang nagmumukhang kawawa. Be adult enough to walk away from nonsense and held her head up high, That what she thinks as she walks.

Nonsense because alam niya sa bitag pa din niya babagsak ang lalaki. She can see in the woman's eyes that she's not interested with Kurt. Babae siya, she can sense.

She whistle and marched, opened the café door and smiling like an idiot while walking through her car.

Not knowing that Kurt is devastated. Nalingat lang ito ng tingin, nawala na ang dalaga!

Fuckk it!

When he left the café, Kurt decided to go to KMN village as he received an invitation from the owner itself, MN Bautista. he sent a message to Goldwyn and Jonas saying he's going to the outer space, and when he entered the hall, some of the men already there.

May kanya kanya ng mga hawak na bote ng beer. He frowned when he saw Jonas there. Gago na 'to a.

"The ultimate single is here" anang Jake.

Kurt puffd. Single my ass.

He's not really single, he's committed. Hindi lang kasi alam nung babae.

"Ako ba?" turo niya sa sarili.

"Oo ikaw na single yata forever ang motto sa buhay" Geoffrey said

Kurt scoffed " Then why are you single? "

Geoffrey tssk. " Nah, high cost of maintenance " anito.

"Yeah, you're right bro" anang RR.

Kurt just listened to the few bachelors bubbling. Simple lang naman ang tinanong niya pero kung maka sagot ang mga ito, wagas e.

"But you have someone you like, yeah?" anang RR kay Geoffrey na nakakunot noo sa sariling cellphone.

Bumaling ang lalaki sa kausap saka pinaliit ang dalawang mga mata "What, isa ka ng manghuhula ngayon? Kailan nagsimula?"

RR chuckled "Lies pa more" anito.

"Just... Little Like maybe —"

"You're in love. That's love" giit ni RR.

Makulit din ang isang 'to. Anang Kurt sa isipan. Minsan kasi parang bata lang ito kung umasta. Hindi niya ito masyadong nakakasama pero tuwing inaaya siya dito at sa club nito, palagi lang itong tahimik at basta na lang magsasalita bigla kahit hindi ito ang tinatanong.

He's good alright but something is telling him that this man is out of something.

Kurt deepened his breathing as he took his phone when he felt it vibrating and about to open his message when his eyes accidentally glanced at Samuel Bautista.

Samuel tsskd, namaywang pa gamit ang kanang kamay at may hawak na cellphone ang kaliwang kamay, ang mga mata nito ay nakatitig sa screen ng phone at naka ngisi. Then he speaks out of a sudden.

" Look, The difference between like, love and in love is like the difference between for now, for a while and forever, so, where is your feelings stand?. The for now? For a while? Or you wanna go with forever? — he tssk — clear your mind bru.. Cut the bullshit will you? " walang anumang saad nito. Para lang nagsalita ng napaka simpleng salita at hindi tagos sa buto kung umasta then he glared at RR na ngayon ay tahimik na" You also" he added.

Napa iling na lang si Kurt sa bangayan ng magpipinsan.

When he look around, he saw Jonas, singing with the microphone in his right hands, the left is holding a bottle of red wine banging it on the air as he's jammin' with the beat of the music.

Roderick, Roland and Jake is holding their own glasses filled with drinks as they grinding their asses off, truly, this is just ordinary day with them.

Paano napunta doon ang gagong RR? Tanong niya sa isipan.

Sabina waiting for Kurt at the restaurant she wanted to eat dinner to. She asked Kurt from a text message and he pretty replied so she's here now, thirty minutes earlier than the time she said.

Napabuntong hininga na lang siya dahil sa mga bagay na nagpapagulo sa isipan niya. Gusto niyang makausap ang lalaki dahil may gusto siyang liwanagin.

Mga bagay na mas gusto niyang malaman ang katotohanan kaysa mabuhay na puro lang what if's ang laman ng isipan.

She’s a kind of woman that wanting truth and feels pain rather than knowing nothing and be happy.

Because she knew everything. She can feel everything just to see someone's face. Just to hear someone's voice, the way they talk, the way they react.

It feels like a gift and a curse at the same time or like a human lie detector with no off button. She couldn't help it but she couldn't be conned.

She trust almost nobody and see things that nobody else does.And somehow, She couldn't decide if it's a good or bad thing.

She knows everything even if someone's in another dimension. Why? Because she was exposed to things that shouldn’t at an early age. She read people better than people read books not because she wanted it but because she had to. She was left with no other choice.

That is the only way she can live.

And it make her feel bad sometimes but thankfull all the time, with that ability, she can avoid bad people. Never her instinct disappointed her. It's a gift and at the same time she doesn't like it.

That's the reason she doesn't have much friend. Only few that can understand her. Like the three Bautista's. Maybe because they share the same thing. Well of course, she knew hers was different from them.

She can read a room instantly. Like right now that Kurt is here, sitting comfortably in front of her. She can read his facial reaction. His body language even if he's not talking.

The way he glared at her, she knew they share the same feelings but she needs to prove it by words and not just from actions.

"Can we eat? I'm starv—"

"Do you like me too?" Sabina did everything to speak like it's just a normal question.

Kurt cleared his throat and blink three times, then cleared his throat again "Yeah?"

Patanong iyon. Hindi diretsang sagot. Sabina sighed and nodded and she wave at the waiter saka sinabing dalhin na ang mga pagkain dahil naka order na siya kanina pa. Hindi siya umimik hanggang natapos sila sa pagkain.

She’s glaring at Kurt who is just sitting, Kapagkuwan ay iniurong nito ang upuan palikod at ipinatong ang kanang paa sa kaliwa, he's sitting with figure four leg lock, and Sabina knows he just wants to look relax and confident that's why he sits like that but all in all, he is not.

Kapagkuwan ay nagsalita ito "Do you have any more questions? Ask me anything you want to know habang nasa mood ako"

"Like what?"

"Anything"

"O you mean, like do you want to sleep with me? Do you want to have s*x with me? Or one night stand maybe? Do you find me attractive? Do you want to see me naked?" walang anumang saad ng dalaga.

Kurt's mouth slowly dropping. The hell with this woman?

Sabina stood up, hindi niya na hinintay pang sumagot ang lalaki at iniwan niya na lang ito doon na nakanganga. She's too embarrassed as fuckk!

She ended up sitting here in Shaina's office in her own house. Wala siyang ibang alam na mapuntahan maliban dito.

Sabina Jaws slowly dropping as she glare at Shaina "Bakit ka nag bangs? Are you broken or something?" she said nonchalantly

Umiling ng tila slow motion si Shaina habang nakangiwi "I'm perfectly fine. I cut it with no reason at all" aniya. Idinipa pa ang magkabilaang kamay sabay kibit balikat

Sabina scoffs "Bruha"

"I know right" Shaina said casually.

Itinigil ni Shaina ang ginagawa sa harapan ng tatlong malalaking monitor at humalukipkip na tumingin sa kaibigan. Nakatulala ito na tila ba may nagawang malaking pagkakamali.

Then she glared at one of the monitors, pinaliit niya ang mga mata habang nakatitig sa larawang kuha ng CCTV sa may village hall.

I feel like he's gonna be Sabina's nightmare. He looks cold and deadly. Aniya sa isipan. Tumango tango pa.

Sabina on the other hand is so angry at herself. Wait.. What the f**k did I.... Shittt..