Old Clothes and Stale Coffee

Chapter 79 - Basta, it’s complicated!

Chapter 79 - Basta, it’s complicated!  

“Habibi, ang masarap mong kape, paki una, at nasira ng istorbong `to ang tulog ko.” grumbled the professor.

“S-sorry po...” mumbled Reubert.

I went my way to the kitchen and placed some sausages in the microwave to thaw them, then proceeded to make the professor’s coffee. I poured it into three cups and placed them on a tray. As I was nearing the den, I accidentally overheard the two of them talking.

“...pero, masaya po talaga ako para sa inyo... nakahanap na rin kayo ng partner!” Reubert said in a low voice.

“Hindi nga kami ganoon! `Di mo ba narinig? Co-worker ko lang s’ya. Kita mo nga, ang tawag sa `kin professor?”

I paused as I heard this.

“Pero... nagsasama kayo?”

“Oo, pero ganon lang...”

“P’wede ba’ng ganon lang `yun?”

“Basta, it’s complicated!” the professor mumbled. “And it’s better than nothing.”

Hearing that made my chest feel thight.

I unconsciously turned around and went back into the kitchen with the tray of coffee still in my hands.

So.

The professor does not know what kind of relationship we’re in?

But... what exactly is my relationship with him?

He is my professor. The mentor whom I look up to the most. That is why I gave him my everything. Isn’t it just right to do so?

Back in the Omega Palace, it was my duty so serve and to pleasure my mentor, Nauret, and though it was not asked of me, I find it gratifying to serve and give myself to the professor as well.

I mean... isn’t that the best way to show him how much I admire him? He is the one I respect the most, after all, and though at first, I merely slept with him because of some silly reason, I have since grown very fond of him... I can even say that I... like... him... right?

And yet...

How can we still look at each other as nothing more than partners at work?

“O, Habibi? Bakit ka nakatunganga d’yan?”

I turn around, surprised to see the professor standing behind me.

“O, bakit ka umiiyak?!” he quickly went closer and brushed my cheek.

I touched my cheek as well. I did not notice that a tear fell from my eye.

“I’m not crying...” I told him, “I just... haven’t washed my face yet.” I faked a yawn.

“Oo nga, istorbo kasi `tong si Reubert, eh,” he breathed on his hand to check his breath. “Sige, ako na maglalabas nito’ng kape natin, mag-hilamos ka na muna.”

The professor then gave me a quick hug and kissed me on the forehead.

“Salamat, Habibi, labas ka lang `pag okay ka na.”

I did as the professor suggested. I went to the comfort room, fixed myself, put on some proper clothes, then went back downstairs to the den. There, I saw the professor talking with his DOME. I sat by the professor’s side and took hold of his hand.

“Ah, Habibi, natanong ni Reubert ang tungkol sa ginawa mo’ng dominant omega `sniffing-out’ perfume, ikinuwento ko sa kan’ya ang iba mo pa’ng mga inventions.”

“I thought you were talking about Nathan?” I asked them.

“We were actually waiting for you,” said Reubert who looked much better after drinking my coffee.

“Alam ko naman na maiinis ka `pag nag-usap agad kami nang wala ka, kaya nag-kwentuhan na lang muna kami.”

”P’wede na po ba ako’ng magsimula?” Reubert asked.

“Yes, please,” I replied, “can you start by telling us what you did to the perpetrators?”

Reubert’s face darkened.

“I actually met one of them in the same hospital where Nathan is confined,” I added.

“What?!” Reubert sat staight from his seat.

“Relax, nang umalis kami, wala pa ring malay `yung tarantadong pinabagsak mo,” said the professor, “Ano ba’ng ginawa mo doon at nagmistula’ng omega siya na nag-e-estrus? Mukhang mas marami ka na’ng natutunan mula nang huli tayo’ng nagkita, ha?”

“Ganoon na nga,” answered Reubert. “I bombarded them with so much omega pheromones that they would be in rut for days. At pag natapos iyon,” he gave us an evil grin, “ay tapos na rin ang maliligayang araw nila.”

“Did you turn them into omegas?” I asked, though I knew that it was not clinically posible.

“Not exactly, pero sa ginawa ko, sinigurado ko’ng hindi na nila magagawang makipag-s*x sa mga omega, or anyone else for that matter.” he gave a low chuckle then.

“So, you have made them impotent?”

“Exactly. After 3 or 4 days of forced rut, masisira ang kanilang amygdala which is associated to s****l arrousal. Mawawalan na sila ng kakayahan na tigasan at mag-orgasm.”

“`Yun lang?” asked the professor with a frown.

“Well, hindi ba’t ikaw `yung nagsabing `wag ako sosobra?”

“Ginawa mo silang impotent for life, pero marami pa rin silang paraan para manakit ng ibang omega o balikan si Nathan!”

“Subukan lang nila,” Reubert said in a cold, flat voice.

“Sana man lang, ginawa mo silang paralyzed from the waist down!”

“That would be too obvious. Ang balak ko, iisipin nila na side effect ng mga drugs na pinag-iinom nila nang araw ng iyon ang pagiging impotent.”

“At dahil nga sa ginawa mo, iniisip ng mga otoridad na may bagong drug na lumabas sa black market,” said the professor, “malamang, magpapaimbestiga sila at tatawag sa amin sa Universal Labs para mag-explain kung anong klaseng drug `yun at kung saan ito galing!”

“I know you can think of a good excuse, professor!” said Reubert, looking hopefully at Prof. Antonio.

“Haaaaay...” Prof. Antonio literally gave a long sigh and pulled at his hair.

“Pasensya na talaga, professor, pero nakausap ko na naman si Dr. Webb , at makikipagtulungan din s’ya kina Dr. Gregorio para mapagtakpan ang nangyari.”

“At malamang pipilitin n’ya nanaman akong maglabas ng drug para may maipakita tayo sa pulis at palabasin na galing sa mga sindikato ito.”

I was suprised when I heard that.

“You mean to say, you have done something like this before?” I asked him.

“Oo, isa sa mga dahilan kung ba’t nila `ko pinakawalan matapos ang Tanay incident nood, ay dahil ako lang ang may kakayahang gumawa ng omega bomb. `Yun ang ginawa nilang salarin sa nangyari sa Tanay Facility...”

”Professor! You told him about that?” Reubert asked with a frown.

“Wala akong tinatago sa Habibi ko!” said the professor, “Kaya ngayon pa lang, sinasabi ko na sa `yo, `pag may nangyari sa mga taong malapit sa `kin, hahantingin kita hanggang sa dulo ng mundo at pagsisisihan mo na bumalik ka pa rito sa pinas!”

Reubert actually looked nervous after the professor said that.

“Don’t worry, isa sa mga pinag-usapan namin ni Gagamba, ay ang pagbantay sa inyo, professor,” he said. “Mukhang mayayaman ang mga barkada ni Nathan, kaya’t alam ko na hindi sila mananahimik lang basta-basta, lalo na `pag nalaman nila kung ano ang nangyari sa kanila. Sigurado’ng maghahanap sila ng sisisihin, at maaring balikan nila si Nathan balang araw.”

“Malamang balikan nga nila si Nathan! Lalo na pag nalaman nilang biglang nawala ang pamangkin ko sa scene of the crime!”

”Malabo po’ng mangyari `yun, dahil isa sa side effects ng ginawa ko ay memory loss. Wala silang maaalala sa gabing iyon. Ni hindi nila maaalala na kasama nila si Nathan.”

”Ganon?” the professor said with a snort. “Talaga ngang ginawa ka nang weapon ng US millitary.”

Reubert looked at me again with a worried frown.

“Professor, are you sure it’s safe to talk about that here?”

“`Wag ka’ng mag-alala, there are scramblers all over the place, at sa tuktok ng living room na `to ang aking liboratory na may aluminum walls and ceiling.”

“Whoa, gaya po ng facility dati?”

“Well, wala ako’ng glass work stations, isang malaking silid lang s’ya, pero kumpleto ako sa kagamitan. Nandyan pa nga ang mga samples mula sa `yo noon, eh.”

“Talaga professor?!” again, Reubert looks at the professor with adoring eyes.

“So, professor, what do you plan to do for now?” I asked, putting us back on track.

“Ewan ko sa lokong `to.” he looked at Reubert, “Ano nga ba ang plano mo’ng gawin? Iniisip namin, ipalabas na ako ang nakakita kay Nathan at naglabas sa kan’ya sa lugar na `yun.”

“No need, professor, ayokong madawit pa kayo lalo rito.” Reubert told him, “Aakuin ko ang lahat. Ako ang nakakita sa kan’ya. Ako ang nagligtas sa kan’ya, matapos ko s’yang makita sa silid, kung saan lahat sila ay walang malay.”

“Eh, pa’no kung tanungin kung bakit hindi ka tinablan ng kung ano mang droga na `yun?” asked the professor.

”Isa ako’ng omega.” he replied. “Mahina ang talab ng gamot sa mga omega, at p’wede ko’ng idahilan na nakatakas agad kami bago tuluyang magwala ang mga alpha sa loob ng club.”

The professor stared at Reubert with a frown.

“Hindi ba’t ang alam ng lahat, eh, alpha ka?” he asked, “Sigurado ka ba’ng handa ka nang ipaalam ang tunay mo’ng kasarian sa buong mundo?”

“Well...” Reubert squirmed in his seat. “kung para ito kay Nathan...”

“Ulol!” Prof. Antonio suddenly hit him on the head! “Hindi mo kailangan ilagay sa piliryo ang buhay mo! Sabihin mo na lang na hindi ka masyadong naepektuhan, since sasabihin mo na rin naman na hindi pa nagwawala ang mga tao nang iniligtas mo si Nathan. Palabasin mo na lang na nagsimula sa silid nina Nathan ang kakaibang reaction na `yun, at bagsak na silang lahat nang matagpuan mo sila!” he said, “Besides, kilala ka naman bilang malupit na alpha, `di ba?” he added, “Pangatawanan mo na na wa-epek talaga ang mga ganyang gamot sa `yo!”

“Wow, professor! Ang galing n’yo po talagang mag-isip!” Reubert praised him, wide-eyed.

“Hindi ka lang nag-iisip nang maayos!” the professor said, shaking his head.

“At, sir, kung maari lang po sana...” he mumbled, “gusto ko sanang bisitahin ni Nathan ngayon...”

Again, the professor stares at him.

”Kailan pa ba kayo nagkarelasyon ng pamangkin ko? At bakit s’ya pa? At bakit hindi ka muna nagpaalam sa `kin bago mo s’ya nilapitan? Ha?!”

“A-alam n’yo naman po na hindi tayo p’wedeng makipag-contact sa isa’t-isa, at saka, hindi ko po talaga alam na si Nathan `yung pamangkin ninyo, ang alam ko lang po noon, ang tawag mo sa kan’ya, Nat-Nat, ni hindi ko po alam ang apelyido nya...”

“Hay, nako, o, s’ya, saka na nga `yan!” grumbled the professor, “Ako’y nagugutom na, Habibi, kain na muna tayo.”