Parcel | StellJun

Chapter 48 - Moonlight

THE disco music isn't too loud for Vester's ear as he stirred his glass of an alcoholic beverage which he can't remember the name nor its taste. All he knows is that he wanted more of it so he keeps on asking the red-haired bartender for a refill.

His visions aren't doing well too and his head is swirling like crazy but his heart is worse. He kept on mumbling things, trying his eyes to steady though his eyelids wanted to give up.

"Sir, I think tama na po. Kanina pa po kayo," the red-haired bartender commented worriedly.

Instead of considering the guy's statement, he just drank what was in his shot glass in one go before pushing it toward the dumbfounded man. "Isa pa."

"Sir—"

"Isa pa!" he repeated with a frustrated groan.

Though hesitant, the bartender sighed and made another one for him. He can't argue with a drunk man and probably win over him in that kind of state. "Sir, last na po ito. Pang-siyam na po iyan—"

"Who cares? Babayaran ko naman!" he snapped and for a second, he flicked his fingers into the air. "Alam mo... may kamukha ka."

"What do you mean?" the bartender asked with a creased brow.

"I think nakita na kita—no, kilala kita! You're Keir Jann Sayson, right? Right. I knew it. Ikaw nga iyan!" he pointed out.

"Po?"

He hiccupped, still pointing at the said man. "Anong ginagawa mo rito? Dapat nasa tour ka, 'di ba? Pero hindi ba't sa Singapore ka dapat? Bakit ka nandito? Next month pa ang schedule mo sa Japan ah..."

"Lasing na po talaga kayo, Sir." The red-haired shakes his head. "I should make your coffee instead."

The bartender left to entertain another customer. His eyes dropped into his shot glass as he smiled bitterly, taking another shot and the alcoholic substance ran down to his throat with all the bitterness and sweetness combined.

It burns his throat. He swallowed. Despite of him so engrossed in ethanol intoxication, he can still hear his screaming heart. It's still there, it never left. It's not even tired of making noises. He wanted to cease it but he still didn't know how to tame it when he was struggling to hold a grip on his own rope.

He's so drowned and so down with a breaking heart and a wounded soul, walking into the shallowness barefooted. He lets himself drink all night just to forget how much it hurts and how much he has hurt someone—of how much he breaks into someone's life, marked it as his own but eventually left at the end with a casualty.

"Ang unfair ng buhay. Lahat na lang ng gusto ko, nawawala o 'di kaya ay kinukuha. Bakit ba kasi ganito ang buhay? Bakit ba kasi kailangan pang mabuhay?" he ranted, words are slurry.

"Dapat nga magpasalamat ka pa sa buhay mo. Ang daming nais pang mabuhay pero hanggang doon lang ang kaya nila," said a voice from behind.

"Huh?"

"Whether it's a blessing or those unfortunate circumstances, you should learn to be grateful. Hindi ka naman nag-iisa at hindi lang naman ikaw ang nasa ganyang sitwasyon," the voice continued.

Vester turns around only to be meet by a blurry figure but he's sure that it's a man base on his tone. "Oh? Gano'n? Dapat pala akong magpasalamat sa sakit? Sasabihin ko bang salamat dahil isa akong napakalaking failure? Ang galing naman talaga ng desinyo ng buhay. Walang makakapantay."

The blurry stranger chuckles, "Kind of. Dapat ka nga namang magpasalamat. Lahat naman ng bagay sa mundo ay may dahilan—"

"Alam mo ikaw, ang nosy mo masyado. Hindi ka nakakatulong. In fact, I didn't even know you!" Vester sluggers, nearly throwing up. "Alis ka nga rito. Hanap ka ng ibang kausap. Shoo! Shoo! Nananahimik ang tao rito eh."