That Playgirl's Karma

Chapter 8

Convenience store??

I kept looking back at him and then at the convenience store again. So this is what he meant to say. He will buy foods and I'm the one to pay.

"Are you serious?" Huminto siya sa pagpaparking ng motor nang tanungin ko iyon. He is still wearing his mask kaya hindi ko makita ang buong mukha niya.

"I'm being serious." He answered. "Let's go inside. Pay the food and you can go home."

I was just crossing my hands infront of the cashier line. Halos isang basket ang kinuha niyang mga pagkain, parang pang-isang linggo na mga pagkain.

"Don't you dare put another one." I whispered at him with a threatening voice.

Nang makalabas kami sa store ay dalawang plastic ang dala niya, gumastos ako ng lagpas 900. Mabuti may extra pa akong pera.

"Isang pamilya ba papakainin mo n'yan?" Isinabit niya sa kaniyang motor ang mga plastic.

"Location?" Nakasakay na siya sa motor habang ako'y nakakrus ang mga kamay sa harap niya.

"What?"

He let out a deep sigh and I heard him mumble something.

"What did you say?"

"Saan ka nakatira para mahatid na kita. Location mo."

Ah okay. Now I know. Medyo nakakalito kasi siyang kausap, tinatanong ko kung para ba 'yon sa isang pamilya tapos ang sinagot saan location ko.

Nang marating ang condominum ko ay bumaba na ako ng motor at binigay sa kaniya ang helmet. Hindi ako gumagalaw, pinagmasdan ko lang siya na muling pinaandar ang motor.

I want to tell him something, pero may kung anong pumipigil sa akin, pero bakit ba hindi ko masabi ang napakasimpleng mga salita na dapat kong sabihin sa kaniya. Dahil ba 'to sa pride ko? Masyadong mataas kaya hindi ko masabi sa kaniya?

"Sabihin mo na bago ako umalis."

Natauhan ako nang sabihin niya iyon. Masyado ba akong halata? I bit my lower lip in frustration. Tell him now, Azalea.

"T-Thank.." Oh come on! Say it properly!

Pinaandar niya ang motor na nagpagulat sa akin ng kaunti.

"Sa pagbayad mo rito, okay na." He was about to skedaddled but I hold his wrist that made him stop and looked at me.

"No. T-Thank you so much." Binitawan ko ang pagkahawak sa braso niya at mahigpit na hinawakan ang damit ko. Ramdam ko ang pag-anghang ng mga mata ko.

"Y-You saved my life. Actually, this is not my first time being chased by strangers, You protected me, I mean, ah yes. You helped me. Thank you." My voice was trembling.

The face of the bad guy appeared on my mind again. Tumaas ang mga balahibo ko nang maalala ang pagtusok ng kung ano sa leeg ko na nagpatulog sa akin. Paano kung late ako nagising? Paano kung dinala na nila ako sa hindi ko alam na lugar at anong gawin sa akin? Paano kung walang baso na nasa mesa na iyon? Paano ako makakatakas? Paano kung hindi ko siya nabangga? Sinong tutulong sa'kin?

I immediately wiped the tears that fell from my eyes.

"Simula no'ng namuhay ako ng mag-isa, sunod-sunod ang humahabol sa akin. I-I don't know why, I think money?" Mahina akong tumawa, nagbabakasakaling hindi na maiyak pero mas naiyak lang tuloy ako.

"Pakiramdam ko, nakasunod palagi sa'kin si kamatayan. Death always chase me but I always manage to escape! But this time.. it was too much, they really wanna kill me." Hindi ko na mapigilang mas maiyak. Napayuko kong hinawi ang mga luha sa mata.

"S-So thank you.. thank you so much." I smiled at him who is still staring at me.

Then it was silence..

Awkwardness filled my system when his eyes didn't let go from staring. What's with him? Hinawi ko ang buhok na napunta sa mukha ko at hindi makatingin ng maayos sa mga mata niya dahil daig pa niya ang naglalaro ng staring contest.

May dumi ba ang mukha ko? May sugat ba? May kung ano ba sa buhok ko?

"Then hire me."

Huh?

"Hire you in what?"

Umalis siya sa pagkakaupo sa motor niya, nakatayo na siya at motor ang tanging pagitan naming dalawa at seryoso niya akong tiningnan.

"Hire me as your savior."

There is silence after he said those.

"Huh?" I still don't understand.

I saw how his eyes roll, he then crossed his arms and looked at me with boredom.

"No offense but you are slower than my internet."

Napalagok ako sa sinabi niya, "Hindi, Nagets ko! It's just.. how the way I react of something unbelievable. Like the hell, why would you hire yourself to be my savior--" but he cut me off.

"I'm being serious."

Napatulon ako ng laway sa napaka-awkward na sitwasyon.

"Then why?"

He let out a heavy sigh as he sat on his motorbike and turn on the engine.

What the hell?

I was standing dumbfounded, waiting for him to reply on my question, but what he replied was a number, a four digit number.

"Call that number if you need my help." Napaatras ako nang mabilis niyang pinaandar ang motor papalayo sa lugar na iyon.

Halos ilang minuto akong nakatulala roon, tinatanaw siyang palayo nang palayo hanggang sa mawala na siya sa paningin ko.

——

It's already 1 in the morning but I am still awake. I can't sleep, I kept on thinking of what that masked guy said.

"I don't even know his name." I mumbled to myself.

Mahina akong natawa nang maalala ang number na binigay niya. Ano 'yun? Hire for help?

Yes, I am thankful of what he did pero sa part na parang ginawa na niyang business ang pagtulong ay nakakatawa. Hindi ba siya natatablan ng bala? Paano kung may baril ang kalaban ng nangangailangan? Ipapakita niya ba 'yung baril na lighter niya?

Grabe na ang mga tao ngayon. Kung ano-ano nalang ginagawang gimik.

I opened my dummy account and as usual may message si Elepante. It was five minutes ago.

["Are you okay?"]

That was a very random message Elepante always text me. Ewan. I found it random.

["Gotta be fine."] I replied.

Agad siyang nagseen. Gising na naman siya. Hindi ba siya natutulog?

["I hope you are, 'cause I'm gonna be inactive for now."]

My forehead creased.

["Why?"]

["Gonna do my mission for my parents"]

When he said those I let out a heavy sigh as I remembered what he told me this past months. His parents died when he was just ten, he didn't told me what's the reason but as far as I remembered, he wants to revenge. That's when I knew, his parents was murdered.

At first, I thought it was just his own made storytale but I was wrong. He was serious. He didn't gave me any evidence, but there's a part of me who believes.

["You found the culprit?"]

["Not yet, but there is someone."]

["Someone?"]

["I found the ace."]