Sweet Escape (Intersex)

22- The Serpentine whispers

"Red touches black, friend of Jack; red touches yellow, kills a fellow."

Tiffany Suzanne Holland

"Hey?"

Nilingon ko ang tao na nag mamay-ari ng boses and it was Major Lieutenant, also known as the guest with a scar on her arm. My gaze returned to the serene Mori Lake, watching the graceful flamingos frolicking above its calm waters.

"You took my spot," she stated.

Muli ko syang nilingon, my spot? Bakit? Sya ba ang may-ari ng lake na to? Isa pa ang lawak-lawak ng lugar na ito kung bakit ba kasi dito sya sa tabi ko pwumesto. Napa'ismid ako saka binaling ko ang muka ko sa left side para iwasan ang tingin nya. Ang angas talaga ng babaeng to, buti napapagtyagaan pa sya ni Aizenberg na maging katrabaho.

"What are you doing here?" Muling tanong nya.

"Nagpapahangin malamang.. nakita mo na nga." Masungit na sagot ko. I heard a faint chuckle from her before she settled herself on the grass, a few feet away from where I was sitting.

I cautiously stole a glance at her. She gazed into the distance while playfully throwing small stones across the surface of the lake. When her eyes met mine, I instinctively turned my glance away. But suddenly, Major Lieutenant stood up and made her way towards me. I looked up at her as she stood now right before me. Dahan-dahan syang umupo sa harapan ko habang nakatitig saakin at pagkatapos ay bigla nyang nilapit ang katawan nya saakin na parang payakap sya saakin.

My eyes widened in shock, causing me to instinctively push her body away from me. It was then that I noticed her hand. She was holding a snake, about 40 centimeters long, na may kulay, pula, black at yellow. Napasigaw ako dahil sa takot tapos nakita ko pa na natuklaw ang kamay nya.

Hinawakan nya ang katawan ng ahas gamit ang isang kamay nya at saka nya ito tinapon pabalik ng lake. Nilapitan ko sya dahil nakita ko na dumudugo ang kamay nya. Natataranta na ako dahil iniisip ko na baka venomous yun.

"Let's go back to the mansion," I stuttered, my voice trembling with worry.

"It's alright, it's just a minor wound compared to the ones I've endured in the past," she replied nonchalantly.

"You were bitten by a snake! What if the venom proves fatal? I would carry the burden of guilt for the rest of my life!" I exclaimed, as my concern grew.

Kinuha ko ang cellphone ko at hinanap sa Google ang same snake na kumagat sa kanya. Nakita ko na coral snake yung ahas na tumuklaw sa kanya at sabi venomous daw ito. Kaya pinakita ko sa kanya yun, mula sa cellphone ko. Pinilit ko din sya na bumalik sa Aizenberg mansion as I was certain that Aizenberg would be able to provide the necessary medical assistance to treat the snakebite.

"Why are you laughing? Is there something funny?" I asked, growing frustrated as I felt myself becoming more flustered, as she continued to chuckle while looking at me.

"Red touches yellow, kill a fellow; red touches black, friend to Jack," she said.

"What?" I furrowed my brow, as I cannot comprehend what she was trying to convey.

"That snake is non-venomous. 'Red touches black..." she trailed off.

Napatikhim ako at inalala muli ang kulay ng ahas. The colors of the snake were arranged in a specific order, nang maalala ko ay muli ko syang tinignan. Red then black tapos yellow and black ulit. That pattern! The crucial realization dawned on me: the yellow and red sections of the snake's colors did not touch each other. This meant that it couldn't be a coral snake, but rather a king snake. Napabuga ako ng hangin..relief.  akala ko talaga venomous na yun.