Mnemosyne Deogracia (Unedited)

V

Louisse Gorgonio

I woke up with hangover.

"I’m never drinking again…"

Gosh! Ang sakit ng ulo ko. I turned off my alarm, nakakadagdag siya sa sakit ng ulo. Thank God at walang pasok ngayon kundi I’ll be facing that creepy face of our professor.

I glance at Jia. Tulog na tulog ang gaga at naghihilik pa. Naghilamos muna ako bago nagbihis para makapag-lakad lakad muna sa labas.

I was greeted by the cold and chilling aura of my surroundings. May mangilan-ngilan ding estudyante na nag-early jog. I was going to text Miah pero naalala ko na wala na pala siyang phone. I already miss her. Nalulungkot akong nagpaalam kanina sa kanya, she’s going back to her hometown daw. Ako lang ang naghatid sa kanya since knockdown ang dalawa.

I’m impressed, hindi pala siya madaling malasing. She got a high tolerance in alcohol. But so much for that, aantayin ko nalang ang pagbabalik niya. Wag niya lang kalimutan ang pasalubng ko kundi kalbo siya.

I made my way to Parthenon, maaga kasi itong nagbubukas at late kung mag-close. Pumunta ako sa counter at nagtingin-tingin sa menu. I was battling myself if I’m gonna pick coffee or just eat a certain breakfast meal. I didn’t see Kierra or that girl who have gray eyes here instead, I saw a girl with a blonde hair and “Nicollouitte” was engraved on her name plate.

“Welcome to Parthenon, Ma’am! Coffee?”

“Ye-…” How the hell did she know that?

“Your disoriented face told me.”

Is she a face reader?

“No, Ma’am.” She’s smiling. “Hangover. And for you to wash that away, you need strong coffee. Kapeng barako perhaps?”

Mind reader? Nakakamangha naman.

“Observation. Like you went to a bar last night, had fun with your friends and boom, hangover. You woke up with a headache then naghilamos ka and change your shirt and went here.”

I scratch my nape. “Paano mo nalaman na shirt lang ang pinalit ko?”

Tf. Napapahiya ako sa babaeng to.

“Your pants had stains, probably beer stains while your upper garment is freshly worn.”

“How did you get the idea that me and my friends partied last night? Pwede namang mag-isa lang uminom.”

“You just confirmed it, Ma’am but to answer your question, your breath smells of beer.” Napabuga naman ako ng hangin sa kamay ko and inhaled it, amoy beer nga. “About you being alone with the drinking, you’re not.”

This is embarrassing.

“Okay?” Kung iba siguro ang nakakarinig nito ay baka nag freak out na. “One Tocilog and one kapeng barako, please.”

“Peter, Tocilog. Hide, kapeng barako. Any other you wish to order, Ma’am?”

“None. And how did you found out that I’m a female? Mostly people I met for the very first time mistook me as a guy.”

Ngumiti na naman siya ulit. “Real men don’t wear girly blouses unless they are of the third sex in which, hindi ka bakla…” She trailed off, making me raise my brow. “I mean, not a guy gay but a girl gay.”

Omigash.

“How much?”

Baka magkaka-varicose na ako kung tatagal pa ako dito sa counter.

“P89, Ma’am. I received P100.” May pinipindot siya then a “TING”. “Here’s your change and number, Ma’am.”

“T-thanks…”