The Sixth Girl

Chapter 11

Travis carried on with his life after we parted ways years ago. From what he said, what I said to him years ago which I admit is an advice laden with teen angst and cynicism.

Nag-aral, naghanda sa pagiging leader, pumasok sa military service at nag bakasyon.

Gaya ng sinuggest ko sa kanya noon.

A few months ago, he did met someone.

A girl who he felt connection with. Okay na sana ang lahat. Kaso hindi niya magawang maicommit ang sarili niya sa babae dahil she reminds him of the girl he lost before.

Unfair nga naman sa babae kung lalabas na panakip butas lang siya para sa kanya.

So he went home with another broken heart.

"But I'm not suicidal or anything, Verna," pag aasure nya sa akin ng mapansin niya siguro na nabalot ng kaba at pag aalala ang ekspresyon ko or something, "Sinusunod ko ang advice mo. To live my life so that I can honor her and my mentor."

Napakurap ako at iniikot niya ako ng dahan dahan.

We are almost at the end of our dance of time and memories. Who knew that within a span of only five or so minutes, you can travel back in time?

"How? How did you manage to carry on? Hindi ko maimagine. Kahit ako pa ang nagsuggest I must admit, I said it without an experience of my own," taka kong tanong sa kanya.

He looked at me pointedly as if I should know the answer, "I learned from a certain someone how to count my blessings, Verna. She taught me how to be thankful for the memories of the loved ones that I have, even the painful ones because there are those who will kill for those just to have one."

Natameme ako sa sinabi niya at na caught off guard ako ng biglang inikot niya ako one final time.

Mabilis akong nakabawi at bumitaw na ako kay Travis at pareho kaming nagbow sa isa't isa.

Pagkatayo naming ng tuwid ay biglang may nagsalita from a speaker somewhere in the hall na nag echo ng malakas.

"HER EXCELLENCY, VERNA VERA FERTA, ECONOMIC AMBASSADRESS PLENIPOTENTIARY AND EXTRAORDINARY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES TO THE THEOCRACY OF HYILLIA. REPRESENTATIVE COORDINATOR VASQUE FACTION VERSALIA UNIVERSITY!"

Kung kanina parang manhid ako sa hiya at sa pansin. Ngayon ay parang gusto ko nang matunaw sa kinakatayuan ko ng magpalakpakan at magbow ang mga guest sa akin.

Lalo ko nang gustong magtatakbo ng makita ko si Travis na napangiti sa akin habang wordlessly niyang binanggit ang term na Ambassadress sa akin in blatant surprised look.

Okay PAUSE muna.

To set things straight.

Informally at press release ko at ng company na I am just a test ofw na pinadala ng Pinas sa Hyillia para maging representative ng workforce ng bansa ko. All I have to do is to pass the metrics at maging punctual.

(Which I gloriously did. Minsan nasegway sa stats pero by end of the month metrics ay swak na swak sa panlasa ng client employer ko at sa High Priestess. After all from what Winter said about the statement of the leader of Hyillia herself, "I don't demand perfection. I am actually wary of those seeking it").

Formally, kung bakit ako laging puyat at lambot ay dahil kahit weekends ay nag aasikaso ako ng papeles para sa nalalapit na formal establishment ng Embassy ng Manila sa Hyilliopolis.

Hindi pwepwedeng basta isang trabahador o ahente lang ang hahawak ng mga classified papers gaya ng locations at budgets kaya nirequest ng Hyillia na gawing formal government envoy ang status ko, albeit confidentially.