s i Ni s t e r

Untitled Part 67

WHAT is he up to?" Gamit ang rental car, kanina pa sinusundan ni Amber si Ty. Paglabas nito ng Pueblo, dumeretso sa highway pa-Tagaytay. Wala namang unusual doon. Baka may imi-meet--girlfling or whatever.

Pagdating sa Tagaytay, nag-park si Ty sa mall at mga condominium complex. Pumarada rin si Amber, sa kaliwang dulo mula sa Montero ni Ty. Dahil sa mga sasakyan sa pagitan nila, hindi na niya makita ang sasakyan nito. She took the risk and got off her rental car.

Pasado alas-dos na ng hapon, napangiwi sa init si Amber. Nagpatago-tago siya sa mga naka-park na sasakyan hanggang makalapit sa van na naka-perpendicular park kay Ty. Tanaw niya mula doon ang sasakyan ng lalaki.

So she watched. And waited.

Hindi naman bumababa ng sasakyan si Ty. And it was so hot where Amber was hiding. Ni hindi siya makadikit sa anino ng van dahil ang init rin ng sasakyan.

But she dared not leave. Ty was up to something. Two days niya itong tinugaygayan sa Pueblo, tinawagan pa niya tungkol sa surprise party ni Darby, paiwas si Ty. Ayaw siyang kausapin. Umiiwas kapag makakasalubong siya. Kahapon ng hapon, umarkila ito ng bike. He rode that rental bike for about an hour. Ibinalik. He chatted with the rental guy for a bit. It was all normal except for a couple of things. Ty has his own bike and he rode that bike for maybe twice for all the time she knew him. He wasn't into cycling.

And now this? May hinihintay ba ito? Sino? Si Paige? Well, she would find out. Sana lang, malaman niya bago pa siya maluto doon. Damn. It was truly a mistake befriending Paige. Pero may choice ba siya? Kailangan niya si Paige. Pakiramdam niya noong una niyang makita ang babae ay hulog iyon ng langit. Saan pa siya uli makakakita ng ganoong kamukha ni Darby?

Just when she was starting to succeed in 'grooming' Paige...shit. Kasalanan ni Sean. That son of a bitch! Had he not flirted with her, hindi naman siya makikipagsabwatan kay Ollie. Iyon ang nakakapikon sa lahat. Pinagselosan niya si Paige kagaya ng pagseselos niya kay Darby. Turned out, wala namang kwenta si Sean.

She groaned inside. Akala talaga niya, mahal niya si Sean. He had been so...unreacheable before. Teasing her relentlessly but keeping her at arm's length. It drove her crazy, fueled her lust....and then there was nothing. Sean was nothing. Fantasizing about him was more satisfying than the real thing.

It's really hot in here, I'm so thirst....

Bigla siyang nataranta. Umistart ang sasakyan ni Ty. Umatras...nagmamadali yata, hindi pinansin o hindi talaga napansin na may puting Honda City na umatras rin mula sa parking, several cars to Ty's left.

Nang umabante ang Honda City pakanan, nahagip iyon ng likod ng sasakyan ni Ty.

"Shit. Gago." Bulong ni Amber.

Baba agad ang driver ng Honda. Babae, early forties. Slim, average height, hanggang balikat ang buhok. Naka-blazer na caramel colored. Walang remarkable sa babae maliban sa, mahaba yata ang pasensya. Hindi nagtatalak.

O gulat lang sa nangyari at hindi pa nagsi-sink in na yupi ang unahan ng kotse kito.

Bumaba rin si Ty. Ibinagsak ang pinto ng sasakyan. Galit? Ito pa ang galit? Hindi makapaniwala si Amber. Mali rin ba ang akala niya kay Ty?

Dinuro nito ang babae, "Hindi mo ba nakitang paatras ako?" Sabi nito, mataas ang boses. "Paatras ako, dumere-deretso ka pa!"

"Sir!" sabi ng babae, tumayo ng tuwid, "Ikaw ang basta na lang umatras without looking. I don't want an argument, I'm running late so please, just give me your name and contact numbers---"

"We need to call the police." Sabi ni Ty, nagmamadaling naglakad palapit sa security guard ng isang establishment, kinusap iyon. Naiwan ang babae na mukhang lito, hindi malaman kung sasakay na lang sa kotse at hahayaan na si Ty pero napapangiwi kapag nakikita ang yupi ng sasakyan.

Well, she would need a police report for the insurance pero si Ty ang nakakabahala kay Amber. Pakialam niya sa babae? Ty was acting really weird. Was he high on something? Was he really also an asshole like Sean?

May mga lumapit nang miron sa babae, obvious na dito kampi dahil si Ty naman talaga ang mali. And then an MMDA enforcer arrived, iniwan ang post doon sa kanto.

Humaba ang argumento. Marami na ang nakisawsaw. Medyo worried na si Amber. Baka kuyugin si Ty. Gustong-gusto na niyang magpakita at ayusin ang gulo.

And then, just when she thought Ty would explode in anger, he surrendered his licence to the enforcer, signed what he had to sign, apologized to the woman and got back to his car.

Just like that.

Weird.

After waiting there for at least trwenty minutes and then arguing with everyone for another twenty, he drove off after the Honda City.

Sinundan uli ito ni Amber.

Parang...pabalik lang uli sa Pueblo. Nagbago ba ang isip dahil sa nangyari kaya hindi na tutuloy sa kung ano man ang plano kaya nagpunta doon? If that was the case, then whatever he came to Tagaytay for was not that important.

Therefore, walang kinalaman kay Paige.

Nakahinga ng maluwag si Amber. Manghihinayang kasi siya talaga kung nakikipagsabwatan kay Paige ang lalaki.