Sound of the Untold Secret

👂 a witness 👂

Here I am. In front. Of the shrimping. Snack house.

Apparently, Hali is really good at forcing hands, probably in the friendliest way possible. It was my first time, sneaking out in the night, walking out of the mansion past midnight...most especially over food.

Actually, this is over a best friend craving for SPECIFIC snack house food.

I didn't use to know a twenty-four-hour snack house existed around the perimeter. Hali was also pretty smart, considering he isn't even from around here.

Hali's smart. He just doesn't appreciate talking about it.

When we get there, the lights inside were all on. He's sneering at me, obviously pointing out he wasn't wrong. And I take all that into my responsibility.

He takes his phone out, typing like a cheery, hungry child.

🔴 You stay here. Imma get myself a burrito

🔵 whAT? U LEAVING ME HERE?

🔴 yeah. To guard

🔵 Guard what?!

I look up from my phone, only to see his back.

You leave me here? What the~?!

I scratch my head intensely. I'm annoyed. I try to stomp. It doesn't work. This isn't like the creaking wood flooring at the dorms.

I want to whimper.

Why u leave meh heerreee???

===

Sitting by a bench, I keep my arms crossed, my lips pouting. For a single burrito, he's taking up an awful length for ten minutes just to get them.

For that long of a time, I'm already seeing multiple people come and go. Two women finishing their shifts, a truck operator dropping by for a quick gas refill by the gas station in front, and even three men going on, maybe, a road trip and dropping by for a quick snack.

Their black van was big as I see it come. It readily caught my attention after some speedy brake skills. A man with a muscular build comes out from the driver's seat, with spiky blue hair. And I believe it was his comrades he was talking to in the van. They must be a chaotic bunch, actually.

"Eyyyy, Imma just go get us some snakkos, okay? Leave ze door open, Koko Ci!" he tells them jokingly.

One man peeps out. A man I don't even have to talk about with his odd love for shades. "Yeah, sure, get me some crackers too, Tarung! And more treats!"

The man, Tarung, waves them off.

Now, there's a man with dreadlocks. "Hayyssttt, this man never listens, does he?"

The guy with shades clicks his tongue. "Just let him be, Nut...He on a good mood today. Well, at least that's best for our road triiippp!" he exclaims, waving his hands around.

Nothing else makes the night noisy than them. I can't help but listen, but I don't look up to them.

"Well, mate, it's more of a getaway, y'know..."

"Dude, we don't talk about this. Y'all, let's just get in with Tarung. I wanna pick out my teatos for myself...!"

I hear the other car doors open. They close them shut. I hear the car beep.

It was hilarious hearing them. To think that it gave some cool comedy to my evening. It felt nice.

Now, where's Hali with his only one burrito?!

Another car closes in, a white one this time, carrying a couple. I watch the gentleman, with dark skin and a cheeky face open the door for his girl.

Apparently, I just realized I'm single.

Ah, wait. LOL, they're just friends.

The girl, clad in pink accessories and a blouse, calls out to her friend, who was already heading for the snack house. For two in the morning, a lot of people are awake.

"Hey, Gopal!" she calls out. "Don't forget some drinks okay? They specifically asked for them!"

Gopal looks back to her, "Yeah, yeah, sure, Yaya!"

After the bubbly little dialogue, I turn back to my feet, wiggling my toes around.

I'm only wearing pajamas and some slippers.

The cold morning air blows through me, it's growing warmer by the day. Spring must be coming.

I am still waiting for that shrimping Hali.

When I look up, I turn to the door, waiting for it to open. I slightly see the Yaya girl's reflection, pacing around the black van from earlier.

I focus on my feet again.

I've always tried many coping mechanisms, now that I rethink Hali's discussion of my condition. The book by my nightstand is something I read when I can't sleep. For sheer fun, I read. Sometimes, I even take details to heart.

I look to many plate numbers. IC6 423, that one read...HT3 623, the other read. I put more of them to mind, all just for distraction.

And thank gOD, HALI'S COME OUT.

I look to him. Yeah, we're facially communicating again. "What took you so long?"

He raises the plastic bag with him. He didn't buy only one. "Sorry, I bought two. I thought you were hungry..." He walks to me. I stand.

He gives me one burrito. I take both it and my vibrating phone.

🔴 My bad, Mr. Punctual
🔴 I didn't know what toppings you liked, so I nitpicked some stuff you mentioned from our Uno games.

🔵 You legit just browsed our chat...just to know my taste?
🔵 You could've just asked me right??

I hear him chuckle.

🔴 Well, that wouldn't have been fun, would it?

===

The next day was a bit more plain. With a late sleeping schedule, it was hard waking up as well. Turns out, Hali ended up sleeping on the floor.

Another thing I didn't know about him. He's a crazy, heavy sleeper.

Breakfast time was better. We're a bit more open to communicating now, though I try to hold my laughs at Hali making up his own sign language.

I start teaching him. At least we communicate facially.

I go through the alphabet, now he can sign his name. Tok watches us in mere amusement. Some he gets wrong, other times, he cooperates...Most of the time, he jokes.

This...This feels happy, suddenly.

Him flouncing around with his hands, trying to sign animals by using his shrimping face.

This funny side of his, how often does he use it in his own house.

I don't ask him. He seems happy today.

Suddenly, I overhear the radio from the maids quarters.

The reporter's voice buzzes in, her voice urgent and serious. "Meanwhile, earlier this morning, a certain car bombing has been reported by the Pahir hillside with an unknown suspect. The black van was driving by the hillside when the bomb suddenly detonated, police hypothesize. Investigators claim that the bomb was only a minor explosive, and did not cause unintentional landslides during the explosion.

"Many unidentified and burnt objects have been recovered from the ruins of the car and three unknown people are reported dead on the the spot. Autopsies shall be done to identify the three victims but, for now, no witness can be found and further investigation is being conducted.

"Only one item has been identified from the car, with a plate number IC6 423..."

The number rings a bell.

The black van.

That van.

The girl~