chapter 17

Krist POV

The preamble stated that, we the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society.

What Singto did to me was inhumane.

Singto coerciveness never tottered,  he keep on dragging me out with all of his heart content. 

" Where are we going? " nagkadarandapa-dapa kong tanong ng tinunton namin ngayon ang parking lot with his hands gripping my wrist making sure its tight hold. 

He deadpanned. 

His face is unemotional but it is lightened up because of the sun beamed coming from the swaying leaves underneath our walk-in formed. The glow shaded on his face, he looks so debonaire with its strike glow. 

" Didn't you heard of what I've said inside awhile ago? " He cried out, his unemotional aura turned out distorted. 

I halted and whined not even minding this time my inner appreciation to him. 

" Could you please stop whining around? " He's complaining for my reversal as my strength was all on him. 

" Tell me if I'm not, if you ever be this rude to the court and grabbing me out of the blue, clueless,  and with no apparent reasons. How come I didn't whined out and fighting back with all that ceded you've done" I whined more. 

" Save your concerned later, I will obliged to answer that! " he said and deadpanned me afterwards. 

I almost stumbling down the metal hoop of the car as he forcibly pushing me onto the shot gun,  wandering how does the car door open that so quick.

In my slumping form, I can't help but to mentally declare my mesmerize of the car, it's look so expensive moreover extravagant judging by how comfy the shot gun I am sitting. 

" later is another hour, now is what I want! " Pagdidiin ko pa. 

Di ko na, mabilang kong pang ilang beses ko ng pilit inignora ang pagkamangha ko kay Singto dahil lang sa silaw ng araw na dumaan sa kanyang mukha, pati ba naman itong sasakyan niya ay obligado ko pang paglaanan ng pansin?

Nakakalunas pala ng mabigat na pakiramdam ang paghanga sa isang bagay. Pero sa kaso ko ngayon,  di magandang tiyempo ang paghulagpos ng galit ko dahil lang sa paghanga sapagkat naaasar pa ako kay Singto.

I wanted to keep it inside inorder not to submerge a surrender with my encounter to Singto. A bad trip encounter to be exact.  

" Now, save your appreciation to my car instead, seems like you're awed-struck" mapang-asar na pagsagot nito,  disregarding again my concerned. The attention he's giving me was overwhelming. Habang mariing nakadikit ang mga palad sa manibela, nakatuon naman patagilid ang mukha nito,  mariing nakatitig sa akin, iba't-ibang emosyon ang nasa mukha nito na kay hirap basahin basta't nararamdaman ko lang ang bigat at pagkakaiba nito na nagdudulot ng naguumapaw na pakiramdam. 

Did he felt my warm fuzzies somehow?

Am I that obvious? 

" Let me out Singto" Galit kong anas.  Wiping off my oddness but showing my outrage side. 

" Not gonna happened" Him acting clever. 

He then ignite the car engine,  which makes me whinning like a rabid zombies.  

" You psycho jerk. Let me out of here. I will sue you with violence case if you keep on insisiting my company. I don't want to keep on your side wherever you wanted to go, I don't even have any clue for me to attached on your anonymous journey. So please,  Let me leave on this car,  now! " utos ko atsaka itinuro rin ang bentana ng sasakyan. Out of nowhere, di ko alam kong saan hinugot ang tapang sa sinabi ko. 

But he'll just stilled at di na binigyang pansin ang sinabi ko. Nasa unahan na ngayon ang ruta ng paningin nito,  animo'y nag-iisip ng malalim. 

A minute of observing him, what was all I saw this time is his gritted teeth and uneven breath. 

" Singto " untag ko rito sa pananahimik at pag-astang kakaiba. 

But he never budge. 

" Pagbigyan mo na ako! " Kalma kong paghingi ng pabor. Alam kong hindi maintindihan ni Singto ang aking sinabi dagdagan pa sa hina nito at paghalo sa saliw ng tunog ng makina na tanging nangigibabaw sa loob ng sasakyan. 

" Singto" Untag ko ulit rito ngayo'y nalilito na sa inasta. 

A long silence coming from him, makes me think that there's something wrong with him or there's something I'd happened to say which makes him stilled. 

" You already knew. Aren't you?! " pagbasag nito sa katahimikang namuo sa pagitan naming dalawa bukod sa tunog ng sasakyan. 

Parang hindi ito mapakali, nahihinuha ko sa klase ng paglunok nito animo'y nabibikig. 

" Knew! WHAT?! " naguguluhan kong tanong, pero sa boses na katamtaman lamang takot na baka masinghalan ako nito, wandering as well the sweats forming on his forehead. 

The car air condition is full on!

" Anything about me.  Just part of me! " nahihirapang sagot nito sa boses na nababahala. 

I could somehow see through the irritated veins pulsing on his neck upon his self dilemma. 

What's wrong really? 

Hinala lamang itong nabuo sa utak ko,  pero ayoko kong magsalita ng tapos sapagkat paiba iba ang ugali nito,  tanging nakikita ko lamang ay ang panlabas na emosyong kakaiba. Isang klase ng ugali na sa ekspresiyon lamang niya ipinakita na kay hirap sagarin o basahin. 

Napakahirap! 

Basta ang tanging nangingibabaw ngayon sa utak ko ay ang pagkalito, kong meron man malabo at hindi ako sigurado. 

Bipolarity! 

Yan lang ang kaso na nakikita ko sa ugali niya, malinaw sa kilos at gawa. Ang ikinabahala ko lang ay ang "persistent flirty" nitong ikinalong sa sarili ko. 

" Never mind" he exclaimed as he sees my confusion. 

But the tone of his unscratched voice was very palpable to my ears. 

He shrugged but I'll assured the skeptical on it. 

" You'll never mind but I knew half of your hidden self is bipolarity! " Ako.

Tipid itong ngumiti pero hindi abot tenga.

May nakakatuwa ba sa sinabi ko? 

"Good to hear that! It's a less problem now? " Ani.

" You were acting so strange!  that's my concerned. There's nothing less about the problem if you keep on hitting me with your flirty blowup" madiing patutsada ko pa. 

" Once I am fucking interested towards something I will never stop picking even the tiniest feathers stick underneath my shoe spike. Not even wasting its lame existence. " ani. 

Di na bago ang patutsada nito sa akin pero di ko pa rin maipagkaila na sobrang naaapektuhan ako. 

Nakakapanghina!

No pun intended pero parang inabot ang tadyang ko sa nakaka ulol na pakiramdam sa mga patutsada nito. 

" Put your flirty act on place atleast. Even though, this predicament have been happened to me right now is far from my expectations but considered the decorum of the court case. And please Singto, you've done too much to me badly and unexpectedly. Do you think being here and solving your own problem is in favor to me? What I said is in Guidance Office not on the damn court. How come? It was just a win-win riots Singto, guidance counselor could settle this things out! " I cried out.  

Wiping off my imaginary stress that volted on my head. 

" Dragging you out of the court means the judge rejected my appeal and so, the order of other authority is what I am trying seeking through! " Makabuluhang sabi nito. 

Sa sobrang lalim ng sinabi nito, "fathom" isn't enough words to decipher its thought. 

" Be literal enough! " hinging pabor ko sapagkat nahihilo ako sa kakaisip sa ibig ipagkahulugan nito. 

Mahinang umiling lamang ito. 

" Simply I am hitting on you,  that's why acted this way! " ani. 

" Then what's the rush?! " parang tanga kong tanong. 

Ang nonsense ng tanong ko. 

Kaya natawa ito. 

" Krist! " he uttered my name for the first time and it felt so different. 

It gaves goosebumps to me. 

" Krist! Krist! " He half sung my name as he uttered it repeatedly, different feels strike again. 

Parang nagslow mo ang buka ng bibig nito kasabay ang dramatic na pagbagsak ng isang pirasong dahon sa windshield ng sasakyan. 

" Don't you get it? Since first encounter up 'till now, we'll end up not in a good encounter. And for the record you'll framed up by the unexpected situation. I am not rushing you Krist, to answer your question lastly! " Him, stretching his lips a quirky smile. 

I was caught up by my words. 

Nakakahiya! He's sandwiching me again by his playful skit. 

" Not my intention to question that. Don't mind it" namumula kong depensa sa sarili. Humugot ulit ako ng tapang mula sa aking kalooban dahil sobrang na-suffocate na ako sa sitwasyon. 

" You're the only one rushing off our love tinge escapade, and it seems you were reversing the situation. I am the plaintiff who happened dragged by you here in this car to fulfill the drought of our emptied love." He teased. 

Tumawa ito ng malakas atsaka hinampas ang manibela. 

 " See! I am the victim of being framed up" Patuloy na pang asar nito. 

Kanina lang ang sama ng mood, ngayon ako naman ang sobrang na diyahe sa sitwasyon. 

" Don't minding it!" nanghihina ko na lamang na saad na parang naubusan na ako ng salitang ipangdepensa sa sarili. 

I chewed my lips and cutting off my awkward touch of stares to him. 

Ewan ko kong ano ang nasa utak nito pagkatapos akong asarin. Tumahimik ito bigla sa sinabi ko nararamdamn siguro nito ang pagka bulls eye ko sa sitwasyon. 

I stared away the door, feelin' more the awkward heat coated my whole face. 

Hindi na ito nagsalita pero ramdam ko ang paninitig nito sa akin. 

Kong nakakatunaw lang ang pagtitig matagal na akong nalusaw. 

" Fine, never minding it" Him, addressing his apologetic riddled. 

I can felt the sincere of his voice but not enough for me to believe it that's why I kept on acting indifferent, ignoring him. 

" Krist" Him,  afterwards groaned darkly. 

His short tempered maneuver change that so quick, judging by how he react with my short term indifferent act.  

" Fine,  I guess I already answer your questions" He exclaimed, saka pinaharurut ang sasakyan. 

Sa biglaang pangyayari,  napatili ako ng malakas. 

" Singtooooooo........ " I screamed too long,  as the adrenaline rush building within me.

Too rush and reckless driving. 

" Singto, I am telling you I wouldn't spare any single regards if you keep on driving this speed! " nahihintakutan kong babala rito. 

But he didn't listened, just keep on driving too fast! 

" Singto, just tell me where we exactly going and so I have the clue for me to clearly agree! " Ako, ngunit sa may pakiusap na himig. 

I could sense the excitement on his prior act,  na parang nasisiyahan ito sa ginagawa.

He never budge,  albeit fury the speed in a maximum high which I'd gained afterwards a horrendous screamed.. 

" Fine,  I'll go with you with whole flesh! "I resisted.

The speed suddenly cool down to its normal driving limit. 

He cough lighlty. 

" Good then, so no more question and have fun with me? " He halted,  maneuvered this time the car on the crossroad. 

" Where we exactly going for me to rush over out of the court?!" I asked once again.

The speed of my heartbeat still on a verge of intense beat fighting its way to cool down. 

" Say yes first! " he embarked again his usual teased. 

Feeling tired of his skit, so I nodded uneven. 

" GOOD! ANYWAY!  WE'RE GOING TO UNBOX THE REAL SCORE OF OUR LOVE TINGE" He said boldly! 

I'm so tired listening of his unfathomable words,  I'd better shut my mouth and just massaging aimlessly my forehead. Still on the recovery of cooling down my breath and my heart beat. 

" We're going to Psychologist!" Him,  finally unboxing his agenda. 

I fainted, feelin' the same vibes of somersaults from its up-side down world. 

Nahilo ako bigla at napagpasyahang lumukso na lamang sa sinakyan.

"Break free 'coz  I can't resist it no more " The song bizzare uproared in my head.