Habang hawak ko yung envelope, naglakad na ako palabas. I opened it and there is a letter indeed. The first words caught my eye. "My dearest, how are you?" What? Dearest? "Your flickering brown eyes are always enticing me. Seeing you walk the path like an angel," I stopped reading. The hell? Who writes like this? Ang cringy! Gosh. Schoolmate ko ba 'to? Nakikita daw ako eh. "Ah, gosh." muntik pa akong madulas sa hagdan. Nagpatuloy ako sa paglalakad. I cannot take my eyes away from this letter. Well I admit, it did excite me kanina... though it's... argh. Guess I'm just gonna read it all. Nang mapansin ko sa peripheral vision ko ang motorcycle niya, I stopped walking. "What's that?" he asked. I turn my eyes away from the letter full of sweet words and hid it at my back. Omg, why am I even hiding this?! "Wala. Let's go, I want to buy na." I replied as I turn my back from him. "I-park mo na lang yan sa may-- Hey!" I shouted nang bigla niyang hablutin yung letter from my hand. He stared at it. Why the hell is he doing this? I tried to snatch it back from his hand but he's just tall! He is raising it while reading the thing... I suddenly felt bad for the guy who wrote it. Gosh! "Give it back! The hell? Hindi ko pa nga nababasa yan lahat," I hold unto his shoulders to nudge him. He didn't even budge. Para namang bata 'to. I looked at his eyes. It is now looking at the lower part of the letter. Nauna pa siyang basahin kaysa sa akin. Is he that excited to see a love letter? Miss na niya siguro. Again, not my fault! Napansin kong dumilim ang expression sa kaniyang face... his eyebrows are squinting too... Anong nabasa niya riyan? "Hey, akin na yan. Mas nag-enjoy ka--" napatigil ako nang inabot niya sa akin yung letter pabalik. "Let's go home." "Ha? Gusto ko pang bumili nung juice!" He gave me the helmet. Sumakay na siya ng motorcycle niya. The hell is with him? "Kung ayaw mo akong samahan, I will buy it myself," I said while looking at him. I cannot see his face now kasi nakasuot na siya ng helmet. He is not looking to my side din... "One month, Daliah. Orders," he said. I sighed heavily while rolling my eyes. I can't believe this guy using that! May kasalanan ka pa nga sa akin! He won't even compensate for it! Pagkauwi ay padabog akong umupo ng couch at kinuha ang cellphone ko. Napansin ko yung envelope kanina sa sling bag ko. Inilabas ko yun at tiningnan ulit yung letter. Baka dito gumanda pa mood ko. Siguraduhin lang nito na masosolve yung cravings ko sa juice kung hindi... argh! That guy! I continued reading it. Hindi naman mahaba. Three paragraphs lang. Puro compliments lang siya... Taga school talaga siguro 'to. He seems to be aware of my activities... Hindi ko na tinapos ang pagbabasa dahil parang puro ganun lang naman nakalagay. Inilapag ko ito sa coffee table at nahiga na. I heard his footsteps nearing me. I stared at the couch across this couch I'm lying on. Napaupo ako nang makitang umupo siya roon. Gosh. I looked away from him, just staring at the main door. Ha? Ano yun? Napansin kong may box dun sa may door... I squinted my eyes to read what's written. My eyes widened. He doesn't need to buy that much though... and I don't like orange juice that much. Suddenly, I can feel the heat building up. Argh! Not this again! So saan naman niya binili yun? "Did you read all the way to the end?" I can see him reaching for the letter in my peripheral view. I looked at him. "Why do you even care? Iwan mo na lang diyan yang letter." I replied. He is just looking at me, with that dark expression of his. Now I can feel butterflies in my stomach... in a different way. "Read the last part," he said while giving me the letter. Kinuha ko yun. Why does it feel like something is wrong here? Before my eyes land the last part, I felt my heartbeat accelerating. I read the words. "So my dearest, if not your precious life, I will go for the daddy's confession. Feel free to choose." Agad akong napahawak sa dibdib ko. I can also feel the paper wrinkling under my hand. "Wait, don't ruin the paper." His voice. Right, he's here with me. I stared blankly at him. Their faces swim across my sight yung mga lalaki na humabol sa akin... but why would they do such a thing? Hindi. This isn't from dad. Not my uncle's men. If not him... who? "I think I know the guy. Well, it's 'guys'," he states while looking at me. He knows kung kanino galing 'to? My gosh, it's even written here my life or... or my dad's confession... Why am I receiving this? Bakit si dad? What did he do? "What does your dad do for his living?" he asked, not looking at me. "Business." Maikli kong sagot. "Business, huh? Well..." he mumbled something. What is he trying to say now? Tiningnan ko siya. "Marcus, this is the last help I'm going to receive from you," last na 'to. "Huh? What are you talking about?" "Help me go back to my dad," I said while looking down. Money or what, pagkauwi ko sa Philippines everything will be settled. I won't let my uncle stop me now. Kung ano man yung tinatago nila. "You are being irrational right now. There is a threat and just because it is not written like it, doesn't mean--" "I know, alright! Pero the guy or whoever they are, they asked me to choose! Hell, I'm choosing my life but I need to hear what the hell does this have to do with my dad!" Huminga ako ng malalim at tinitigan siya. "This is something na sa family ko lang dapat okay? I'm letting you help pero ito lang. You are way out of this problem--" "This is my responsibility, Daliah. Besides, I'm already involved since there is a high possibility that I know those behind this letter," he looks at me, his eyes... argh! Responsibility? Sinong crazy ang gagawa nito? Involving their lives in uncertainty? "You don't even know me! Tapos you said it yourself, I don't know you, right?" He walks toward me. My heart rate is raising than usual! Napalitan ang nararamdaman kong takot kanina after I read the letter... he is now standing in front of me. I'm looking up to him now. "Somehow... we are connected." Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa sinabi niya. What is he talking about? I mean, he's right about being involved in this dahil kilala niya raw sila but connected? Kami? This traitor heart of mine skipped a bit. Gosh! I don't even know what he meant by that! Napaatras ako ng upo nang ilapit niya sa akin ang mukha niya. Here he is again... "Would you trust me on this one? I will do my part, then you do what you need to." His ocean blue eyes, again, are capturing mine. Unexplainable calmness... ayan ang nararamdaman ko. Why, despite all these things, I am feeling this way? Why of all people, I felt this from him? Trust him? What are we now? A team? "A-ano bang plano mo?" I asked. Lumayo siya sa akin at for the first time-- no I saw him smirk. Why? "You will stop school for a while and stay here--" "What?! I... I don't like school but I can't just stop... I mean, ang hirap hirap magcatch up." I interrupted. "That's for your safety. There is a death threat and you still want to go out?" He's right... I can't just go out... Napayakap ako sa sarili ko nang maalala ko na naman yung nangyari sa van... the familiar feel of that cold steel... "Hey, are you alright?" I looked up to him. Argh! Don't look at me with those eyes! But thanks... just looking at him pulls something heavy from my chest. "Yeah, so ano na next?" "The rest is my part. I will confirm it first and then arrange things," he states as if he's already sure na magiging okay lahat. I want to hear it from him but it's his part... I think he became a soldier before for nothing... "Are you sure about this?" I asked again. I mean, it's relieving na hindi siya kaagad tumawag ng police for this matter since I want to know the details from dad... but still. He nodded and grabbed the letter and envelope from the coffee table. "You trust me, right? That's more than enough for me to be sure." My eyes widened. His words... they are killing me! Naglakad na siya papuntang room niya. Yun na yun? I wonder... and I will keep on wondering. Why is he doing this? And what will he get from this? "Argh! Gosh!" Inabot ko yung phone ko. Ang ingay, naga-alarm! Pagkabukas ko nang phone ay napaupo ako. Gosh! Anong oras na! Tumakbo ako papuntang kitchen. May napansin akong nakalagya sa counter. May plates then may takip. I opened it. Shocks! After eating ay iniangat ko yung plate na pinagkainan ko. He's not here... "What the?!" There's a sticky note sa ilalim nung plate! After eating: - do the dishes - clean the place - try responding to the client's email (formal) I rolled my eyes. Formal. Kailangan pa bang iremind sa akin yun? Tapos... ang daming nakalista. Kaya niya siguro ako pina-stay here para utusan! Tumingin ako sa pinakahuling nakasulat. Stay here. I promise to tell you who they are. Who they are... Oo nga. I'm curious. If ever na kakilala niya nga, it's a small world then? My dad does have a lot of enemies... pero ngayon lang ako nakatanggap ng threat. Gosh. I'm feeling the butterflies in my stomach again! I'm hoping... to go home and understand everything. I did the dishes though I don't know if I did it right. Hell, it's my first time! Kahit na ilang araw ko nang ginagawa 'to. Siya kaya naka assign dito. Dumiretsyo na lang ako sa room niya. Ano pang lilinisin? The place is not even dirty. I sat on his chair and opened his laptop. Buti walang password? Pagkabukas ko ng emails, I can't stop grinning. Yes! I immediately typed a response. Just like how dad talks to people-- yeah. Just like dad. Do I really know him? I suddenly miss the familiar feeling of having his camera near me... My dad is nice... I know it. I feel bad that his camera broke... I will come to you, dad. If you can't go to where I am. We will take pictures again. Just like a family. My mom will be happy in heaven by the time it happens. I missed those times... My eyes darted to the main door from the laptop. I heard a knock. Sino yun? Marcus won't even knock since place niya ito. Visitor? I don't see any friends of his... aside from those comrades back then. Are they even still friends? Tumayo ako mula sa chair niya at naglakad palapit sa pinto. Napaatras ako. I heard loud consecutive knocks. Who the hell is outside?!