By: Angel Ramos
I.
“Hello?”
“Mikeeeeeey.”
“Sara? O bakit?”
“Mikey, sorreeeeeee.”
“Ha?” A crackle of static. “Lasing ka ba?”
“Yep!”
“Anak ng—“
“Mikeeeeeeeeey.”
“Asan ka?”
“U.P. Village!”
“Malapit lang ‘yan dito sa bahay ah.”
“I knooooooow. Can you come and pick me up? Jonas and Patrick and Sheila aren’t answering my calls. What are the odds, ‘di ba? And I wanna go home naaaaa. I know Leah’s probably going to freak out if she finds out about this but—“
“Sa’n sa UP Village?”
“The usual. Ma. Gin. Ha. Wa!”
“I’ll be there in five minutes.”
“Yay! I love youuuuu!”
He ended the call.
II.
“Sorry, Mikeeeeey. Ayaw na sana kita istorbohin kaso I don’t want to take a cab home naman… Baka maligaw o maholdap o ma-rape or something pa ako. Ayaw mo din naman siguro akong ma-rape ‘di ba? ‘Di ba, ‘di ba?”
Mike checked his side and rear view mirrors for approaching cars, and from there, saw Sara looking at him, waiting for affirmation. He watched her fake a doe-eyed look on her face, before finally giving up and reverting to her default playful expression. He felt the corners of his mouth twitching. He returned his eyes to the road ahead.
“…ang kulit mo.” He told her in mock exasperation as he steered to the left.
“Sorry!” She exclaimed. “Galit ka na ba? Sorry naaaaaa.”
“Ba’t ‘di ka na lang kase nagpahatid dun sa mga kainuman mo?”
“Eh. Hindi naman nila alam kung saan ang bahay ko eh.” She turned to him brightly. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were half-open and bleary. She grinned. “Eh, ikaw alam mo! And you answered my call too! Kaya kita mahal eh!”
His grip on the steering wheel tightened.
“Thank yoooouuuuuu, Mikey.”
He didn’t respond. She shifted listlessly in her seat, and Mike turned to look. She gave him another one of her drunken cheery grins, sidled closer to him—(“Sara, ano ba!”)— and rested her head on his right shoulder. “Headache.” She murmured as her eyes closed. “Sorry.”
Mike took a tensed sideways glance. Sara was now breathing evenly. He sighed. “Ganyan ka naman ‘pag lasing eh.”
III.
Mike pulled over to the side of the road and flicked the hazard lights on. Gingerly, he lifted Sara’s head from his shoulder, hoping to lay her in a position more comfortable for the both of them. Sara shifted in her sleep and by herself, curled up to the door and leaned her head on the window.
Mike watched Sara’s chest heave up and down in deep sleep. His eyes traced the contours of her neck, her face partly hidden away by hair clumped together by alcohol and sweat.
His hands balled into tight fists. With a deep breath and a sharp tsk escaping his lips, one hand tentatively reached out to push the hair away.
Right until the first few bars of Careless Whisper filled the air.
Mike drew back his hand as though burnt by something scorching hot. He cursed under his breath, and steadied his frenzied heart before finally reaching out for the cellphone vibrating against the dashboard.
“Hello?”
“Asan ka?”
“Nasa labas.”
“Nang gan’tong oras? Sino’ng kasama mo?”
“ Uwi na din ako maya-maya, Lei. May emergency lang.” He glanced at the girl sleeping soundly in the passenger’s seat of his car and wet his lips. “Late night errands. Utos ni Mama.”
An eternal second passed. “Errands ha.” She repeated. “Baka naman kung sinu-sino na naman ang kasama mo.”
“Oo nga.” There was a touch of irritation in his voice. “May pinabili lang si Mama. Tawagan na lang kita ‘pag nasa bahay na ako. Naka-hazard lang ako eh.”
“Sige, sige. Bilisan mo ha! Love you, hon.”
Sara shifted in her sleep again. The movement caught Mike’s attention. “Mmm. Love you.”
The line went dead.
Mike returned his cellphone to its place on the dashboard, and finally reached out to tuck Sara’s hair behind her ear.
“Dapat kase hindi mo na lang kami pinakilala.”
Mike shifted to first gear, turned his eyes back on the road and stepped on the gas.
“Sorry.” Sara mumbled softly.
But the car engine had already come alive; and Mike was already speeding away in oblivion.
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