Chapter 6

IT'S been an hour since Tarius left and up until now, there's no signs of him and it's a good thing

for Gemini.

No Tarius means peace.

And it's also been an hour since she called Weather and just like Tarius, he hasn't shown up as

well. Gemini can't help not to frown, she's been waiting for her frappe to be delivered but until

now, there's no frappe coming. Gemini's patience is wearing thinner and thinner.

That bastard! He knew that I hate waiting but he's making me wait! How dare he? I want my

freaking frappe! Wait 'till I see that asshole, I'll make sure that I'll choke him to death.

Nakasimangot na sumandal si Gemini sa headrest ng kama habang nakahiga at inuumpisahan

nang magtipa ng pang-tatlongput-pitong mensahe para kay Weather. You dumbass! Where the fuck are you? If you don't want to buy me my frappe then don't! Bwisit

ka! 'Wag na 'wag kang magpapakita sa'king hinayupak ka gago!

Then she angrily pressed send. Gemini irritatingly blew her hair that's covering her face. But

that didn't satisfy her. Marahas niyang sinuklay palikod ang mga hibla ng buhok na nakaharang

sa mukha niya gamit ang kanyang kamay.

Minutes had passed but Weather isn't texting back so Gemini block his number and even all of

his social media accounts so in that way Weather can't reach her out.

Kasalukuyang bino-block ng dalaga ang mga social medias ng binata nang biglang tumunog ang

kanyang cellphone. A number with a name 'Old Jackass' appeared on het phone's screen. It was

her father—Gemano's number.

Gemini's forehead creased, "What does this old jackass want from me again?" She muttered

then slide cancel to decline the call.

With a victory smile written on her lips, Gemini continued blocking Weather but minute hasn't

pass when her phone rang again making her lose her smile. And this time, it was 'Old Hag' this

time—it's her mother's number.

Labag man sa kanyang kalooban, sinagot pa rin niya ang tawag dahil alam niyang hindi sila nito

titigilan. Napairap muna it bago nagsalita.

"The number you have dialed is goddamn busy so fuck off and fuck yourself." She said

sarcastically.

"You brat! Give some respect you ungrateful child—"

"—deserve mo ba ang respeto? Ni sarili mo nga hindi mo marespeto eh, so why bother asking

me to give you some? If you want my respect, then respect me first as an individual."

Reeze on the other line gritted her teeth in anger. "I'm the one who gave you your life and

raised you so respect me!" Gemini scoffs at what her mother said.

Respect my ass. Maybe I should end this call if they don't have anything nice to say. She's saying

bullshits.

"Blah, blah, blah," Gemini mocked her mother, "Oh, come on, stop saying bullshits, you

shithead. Stop saying that you're the one who gave me my life. Why? Are you God now? Wow,

ang pangit naman kung gano'n." She laughed sarcastically. "And what? You raised me? Did I

hear you right? Oh bitch, you never did 'coz Lola did. She's the one who raised me but you killed

her." She gripped her phone tightly as she remember her Grandmother's lifeless body covered

with blood.

"Why are you blaming me this?! I didn't kill her okay?! A thief did!" Her mother said—defending

herself. Yeah, right. Like bullshits like her can fly. Why am I even talking with this killer?

Without uttering anything, Gemini dropped the call making Reeze—her mother angry.

"This ungrateful child," Reeze said between her gritted teeth. She, then, composed a message

then sent it to Gemini who's now scrolling down to her Instagram newsfeed.

Napahinto ang dalaga nang tumambad sa kanyang screen ang litrato ng kaibigan nitong si Cawie

na katabi ang nakasimangot na si Leather samantalang ngiting-ngiti naman ang kaibigan niya.

"Sige, umasa ka lang, Cawie. Just don't come crying to me again when that jerk hurt you

because I swear to God and all Saints that I'll torture him until he beg me to stop." She

whispered. She's serious about that. She will let that Leather taste her wrath when the time

that he'll hurt her friend. She's promising that.

Once again, she scrolls down to her newsfeed without liking or reacting her friend's post. Who

cares? She doesn't support her friend's stupidity either. So nah, she won't react on that post.

A message from her mother suddenly appeared on ths top of her phone's screen. Umiirap

nitong binuksan ang mensahe at binasa ang nilalaman.

'Nang dahil sa mga taong tinuturing mong kaibigan nagiging bastos ka nang bata ka! Don't be

friend with them! They're a bad influence to you! If you won't follow my order, I promise to you

that I'll mess up with their lives, Fhereze. Take note of that.' Gemini gripped on her phone tightly

while reading every single word.

Tangina talaga. Kailan ba ako titigilan ng mga 'to?! Lahat na Lang talaga pinakikielaman!

Goddamnit!

Out of irritation, Gemini threw her phone at the wall. Naglikha ito ng malakas na tunog.

Paniguradong basag-basag na ang screen nito ngayon but she doesn't care. All she want to do

now is to punch her mother's disgusting face. It's a good thing that she didn't got her face from

her, she got her face from her beautiful Grandmother while her witchy mom, she got her face

from their bastard Grandfather who is now resting in hell.

Like father, like daughter indeed.

Sinapo ng dalaga ang kanyang mukha at malalim na humugot ng hininga upang pakalmahin ang

kanyang sarili.

Tangina talaga ng bruhildang 'yon. Idamay niya na lahat 'wag lang ang mga kaibigan ko at

pamilya ng mga ito kung hindi baka magkamatayan kami.

That's how coward her mother is. Using someone against Gemini just to follow her will. She's

indeed coward and a brainless bitch.

Gemini closed her eyes tightly, controlling herself not to throw another thing. She breath in and

out until she calmed her nervss down. Kinuha ni Gemini ang kanyang laptop na kasama sa

dinala ng kanyang mga kaibigan kanina. Her phone is already broken so it's useless now.

As soon as she opened her Facebook account, a message from Gemanie—her twin instantly

appeared.

Seriously? Kailan ba ako titigilan ng mga hinayupak na 'to? Nakakairita.

Wala na sanang balak pang basahin ni Gemini ang mensahe nang muli na naman itong nag-chat.

Istorbo talaga. Bahala ka d'yan sa buhay mo bruhildang gaga. Baka sugurin kita ngayon sa

kinaroroonan mo at masampal pa kita. Iiyak ka na naman at magsusumbong sa Nanay mong

gaga rin. Pa-victim ang putek.

Siguro nga may kamalasan ngayon si Gemini dahil aksidente nitong napindot ang pangalan ng

kakambal kaya tumambad sa kanya ang kanyang mga mamahalin at paboritong gamit katulad na

lamang ng alahas, damit, bags, at sapatos na kasalukuyan ngayong tinutupok na ng apoy. Ngunit

hindi iyon ang umagaw sa atensyon niya, kun'di ang isang album na naglalaman ng mga larawan

niya kasama ang kanyang Lola.

Pakiramdam ni Gemini ay nanigas siya sa kaniyang kinauupuan. Ang tanging tumatak lamang sa

isip niya ay ang mga kanyang photo album na nilalamon na ng apoy. Fuck! Our memories and those things were Lola's gift for me!

'Yung mga gamit na 'yon na lamang ang nagpapaalala sa kanya ng kanyang yumaong Lola.

Gemini became livid. Napatiim bagang ito nang makita ang panibagong mensahe ng kapatid.

Oh my, I didn't noticed that it was your things I light up. Sorry not sorry, sister. It looks like trash

kasi kaya I didn't notice na gamit mo pala 'yon. How cheap.

"You motherfucking bitch! I will kill you!" Gemini said between gritted teeth. She kept on

shouting 'I will kill you' while punching the bed where she's sitting on.

Pinagbabato niya ang unan ngunit hindi pa rin ito nakuntento kaya dinampot niy anh kanyang

laptop at walang sabi-sabi itong ibinato sa pader. Kasabay ng kanyang pagbato ay ang pagtulo ng

kanyang luha ngunit kaagad niya itong pinunasan.

"Holeh madahpaking syet!"

***

MATAPOS dumalaw ni Tarius sa kaibigan ni Gemini nagtungo ito sa isa sa mga paborito nutong

lugar, ang rooftop ng Hospital. Hindi maiwasan ni Tarius na mapatawa nang maalala niya ang

nangyari kanina.

Ang laking tao takot sa multo, tsk. But I wonder ano kaya ang relasyon ng dalawa?

Iniisip pa lamang ng binata na mayroon ngang relasyon ang dalawa hindi niya maiwasang

mapatiim bagang ngunit kalauna'y napangiwi.

Gago, Tarius baliw ka na na? Bakit parang naiinis ka? Putek, ano ngayon kung magkarelasyon

sila?

Bumuga ng marahas na hangin ang binata bago ginulo ang kulay kahel at kulot nitong buhok.

Napatawa ang binata nang makita nito ang iilang hibla ng buhok.

Mukha nga talagang Pancit Canton 'yung buhok ko na kinulayan ng orange, putek. Sana pala

pinaayos ko muna and buhok ko bago ako dinalaw ni kamatayan.

Natawa siya sa sariling naisip at nahiga sa sahig. Kahit mataas ang araw at mainit din ang sinag

nito wala siyang maramdaman.

"Ah, perks of being a ghost." He muttered before closing his eyes and tried to remember what

happened to his past but his brain is still think of Gemini and that Weather guy. Tarius frowned.

Heck! What happened to me?

He shook his head, trying to erase that thought. Inilagay niya ang dalawa niyang braso sa likod

ng kanyang ulo at ginawa itong unan.

"Ah, glad that I can still able to enjoy my life even I'm a ghost."

He stayed there for almost ten minutes then left when he got bored. He visited almost every rooms in every floor. But what caught his attention is the Room 305 in third floor.

There was a little girl and a woman—he thinks she's in her 40's. The woman held the little girl's

hand then said, "Sweetie please... open your eyes. Come on, Ericka, please wake up." The

woman is sobbing—she's hurting.

As soon as Tarius stepped in the room, he started to tear up.

"Ericka..."

The little girl who's now lifeless was his only friend. She's the only one who can see him before

Gemini came, four months ago. Hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng binata na may sakit si Ericka ngunit

hindi niya inaasahan na babawian siya ng buhay ng ganito kabilis.

He met this little girl in the garden. She's playing while he's watching her. Five days passed but

that became Tarius' routine. When suddenly she spoke out of nowhere

"Why don't you play with me? Is it because I'm bald?" The little girl asked, "But Mommy said

that my hair will grow again soon when I got cured. I have a disease called cancer. That's what I

heard from the Doctor."

Tarius was confused who's the little girl talking to. Nagulat ang binata nang tumingin sa kanya

ang bata.

"Mister...? Are you mute po?" The little girl asked Tarius cutely. And when Tarius talked to her,

he discovered that her name is Ericka. And there it all began their friendship.

Humakbang papalapit si Tarius sa kama ni Ericka. He touched Ericka's hair then kissed it before

murmuring, "Rest well, Ericka. Susunod si Kuya sa'yo. I'll take care of your mom for you... for

now", then left.

He can't stay there for long because it's hurting him. It gives him too much pain seeing Ericka's

lifeless body. Dumiretso siya sa lugar na madalas nilang paglaruan—ang garden.

Naupo siya sa damuhan. Ang kaninang butil-butil lamang na tumutulo mula sa kayang mata ay

nagtuloy-tuloy na hanggang siya ay napahagulgol. Yes, even he's a ghost, he still can cry.

He's mourning for Ericka.

Nahinto na lamang siya sa pag-iyak nang makarinig siya ng malakas na kalabog. Napalingon sa

paligid si Tarius at doon lamang niya napagtanto na abala ang lahat at sa tingin niya'y hindi ito

narinig ng iba. Kaagad na tumayo ang binata at lumapit sa isag pader na pinaglikhaan ng tunog.

Idinikit nito ang kanyang tenga sa pader ngunit dumulas siya kaya napasok siya sa loob ng

kwarto. Laking gulat niya nang mayroong laptop na lumipad sa harap niya.

"Holeh madahpaking syet!" Gulat na saad niya at wala sa sariling napahawak a dibdib—tapat ng

kanyang puso.

Gagi muntik na ako doon ah, buti na lang talaga at hindi ako tao.

"Ikaw! Ano na naman ginagawa mo dito?!" Nabalik sa reyalidad si Tarius nang marinig niya ang

pamilyar na boses ng dalaga. Dinapuan niya ito ng tingin ngunit agad ding nag-iwas ng tingin

nang makita niyang binibigyan siya nito ng masamang tingin.

Putek wala naman akong kasalanan ah, bakit galit na naman itong tigre na 'to? Gagi,

masyadong high blood.