章 273: Gay
Chapter 3. Gay
MULA nang araw na sumama si Nami kay Romano ay nagsimula na rin ang panliligaw nito kay Glaze. Natuloy sila noon sa MI Ent. at pagkahatid nito sa kaniya ng alas sinco y media ng hapon ay nasa dorm na ang kakambal niya. Umalis ang mga ito at pagkauwi ni Glaze ay ibinalita nga sa kaniyang nililigawan na ito ng kababata nito.
Ang hindi niya maintindihan ay kung bakit pinatatagal pa nito ang pagsagot kay Romano kung may gusto rin naman ito sa lalaki? Ang dahilan nito'y ga-graduate daw muna ng kolehiyo bago magka-boyfriend, pero ang alam niya'y nagkaroon na ito ng boyfriend back in her high school days. Kaya napapaisip siya minsan na kung gusto ba talaga nito si Romano, siguro'y hindi naman tatagal ng isang taon o higit pa ang panliligaw rito. Magfo-fourth year na rin naman sila, kaya bakit hindi pa nito sagutin ang huli?
At, pakialam ba niya?
Pero ngayon, kailangan na niyang makialam. Lalo pa't nahuli niya ang lalaki na may kalampungang gurang sa hotel.
However, what he said made her think twice if should she tell her twin about what she saw.
"I'm a secret agent, Kase, and my job right now is related to that woman."
Then, he patiently explained to her everything she needed to know, except from the vivid details of the mission. She guessed it's because of the confidentiality. Or probably, every missions were confidential.
"So... you won't tell her anymore?" paninigurado nito.
"I will—"
"Please don't," agap nito.
"—not," she ended the sentence; smirking. She's keeping it a secret. May dahilan naman siguro ito kung bakit hindi sinasabi sa kakambal niya. He's courting her, so, she's assuming he loved her and would never harm her, too.
Pwede ring baka mas mainam na walang nalalaman si Glaze para sa kaligtasan nito. Or, whatever that reason was, she should not interfere. Labas na siya roon. Saka lang siya makikialam kung makakasama ba iyon kay Glaze.
Sa pakiwari niya ay nakahinga nang maluwag si Romano pagkasabi niyang hindi niya ipapaalam.
"But I have a condition," she added.
Sa uri ng tingin nito ay nakuha niyang naghihintay ito sa mga susunod niyang sasabihin.
"Whenever I ask about your job, tell me about it."
Nagtataka man ay tumango ito.
Matapos ng engkuwentrong iyon ay hindi na niya tinigilan ang pagre-research sa mga bagay-bagay tungkol sa ginagawa ng mga secret agents. But, of course, limited lang ang nakakalap niya sa Internet. Kaya mas pinili niyang magtanong-tanong kay Romano.
She phoned him tonight just to ask if was it real that agents could hide their identities whenever they're in missions?
He answered "yes".
"Tell me more. I want to hear from your personal experience."
Mula rin noong mahuli niya ito ay mas naging komportable siyang kausap ito. Pakiramdam kasi niya ay hindi siya nito gagawan ng masama kahit alam nitong alam niya kung anong uri ng trabaho ang mayroon ito.
Dapat lang naman, 'no! Bukod sa inaalala nitong baka magsumbong siya sa kakambal niya, malamang na nagpapa-good shot din ito sa kaniya—dahil nililigawan nga nito si Glaze—kaya pinagbibigyan siya.
"Ano na?" she impatiently followed up.
He sighed before he spoke. "Once I pretended to be a macho dancer—"
Humagalpak siya kaya natigilan ito sa pagsasalita.
"Shall we end here?"
"No, no," agap niya. "Continue."
"That's when you caught me with Mrs. Goldstein. Her husband was our target back then. We just approached her since we had a hunch that she knew his crimes."
"Ah, oo, iyong businessman na nahuli dahil sa child slavery? Grabe naman kasi, kunwaring nagpatayo ng foundation para pagtrabahuin lang iyong mga bata hanggang gabi?" Naibalita iyon, at big news, dahil kilalang mapagkawanggawa ang negosyanteng kinulong.
"Yes."
"What else?"
"That's it."
"I don't believe you."
"Why are you so curious about my job?" pag-iiba nito sa usapan.
"I don't know. I just find it, uh, how can I say it?" She paused for a while to think of a word. "Interesting," she added.
"Interesting?" bakas ang pagtataka sa boses nito. "Others find it dangerous, but you find it interesting? Guess you're the one who's interesting instead." Tumikhim ito saka mabilis na iniba ang usapan. "Don't you want to talk about Eclipse instead? Ask me to give you their signed album?"
"Binibigyan mo naman ako ng album ng Eclipse kahit walang pasabi," dahilan niya.
Bumiling siya sa higaan at nagpaalam saglit na kukunin lang ang earphones niya. This was how they usually talked—at night, when she's about to go to sleep. Because that's the time where she's not occupied with her studies and vlogging.
"Aren't you sleepy yet?" tanong nito nang maikabit na niya ang earphones.
"Why? Are you?"
"You know I sleep late."
"How would I know? We don't live in one house."
"Nakakatulog ka kapag kausap ako."
Hindi siya sumagot. Oo nga naman. Kung minsan nga, nakakaligtaan na niyang kausap niya ito't nagpapahila sa antok.
"So, how's your day?"
"My day?" Weren't they supposed to be talking about his job? She answered anyway. "Tired."
"You should sleep now if you're tired already."
"Kanina naman iyon. Pero sige, mukhang ayaw mo naman akong kausap." She meant that as a joke.
"I'm just thinking you should be resting if you're tired," depensa naman nito. Akala yata'y seryoso siya sa sinabi.
"Hindi naman na gaanong pagod. Kanina nga, oo. Natapunan kasi ng lemonade iyong ipapasa kong project, kaya kinailangan kong ulitin saka madaliin."
"How did that happen?"
Dumapa siya sa kama at nagpatuloy sa pagba-browse sa kaniyang social media habang kausap pa ito. "My friend accidentally poured it on my desk while I was putting the papers back in the envelope."
"Is that your calculus project?"
"Did I mention that to you?"
"Yes. And you asked me about the solution in number five."
Napatango siya nang maalalang tinanong nga pala niya noong nakaraang araw. Ang talas ng memorya nito, natandaan pa ang number na nahirapan siyang sagutin. "Oo, iyon nga. Nadapa kasi si Kanon kaya natapon iyong lemonade niya." Kanon was the name of her friend.
"Baka naman sinadya niya?"
"Are you suspecting my friend?" Naningkit ang mga mata niya.
"I'm just stating possibilities."
"Well, I'm offended."
He went silent for awhile.
"Kanon is my best friend," dinikdik niya ang huling dalawang kataga. "Makatulog na nga! Tawagan mo na si Glaze nang hindi ako ang binubwisit mo."
That's childish, Aniya sa isipan.
"I mean, inaantok na ako. Bukas na lang ulit ako magtatanong kung ano ba'ng ginagawa mo sa trabaho."
"Are you sure?"
Why was he sounding guilty? Iniisip ba nitong grabe iyong pagka-offend niya?
"I still didn't tell you when I pretended to be a gay. It was my undercover to enter a gay bar last week."
Napabangon siya bigla saka inayos ang upo. Sumandal siya sa headboard ng kama. "You? A gay?" nagpipigil ang tawang paninigurado niya.
"Yes," alanganing sagot nito. "We were tailing that fashion designer who killed some of the boys he bedded with. Mostly, models."
Napangiwi siya pero mas lalo siyang naging kuryoso. "'We'? You mean, hindi lang ikaw?"
Sumagot ito ng oo sa sinabing kasama niya si Kieffer sa misyong iyon. "Our hacker was on standby, too. He was in the van, secretly recording our conversation with Crey." So, Crey was that fashion designer.
Nagpatuloy ito sa pagkukwento at nalaman niyang napaamin ng mga ito ang target noong lasingin nang husto at takutin.
"What's his motive? Bakit puro models ang mga biktima niya?"
"Naloko siya ng isang nagpanggap na modelo noon at ipinagpalit siya sa ibang lalaki."
"Oh! But those people he murdered were innocent..."
"He has mental condition, too."
That explained why.
Pero hindi siya mapakali.
"Did you... uhm, do it?"
"Do what?" he asked confusingly.
"It. You know. The backdoor."
"What backdoor?"
"Iyong ano... Kasi hindi ba, sabi mo noon sa hotel, trabaho mo iyong gurang, so I assumed that it was all about sex. Kaya curious ako kung ginawa mo rin ba iyon—"
"What the fuck, Kasey?! You're seriously thinking I had sex with a man?"
"Well, he's gay."
"Kahit na!"
Napasinghap siya't napigilan ang paghinga. She tried to divert the topic. "Did not I tell you to call me Nami—"
"No, I didn't fuck him. We spiked his drink and tortured his mind so he'd spill us the truth."
"Oo na nga. Sorry na," maliit na tinig na aniya. Napabuga siya ng hangin at sa pakiwari niya'y namumula na ang mukha sa pagpipigil ng hininga kanina.
She's not really sure if was it right to apologize, however, she repeated it anyway.
"I said I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I was just curious if you fuck men, too. I mean, it's possible, right?"
"No."
Damn, was he mad?
She added, "You're handsome. Beautifully handsome. If you fuck men, no one will suspect you have a hidden agenda. They'll just assume you're gay, too—"
"Will you stop that?!"
Napapitlag siya't napalunok sa lakas ng boses nito. She heard him sighed harshly on the other line, too.
Mabilis na nagpalusot siya. "Uh... I'm tired, Rome. I should sleep now. G-good night!" She immediately ended the call and laid on her bed, resting her hands on her chest, feeling her heart beating wildly. Kinabahan siya nang husto dahil hindi pa niya narinig ang lalaki na masigawan siya't parang nagalit pa 'ata.
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