I usually go out like this, looking as scruffy as hell. People can look all they want. No matter what I wear, be it branded or bargained, I'd still look good. And besides, I don't want people to know that I am capable of buying their souls. As much as possible, I don't want to flaunt my wealth.

I am currently living alone as a commoner again. Laki akong mahirap so I know how to be one. With some stroke of luck and a lot of hard work and diskarte sa buhay, I became what I am today—a billionaire.

No. Hindi ako mayaman. Kundi mayamang mayamang mayamang mayaman.

But I don't want to be branded as one. Ayokong ipamukha sa tao na mayaman ako. Kaya lumipat ako ng tirahan. I went away from my relatives because they felt like they were entitled to my wealth. Akala nila, ang sa akin ay kanila na rin.

Ang kakapal lang ng mukha nila. Hindi ako ATM.

"MARKET MARKET!"

Tumigil si Manong driver malapit sa pathway ng entrance ng Market Market. I am here to shop till I drop. Magwawaldas ako ng pera dahil kakasweldo ko lang. And yes—I do work. I don't have all my money with me, though. Pakalat-kalat lang sila, nagpaparami. I have my own accountant who is also the biggest jerk in my life—Daniel.

I hate the guy to the core but I can't budget my allowance without him. Maybe because he's so good with money given that he's a billionaire and he takes no interest in my money too, so I keep him around.

Bumaba na ako ng jeep at pumasok ng Market Market. Madali lang akong nakalampas sa ladyguard dahil wala naman akong dalang bag. Pero kung makatingin yung mga kasunod ko, akala mo mga kung sino. Just because I am wearing a simple faded pair of denim shorts, a loose top and a pair of Banana Peel flip flops doesn't mean that I can't buy anything.

Kahit nga naka-pajama lang, pwede dito.

I headed to the ATM para mag-withdraw. Mygosh! Ang haba ng pila! But I waited impatiently for my turn. And then this girl came along at ang kapal lang ng mukha para sumingit sa unahan ko. I tapped her shoulder.

"Hey."

Lumingon siya at kinunutan ako ng noo. "Bakit?"

I glared at her. "You dare ask why? Nakita mo na ngang maraming nakapila and you even had the nerve para maningit?"

Aba't tinaasan ako ng kilay? Tinalikuran lang niya ako uli. Tinapik ko siya sa balikat. This time, I did it with an obvious rude intent.

"Ano ba!"

Pinamay-awangan ko siya. "Kung maniningit ka, huwag sa harap ko. Dito ka sa likod. Or better yet, umalis ka na sa pila."

I am well aware that people are staring. Some may disapprove or find it rude but I don't care. Kaya nga may pila, e. What's the sense kung sisingitan lang niya? Sanay na sanay kasi ang mga tao rito sa Pinas na sumingit sa pila. Ang dahilan, nagmamadali sila. Akala mo sila lang ang kapos sa oras palagi!

Irritated, padabog na umalis sa hanay ang babae.

When it was my turn, I withdrew all the cash from my ATM card. It's not that much anyway. I have my two credit cards with me just in case na kulangin ako but I don't really like using them. I'm used to buying stuff with cash unless I need a lot of money. Like I said, laki sa hirap. Nami-miss ko tuloy kasama sila nanay pamimili. Mahihilig silang tumawad. Tapos mahilig din sila sa SALE. Kapag may SALE, nandun kami.

My immediate family's not here with me. Nasa Amerika silang tatlo: sina nanay, tatay, at Enzo—my younger brother. Naranasan ko na dati na may mga kamag-anak ako na kapag hindi ko binibigyan ng pera ay sa pamilya ko naman lumalapit.

They would mooch off of them. Hindi naman makatanggi sila nanay kasi kamag-anak nga naman. Hindi naman sa nagdadamot ako kaya lang, inaabuso na. Kaya ayon, pinapunta ko ng Amerika sila nanay para mapalayo sa mga kamag-anak naming parasite.

There are only two people who knew where I am: Daniel, the accountant, and Angel—my self-proclaimed best friend. She's such a goody-goody, too good and too nice for my taste.

I went inside this section of the mall and scanned the racks. Mostly all of the clothes were of poor quality na mapasabit lang sa pako, sira na. I went inside one store and searched for a passable garment. At yung hinayupak na bantay, sunod nang sunod. Asar.

"Ma'am, 'yan! Bagay na bagay sa inyo 'yan!" galak na galak niyang turo sa kinuha kong damit. Sheer blouse lang.

"Alam ko," sagot ko with matching taas ng kilay. Eh di natameme siya. Ang ingay kasi. Hindi ko naman tinatanong ang opinyon niya. Lumipat ako sa isang tindahan. I smiled to myself when I saw a garment that is cute although alam kong low quality rin. I bought that one.

Tumigil lang ako nang may tatlo na akong plastic bags na puno ng laman. I think I bought about ten blouses and two pairs of pants?

Yun lang. Time to venture to Metro.

--

I started scanning the rack of clothes when this girl came up to me and offered her assistance. I didn't say anything but I let her tag along. Nang wala akong mapiling damit, pumunta ako do'n sa shoe section. Then I saw this cute pair of boots na kulay brown. Sinukat ko 'yon agad but then maluwag.

"Can I have a size—" Paglingon ko, wala na pala yung saleslady sa likod ko. I looked around and saw her with this pasosyal girl na although mukhang all put together, halata namang imitation lang yung D&G bag niya.

Todo asikaso pa yung saleslady. Kainis! Oh I really hate that kind.

When I was a kid, my mom and I went to this mall. Umuulan noon and I remembered that I was wearing my old pair of slippers. Bibili sana kami ng pamasko. I could hear the salesladies whispering behind our backs saying na parang galing daw ako sa tubugan ng kalabaw.

Since then, I started harboring this hate for salesladies. Lalo na yung sa mga cheap lang na tindahan. Walang tact and class.

Nilapitan ko sila, hawak-hawak ko yung boots na nagkakahalagang P2,599.

"Excuse me."

They both looked at me, startled.

"Yes, ma'am? Kukunin niyo po?" tanong sa 'kin ng saleslady sabay turo sa hawak ko.

"Sana. But you chose to tend to someone who will not buy any of your merchandise. Here's your boots. You just lost a P2,599 pesos worth of transaction." I shoved the pair to her hands and left.

Naglalakad na ako palabas ng Metro when my phone rang.

"Yes, hello?"

"Hey... what's up?" came his irritating voice.

"Nothing much. Napatawag ka?" sagot at tanong ko sa kanya.

"Let's have dinner?" Nang-iimbita na naman siya. Hindi pa nadala.

"No," I blatantly answered.

"Ouch! Di ka man lang nag-hesitate?"

I smirked. Well, ano pa bang inaasahan niya? "Of course not. Why would I? If you don't have anything else to say, I'll hung up now. Pasakay na ako ng jeep."

"I always wonder how you could do that."

"Easy," I replied, assuming he was talking about the jeepney ride. "Just ride one and pretend like it's the most natural thing to do."

Daniel laughed. "You are so weird."

"Yeah, I know. Bye na." I hung up.

Saka ako lumabas ng mall at pumila na naman pasakay ng jeep. Damn! Why do I always have to fall in line?

--

Sunday.

I was soaking in my miniature bathtub one hot afternoon when I heard a knock on the door of my apartment.

"Just a moment!" I yelled from the bathroom. The knocking stopped. And I was about to start scrubbing the dirt off of me when I heard it again. "SANDALI LANG!" I yelled again, this time louder.

It didn't stop. Fudge. Ano ba'ng lahi ng kumakatok at hindi makaintindi ng Ingles at Tagalog? "SANDALI NGA LANG, DI BA?" iritado kong sigaw. I thought the freakin' knocker would stop—but ugh! Napasabunot ako sa basa kong buhok nang dire-diretso pa rin ang katok sa pintuan. Leche. Is it so urgent? May sunog ba sa labas at hindi ko alam?!

"CAN'T YOU FREAKING WAIT?!" Angrily, I stepped out of the bathtub and put on my bathrobe. Saka ako nagmadaling lumabas ng banyo.

Whatever it is—it has to be so important or else...

I turned the knob and opened the door.

Sinalubong ako ng mapanuring mata ni Daniel. He was standing outside in his three piece suit—sa kainitan ng araw—his hands on his pocket. He whistled when he saw me.

"You look delectable."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Perv. What do you want?"

"Well for starters, I want to come in." He smiled, showing off his perfectly white set of teeth.

I opened the door wider kasi ang laki nyang tao. "What brought you here?"

He shrugged casually. "I was just wondering why you didn't call. Hindi ka hihingi ng weekly allowance mo?" He smirked at me.

"I still have some. Hindi ko naubos yung sweldo ko. I barely scraped it."

His eyebrow shot up. "Really? That is so unlike you. Have you been buying cheap clothes again?"

"I think the right term for that is disposable." Kapag sawa na ako sa mga damit ko, pinamimigay ko na. Kasi kung hindi ko naman gagawin 'yon, I won't have anywhere to fit all my clothes. Yung isang condo ko is just for my clothes and shoes. Di kasya sa walk-in closet.

He looked around again. Then back at me. Then he smiled. "Did I interrupt something?"

"Hindi ba obvious? You interrupted my bath!"

His eyebrows furrowed with "concern".

"Sorry about that. I was just worried because you didn't call."

"I'd call when I want to," I told him.

"Yeah. I should've realized that. Well, I'll go ahead."

"Go."

He walked up to me, held my face and kissed me. Sa cheeks. "Bye."

"Bye."

When he was already outside, I was able to breathe properly again. Damn it, I really hate that guy.