Chapter Eleven

First Time

"You were absent last Friday?"

Bumaling ako kay Adam. Tumango ako. "Uh, yes. Umuwi ako sa amin."

"Oh. Is everything all right?" He asked me. Concern was visible on his eyes.

Nanatili ang tingin ko sa kaniya. Pagkatapos ay tumango lang ako. And fortunately our Prof has already arrived, too. So I don't really have to talk about my family to Adam further...

Last week I went home after I was called. I was asked and I explained myself about the mission... And then my family let me come back here in Masbate after that.

My answer was enough... But I know that it will be just for a while. Hindi palagi na tatanggapin na lang nina Mama ang rason ko kung bakit hindi ko pa rin nagagawa ang misyon ko hanggang ngayon...

"Are you okay?" Adam asked me. Napansin kasi siguro niya na napapatingin ako sa paligid namin.

Tumango ako sa kaniya at pagkatapos ay ngumiti na lang din para hindi na siya mag-alala at hindi na niya isipin pa ang kinikilos ko.

Nagpatuloy kami ni Adam sa paglalakad. Wala na akong stock sa dorm kaya sinamahan ako ni Adam na mamili at mag-grocery.

And for days now I've been feeling like I was being followed. Like someone is really following me and Adam. Parang may nakatingin at nakamasid sa ginagawa ko...

I've been scared many times... When my parents died and I was left alone. When I was brought to the orphanage. And then with what happened years ago with Cara Villanueva...

But I was never scared like I am now...

I can feel my anxiety. My mind wouldn't work 100%. I always worry...

Especially for Adam's safety...

And what if he finds out about my true identity? That the Aeva Soriano he knew here in Masbate was a fake. And my real name is Aeva Analia Zachmann... And I'm just here to kill him.

But more than that... I'm just worried about him...

I don't know when I started to think about Adam Mikolos Rozovsky this way...

And I thought that I have lost my mind...

"Is this all?"

Parang napukaw ako at nabalik sa kasalukuyan nang marinig ko si Adam na magsalita. Napatingin din ako sa tinutukoy niya na mga pinamili namin na ngayon ay nasa cart na. And I remember that we were still inside the grocery... Ang dami-dami kong iniisip na hindi na halos mag-function nang maayos ang utak ko.

Marahan lang akong tumango.

"Okay. Let's bring our cart to the counter now and pay." He said.

Sumunod lang ako kay Adam. Habang iniisip ko pa rin na sinusundan kaming dalawa.

And then I asked him that we head home straight after. Tumango naman siya. "Yes, ihahatid na muna kita sa dorm mo and uuwi na rin ako sa bahay after." he said.

Nanatili akong nakatingin sa kaniya. And then I realized that he will go home alone pagkatapos niya akong ihatid sa dorm.

My anxiety felt like it doubled. I can't let him go home alone...

Pero nang hinatid na niya ako sa harap ng dorm ay bumaba rin ako sa sasakyan niya. He helped me with my grocery na pinagtalunan pa namin kanina dahil sa pagkakaligalig ko ay siya pa ang nagbayad.

"Thank you..."

Adam smiled at me. "You're welcome. See you tomorrow."

Tumango ako. Magkikita pa kami bukas sa klase... "See you tomorrow... Please take care on your way home..."

Adam smiled more and nodded before he went back inside his car.

"Please message me when you're home." habol ko pang binilin sa kaniya.

He nodded again with a handsome smile on his face before he turned his car window up and his car's engine started.

Naramdaman ko rin na parang wala na namang nakasunod sa amin... Although I'm still worried... Pero paano ko ba sasabihin kay Adam ang nararamdaman ko? Sasabihin ko ba sa kaniya na sinusundan kami? And then what? How do I explain things to him... Alangan naman sabihin ko na huwag na muna siyang umuwi sa bahay niya ngayong gabi dahil mag-isa lang siya... And what? Where will I let him stay? Here in my dorm? And it wouldn't be allowed by my landlady.

Dahil sa nagtagal ko ring pag-iisip ay natawagan na ako ni Adam na sinabing nakauwi na siya sa kanila. Halos mabitawan ko pa ang phone ko nang mag-ring ito. And before I could follow after him just to make sure that he went home safely ay nakatawag na siya sa akin. Pero hindi pa rin ako mapanatag. I told him to properly lock his doors and windows.

"Aeva, is everything okay? Are you all right?" pagpapatigil niya sa akin sa pag-aalala ko sa kaniya sa tawag.

Napapikit ako ng mga mata at kinalma ang sarili ko. "I'm okay..."

"Are you sure? Kanina pa kita napapansin that you seemed worried about something..."

I shook my head despite he wouldn't see me. "I'm all right, Adam. Pasensya na. And..." I can already feel my cheeks heating with what I'm just about to ask him. "Can we keep this call up until we're asleep...?" Nakakahiya. I've never done this before. But it's my way to make sure that he's safe... Although it's not a hundred percent...

I heard him chuckled on the other line. "All right..."

So that's what we did that night...

There's just so many things and changes... that happened to me here in this place and with Adam... Ang dami ko nang na experience na kasama siya sa nakalipas na taon. Including the things that I just experienced for the first time...

At kung noon sa amin ay hindi ako nagkaroon ng kaibigan... In here I learned to have a friend that I can also trust... And it's a first time for me too to have someone that I can call a friend.

Napabaling ako sa banda ng higaan din ni Paula dito sa dorm room namin. We have two single beds here. She's already sound asleep. Habang hindi naman ako makatulog while my phone was still up with Adam's call. Natutulog na rin si Adam sa kabilang linya at mukhang okay naman siya... Pero hindi ko pa rin mapigilan ang mag-alala...

One time nauna na akong umuwi kay Adam. May meeting pa kasi sila ng group mates niya. Hindi kami magkapareho ng group.

At naalala ko pa ang nangyari kanina sa eskwelahan. A girl student approached me. I don't know her and I've never met her before. Mukhang iba rin ang course niya. Adam wasn't with me and I was with my group mates, too. Kanina sa library nang nilapitan ako nito.

"Uh, hi."

Bumaling ako sa kaniya pagkatapos kong kumuha ng isang libro sa bookshelf. "Yes?"

Ngumiti siya sa akin. "Ikaw iyong kasama ni Adam noong enrollment, 'di ba?"

Bahagyang kumunot ang noo ko. Pero tumango na lang din ako. Nagsabay nga kami ni Adam na mag-enroll for our second year already. Niyaya rin kasi ako noon ni Adam na magsabay na kami. "Yes..."

"Girlfriend ka ba ni Adam?" was her next question.

My lips parted. And I was taken aback. Pero umiling ako. "No." I answered.

And then I saw her tint stained lips stretched into a wide smile. "Kung ganoon ay wala pa palang girlfriend si Adam!" She seemed happy.

Habang umawang naman muli ang labi ko habang nakatingin sa kaniya.

I didn't know, but... I feel something inside me... that didn't like that interaction...

And I can only sigh now thinking about it. As I walk my way to the dorm. Hindi ko rin halos agad namalayan na gumagabi na rin pala. I've been thinking a lot lately, that sometimes I'd space out. Ang ibang establishments na nadaanan ko ay nagsimula nang magbukas ng mga ilaw nila. Ganoon din ang ilang poste na nadadaanan ko rin.

Kalmado lang akong naglalakad noong una. Hanggang sa madaan ako sa isang medyo madilim na daanan at sira pa yata ang nag-iisang poste rito. Hindi ko na lang pinansin. At nagpatuloy lang ako sa paglalakad pauwi.

Until I felt like someone is behind me... And I'm being followed again... Hindi na talaga nawala sa akin ang pakiramdam ko na sinusundan sa akin... At konti na lang ay makukumpirma ko nang tama ang hinala ko...

Many times I tried to catch the person who's following me. But most of those times I was always with Adam. Kaya hindi rin ako makakilos. And now I think is the right timing...

Pumunta pa ako sa mas madilim na bahagi ng daanan. I was alone... Bumagal ang mga hakbang ko, hanggang sa tumigil ako. At pagkatapos ay humarap ako sa likod ko.

My eyes widened a fraction when I saw and confirmed that someone was really after me...

Pero taliwas sa inaasahan ko... I feel like this person and the one that I was expecting is different... I just feel like it.

Natigilan din ito at tumingin sa akin. Nagkatinginan kaming dalawa. And my eyes widened more nang mamukhaan ko pa ito. I think it's the man from a nearby store here. Iyong palaging nararamdaman kong nakatingin sa akin noon sa tuwing nadadaanan ko iyong tindahan kung saan ito tumatambay sa labas noong hindi pa ako hinahatid ni Adam at maglalakad ako nang ganito pauwi sa tinutuluyan ko.

"H-Hi..." He creepily greeted me...

Maybe if I was other normal girl, I'd probably be horrified of this stalker... But I'm not and his mere presence now in front of me doesn't really affect me... And I know that I can get out of here.

I did not respond to him. I just stayed standing to where I am. Until he slowly walked to where I stood. Sinusubukan niyang lumapit sa akin. Umiling pa siya bago ang mga sumunod niyang sinabi. "Huwag kang mag-alala, hindi naman kita sasaktan. Makikipagkilala lang ako sa 'yo." he said.

At naghihintay lang ako. Before I defend myself. Which I can. Nakatingin lang ako sa kaniya. I hope he doesn't do this with anyone else...

Pero bago pa man ako makakilos at tuluyan itong makalapit sa akin, Adam arrived.

He went straight to the man. At natakot pa ako nang makitang may kutsilyo iyong lalaki, that can inflict harm to Adam. Pero nagawa rin naman ni Adam na agawan ito ng armas at tumilapon lang ang maliit na kutsilyo sa tabi...

"Are you all right?" was Adam's first question to me, nang makalapit na siya sa akin at dinampot na rin nang tinawagang mga pulisya ang lalaki. At nalaman din namin na may kaso na rin pala ito noong ganito sa ibang estudyante pa na kagaya ko...

Kalmado akong tumango sa kaniya. "Ayos lang ako." I told him.

He sighed...

Nakita ko rin ang sasakyan niya na naka-parked doon sa tabi ng daan. He was driving at naisipan niyang tingnan kung maabutan pa ba niya akong naglalakad ngayon pauwi sa dorm ko. Because I learned from him that as soon as I left the campus ay mabilis na rin siyang umalis doon at hinanap pa ako...

Paula was as worried when we arrived in my dorm. Nandoon pa ang landlady ko na nagtanong din sa nangyari sa akin... "Mabuti nga nahuli na iyon! Naku, hindi talaga nauubusan ng masasamang tao ang mundo." she said.

"Ayos ka na ba talaga, Aeva, ha?" Paula asked me many times that night.

Tumango lang naman ako and assured her that I was fine.

"Mabuti na lang naabutan ka ni Adam! Bakit kasi umuwi ka pang mag-isa, eh, palagi naman na kayong nagsasabay ni Adam?"

"He was with his group..." I said to Paula.

"Kahit na! Sana hinintay mo na lang siya na matapos din sa mga ka group mates niya at 'tapos ay sumabay ka pa rin sa kaniya pauwi. Iba pa naman ang panahon ngayon."

"I'm fine, Paula, really."

Paula sighed.

And when I looked at Adam, I saw him just standing quietly there beside us. Tahimik lang siya pero parang nararamdaman ko na rin na marami rin siyang gustong sabihin... I tried to smile at him, but he remained serious.

Bumaling na lang muli ako kay Paula na hindi pa tapos sa mga sinasabi niya sa akin.