The Stranger

My head was filled with so many things to do that I even forgot how time ran so fast. Though the monitor never became a blur, my head started to think foolishly of staying in my Facebook page and setting aside the real reason why I logged in the internet cafe. The links were tempting and as much as I wanted to stop, a certain nerve inside me kept on dictating to click this and that and to continue the amusement with my profile. How could Facebook make me an addict subscriber? Anyhow, I cannot blame the social network for my inanity. I believe it is still I who knows best how to control myself and when to say enough.


This post isn't about that anyway. It's about that one voice behind me that kept calling my name while I was busy looking at photos tagged by some online friends. I tried not to mind and indeed, moments later, it stopped. Perhaps, it was just someone I knew from grade school.


Before I could log out my account, the voice came back uttering the same name. I then decided to check who owned that voice. It wasn't angelic or something attractive, as you might think. It was just irritating. This time, it did not come from behind me but from a nearby chair almost beside mine. I quickly had a glance of those white teeth that paraded his gums and the dark complexion that covered his entirety. He looked familiar but I did not bother recall who he was. Then, he volunteered introducing his name.


"John Rowe? Remember? The boy who...blah! blah! blah!"


I crossed my brows but was careful enough not to make it too offending for him. Then, he continued muttering things just to make me remember.


"N'ya ka hinumdum naka?" he effortfully asked.


I only gave a 25% smile and turned my head. I really did not think he was talking to the right person. But I also think he was. I was definitely sure I was the only Rolyn in that cafe. After saying sorry for not considering the name into my memory, I continued with my work. He did not bother talk to me again after that.


As I was walking home that night with my sister beside me, I tried to till the deepest canteens of my brain. Then finally, I found it. The memory of that one person who made me a law breaker for one night, two years ago. My gosh! Nagbalik na nga! I don't want to relate it again.


Tooot! Signing off...


So he, indeed, wasn't a complete stranger at all.