chapter 2

meet the teammates
​

"S-Sir, dito na lang po. Stop muna," I said, and he hit the brake. Bumaba naman agad ako at tiningnan ang phone at card para i-check kung nasa tamang lugar ako. "Pwede po bang tulungan n'yo akong maghanap?" tanong sa kanya.

"Hindi po pwede," he responded.

"Oh,” I muttered, a bit disappointed. “O-okay po."

Hmm, so I’d search this place alone? Umaga pa lang pero napapagod na agada ko. Ang intense ng simula ng reality program na 'to. Well, literally hindi pala ako mag-isang maghahanap dahil kasama ko si Kuyang Cameraman na patuloy pa rin akong fini-film kahit naiilang pa rin ako.

I wandered around the place and saw a coffee shop and bookstore on the right side. Malaki ang chance na nandito ang isa sa teammates ko. Well, may clue naman na ako kung sino pero tatlong tao ang pinagpipilian ko ngayon. Sino kaya sa kanila?

I went to the bookstore first. Pagkapasok ko ay namangha ako dahil may mga tao na agad kahit 7 AM pa lang. The store had a vintage feel in it: old books lining the first bookshelves, ripped pages displayed on the walls, and almost every shelf and table were made from old woods.

Teka, 24 hours bang open ang bookstore na 'to? I scanned the place, hoping that I could see one of my teammates around since we were from a reading site, and I thought that it would make sense if she'd be here. Pero nahiya ako bigla dahil pinagtitinginan ako ng mga tao. Paano ba naman, may nakasunod sa aking camera. Napayuko na lang ako sa hiya. Please stop looking at me.

Nilibot ko ang buong bookstore para matapos na 'to pero mukhang wala siya rito kaya lumipat agad ako sa may coffee shop. Pagkapasok ko pa lang ay may kakaiba na akong naramdaman.

"Ah," sabay turo ko sa may gilid.

Tumakbo agad ako papunta ro'n dahil may nakita rin akong cameraman na nakatayo. Pagdating ko ay napatigil ako dahil sa babaeng nakatingin sa akin.

Her long, wavy, dirty blonde hair complemented her small and cute face. She was wearing a white dress and white sneakers that stood out in this vintage-themed bookstore.

"Oh my God. A-Arin?" bulong ko sa sarili ko at hindi na ako makagalaw sa kinatatayuan ko. Arin's eyes twinkled with excitement as she approached my direction.

"Whoa! Elix, right? Elix!"

Bigla naman niya akong niyakap kaya napayakap na rin ako. Whoa. Grabe. Hindi ko akalaing makikita ko siya sa personal. Arin was one of the famous writers on that site. She had written several hit teen fiction novels and I had read some of them.

Sobrang lakas ng tibok ng puso ko ngayon dahil hindi ko talaga ine-expect na makita siya. I mean, pareho kaming galing sa site na 'yon at friends naman kami sa fb pero hindi kami close. Pero teka, paano niya nalaman na ako si Elix? Hindi naman ako nagpo-post ng picture ko sa public accounts ko.

"Uhm, paano mo nalaman na ako si Elix?" mahina kong tanong at ngumiti naman siya.

"Ano ka ba, I'm one of your earliest readers. 'Di ba nagpo-post ka dati ng picture mo?"

Napanganga naman ako sa sinabi niya. Right. I remembered posting my photo before but that was several years ago. Hindi ko naman akalaing may nakakaalala pa no'n dahil wala pa yatang isangdaan ang readers ko noon.

"Anyway, ano na bang gagawin?" tanong niya at doon ko naman na-realize na may dalawa pa pala kaming teammates na hahanapin.

Dali-dali ko siyang dinala papunta ro'n sa kotse at agad kaming sumakay. 'Yong cameraman niya naman ay sa ibang kotse sumakay. Pagdating namin sa kotse ay pinaandar agad 'yon ni Kuya Driver at sinabi ko sa kanya ang susunod na lugar na kailangan naming puntahan. Then, Arin showed me the card she received.

​Your challenge starts now!

You must wait for your teammate before arriving at the meeting place. After reading the clue below, please instruct the driver about the route you want to go. Please take note that the first three teams to arrive will have a huge advantage. Good luck!
TE TA : SR NZ

We had the same card, but the difference was she was tasked to wait in the coffee shop, and I was assigned to find them. I knew it. My theory was right.

"Wow. Ang galing mo. Nahanap mo kaagad ako using this card," bigla niyang sabi. "Ni hindi ko nga ma-gets 'tong code na 'to."

"A-ah. Hula lang."

Hindi ako makatingin nang maayos sa kanya dahil kinakabahan pa rin ako. I rarely interact with other writers, so I felt awkward with her. One of the reasons why I accepted this program was to face one of my fears—communicating and talking to strangers. Being an introvert, writing was one of my ways to tell what I want, what I dream of and what I fear since I couldn't tell them to my friends or even to my family.

"Have you decoded it?" biglang tanong ni Arin kaya napangiti ako.

"Yeah."

"Whoa. Really? Paano?"

I explained my theory and she looked at me in awe. I was flustered when she showered me with compliments, so I immediately changed the topic into something else. Napunta naman sa personality namin ang usapan.

"Pero hindi ko in-expect na sasali ka sa ganito." Napatingin naman ako sa kanya. "I mean, mahiyain ka kasi at takot ka sa tao 'di ba?"

"Right," sabay tawa ko nang mahina. "I kind of want to face one of my fears."

"Ohh. Good decision, then."

Napangiti ulit ako sa kanya. I didn't expect her to be like this. Hindi ko kasi masyadong mabasa ang personality niya since laging lines lang sa stories niya ang pinopost niya o 'di kaya naman 'yong mga binabasa niya. Siguro ang naiba lang sa mga post niya ay kapag nagpapalit siya ng display picture sa facebook. Arin was actually prettier in person. She had this simple yet sophisticated aura.

"Dahil sa sinabi mo kanina, may clues na rin ako kung sino ang teammates natin since ginamit nila ang pseudonyms natin," sabi naman niya at napatango ako. "Buti hindi real names."

Sharia May Velasco.

I think she would find me creepy if I said I know her real name. Actually, I know almost every writer's real name. Ewan ko ba kung bakit pero kapag mas nagtatago ang isang writer, mas nacha-challenge akong alamin ang tungkol sa kanila. Hindi ko alam kung epekto ba 'to ng hilig ko sa mystery pero agad kong nakikita ang personal accounts nila, though hindi naman ako 'yong tipong nag-a-add, nagme-message o pinagkakalat ang mga bagay na 'yon. Knowing their names were enough for me.

"So saan na tayo pupunta?" tanong niya at binuksan ko ulit ang Maps sa phone ko.

"Since SR ang next, siguro sa side na 'to," sabay turo ko sa left side ng mapa.

Ginamit niya rin ang phone niya at nakita kong pumunta siya sa profile ng isang writer. Mukhang pareho kami ng hula kung sino pero hindi namin alam kung saan siya mahahanap.

"Ano bang landmarks dito?" tanong ko dahil hindi ko alam ang lugar na 'to.

"Hmm, hindi kaya sa bookstore or coffee shop din natin sila makikita?"

"Depende. We need to find a public clock."

"Ah. Oo nga pala."

Bumaba kami at sinundan kami ng sarili naming cameraman. We went separate ways to find that person faster and I decided to go to the park. I wanted to ask someone for directions, but I couldn't bring myself to talk to strangers. Pagdating ko sa park ay may mga nagzu-zumba sa gitna kaya dumaan ako sa gilid. Nilibot ko naman ang paningin ko at saktong nakakita ako ng orasan na naka-display malapit sa zumba class.

"There it is," bulong ko sa sarili ko.

I oriented myself in front of the clock and walked toward the opposite direction, as dictated on the clue. Habang naglalakad ako ay may nakita na akong kumpol ng mga tao at doon ko na-realize na nandoon na si Arin. Mukhang siya ang unang nakakita.

"Here!" she yelled, waving her hand at me.

Pumunta naman ako ro'n at nakita ko ang isang lalaki sa tabi niya. He was wearing a gray jacket and white cap while holding the same card we received from the staffs. Apparently, we had a wrong guess. Akala ko ay si Rhea, isang fantasy writer pero hindi siya ang kasama ni Arin. It was someone else.

Roi Zen, an action-adventure writer. Yes, I also know his real name. Rav Oliver Ibanez.

"Sino siya?" rinig kong tanong niya kay Arin at napangiwi siya.

I awkwardly smiled at him, and he did the same. Hinatak naman ako ni Arin palapit sa kanya at hindi ako makatingin nang diretso. God, I hate looking at people's eyes.

"Elix, the author of—"

"Whoa. Elix? As in the mystery writer? I'm a fan," Roi said, cutting off Arin. He extended his hands, and I had no choice but to reach it. After that ay binitiwan ko rin kaagad dahil ang awkward.

Agad naman kaming sumakay sa kotse at sa backmost seat siya umupong mag-isa, habang magkatabi naman kami ni Arin.

"Hay salamat, last member na," sabi ni Arin habang nakasandal. Mukhang pagod na siya.

"Yeah. Dito po tayo, Kuya," sabay turo ko sa driver sa map.

Uminom naman ako ng tubig dahil napagod na rin ako. Pagtingin ko sa oras ay 7:30 AM na at 30 minutes na lang ang natitirang oras. Medyo inaantok na rin ako dahil late na ako nakatulog kagabi at ang aga ko pang nagising.

"Oh. Friends pala tayo sa fb?" sabi ni Arin habang nakalingon kay Roi.

"Talaga?"

"Yeah. Unfriend na kita."

Pagkasabi niya no'n ay naramdaman ko ang paggalaw ni Roi sa likuran. Pagtingin ko ay naka-forward na siya, malapit sa posisyon ni Arin.

"Bakit?"

"Nakaka-cringe ang profile mo, eh."

"What?"

Pinakita naman sa akin ni Arin ang fb profile ni Roi at bawat post niya ay may mga babaeng nagsasabi ng 'I love you, pa-kiss' at kung anu-ano pa. She was right. It was a bit cringeworthy.

"Kasalanan ko ba?" Roi retorted. "Nagpo-post lang naman ako ng lines sa stories ko. Hindi ko naman kontrolado ang comments nila. Saka alam mo na . . ." His voice trailed off and when we looked at him, he was already caressing his face.

"Okay. Iba-block na rin kita."

"Hoy, teka!"

Ilang minuto silang nagsagutan do'n at hindi ko na lang sila pinansin. Pumikit ako para sana makapagpahinga pero hindi naman ako makatulog dahil ang ingay nilang dalawa. In the end, lalo lang akong napagod.

"Dito na po tayo," sabi ni Kuya Driver kaya bumaba naman kami.

Dahil in-explain ko na rin naman sa kanila ang ibig sabihin ng code ay nag-kanya-kanya ulit kami sa paghahanap para mas mabilis. Naglakad-lakad ako hanggang sa makakita ako ng maliit na orasan sa parang Town Center. Lumapit ako ro'n at papunta na sana ako sa direksyon na nakalagay sa card pero nagulat ako nang may lumapit sa aking isang lalaki na may kasamang cameraman.

"Are you E, A or R?" tanong niya kaya napatigil ako.

His black cap, black jacket and dark jeans made him kind of frightening, but what caught my attention was his intense gaze.

For the first time, I was able to look at someone's eyes for more than a second. I was a bit intimidated by him because of his approach but when I noticed his deep breathing, it seemed like he was also nervous.

"E," mahina kong sagot pero mukhang in-expect na niya ‘yon. "You already solved it."

"Yeah," he said while looking at the card, "and it seems like you did it, too."

"Y-yeah."

"The clock," sabay tingin niya sa orasan na nasa tapat namin at tumango naman ako.

"Elix! Nakita mo na ba—OMG!"

Napalingon naman kami pareho nang narinig namin si Arin. Tumakbo sila ni Roi papunta sa direksyon namin at nakatingin lang sila sa lalaking kaharap ko ngayon.

"Ikaw si Zion, 'di ba?" Arin asked, her eyes twinkling in excitement.

"Mmm," sagot naman ng lalaki at tumango siya.

"I'm a fan of your works," Roi chimed in while shaking hands with him, "especially the Hollow series."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Your thriller and paranormal novels are really amazing."

I stole a glance at Zion, and I noticed that he was shorter than Roi. Siguro nasa 5'7''or 5'8'' siya at si Roi naman ay baka 5'9'' o 5'10''. Mas maliit naman si Arin sa akin kaya nasa 5'2'' siguro siya. Ang masasabi ko lang ay ang tangkad nilang dalawa.

Anyway, he was right about the clock. The code was written in relation to time and our pseudonyms. The colon was also a clue, pertaining to time when you're using a digital clock.

Twelve Elix. Three Arin. Six Roi. Nine Zion. Just like how the numbers are arranged in a clock, I found my teammates by treating those four numbers as a compass. North. East. South. West. Our exact location could also be pinpointed with respect to a public clock. Na-realize ko 'yon nang maalala kong may malaking orasan sa subdivision namin na katapat lang ng bahay at na-prove ko 'yon nang makarating kami sa "three" or "east" side. I saw a huge clock outside an antique shop and since that location was referred as three, I walked eastwards and saw the bookstore and café. Roi's and Zion's locations were also like that.

Agad kaming pumunta sa kotse dahil fifteen minutes na lang ang natitira sa amin. We should arrive at the hotel at 8 AM.

"Kuya, diretso na po tayo sa hotel," sabi ni Arin pero imbes na paandarin ni Kuya ang sasakyan ay may inabot siya sa aming card. Again.

Binuksan namin 'yon ni Arin at nakisilip naman ang dalawang lalaki mula sa likod.
​

Congratulations! Mission complete! Please tell the password to your driver to proceed.
( ↑ , ↑ )
​

Napasandal si Arin dahil sa nakita niya habang ako ay inisip kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng clue na nakalagay. I recalled the previous clues and incorporated it here. Clock. Time. Colon. This time, there were three symbols—parenthesis, upward arrows, and a comma.

"Ano 'to?" tanong ni Roi. "Can we solve this within fifteen minutes?"

"Mag-isip ka na nga lang din," sagot naman ni Arin.

Wait. Don't tell me . . .

"Origin."

"Origin."

Zion and I looked at each other, surprised that we both said the same word at the same time. Bigla namang pinaandar ni Kuya ang sasakyan at mukhang tama ang sinabi namin pero wala pa ring nagsasalita sa amin.

"How did you guys . . ." tanong ni Arin habang nagpapabalik-balik ang tingin niya sa aming dalawa.

"When you draw north, east, south and west, they create a plane, which is similar to a Cartesian plane," Zion explained, "and the two upward arrows pertain to 12:00, which can be written as 00:00. However, instead of a colon, comma was used. Therefore, the resulting answer would be (0,0) and in Math, it's called origin."

Mukhang namangha ang dalawa sa sinabi niya at kung anu-ano na namang papuri ang lumabas sa bibig nila. Dahil nasagot ko rin 'yon ay nasama rin ako sa usapan at lalo lang akong nahiya.

"Hey." Napatingin naman ako sa likuran dahil may kumalabit sa akin. It was Zion.

"Hm?"

"Pleased to meet you, Cass," mahina niyang sabi at nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa narinig ko.

When he saw my reaction, his lips curled a bit, a proof that he was amused. My heart pounded against my chest, his words still ringing in my ears. Seeing his expression lit a fire inside me and I would want to see the same reaction from him.  He just triggered my competitiveness.

Huminga ako nang malalim at mabilis na ngumiti sa kanya.

"Pleased to meet you, too, Z.A," I teased. Just like the other two, I also know his real name--Zean Aldric Gomez.

"Seems like you did a bit of research on me," he said. I was expecting to see a surprised face but instead, his smile grew wider. "I'm impressed, Caf. Oh, I mean, Cap."

Caf, huh? This guy . . .

Cassandra Ailex Felix. That's my name.

Pagkasabi niya no'n ay napatingin ako sa mga kasama namin at mukhang hindi nila 'yon narinig dahil pareho silang naka-earphone at nakapikit. I looked at him, but he was already staring outside. This guy knew my real name, too. It seemed like we had the same hobby.

​Huh. Interesting.

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