Anakdatu - Chapter 13：I’ve made a friend, sort of.

The worst situations that a very secretive super spy agent can ever have is first, die, second, loose all your spy gadgets, third, get kidnapped or spynapped and fourth, be exposed and be watched by another person from the top of the fight scene until I was talking alone to my subconscious glasses and I tell you, it is very very very embarrassing. I obviously looked like a weirdo! Oh my God.

“What?” I asked him with my eyes squinting.

“The way you attack 6 men alone and then they turned into 12 and with your sword thingy,” He pointed to my hand in which I held the sword and I realized that I forgot to fold it, stupid me. I pressed the button and turned it into umbrella mode and put it once again in the side pocket of my bag.

“Like swish bam boom! You were like a devil out there slashing and stabbing like a maniac! But isn’t that murder?” He then turned deadly serious.

“What is your name?” I asked him.

“Oh hi!” He shook my hand, “My name is John! John Delmundo! And you are…”

“Ramil, Ramil Liwayway. Tell me what did you see?” I asked him very sternly because I might turn to be the talk of the whole school. Please no.

He hysterically said “The whole of it! If I just took a video..”

“No!” I ordered him

“Okay, geez, chill bro, I meant no harm, I just really admired what you did and also, I am a freshman too, and I kinda saw you on my class list so that bounds as together, we are classmates!” He said. “Come on, I’ll treat you some fishballs and kwek-kweks!”

As I have no choice and he holds me in custody of what happened, I followed along.

We walked for like 500 meters and saw the street food vendor, got our foods, I got myself a mix of all the street foods in there, fish balls, kikiam, kwek kwek, squid balls, and all because I am very hungry and I realized again, I haven’t ate my lunch yet and we sat in a bench there and satisfied ourselves with the glorious food. I missed this food though for in The Hut, there are no street foods, no isaw, no such foods so thank the sweet Lord above.

“Hey Ramil, really, I know I’m kind of acting too close to you and I know we just met, but what happened there? Are they the cause of the evacuation? And why do you got to fight them.”

As an agent, and I supposed to be undercover, I thought, what is so bad for having friends? Maybe I can have this John guy as my friend. I just got to remember my limits and never to betray the secrecy of the Anakdatu.

I sighed forlornly, “The truth is, I triggered the alarm because this 6 guys, they are trying to kidnap me, and please, don’t tell anyone that because this is my business and I don’t want to bring anyone harm. As my father had told me that I might have the risk of being kidnapped, he taught me swordplay in case those things ever happened. Then that happened, I brought them to the soccer field, wherein there is a very low risk that others can get harmed. I attacked them, they called reinforcements and I just did what I can.”

As he nodded to every word I said, and as we eat, he said, “But I think they went like Kagebunshin and they disappeared when you killed all of them.”

“Tut tut tut, that is not what happened, maybe the rain played some illusion or trick with your visuals, they did called for reinforcements, and I didn’t kill them, I injured them and they retreated when all of them got injured.” I clarified it to him.

“But-”

“Nope, I was there and all of what I said is what happened.” I lied.

“Okay, but damn man, you are so awesome, can I be your apprentice? Please?” He asked me, no begging me.

I laughed, “Of course…not. My life already is in the midst of danger and you wanted to attract more danger to your life? That’s some bad vibe in there” I said.

“Or we can just be friends? I really have no friends, I’m introverted and I am scrawny and I am scared of bullies and such, atleast, protect me?” He asked.

What now? I got to protect another person? You mister is making my mission very hard, “I will stay with just friends, okay?” I told him.

“Oh sure! That will be enough of me.” He said happily. And I made a friend.

We just sat there, enjoyed the good food, and watch the sun setting down to the horizon. How romantic? Yeah right, stop snickering.

“Uh hey John, you seem to read the class list, have you found a name ‘Emanuelle Elise Vertucio?’ in there?” I asked him.

He looked up as if trying to remember “Oh yes, I did. For what I know, she is the best student on the whole campus surpassing everyone in grades, sports, extracurricular and so on, she is like the school’s perfect kid. And by the way, she is just in the same class as us but was said to rarely attend class because she is so busy in school works of such. Why ask? You like her do you? Or maybe she is your girlfriend?”

“Oh, never mind, cut it.” I said.

“I wonder why are you always serious? Your life isn’t that so boring or serious right? I’m sure you’ve got a fun side right?” He asked me sounding distant.

“Yeah, sorry, I was just really tired, the battle took a toll in me, quite challenging though but yeah, just a good night’s sleep will replenish my strength back. My life is just so stressful you know.” I told him.

I checked my health in Eve’s HUD, my right arm was said to be sore from the sword fight, and also my right tricep and that my energy levels are stooping low. That sucks.

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As we have finished eating, bought a cup of Gulaman to replenish our souls fully, I told John that I will walk him to his home.

As we walked, we talked about him, his past, his backstory and everything. He said that he lived his entire life in Batangas yearning to live in Manila and experienced the city life in which I found odd because I like Batangas more than I want Manila, who will ever dislike this place? And then he told me about what life is like here in Batangas, that everyone lives by mostly farming, little office jobs and such. He said that his father died in a ship while on a storm that made him dreary eyed and that his mother and he is the only one trying to make it work out.

“Life indeed is stressful, I agree with you.” John told me in a very sad voice.

“Yes it is indeed, I’m sorry about your dad.” I told him.

“It’s okay, on life, those things really happened and that can never be avoided.” He said and then turned back into his perky attitude “Anyways, your turn!” As he looked at me.

I told him my whole life, except for all with relation to the Anakdatu, but made up the kidnapping thingy and also our family moved in here and that.

“But why would you be wanted to be kidnapped by those guys?” He asked me.

“The truth is, I do not know,” Best actor ever, I said, “but all I just got to do is survive this trial, this school year and I’m good. But hey, thank you too, I really never had friends like ever, I am introverted too but yeah, thanks.”

“Well, thank you too.” He told me with a smile.

After some time, we reached his home, it’s a bungalow, mid-class, not yet painted kind of house. I told him goodbye and off I went to my house. I didn’t get the chance to see her mother and at least did a mano.

After some more minutes again, I reached The Hut jr., said hi to the staff guy I have in there, showered for I smell like soccer fields, went to my room and changed into more comfy clothes and went to the kitchen and wolfed every food there is in there and after awhile, I am once again, golden, figuratively of course and I lied down my bed, told Eve to send the mission log today to Macabulos and after awhile, I fell asleep.

Anakdatu must have some kind of dream disorder because once again, I encountered dreams.

I was in a meeting room, somewhere in upstate Makati I guess, I lived in Makati you know. In this meeting room was a stereotypical long table, a projector screen and people sitting in chairs. But here, the people sitting in chairs are the weird part. On the chair where the boss sits is a man who looked like a very scrawny Santa Claus, like a Santa Claus who didn’t experienced Christmas, then the other four which is composed of a man and for women. They seem to be normal or I think so.

They seem to be waiting for something, like they are in a trance or in deep meditation, and their eyes are closed, but why would I dream of this.

Until Scrawny Santa opened his eyes and here is where it gets weird, it’s pure light. And he said “We wait for the right time.” And he looked at me, straight to my eyes and suddenly, fear, darkness, and all the bad things have enveloped me, “Right?” He said in a booming voice.

And suddenly, I was awake. It’s morning, and once again, back to school. Sucks.