Days ago, I was walking ALONE in a SECLUDED pathway pauwi sa bahay namin when an ajusshi (*it’s MANONG in Korean, by the way) called me. At dahil hindi naman MISS ang nakalagay sa birth certificate ko and I was 100% sure na di ako yun kasi wala akong halos kakilala sa lugar namin, I continued walking. But when his voice got closer, I stopped on my tracks and turned around and realized one thing: HE WAS FOLLOWING ME. *cries Han River*
The moment I turned around, I wanted to cry. Paano ba namang hindi di ba? I was going on with my normal life then suddenly someone’s following me. And not to mention na yung natigilan naming place e walang katao-tao. Huhubels. <//3 Gusto kong tumakbo away kaso naisip ko, I’m sure hahabulin ako nun e. Would that day be the end of me? Oh no.
I was thinking of the worst case scenario.
Laking thank you ko nalang kasi he stopped siguro mga isang metro layo sa’ken. Pero irregardless. He handed me a piece of folded paper, and asked for my name. I answered politely. According sa kanya, may nagpapabigay DAW nung papel at ang sabi DAW itext ko daw. WOW, DEMANDING. DI KO KINERI. Sabi ko, “Sige po.” I put the paper in my back pocket and politely took my leave. SABI KO LANG YUN.
The moment na nakauwi ako sa bahay, I unfolded the paper and laughed.
PUCHA, KARTON PA NG KATOL PINAGSULATAN NI MANONG AH. Mukha ba kong lamok? At di ko kinaya, kung makaexclamation point si Koya, WAGAS! Ayoko pa man din sa lahat, ginagamitan ako ng exclamation point. Heol~
So akala nya maniniwala ako na ibang tao ang nagpapabigay nung papel? E yung sulat palang alam mo nang hindi sa teenager or sa taong nasa early 20s ang sulat? Duh. Akala yata ni Manong, di ako marunong kumilala ng handwriting. Heol~
I put away that piece of paper and debated with myself kung ipopost ko ba yung nangyari on my SNS or not. I decided not to – unless, mauulit yung pagsunod nya sa’ken.
Which leads me to – I guess alam nyo na nangyari? Kaya may binabasa kayo ngayon kasi HE FOLLOWED ME ULIT. ;_____;
As usual, I was walking this time papunta ako dun sa school ng kapatid ko kasi malapit lang naman sa bahay kaya naglalakad lang ako.
I passed by dun sa unang incident area without any casualties kaya AKALA ko safe na ko – I was wrong. ALAM NYO YUNG NAKAKAPARANOID NA TULOY MAGLAKAD NGAYON?
I was walking peacefully when someone called my name. At paglingon ko – YUNG AJUSSHI NANAMAN. *iyak Pacific Ocean*
[non-verbatim coversation]
“Bakit di mo AKO tinext,” he said.
Gotcha. Alam kong ikaw yun kaya di kita tinext. Duh. Muka ba kong may interes sa mga ajusshi? Heol~
“Hindi pa po kasi ako nakakapagload,” I answered politely.
LIE. Lagi akong may load. Kahit di ako nakaunli, lagi akong may load in case of emergencies.
“Ay ganun ba, bigay mo nalang sa’ken number mo,” he insisted.
“Eh hindi ko po kabisado yung number ko eh,” I said.
ANOTHER LIE. I have been memorizing important phone numbers these days in case of emergencies.
“Ay ganun ba, text mo ko, sesendan kita ng load,”he offered.
TEMPTING, BUT NO. I won’t give away my privacy for prepaid load. I AM NOT THAT LOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
“Ah sige po,” then I walked away.
LIE. Hinding-hindi kita itetext.
I wanted to cry nung naglalakad ako. I was never the type of person na nakikipagkilala sa mga strangers – WELL, NOT UNLESS I DEEM THAT THEY’RE HARMLESS ENOUGH TO BE MY ACQUAINTANCE. I just don’t. I also don’t do that TEXTMATE STUFF – heol, I was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAY past that phase in my life. I was in Grade 4 yata nung nausuhan ako ng pakikipagtextmate which ended also in that year. NAKAKABORED E.
I really don’t get it why people could approach others thinking na gusto or willing makipagkilala yung other person. I don’t even get it that they expect me to remember their faces.
Like the other day, it was morning naman. And yet again, I was walking kasi inihatid ko yung kapatid ko.
When I was about to pass by a certain ajusshi (*other than kay Manong #01~), he began walking. So ako naman, I was unsuspecting. Normal lang sa tao na maglakad di ba? So continued walking, not minding the ajusshi in front of me – WELL, NOT UNTIL HE SPOKE TO ME.
[Non-verbatim conversation]
Oh, a brethren. I was A BIT relieved.
“Dito pa din ba kayo nakatala,”he continued.
“Ako kasi di na ko nakakasamba dito sa local natin e,” he continued talking.
I was hearing what he’s saying BUT I’M NOT LISTENING.
“Hindi mo ba ko natatandaan?,”he asked.
“Ako yung nagbabantay sa kapilya natin jan,” he continued.
SO? KELANGAN KO BANG KABISADUHIN LAHAT NG TAO NA NAKIKITA PAG SUMASAMBA AKO? Heol.
“Ay ganun po ba? Di ko masyadong matandaan eh,” I politely answered back.
LIE. HINDI KO TALAGA MATANDAAN.
Then, thank God (!) inabot na naming yung likuan which means WE HAVE TO PART WAYS. HAHAHAHHAHAHAH =))))))))))))
He was saying something, but I was already walking away.
Sigh. And by this point, I want to congratulate myself for being diplomatic enough with dealing them. *pats self at the back*
Practice na ba ‘to para once na nagtrabaho ako sa airport e I would know how to deal with difficult people? Okay, I’ll put it that way para less creepy sa side ko.
And can someone please tell me:
HOW TO GET AWAY FROM – OR BETTER YET- GET RID OF THOSE CREEPY AJUSSHIS?
