#5: Bartender, Physician, Keepers

Mika's POV

"Hello? Earth to Mika. Are you there?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and saw a hand waving in front of my face. I craned my neck to my right and saw Jamaica smiling, her elbows at the counter.

"Stop that." I said when she didn't stopped waving.

She put down her hand. "You okay?" she asked.

I crunched my eyebrows. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Kanina ka pa kasi tulala diyan."

We're here at Neon Night, the Celestial's Headquarters. It's an underground sanctuary from which Celestials like us hang-out. The first celestial members or the Firsts as to what we call them, made it with mini-restobar as its theme. It got a bar counter, a stage with instruments, and crews like bartenders and waitresses. But I rather call it Antique Night. This place is full old stuff, you see. From the chairs, the tables, to the wooden floor and the lamps that kept this place aglow. It's more homely and got that Historical vibe like the ones you feel in Intramuros. Not your typical hype-vibe restobars we got at the city but I like it more.

I shrugged. "Everyone's got their own way to waste their time."

"At mas napili mong titigan 'yang kape mo?"

I looked at my half-empty cup and touched it. It's gone cold.

"Yeah." I answered as I looked at her.

She nodded a few times. "Sabi mo e."

"Oh, let her be, Aica."

We looked at Flare who was wiping the shots with a white cloth while grinning. She's wearing her bartender uniform and tied her silver hair up in a ponytail. Inikot ni Jamaica ang upuan niya at humarap sa bar counter.

"Not all day you would see her enjoy someone's company." she commented as she put the shot down and took another one.

"At ano ako sa tingin mo?" turo ni Jamaica sa sarili niya.

"I think I've said enjoy." Flare said, emphasizing the word enjoy.

"So hindi ako masaya kasama, ganun?"

Flare smirked. "Hindi naman talaga 'yun ang ibig kong sabihin pero parang ganun na nga."

Jamaica looked at her in disbelief. "Wow, grabe. In my face?"

"Yeah." she took another shot and wiped it. "Bakit? Na-offend ba kita?"

"Hinde, hinde." she said sarcastically.

Flare grinned at her before looking at me and firing a wink. I rolled at my eyes at her before Jamaica stood up grumpily.

"Oy, Elisse! Penge nga ako chocolate!"

"AYAW!"

"Pampaalis ng bitterness," Flare said while nodding. "Good choice, Jamaica!"

"Shut up!"

I shook my head and took a sip from my cold-blooded coffee. Flare Cruz, she's the bartender at this bar. She's much older than us and most likely to be the sister of this family. Always low-profile but still got that sense of childness in her.

Lumapit si Jamaica kay Elisse na nanonood ng T.V. habang kumakain ng chocolote bar.

"Pahingi ako."

"Eh?! Ayoko nga! Bumili ka ng sa'yo!"

"Dali na! Ang damot naman e!"

"Ayoko nga!"

Kierra was nowhere to be found but I'm pretty sure she's upstairs, sleeping. I glanced over Jean who was at the corner, typing something on her laptop. Probably another prototype for the night vision lenses we're wearing. I knew her well enough that she would spend all available time she's got in her hands working on a project until it was perfected. So much for being a perfectionist.

We ain't really got a lot of time in our hands, Jean and I. Just yesterday, we handled a smuggling case at Cebu. Apparently, we just came back from an important meeting with some clients that day. It was a close call. We were heading back at Axel Base 3 to handle the Montereal's case when CEO Ruiz gave us information about the illegal transactions happening at Axel's branch at Cebu. And so, we got not much of a time to steal a nap and headed here as fast as we could. Unfortunately, I took Modafinil on our way to stay awake.

"Maiba ako, bakit nga pala Vallera ang last name ni Jack kung magkapatid pala sila?" tanong ni Jamaica pagkabalik niya sa tabi ko.

Nahagip ng mata ko ang bukol sa ulo niya. Elisse gave her a solid. I took another sip from my coffee.

"They're not really brothers. At least, not biologically."

We looked at the person who spoke. Her brown hair gently swayed when she took the seat beside Jamaica.

"They were friends at the orphanage." Ji-an said as she take a shot glass.

"What do you mean?" Jamaica asked.

She put some ice cubes on her glass. "Their parents left them when they were children and eventually found themselves at the orphanage. There were many of them but Jack and James seemed to be the only ones who understand each other. And so," she slid the glass at the bar counter which Flare received. "They supported each other and treated themselves as brothers."

After putting Vodka, Ji-an's favorite drink, Flare slid the glass at the bar counter once again and Ji-an received it without looking.

"Same old cliche non-brother stories." she said before facing the counter and taking a sip.

Ji-an Kint, the Celestial's personal physician. She wasn't really active most of the times and would rather spend her time drinking even in broad daylight. Not that she's not doing her job, it's just that we usually avoid having wounds that needed medication. Well, she's enjoying it though.

"Pero.. Bakit naman sila umalis sa ampunan?"

Ji-an shook her glass while answering. "Orphanage can be pretty terrifying, you know? Those walls would either help you, protect you... Make you feel secured. Make you feel at home." she looked at us. "Or it would lock you up.. Hide you from other people. Trap you so that no one could help you as they do inhuman acts."

"Ahh.. Physical abuse."

Ji-an tapped Jamaica's head while nodding. "Tama. Tumatalino ka na Jamaica."

"Tch," sabay tabig sa kamay niya. "Dami mo pang sinabi, 'yun lang pala."

"Well, so much for being a drama queen." Flare commented.

"Shut up. At least I get to spend my words with sense." she looked at Jamaica. "No offense, Jamaica."

Jamaica looked at her in disbelief. "So nonsense pala ang mga sinasabi ko,ganon?"

"Truth hurts." Ji-an said and finished her drink.

Jamaica looked away while gritting her teeth. She can't deny that though.

"Where'd you get that information?" I asked.

"Actually, a psychiatrist friend of mine told me about it." she asked Flare for more Vodka before looking at me. "Sabi niya, madalas raw pumunta sa kanya si Jack at bigyan siya ng mga mamahaling gamit at laruan na lagi naman niyang tinatanggihan. Nanliligaw na pala sa kanya. And then, one time, Jack came to her for a different reason. Jack pleaded for her to listen to his story. So, she did."

I nodded a few times.

-...at sa hindi inaasahang paraan nahuli ang dalawang magnanakaw.-

"Oh? Nasa T.V. na sina James o!"

Napalingon kami sa sinabi ni Elisse at pinanood ang balita. Nakilala ko ang building ng Axel Base 3 sa likod nila na pinaradahan ng mga police car sa harap.

-Ang inaakalang mga wala ng buhay ay nakatulog lang pala. Kasama ng mga suspek ang 14 pang mga di pa nakikilang mga lalaki. Sugatan ang mga ito at ang iba'y malubha ang kalagayan...-

"Ugh, you did that, didn't you?" tanong ni Ji-an habang nakaturo sa mga lalaking bali-bali ang mga kamay at braso.

Jamaica smirked.

Ji-an shook her head. "You really have no self-control."

She shrugged. "It was

-.. At patuloy pa rin ang imbestigasyon. Ito po si Dos Dausdos, nagbabalita live dito sa Axel Base 3.-

We averted our gaze from the T.V before I heard Mickey Mouse's voice. Elisse must've switched to other channel.

"Serves them right." Jamaica breathed out.

"Ano?!"

We looked at the red door, a few inches away from Jean, and saw a drunken old woman with scrunched eyebrows while holding a booze.

"Anong ini-ingles ingles mo diyan!" sabi nito sa'ka lumapit kay Jamaica habang pagewang-gewang.

Jamaica pinched her nose. "Ugh, you stink."

"Tagalog plish!"

"Wala," sagot ni Jamaica. "Sabi ko ang baho niyo." she mumbled.

"Aba! Sinisigawan mo ba 'ko?!"

"Kayo 'yung sumisigaw 'no!"

"Wala kang galang bata ka a!"

"Opo, wala po talaga." she answered impatiently while rubbing her nape.

"Ikaw, sumasagot ka na a!"

"Ah! Aray! Lola Abel! Aray ko!" daing ni Jamaica habang patuloy na kinukurot ang tenga niya.

"Ang bata-bata mo pa marunong ka nang sumagot?! Ha?!"

"Ah! Aray! Anong bata! Ah! Nineteen na ako no! Aray!"

"Ha?! Anong auntie ka na?! Ikaw!"

"Aray! Anong auntie?! Nineteen! Aray! Bitawan niyo na 'ko! Aray!"

We grinned at the sight. Even though Lola Abel is shorter than Jamaica, she can easily control her by her ears.

"Hoy, tulungan niyo naman ako!"

"Bahala ka d'yan." it's Flare.

Jamaica looked at me but I took a sip and looked away. Don't look at me, mate.

"Hoy, lasenggera!"

"Manigas ka." sagot ni Ji-an saka umakyat sa hagdanan.

"Aray, Lola Abel!"

"Maangas kang bata ka a!"

"Hoy, Abel!"

Lumabas naman si Lolo Kipel mula sa pulang pinto na mukhag naka-inom na rin. Pagewang-gewang niyang nilapitan si Lola Abel habang nakalukot ang mukha. Tumigil naman sa paghila sa tenga ni Jamaica si Lola Abel pero 'di niya ito binitawan at hinarap si Lolo Kipel.

"Di'ba sabi ko sa'yo 'wag kang sisigaw?!" sabi ni Lolo Kipel.

"Ano?! Sumigaw ako?!"

"Huwag kang sumigaw!"

"Ha? Sigawan kita?!"

"Tumigil ka sa pagsigaw!"

"Patayin ko 'yung sigaw?!"

"Aray!" it's Jamaica.

Napahilamos na lang sa mukha si Lolo Kipel. "Wala, bayaan mo na." sabi niya habang winawagayway ang kamay niya.

Napatingin siya sa'kin at napatigil sandali na para bang inaalala niya ko. Maya-maya pa'y lumaki ang mata niya at tinuro ako.

"O! Si Mika pala 'to e!" sabi niya.

Napangiti na lang ako. Kinalabit niya si Lola Abel na umiinom ng alak.

"Hoy, Abel."

Ignored.

"Hoy, Abel. Si.. Hoy." kinalabit niya ng mas malakas

Ignored.

"Abel, si Mi--Hoy!"

Bigla namang nabuga ni Lola Abel ang alak sa mukha ni Lolo Kipel. Pinunasan niya 'yun ng kamay niya at sinimangutan si Lola Abel.

"Salamat a."

"Hehehe." ang tanging sagot ni Lola Abel.

"Hoy, Abel. Si Mika.. Mamaya na nga 'yan." sabi niya at kinuha ang alak kay Lola Abel ng tangkang iinom muli ito.

"Ano ba?! Umiinom 'yung tao e.." angal niya at aagawin sana ang alak.

"Tumigil ka. Hampas ko sa'yo 'to." hinarap niya si Lola Abel sa'kin.

"ARAY!"

I heard Flare giggled.

"Oh, Mika! Ikaw pala!"

I nodded. Tiningnan lang niya ako ng ilang minuto bago agawin muli ang alak kay Lolo Kipel.

"Hoy, kamustahin mo naman siya!" sabi ni Lolo Kipel.

"Ha? Kamusta ako? Aym payn, tenk yow!"

"Hinde! Halika.." sabi ni Lolo Kipel at lumapit sa tenga niya.

"Ano?! Halikan kita?! Pwe! Kakasuka!"

Binatukan naman ng mahina ni Lolo Kipel si Lola Abel. "Halikan ka diyan. Tanda-tanda mo na, hahalik ka pa."

Binulong naman ni Lolo Kipel sa kanya na kamustahin niya ako. It's hilarious to hear Lolo Kipel's whisper but loud enough for us to hear. Oh? Lola Abel gave him a thumbs-up and smiled at me. She motioned her hand and told me to come near her. So I did.

"Ang baho ng hininga niya."

I snorted at what she said. Lolo Kipel didn't seem to hear it as he walk to the record player and played some old music.

"Abel, halika! Sayaw tayo!" yaya ni Lolo Kipel.

"Huh? Sayaw? Sige ba!" sabi niya sa'ka lang binitawan si Jamaica.

"Aray." sabi ni Jamaica at hinawakan ang tenga niya.

"Yoohoo!"

We looked at the red door for the third time and saw a drunk Lola Anita who was then holding a booze.

"Oh, Mika! Right in time!"

She tipsily went towards us and took the seat beside Jamaica. She took a glass, put some ice cubes on it and poured some of the wine she's holding.

"Try this! Sunset Rum."

"Oy, mukhang masarap!" Jamaica said and was about to take the glass.

Eventually, she earned a slap in the hand for that, in which she returned with an Ouch. Lola Anita pushed it towards me and smiled.

One that I liked about this place was their drinks. They have their wine cellar loaded with vintage wines. Rare ones, that is. Undeniably satisfying. Also, they have these records from which the keepers collected way back in their days. Making you wonder about what happened during World War II. There were three keepers namely Lolo Kipel, Lola Anita, and Lola Abel. They watched over this place for decades and is still under their care. They're not really understanding but they're good listeners. And trust me, if you need a drinking buddy, they are the best ones.

"Sorry, Lola Anita but I have to pass for now." I said as I push the glass towards Jamaica. "I have classes to attend to."

Jamaica looked at it with wide eyes and excitement. I smiled at Lola Anita's pouting and finished my drink.

"Aww, okay." Lola Anita replied as she take the glass and drank it before Jamaica could even do so.

I stood up and bid goodbye to Flare and Jamaica who was then dumb-founded. I walked towards Lola Anita who passed out after drinking the shot and took the bottle. I poured it at the empty glass and pushed it towards Jamaica who quickly looked at me.

I smirked. "Straight." I said and Jamaica gulped it in one go.

"Whoo!"

I shook my head at her reaction. I bid goodbye to Elisse while I glance at Lola Abel and Lolo Kipel who was swaying against the romantic rhythm the record player's playing. Jean hid her laptop at her bag and followed me as I open the red door.