The Banana Etiquette

Even though I didn't understand his weird antics and crass behavior, nakita ko ang kagandahang loob ni Lee noong isang araw when I had a flu. He didn't just give me supplies of food and medicine, but he also took care of me when I needed some things hanggang sa okay na ang lagay ko. Right now, tinitignan ko lang siyang nanonood ng video on his phone and I can slightly understand kung bakit attracted si Mathias sa kanya.

When we were kids, Mathias tended to praise the main character in Ninja Assassin because of his entrancing eyes daw which I didn't get that time kasi that person looks exactly like any other Korean guys from Boys Over Flowers, and if my memory is not playing tricks on me, I even derided him to the female character kasi bagay na bagay sila ng lalaking 'yon which resulted into a physical altercation between us.

Looking at Lee, medyo kahawig niya 'yong lalaki sa movie na 'yon – both have enticing eyes, but Lee's lips are fuller and his eyebrows are bristlier as well.

Bumalik ako sa hwisyo ko when he looked at me and frowned. "Gwapo ko, ano?" he asked before he winked his right eye.

"Asa ka," wika ko habang tinitignan siya from head to toe then I pretended to read something on my phone.

When I noticed na hindi na siya tumitingin sa akin ay tinitigan ko lamang siya and he was smiling. "Sus, ayaw mo pang aminin. Nakita mo na nga ang lahat-lahat sa akin, tapos in-denial ka pa."

Akma kong itapon ang cell phone ko sa kanya pero natigilan ako nang ma-realize kong mahal pala ito, so I just told him that if it is authorized to choke a roommate, nagawa ko na iyon sa kanya.

"Choke me, daddy," ika niya habang tumatawa while imitating the girl from the erotic video that he watched from my laptop.

Natawa rin ako sa kanya, pero bigla akong natigilan nang ma-realize kong nagiging casual na kami sa isa't isa.

I am still undecided kung itutuloy ko ba ang paglipat ng room and leave this guy here with Mathias. Lee was nice to me when I needed him the most. I should be cordial to him as well, right?

This is confusing.

"Alis muna ako ng sandali, Greyson. Huwag mong nakawin ang mga gamit ko, okay?"

Before I can even give him a cheeky comeback ay lumabas na siya ng kwarto namin. It was about thirty minutes later that I received a call from an anonymous phone number.

"Hello, who's this?" wika ko nang in-accept ko ang call niya.

"Greyson?"

"Yes, Greyson speaking. Do I know you?" tanong ko sa lalaki sa kabilang linya while frowning. How did this person get my number?

"Si Lee ito. Emergency lang. Can you come here at Jumpin' Beans Café right now?"

Lee's voice was quivering like a falling leaf. Doon ko nalaman na he was in a serious trouble. I didn't ask him any more questions aside from the location of the said café dahil nagpa-panic na ako. I immediately changed my clothes, grabbed my wallet, and left the dormitory to help him out.

Pagkapasok ko sa café na sinabi ni Lee ay hinanap ko kaagad siya, and to my surprise, he was calm and composed while reading a magazine. Nang nakita niya ako ay sinenyasan niya kaagad ako na lumapit sa table niya.

"Come sit with me," he said while smiling, then he continued to read the magazine. Nasa harap niya ay dalawang breakfast meals which include a honey glazed chicken and buttered pancakes. I just looked at him with exasperation. "Emergency, huh?" I asked him. Parang gusto ko siyang suntukin sa mukha dahil sa nagawa niya. "Aren't you going to surprise me by saying na this is all a prank?"

He scowled at me while slowly putting his magazine on the table. "Ano'ng pinagsasabi mo?"

Nanggigigil ako sa kanya. Kung pwede lang ay hinamon ko na siya ng suntukan, but this is not the right time and the right place to do it. "Meron ka bang idea kung ano ang ginawa mo? You tricked me na pumunta rito just for these stupid pancakes and a fried chicken, at eto naman ako na nagpauto sa'yo kahit na hindi pa kita lubos na kakilala."

Tumayo siya sa kanyang kinauupuan at sinandal ang kanyang mga kamay sa mesa. Pagkatapos n'on ay nilapit niya ang kanyang mukha sa akin na parang didikit na ang mukha naming dalawa. With his rusty voice, he whispered to my left ear that he was indeed having a problem.

"Then what is this?" bulong ko rin sa kanyang kanang tenga.

"Mamaya ko na sasabihin. For now just eat those stupid pancakes and a fried chicken," he sarcastically uttered while mimicking my speaking voice.

"Fine," I said before I pushed him away. When I started to take a munch on my pancake, doon pa lamang siya kumain ng sa kanya.

"So, tell me something about yourself," wika niya while chewing his food.

"Sige, I'll tell you things about myself once you're done munching your food. That's...not pleasing to look at," I said while looking at his mouth, pertaining to the way he chews it.

He sniggered at me before he said that napaka-arte kong tao. "Bagay na bagay ka sa university na papasukan mo," he added. Hindi na lang ako umimik sa sinabi niya kasi napaghalata kong 'yong matandang babae na nasa likod niya ay nakikinig sa aming dalawa.

"At Greyson, bago mo ako pagsabihan na hindi ako pleasing kumain, noong isang araw while you were sick, kitang kita ko kung paano mo isubo ang saging ko. Buong-buo talaga!"

Nabulunan ako sa sinabi niya, at nangimi ako nang nakita kong tumawa ang mga tao sa amin habang siya naman ay nakatingin lang sa kanila na parang walang nangyayari.

"Alam mo, napaka-payat mo pero ang takaw mong kumain ng saging ko. Alam mo ba ang tinatawag na banana etiquette? Kapag kumain ka ng saging, kailangan dahan-dahan lang iyan. Kailangan mong namnamin ang lasa nito at hindi 'yong sinusubo mo lang ng basta-basta 'yon. Hindi ka masasarapan kapag ganyan. Hindi ba sumasakit ang panga mo dahil doon?" he nonchalantly asked me. Hindi ko siya kayang sagutin at hindi ko rin siya kayang tignan dahil sa kahihiyan.

"Dila ang ginagamit sa panlasa at hindi tonsils, Greyson, kaya ayusin mo 'yong pagkain ng saging ko," napaka-seryoso niyang wika sa akin. Ako naman ay namumula na dahil sa mga sinasabi niya sa akin.

Tumingin ako sa paligid at halatang nagpipigil ang mga nakakarinig sa amin na tumawa. I sushed Lee nang akmang magsasalita pa siya patungkol sa banana etiquette niya, at nang napansin din niya ang mga kilos ng tao na nakarinig sa amin ay nag-slouch na lang siya sa kanyang kinauupuan at yumuko.

Pumunta ang matandang babae sa aming table at tsaka siya nagsalita. "Congratulations, hijo! Mukhang maswerte ka sa boyfriend mo," nakangiti niyang sabi kay Lee habang tinatapik ang kanyang balikat.

Nahihiyang pagngiti lang ang ginawa ni Lee sa kanya bago niya ako tignan habang nakakunot ang kanyang bibig.

Because I was dealing with an old woman and a man-child, I had the courage to tell her that we're not dating. "He's just my roommate, lola. Hindi ko po siya boyfriend. I like girls po," I said before I winked at her. Lee just laughed at me nang nakita niya akong kumindat sa matanda.

The old woman smiled at me and then she tapped my head. "You don't fall in love with the gender. You fall in love with the person," she said before she walked away. Both Lee and I nodded while arching our eyebrows because she had a point.

Nang maubos namin ni Lee ang breakfast namin ay umupo siya sa gilid ko. "Regarding sa sinabi kong emergency kanina, totoo iyon," nakabuntong hininga niyang wika sa akin with earnestness in his eyes. "Actually, Greyson, kanina ko lang nalaman na wala na palang laman ang ATM ko right after I ordered the first menu. Pinakiusapan ko lang ang crew rito na kung pwede ay hintayin na lang muna nila ang kasama ko to arrive so that I can pay for the food. 'Yong kaibigan ko sa Room 404 'yong pinakiusapan ko noong una, pero ang sabi niya ay nasa Makati siya for something important, so 'yong last resort ko na lang talaga ay 'yong tawagan ka."

Umirap ako bago ko siya kinonyat sa ulo. "Sana kasi sinabi mo kaagad para 'di na ako nag-alala pa."

Tumawa na lang siya nang sinabi niyang parang hindi ako 'yong taong pupunta sa isang lugar kapag 'di naman importante.

"Gago! Kahit na nakakaasar ka minsan ay tutulungan pa rin kita. Recompense lang sa ginawa mo sa akin the other day."

He beamed as he whispered something in Korean language. Nang naramdaman niyang nakatingin pa rin ako sa kanya ay kaagad siyang natauhan at nagsabi ng "Thank you."

After I paid for our breakfast ay sabay kaming umalis ng Jumpin' Beans Café.

"Uuwi ka na ng dorm?" tanong ko kay Lee. He didn't respond to my question. In a matter of fact, nakayuko lang siya habang may sinasabi in Korean.

"Back to you, Greyson," wika ko habang nakatingin sa kanya. Bumalik siya sa kanyang hwisyo at may binanggit siya pero hindi niya kayang sabihin 'yong buong thought.

"If you need money for your financial problem right now, just ask me lang naman. Roommates naman tayo kaya wala kang kawala sa akin," naka-smirk kong sabi sa kanya sabay sundot sa kanyang bewang. It seems like I'm getting comfortable with this person even though I've only met him for about a week ago. He's a stranger to me, but it seems like we click on certain things.

"Kung pwede lang naman," malungkot niyang sagot sa akin. "Kailangan ko lang talagang bumili ng school supplies at needs ko sa dorm. Naubos kasi ang pera ko sa enrolment process," he miserably said.

"Don't worry, sagot na kita sa school supplies at sa kailangan mo pang bilhin for now," nakangisi kong sabi sa kanya before I handed him three thousand pesos. Kitang-kita ko ang relief sa mukha niya ng hinand ko sa kanya ang pera, and that made me pleased as well.

"Oh, siya. Uwi muna ako ng dormitory. I need to do something pa. Good bye," I said while I pat his shoulder. Nang makalayo na ako ay tinawag niya ang pangalan ko.

"What?" I asked him.

"Thank you ulit," he shouted before he gave me a gigantic smirk in his face.

I was about to cross the street when he hollered my name again.

"Ano?!" I frowned this time kasi gumagawa na siya ng eksena sa kalsada.

"Don't forget the banana etiquette as well," he shouted before he did something which I suppose was an aegyo.

I laughed at his corny gesture before I waved him goodbye.

There are certain layers about Lee that I'd like to explore, and right now I've uncovered several layers of him that I like.