Unwelcomed Acquaintance

i was at the mall the other day cause I was looking for something… something. I entered this shop which sells locally made shirts, cebuano humor printed over your tee which you can strut around for people to see read.

Anyway, i was enjoying my solitude then, walking around by my own, mentally going over my list of things-i-need-to-buy in my head. I was in my very comfortable slippers, which made all the walking even more comfortable. Mura ra ko ug naa sa sala. 🙂

The moment i stepped in the shop, this very irritating voice just boomed out of nowhere, “Diiiiaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

Now who the heck was that?! I thought.

Then he came near me, arms wide open in a gesture of a hug.

In my shock (and reflex!) i took a step back and almost duck just to prevent being enclosed in an impending doom!

I am a friendly person. I am a people person (unless you make me talk in front of a crowd, then that’s another story). I don’t categorized people or rank them or label them. But not at that moment! I have to summon every ounce of willpower not to scurry my way out of the shop.

I really don’t like this guy. I’ve met him a few years ago when I helped out a friend on some articles for one of Cebu’s local sites. I’ve never been comfortable around him. There’s just something off about him.

Then for the life of me, he started joining the church where I am a part of. And even if I am not really that giddy around him, I don’t show it off that obvious. I don’t snob at him. I am civil to him when we talk, or rather when he talk. I even smile! I nod my head as a sign of respect, as he rattles on how his day went, or what he’s been up to, or when the time his relatives came for a visit! God knows how many times he told me every time he moves to a new place or updates his number, (and he really sees to it that i update his number on my contact list!).

Once before, we happened to ride the same Jeepney, and he immediately looked for something inside his wallet. I thought he was just gonna get some money and offer to pay for my fare, but no, he took a 1×1 photo of himself and give it to me! Waaaaah! Other passengers started looking at me!

Okay, now back to the shop…

He must have noticed that i inched away from him, but that didn’t erased that sleazy smirk off his face.

I don’t mean to demean anybody, but please, brushing your teeth is really a GOOD sign of proper hygiene! (Writing about it now makes me remember that thick yellowish deposits so visible in between his teeth! Good Lord help!)

He asked what I’ve been up to lately, I just answered a very lame “same old, same old”.

He tried to pass on a joke saying I’m such a shopping freak, mentioning the stuff I was holding in my hand, and continued talking while i was just counting seconds in my head before I dash out of there! Oh why do I have to cross path with him again after all these years.

He asked for the mobile number of a common friend, and I immediately lied that I changed my phone and lost all my contacts. Hah! He then asked if he can have my number instead, I looked at him and said “No” and went out of the shop, and pray to God that I won’t see him again, and if possible for the rest of my life.