"You done?"
I almost jumped in shock when he appeared behind me. I immediately turned to him and then nodded softly.
"Sorry for the inconvenience. I'll just wait for the rain to subside so you won't take me,” I said to him while looking at him staring at me from head to toe.
I saw him simply bite his lower lip and then run his hand through his hair. He stopped looking at me and quickly turned his back on me.
“Stay here while waiting. I will take you,” he said simply then left.
I just followed him while still wondering why he reacted like that.
I caught up with him on the terrace of the hut sitting. He is smoking. I also noticed a bottle of beer by his side. Staring at nowhere while his jaw is clenching. He was still smoking a cigarette.
"Why do you smoke?" I could no longer restrain my curiosity about him.
"Every time I'm tired," he answered me sparingly.
“So, you’re tired? From what?” my continuation.
I heard his grin. I just watch him every time he does it. It still doesn't look up to me.
“Do you know why I stay here? Originally, I'm staying at our house in Manila,” he began.
I sat down next to the chair where he was. “Why? To rest? E, you still look so tired,” I said to him simply.
From the moment I saw those eyes of his I first noticed the tiredness forming here. The eagerness to rest just for a short period of time is strong enough for me to see how vulnerable he is right now. What is he going through?
"You're good at reading expressions, huh," he said with a smile and gulped the wine next to him.
I kept looking at him. Is he okay?
“I'm a writer, that's why... So we are here and our boss gave us a chance to find new inspiration for the new book. You, why are you here, you are from Manila?”
“To run away. You know... from the reality.”
"Ijo!"
Before I could answer, an old man introduced himself to us. He was carrying a sack and based on his clothes there was something he did to the ground because he was too muddy.
“Dad! Are you done? I told you, I'll just do it, e. Come in,” I heard him say to the old man so I stared at him.
I noticed the brightness of its eyes. I also noticed the old man's stare at me that he probably also saw.
"My friend," he said then looked at me, "Dad Henry, one of our farmers," he introduced me so I automatically smiled.
"Hello," I greeted the old man. His smile widened then he reached for the hand I held out to him. “Is this really just your friend? What a beautiful girl,” he said so I was ashamed to smile at him.
“You really are, oh. Where is Nay Mel? Just eat there inside, there is a lot of food there,” I heard him say as he led the old man inside the hut.
“You're smoking again. Stop that and it's bad for you. You are really young,” I even heard the old man say so I smiled even more.
I waited for him to return. I still can't get rid of my smiles because apart from saying that I'm so beautiful, it's obvious how much they take care of each other.
“Your place is nice. Is it yours, too?” I greeted him when he sat down next to me again.
He threw away his cigarette but opened another bottle.
“Just staying here for a while. This is for Dad Henry, I have kept them here since they lost their house due to the storm then. I am here more often than in my townhouse near the hotel,” he said while massaging his head.
"Are you okay?" I couldn't help but question him.
He tilted his head to look at me with his still wide eyes. “Can you stay here for a while?” he said in his husky voice.
I felt, even more, how tired than he is. It was obvious in his eyes how much he wanted to rest but something was holding him back.
“It's still raining. I'll go ahead when the rain stops.”
“You sound so good. It's like we know each other very well,” he told me with a laugh so I laughed too.
I also don't know why I'm safe even though we haven't met that well. It feels like we knew each other for a long time. This is not a new feeling. I also don’t know why I let him obey me with every word he says. I should have left earlier to go back to the hotel. I should have rejected him when he told me to change my clothes, but I feel that the longer we have been like this to each other, the deeper I have to go down just to get to know him better.
After a while of talking, and sharing each other's shallow stories, I decided to go back to the hotel because those two might be worried about me. He insisted to drive me back to the hotel so I did nothing. When we got there my world almost collapsed when I found out they were both gone. I received a text from Yerim right after we arrived at the hotel saying;
Yerim
Rae, I'm sorry. I really don't want to leave but there is an emergency at home. I have to go home. I'll tell you everything later. Take care, please.
I would have looked for Rafa when I received a text from her and Sebastian.
Rafaela
I told Vincent about you. They will take care of you. You should be careful. I just have something important to fix in Manila. I'm sorry, Rae.
Sebastian
I'll borrow your friend first. Take care.
I got a smirk on my face when I read their texts. What the hell was happening? Why did they leave me?!
“What’s wrong? Where are they?” I heard him ask so I scratched my head.
“They left me. They have returned to Manila.” I said to him and stormed out of that room.
-
"You don't have to do that. I'm bothering you so much,” I said shyly to him as we headed to the restaurant of hotel.
He’s insisting to be my personal tour guide because I don’t have anyone with me anymore. I was thinking of just going home just like Rafa and Yerim did, but the head of our department wouldn’t let me. I need it. Also, I don't have a valid reason to go home so they won't really allow it. I don't want to mix with other departments because I'm not that kind of person. I can not do it.
“I insist. I am not doing anything. That’s fine, there’s a festival in town tomorrow and that only happens once a year. We can go there,” I heard him say.
I heaved a sigh as I sat down. I looked at him as he sat in the chair in front of me. He said something to the waiter who approached us and then turned his gaze back to me.
He seemed so serious. He doesn't even accept what I've been saying before. I really want to stay here because this is such a beautiful place. This is the first time I have been to the province and I want to experience their life here. Simple but you will feel content.
"What are you thinking?" I heard him ask that made me blink twice. I think I stared at him for a long time.
I looked away from him and then heaved a deep sigh again.
“I don’t know... I don’t even know you. Why are you doing this?” I almost whispered a question to him.
I heard a chuckle from him. Soon after, our food arrived so I started eating because I was so hungry. I haven't eaten well before because of those two.
"I love your idea of staying strangers to each other, but with memories," he said seriously then continued to eat.
I just shrugged my shoulder. If I'll think about it more, that's no problem. He did not know me. I don't know him. I'm not from here either. So, why not?
The next day I saw him just outside the hotel waiting for me. Simply wearing these denim shorts and button-down black. He was also wearing those glasses because maybe the sun was starting to show. I can also feel the heat on my skin that used to be not because of the long clothes I was wearing.
“I decided not to bring my car so you can see everything better when we commute. What do you think?” He asked me and lead the way outside that private resort.
"All right. I'm used to commuting,” I replied sparingly to him while he was behind me.
“What you’re wearing suits you. You didn't dress like that when I first saw you,” he said in a teasing tone.
I raised a brow at him. It was a long time before I decided to wear this dress because I was not comfortable. It’s a maxi dress with the back exposed and the slit up to the legs so that’s how I felt. This is the only thing I saw earlier in my suitcase that would suit where we were going because there are probably a lot of people there. Others are concentrated swimsuits and shorts.
"I'm not asking for your opinion," I told him sideways and he just laughed.
I walked first until we could finally get out. He rode a tricycle when we got to the parking lot. I was about to go inside when he suddenly grabbed my arm so I looked at him.
“I was just kidding. Don’t be mad,” he told me softly and even took off his glasses.
I sighed when I saw his eyes again. I averted my gaze from him and finally got on the tricycle.
"All right. Let's go,” I simply answered him and waited for him inside.
I almost laughed when he barely fit because he was a big man and only a small tricycle where we are now.
"Just in town, bro," he said in an annoyed tone so I smiled even more.
A few more hours passed before we arrived. The tricycle we rode was barely passable because of so many people. When we got down, we went straight to the crowd because there was a parade going on there.
“Don’t stay away from me. You might get lost,” I heard him say in my ear before we finally got into trouble with the spectators.
It is so noisy due to the various sounds coming from the parade as well as the voices of the people talking, but I could not escape hearing the loud thump of my chest when he held my hand. I looked up to see him but he kept his back to me as I watched.
I was about to go straight in front of him so that I wouldn’t get lost, but he suddenly let me go when people started moving because they were following the parade.
"Wait! Wait — oh!” I hissed when someone bumped me and stepped on my foot.
I was devastated in my mind when he was completely out of my sight because I was being carried away by people walking by. I tried to get away from the crowd to find him but it took me so long because of so many people. That was no longer the place we stopped when I got out of the cluster so I started to get nervous. I haven't memorized this place yet! Why am I unlucky now?