The Road Trip

Chapter 4: Welcome to Argao

All the while I drove to Argao, I was just quiet and was happy that this bastard sitting beside me was keeping his mouth shut. Buti alam niya na kailangan niyang manahimik.  I was just happy in my quiet little bubble when  he started to scream. Out of surprise, I sent the car in a swiveling motion and finally got it to a stop with the tires screeching for its life. He was just laughing the whole time. Kaloka tong gung-gung na to ha! Gusto pa yatang maaksidente kami!

"What the heck is your problem?" I screamed as I got my nerves back. 

He looked at me as if I was some kind of mad woman. I was breathing rapidly with both of my hands on the wheel. Then the creep broke into a huge smile. 

"Finally! You've said something."

"What?!"

" I just wanted you to talk to me and now you are!"

Oh Lord, help me.

"And you think this is funny? Me driving in circles just to get me talking to you is funny? Didn't you think that the stunt you just pulled could have cost us our lives?"

"I was just trying to lighten the mood up."

I was at the brink of pulling all my hair our. Was this guy for real? Was he from Mars? I wasn't sure anymore. Ninang Angie made a huge mistake of letting this guy come here. 

"I shouldn't have agreed to any of this!" And the truth just came out naturally. Yeah.

"Look, I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to get us into trouble. I-"

"Shut up!"

I started to drive again without any word. I want to go home now. I want to just stay in my studio and paint whatever it is that I want to paint. And I can't believe that my Mom agreed to this! Thankfully we arrived at the beach house thirty minutes later. 

I saw Mamita's face with a huge grin accompanied by some of my cousins.  How was I supposed to tell her that I wasn't in a mood for a chit-chat? I got out of the car after pulling up not minding Travis stares at me. 

"Apo ko! Give your Mamita a kiss!" she greeted with arms wide open. 

Out of courtesy and being a very good apo, I went up to my Mamita and kissed her on the cheek and immediately went inside the house. She tried to call me but I ignored her. 

Mamita can handle that good-for-nothing man anyway.  

My room was on the second floor of the beach house. I had big windows overlooking  the peaceful waters of the beach in front of the house. The day was bright and the water sparkled. I wish I could have come here for a different reason. I wish I could have come here with my... Don't dwell on the past Jackie. Sakit lang ang mapapala mo.

I heard a faint knock on the door and saw my Mamita coming in. She had a smile on her face. I suddenly felt sorry for what I did earlier to her a while ago. 

"Mamita, I'm so sorry kanina, ha? Mainit lang talaga yung dugo ko sa lalaking yun." I embraced her tightly.  Yun kasi ang dapat na ginawa ko kanina.

"It's okay, dear. Ano ba ang nangyari at galit na galit ka sa poging yun?"

We sat down on the bed and held our hands. Mamita made me talk like this. Her touch makes me feel relaxed every single time she does it. And so my tale began. I told her about what my Ninang Angie and my Mom were planning, why we ended up driving together and the accident we nearly had on the way to the beach house. 

"Eh hija, forgive him na lnag. Baka gusto ka lang niyang pasayahin."

"Mamita, we nearly got killed with the stunt that he pulled." Mamita just laughed at me and I didn't have any idea why. Napataas tuloy yung kilay ko. Feeling ko hindi niya ako siniseryoso. 

"Hay naku Jackie, I'm just happy that you're being like this again. I can remember the first time you fell in love."

"Mamita I'm not in love!"

"You just don't know it yet!" She then burst into another fit of laughter. "But seriously apo ko, I'm happy to see you again. Lunch will be done in 10."

I huffed and learned that I had to eat with the jerk again and I just wanted to avoid him but Mamita won't take no for an answer. 

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Lunch was so boring. I just sat there and listened to the goofball as he charmed his way to Mamita's heart. Mambobola talaga tong gung-gung na ito. I just rolled my eyes and thankfully he didn't see that. I twas like I never existed there. I hurried in my eating and decided to head out for  a walk in the beach. Getting my plate, I stood up when Mamita noticed me. 

"Hija, where are you going?" she asked her eyes gleaming with mischief.

"I'm done Mamita. I want to go and have a walk at the beach now."

She clapped her hands and looked at Travis, wiggling her eyebrows as she went. 

"Great idea! Why don't you and Travis go for a walk? Would you like that Trav?" Mamita looked at him with hopeful eyes. 

"Sure, why not?" 

Great. 

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I went up to my room to get changed into some comfortable shorts and a white shirt. I managed to spray some sunscreen and got my flipflops. I was ready to go to the beach. 

Getting to the gate of the beach house, I saw Travis waiting for me. He had some black wife beater shirt on him and a pair of swimming shorts and of course flipflops. He tied his hair up too in a cute top pony. Drool mode.  Wait Jackie...Focus.

"I'm ready" he said with a smile. 

"I can see that."

We both got out of the gate and headed to the far end of the beach where a little island laid. It was a favorite spot that I used to go to with my best friend Jona who was now in the Cayman Islands now for a vacation. 

"Hey," I heard him say behind me. "Look I think we both got off on the wrong foot." He came nearer to me and I wrapped my arms around me as I felt the cool breeze of the wind against me. 

He had this look of remorse on his face and I felt warmth radiating from him. He reached out his hand as if to introduce himself. "Hi, I'm Travis Norton. I am 23 years old and I am a builder and at the same the CEO of my own company. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss?"

I giggled as I thought that this was a really crazy idea. His hand was still hanging and he motioned for me to get it. "Ms. Jaqueline Althea Borromeo. You may call me Jackie for short and I am 19 and I'm a junior taking fine arts. It's nice to meet you."

We shook hands and I felt something in my chest thump so hard against my shirt. I think it was just my heart beating so fast as if it wanted to burst out  of my chest. I quickly grabbed my hand away and smiled at him. He then stood beside me and easily draped an arm around my shoulder. It brought just the right amount of warmth and it somehow made me happy. 

Was this going to be a nice three-week vacation after all?

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Dedicated to my bff in the Cayman Islands salvatore26 .... Even though we are thousands of miles apart, we are still holding on to each other... wahahah Char hun! I miss you so much... And to my avid supporters ElydiaReyes and my baby sissy matina_loves_bigbang thank you<3