"Stay put! Wait for us here. We'll turn you over to the captain after I talk to him. Huwag kayong gagawa ng gulo dito." RJ said then he proceeded to the barracks.
"Oh, Richard! kumusta?" sinalubong siya ng isa sa mga Scout Ranger.
"Good afternoon Captain Napoles. It's good to see you again." He shook his hand but his mind is still on what he saw when he opened the door for her. Nothing really beats the element of surprise.
He was still distracted as he was led to the HQ office of the camp where he was introduced to Apo Kalo, the elder from the Mangyan village waiting to welcome them. May kasama din ang matanda na mga katutubo na tutulong para buhatin ang mga supplies na dala nila papunta sa village.
"Kuya Jose, pakituro sa kanila yung mga bubuhatin sa likod ng pickup. Pakihanda na rin po mga gamit natin. Aalis tayo in 30 mins."
Bumulong si Jose. "Paano yung mga kasama natin? Seryoso ka ba na iiwanan natin sila dito?"
"Kuya Jose, huwag makulit, pinag-usapan na natin 'to. ." RJ said rather impatiently.
"Baka makalusot lang naman."
The captain returned. "Richard, just for formalities, paki-sign na lang itong DENR forms, kami na magfile. Saka itong logbook namin. Sinulat ko na yung pangalan n'yong tatlo pero napansin ko na may mga bago kayong kasama. Mukhang mga baguhan yata?"
And just like that, RJ made up his mind to bring them along. "Aaah, mga junior staff from the agency at mga pamangkin ni Commissioner Dominguez. Hindi kami makahindi Cap. OJT yung isa sa university. Aalalayan na lang namin sa trek."
He paused in writing their names. The guy's name he knows from the ID but the girl, Meng? Hope that he's not committing perjury if he got her name wrong. Sino gagamit ng first name na Meng, mas lalo naman ang Menggay!
"Here you go Captain. Kasabay ba namin sila?" Pointing to the group of Mangyans who are also preparing to leave.
"Iba ang dadaanan nila Apo Kalo dahil sa mga dala nila. Mas madali yung trail pero mas malayo. Mag-iiwan na lang sila ng guide para sumama sa inyo at maghihintayan na lang kayo sa isang lugar. Alam na ng guide n'yo kung saan."
"Thank you Cap, till next time" He tapped the captain on the shoulder as he shook his hand.
The "intruders" were nowhere to be found when RJ returned to the spot where he parked the pickup truck but kuya Jose and kuya Wally are already preparing their backpacks for the trek.
"O asan po yung dalawa? Sabi ko huwag umalis dito. Paano ba yan, ngayon pa lang matitigas na ulo!"
"Relax lang, Tisoy. Andiyan lang yan.. Bakit mo hinahanap? Diba iiwan naman natin sila dito?"
"Tawagin mo na Kuya Jose, sabihin mo aalis na tayo."
"Weh, seryoso ka? Ibig sabihin isasama na natin sila? Wala nang bawian yan ha! Wally, tawagin mo na bilis, bilis, bilis!"
Jose turned to face him again, still not believing that he changed his mind. "Yung totoo, Tisoy, magtapat ka. Bakit pinapasama mo na sila?"
"Huwag mo na akong kulitin kuya Jose at baka magbago isip ko."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meng
Tama ba narinig ko? Stay put? Eh kung stay put ko kaya mukha mo? Ano ko bata? Tapos, iiwan mo lang naman kami dito?
YOU ARE READING
Of Love, Signs and Logic (Completed)
FanfictionWhat if aside from being worlds apart, one acts on impulse and believe in signs and the other depends on logic? This is an alternate universe (AU) where it's Maine who's the celebrity and Richard is a private citizen and not a fan. In fact he doesn'...
