Papercut Hearts

Kabanata 1

Tatlong araw na ako rito sa isla, ninanamnam ang sariwang hangin at napaka gandang lugar. May mangilan-ngilan din akong mga turistang nakikita, madalas mga banyaga. Hulyo kase at hindi peak season kung kaya't 'di ganoon kagulo.

Muli akong sumisid. Ilang minuto din ako naglagi sa ilalim ng tubig at umangat ng pa-floating ang position at hinayaang sumabay sa ugoy ng alon ang aking katawan. I just kept my body light and didn't move at all.

It feels so good.

Ilang minuto din ako sa ganoong posisyon nang maramdaman kong may lumapit sa kinaroroonan ko kaya idinilat ko ang mga mata ko at bumungad ang lalakeng banyaga na naka-shades na nakatayo sa gilid ko.

"Damn! I thought you drowned!" He said and walked away again at doon ko napansin na medyo nasa mababaw na ako na parte ng dagat.

Umahon ako at sinundan ng tingin ang lalakeng banyaga na pumasok sa katabing cottage kung saan ako tumutuloy. Nang tuluyan na syang nakapasok sa loob, guilt started to creep inside me.

Did I look like I drowned? So without hesitations, pinulot ko ang beach towel na iniwan ko sa sandbar and wrapped it around my waist at isinuot ang tsinelas.

I knocked on his cabin door three times, thinking what to say, then the door opened. Wala na syang suot na shades this time and I can see his piercing green eyes. They're beautiful, yes, but that's not what I came for. He gave me that 'what-can-I-do-for-you' look.

"Hmm.. I just want to say sorry." I managed to say

He raised his brow while giving me a deadly cold stare

"Next time, if you wanna die, choose another place." Then he shut the door to my face.

Wow! What. An. Asshole! He's mad because he thought I'm trying to commit suicide in this beautiful place? I wasn't even trying to kill myself! I'm an experienced swimmer so what I did was like nothing!

Nakakainis! At dahil sa inis ko kumatok ako ulit sa pintuan.

"What?!" He asked with a bored tone.

"Next time don't assume!" I shout at his face and marched back to my cottage and shut the door loudly. Ugh! What a good way to ruin a vacation!

Dinner came and the thought of that arrogant green-eyed monster is making me mad. Good thing though I haven't seen him all day which is a good consolation after ruining my day.

"Ma'am, may kailangan pa po ba kayo?" Tanong sakin ng lalakeng waiter matapos nyang ilapag ang mga pagkaing inorder ko.

"Wala na. Salamat!" sabay ngiti at umalis na ito.

And one of the good things I love about this place is their food! It tastes so good! I feel like I gained some weight already because I can't stop eating.

Sarap na sarap ang kain ko ng seafood habang nakakamay. Isusubo ko na sana ang crab legs ng may biglang umupo sa mesang kasunod ng sa akin at nagtagpo ang aming mga tingin.

The green-eyed monster!

He smirked while looking at me in a funny way before another guy sat in front of him completely blocking my view.

What's so funny? Napaka-antipatiko talaga ng foreigner na yun! Sa inis ay nakagat ko ang crab legs ng napakalakas feeling ko nabungi ako. This is so not a good day!

Kinabukasan napagpasyahan kong mag-scuba diving.

"Ma'am, 30 minutes lang po ang kaya ng oxygen nyo, 'wag nyo po kalimutan, bumalik po kayo dito bago po kayo maubusan ng hangin" sabi ng diving instructor ko.

Tumango ako at bumitaw sa pagkakahawak sa bangka upang sumisisid. Scuba diving ang isa sa mga dinadayo sa islang ito dahil sa napakagandang coral landscape na meron ito and it did not disappoint me.

It's so beautiful! It looks like an underwater garden. Mga corals at iba pang makukulay na halamang dagat ay nagmistulang mga bulaklak na sumasabay sa galaw ng tubig.

Ang mga isda ay iba't ibang klase, yung tipong akala mo sa telebisyon mo lang makikita. Namamangha ako habang nililibot ko ang aking paningin. What a beautiful creation!

May nakita akong maliit na seahorse sa 'di kalayuan, ngayon pa lang ako nakakita nito kaya di ko napigilang sundan ang napaka-cute na hayop. Ang cute nitong lumangoy. I saw it entered a small cave and saw other tiny seahorses around it, too. Natutuwa akong nakamasid sa kanila at sa iba pang mga isdang dumadaan sa aking harapan.

I could stay here forever and watch them, be with them but I could feel that my tank is running out of oxygen so I uttered a silent good bye to the sea creatures and started swimming back up.

As soon as I reached the surface I took my mask off and inhaled deeply. I will do this again. It was such a great experience.

Inikot ko ang paningin ko at hinanap ang pinanggalingan kong bangka and it's nowhere to be found! Fear started to creep inside me because I felt alone in the middle of the ocean.

Okay, Gabrielle. Take a deep breath. You know how to swim so you'll survive. You'll live.

Nagsimula akong lumangoy papunta sa may pampang na di kalayuan kung nasan ako. Nasa kalagitnaan ako ng paglangoy ng bigla kong naramdaman ang paninigas ng isang paa ko.

Shit! Not now, please!

I swam faster but I could feel my feet giving up and my body started to panic. I'm gonna die in the middle of nowhere and no one will find me!

And it hit me, I'm really gonna die. I didn't ask for it but maybe then if I die I could be with him. The thought of being with him comforted me.

Tumigil ako sa paglaban at hinayaan kong lamunin ako ng dagat.

Maybe it's not a bad place to die. Maybe in the dark abyss is where I'd find my happiness.

As I continue to drift deeper and deeper I watch the beautiful sea creatures pass in front of me again. I closed my eyes and smiled, this is the end of my story.