"Good morning, Jude." She greeted me. Suot niya ay simpleng asul na dress lang na hanggang tuhod. She's too simple and yet too pretty.
"Good morning." I smiled at her.
"Lika na." Yakag niya. Sinundan ko siya habang naglalakad papasok ng shuttle. May kaba sa dibdib ko pero normal lang naman siguro iyon. This is actually the first time I will be away from the guys after seven years. Hindi naman kasi nila ako hinayaang mag-isa, maliban na lang kung pupunta ako sa La Union at dadalawin siya roon.
I went inside the shuttle and looked for Arielle. Doon iya nakaupo sa may pantalo sa dulo. She waved at me. Naglakad ako papunta sa kanya at naupo sa tabi niya. I felt awkward. Hindi ko alam. Kinakabahan talaga ako.
"Kumain ka ba kanina, Jude?" She asked me. Her voice was calm and sweet. Nakaka-relax marinig.
"I'm good. Ikaw, kumain ka ba?"
"Oo. The girls made me something to eat kagabi bago ako umuwi. Ang bait ng mga friends mo talaga. Akala ko hindi ko sila makakasundo but Yella and Bernice and Georgina of course, Leira made me feel so at home. Mami-miss ko sila pagbalik ko ng States. I also promised them that I will keep on touch."
Hindi naman nagtagal ay umadar na ang na ang shuttle. According to her, it's a three hour drive papuntang Bataan and from the city proper, another one hour papuntang Las Casas. Hindi ko alam ang lugar na iyon – basta sasama ako. It's the risk that I am taking and I am ready – really ready to try it with her.
Tahimik lang ako sa byahe. Napansin kong madaldal pala si Arielle. She told me stories about her parents, about her brother – Aladdin, who died very young and about her friends. Na-realize kong halos pareho lang kaming dalawa. We love and hate the sea. I love it because it reminds me of her, but I also hate it because it reminds me of what I have lost.
"But most of the times, I hate it, but I love the idea of being a mermaid pero ang childish noon. When my brother died, I got really sad, when I turned sixteen, I realized that wishing to be a mermaid is a childish dream. Kung minsan ay gusto ko pa rin pero hindi na tulad noon na talagang iniisip kong sirena ako. It's funny because I stopped eating fish then, pero ngayon, I so love sea foods. Ikaw anong favorite food mo?"
"Anything that Leira cooks, it's my favorite." Sagot ko sa kanya.
"Masarap nga magluto si Leira. I like her sinigang. Masarap magluto ng sinigang si Mommy, hindi ako kumakain ng ibang sinigang but when I tasted Leira's may second runner up na." She even giggled. Salita lang siya nang salita and the more she opens her mouth, mas nakikilala ko siya. Hindi naman nagtagal ay napansin kong natahimik siya, when I looked at her, nakita kong tulog na tulog na siya at nakasandal iyong ulo niya sa bintana. I breathed out deeply. I put my arm around her to pull her closer. Nakasandal na siya ngayon sa dibdib ko. All I could do was look at her. Iyong puso ko, tumitibok ng pabilis. Naalala ko tuloy si Ido, iyong sinabi niyang kailangan kong maramdaman iyong rush...
And I asked myself, is this the rush?
I am now realizing so many things, na hindi naman sila magkatulad. Arielle is so different from her. Sa hindi ko maipaliwanag na dahilan, alam kong magkaiba silang dalawa at alam kong unti-unting nawawala sa akin iyong kaisipan na naaalala ko sa kanya ang nakaraan.
We arrived at Las Casas at nine in the morning. Hindi ko alam kung nararapat ko na ba siyang gisingin because she seemed to be really tired pero sinenyasan na kami noong driver so I have no choice but to wake her up. She stirred slowly and opened her eyes. Tumingala siya sa akin, sa isang simpleng tingin na iyon ni Arielle, bumilis ang tibok ng puso ko na para bang lalabas na iyon sa katawan ko. She smiled.
Challenge # 13
Magsimula sa umpisa
