She Was Here

Chapter 3

I resumed and stopped when I reached the known convenience store, a sari-sari store, before the official start of the trail. It is also the last house hikers will pass by.

But I wasn't able to make it out of the dark at first. I didn't even know something was in there until I heard dogs barking. This time, I didn't run. I learned my lesson. Also, it's dark, I wouldn't know where to run.

The place is no longer surrounded by tall grass but trees. Tall trees. My eyes have now fully adjusted to the dark that I can see the contrast between the sky and the leaves and tree branches.

I slowed down as I heard the dogs getting near. Then I see it, the house with the sari-sari store. Someone lit a lamp inside. The door opened and a silhouette of an old lady appeared on it. She scolded the dogs and they stopped after she repeated a few times.

I greeted her. A polite 'good evening'.

Another silhouette appeared behind her. An old man. I gave him the same polite 'good evening'.

They stepped out and after pleasantries, I was ordering a cup of coffee and cup noodles. I sat down by the table outside, in front of their house, willing to wait as they boil water for the instant coffee and cup noodles for me. This is not a café or a restaurant that people go to in the city, but still, it is nice.

"Are you alone?," the old lady asked as she set down the cup of hot coffee in front of me which was followed by the cup noodles already filled with hot water, but with the lid still on, kept close by a stainless fork placed over it.

I mumbled a 'thank you' before answering her question. "Yes."

She nodded. "Well, the trail is not hard to find. You won't get lost."

The old man, her husband, nodded in agreement. "You can bring one of the dogs," he said.

I stifled a cough as the coffee went in the wrong pipe. A dog. I remembered the three mad dogs running after me only moments ago. I would have refused politely, but I looked at the dog that the old man motioned with a nod.

It was sitting near my feet, beside the table, looking up at me. Its tail was wagging and its round eyes were looking at me expectantly. I couldn't tell if it was trying to convey a message to me that says "take me, take me", or just plainly waiting for me to give it food. Either way, he looked harmless enough, so I ended up not refusing at all.

I finished my coffee and cup noodles. I remained seated by the table, taking a bit of rest before resuming the trek.

I looked at the tarpaulins hanging opposite the house, wondering what their purpose are, wondering what they're covering up, but I looked closer and found out that they're actually banners. They were banners of different mountaineering groups and clubs.

SILAKAN OUTDOORS. CF MOUNTAINEERS. LAYAG MALAYA BACKPACKERS. BYAHENG LOKAL. FLAMINGO OUTDOORS. BUSOG MOUNTAINEERS.

Those are just some of them. There is even one that says 'happy birthday' with a photo of a girl on it. There are a lot of those banners. A lot that they are covering space as wide as a billboard.

People tend to leave something--a mark, a sign--to indicate that they've been there. Sometimes it's a banner. Sometimes it's a shoe.