Riva's POV
*Beep beep*
"Pedestrian Lane!" I yelled at a driver of a red car who continously ran on my way tho Im already crossing the road. First day na first day ko ngayon sa trabaho ganito pa yung mae-encounter ko. ----- Im heading to airport right now, bumaba ako kanina sa car na nag pick-up sakin kase masyadong traffic, since ilang kilometers away na lang naman ang airport pinili ko na lang maglakad. But then that happened, nakakainis talaga yung mga kaskaserong drivers ngayon, kahit nasa pedestrian lane ka na go na go pa rin. Mahuli sana siya ng traffic enforcers.
After few minutes of walking, I just realized na ang layo pala ng nilakad ko from Townsville Ave. to Rebecca Airport. Mahingal hingal ako sa kakatakbo suot suot pa yung high heels ko, and I feel like my make up melted but who cares Im running late. My scheduled flight is on 10:00 Am and I needed to be here 1 hour before the flight, yet here I am, at the airport 5 minutes before the flight. And worst, it's still my first day of working.
"Hey! Wait!" I slightly yelled at a flight attendant who's same uniform as mine. Nagiging walang hiya na talaga ako pag desperada, nagbabakasakali akong same flight kami at same din kaming nalate, naghahanap lang naman ako ng karamay at this point of my life. "Hi, Im Riva, but you can call me Riri, and Im sorry for yelling." Walang hiya kong pagpapakilala sa kanya kase mukhang frenly naman.
"Hi, we're running late. Better introduce ourselves later on flight." She replied, I just smiled. Medyo nahiya ako dun pero may point naman siya and di yun enough para tawagin siyang mataray. After all, Im thankful na may kasama akong late. Nagulat na lang ako na nauuna na ko sa kanya sa paglalakad, Im walking as fast as I can but there she is naglalakad na parang model lang ang peg."Stop rushing, late pa rin tayo kahit pantayan pa natin yung takbo ni Naruto." Imbes na magpanic natawa na lamang ako sa sinabi niya. She got 2 points and a humor tho, pero di ko pa rin siya gets.
"You watch anime series too?!" I excitedly asked. She look at me with a serious face. Damn that facial expression, it only reminds me of someone.---- For a moment I decided to be silent and wait for the other flight. As what she told me, naiwan nga kami ng flight namin. The manager already talked to us and pinagbigyan naman kami since it's our first day. I'm still with the unknown lady and I want to ask her name pero mukhang bad mood nga, baka sakin niya mabuhos lahat ng hinanakit niya sa mundo. "Eisabella, can call me Bella if u feel like." Tipid niyang pagpapakilala sakin. Siguro nga napansin niyang kanina pa ko nakatingin sa kanya. Baka inisip niya na ang creepy ko kaya iniba ko na lang yung direksyon ng tingin ko. "Nice to meet you, Bella." I greeted her while looking away. Out of nowhere she just grabbed my arm and I have no choice but to follow her. Kala ko ba parang ayaw niyang makipagclose? She's confusing me.
"Our flight is here, we can't be late once again or else masesesante na tayo 1st day pa lang." Pagpapaliwanag niya kaya sumunod na lamang ako. Ilang minuto pa lang ay nakapasok na kami sa eroplano. Our seniors told us to prepare everything before passengers go onboard. We just did a quick orientation especially kami ni Bella because we're still newbies. The cabin crew are friendly and they look so kind to us. Today's flight going smooth except sa nangyari kanina.
"Our flight time is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, fly safe ladies & gentlemen!" Our senior crew announced. From that moment, my first flight begins. ------ Naalala ko tuloy nang bata pa lang ako pangarap ko nang maging isang FA, my dad didn't want me to become an FA, instead he wanted me to become a doctor. I promised him to be a doctor but I guess I just broke the promise I made years ago. I also remember telling my mom about this and she told me that it's fine as long as Im happy, but it didn't feel like she supports me on this since she and dad sepparated 5 years ago and she has her own family now. Tho my parents didn't support me on this, there was one person who once believed in me and supported me in everything. -------- minutes after, me and Bella are already pushing a cart full of snacks and beverages on it. We smiled to the passengers as we walk through the aisle. Only few of them bought snacks, kase sobrang mahal naman talaga ng mga paninda sa taas ng eroplano. ------ Just minutes passed by the pilot annnounced for our take off, despite of months of training kinakabahan pa rin ako everytime lalanding yung eroplano kaya ipinikit ko ang mga mata ko at di namamalayan na nakakapit na pala ako sa braso ni Bella, "You look dumb." She said and slightly chuckled. I didn't take that as an insult and just focus closing my eyes hoping nothing goes wrong. "That's why he called me dumby back then." Maging ako ay nagulat din sa nasabi ko kaya bigla ko naidilat ang mga mata ko at tumingin kay bella. She's staring at me completely confuse. "Don't share your hopless romantic love story to strangers, Riva." She said at parang pinipigilang matawa. "I--Im sorry" Sabi ko na lang at tinanggal ang mahigpit nanpagkakapit ko sa kanyang braso.
Minutes after, nakapag checkout na kami. Today's layover is in Batanggas; which is actually my hometown. Being here is both exciting and sad at the same time. ----- I left my hometown when I was 18, that was 5 years ago, never came back 'til this day. Sinama ako ni mama when they sepparated with dad, but when we got there sinundan din ako ni Dad at kinuha ako kay mama. Had no choice,I'm a daddy's girl after all.
Nagaantay ako ngayon ng Taxi papunta doon sa hotel where we will stay for 24 hours.We need to commute kase nasiraan daw yung service na magsusundo sana samin, kung magaantay naman kami ng panibagong service, aabutan pa daw ng 1 hour kaya mas pinili na lang namin mag commute. "Care to have a ride?" Biglang may boses anghel na kumalabit sakin sa may likuran,at nang lingunin ko ito, si Bella nga. Mukhang di na siya mataray ngayon, maybe she just had a bad day just like me. I smiled and nodded. "Is this your car?" Tanong ko bilang pagtataka. "Nah, borrowed it from my brother." Sagot naman niya habang nagmamaneho at diretso ang tingin sa daan. Napakaganda niya kahit anong angle, parang may hawig sila ni Emma Watsons; bubbly eyes, small pointed nose, and a cute rosy lips. Grabe may mga pinagpala talagang nilalang. I stared at her for a minute at feeling ko confuse na ako sa gender ko. "So anong ginamit na car ng brother mo?" I asked out of nowhere. "My brother had an international flight earlier. Iniwan niya muna 'tong car sakin." She said, habang nakatuon pa rin ang atensyon sa bawat daan na tinatahak namin. "Oh I see, malayo pa ba?" I asked once again while watching every street we passed by. "Hindi ka ba nauubusan ng tanong?" Dahil sa sinabi niya napatingin ako. Akala ko iritable siya pero nakangisi siya nang makita ko. "S-sorry" I uttered at itinuon ulit yung tingin ko sa bawat daan. "10 minutes na lang, Riva." This time,she said it calmly and gumaan naman ang kalooban ko.
Nakakamiss din pala yung hometown. Batanggas is a windy city for me, katulad ngayon, mukhang napakahangin sa labas at makulimlim din ang kalangitan kaya naisip kong ibaba yung window at dumungaw ng konti. I closed my eyes and feel the cold wind. I was smiling everytime the wind hits my skin, not until I remember something.... something I don't want to remember in this place.
