One of the forces of flight, it is a component of the total aerodynamic force acting on an airfoil which causes an airplane to fly. Lift is created because of the pressure differential between the upper and lower surfaces of the wing; and it is also created because the angle of attack allows the airflow to strike the underside of the wing.
* * *
After just one time that I've fallen asleep and didn't have any dreams at the time, it didn't seem to guarantee that I'll no longer have any occurrence of dreams again. That's why, the very moment that I wake up again, finding the ceiling and the windows familiar already, I know at once that I am back in the same dreamscape. Whatever date it is today is all the mystery that I am in the notion of finding out; probably later on. And yet, for some reasons, I'll definitely no longer worry as well if I am to find César on bed—no matter how weird that expression may be to feel right now—and it seems to only happen once.
This is the third time that I am back here. There is no other point of being surprised about what is going on and what to see. If ever, it will just be fleeting moments to once again be reminded that this is a dream too far away from that of my reality.
I sigh heavily and turn to look at the vacant space on the bed. Unlike the previous time, the sheets on that side of the bed is slightly crumpled and even the blanket I have seems to be shoved by the edge of it. I blink.
Naging makulit ba ako matulog? I ponder before sitting up on the bed and realize that the blanket hadn't been all twisted around my body for it to be the case. It truly looks like someone had slept on that side of the bed in the first place. And there is definitely no doubt that it had been César... Right?
I flush, drawing my legs closer to my chest, hugging them before burying my face against my knees. Weirdly enough, I almost squeal like a little girl at just the mere thought that César had been home.
César, who've always been a gentleman and soft and smiling and attentive when it comes to me, had slowly set a higher bar for me. It is just weird to find out that such a face will be so different concerning me in the real world; to even have the nerve to kidnap me with my own foolish permission as it appears to be.
At that, I look up another time and stare on at the view of the window, hinting then that the angle of the rays of the sun is quite too different from the usual times that I wake up in this dreamscape; and I realize at once how late it had been by now for such that I hurry to prepare for the day, surely fully aware of how crucial my work in this world is.
However, just as I leave the bed and about to reach the wardrobe, I hear a door opening and closing. Not the door of the bedroom but the familiar sound of the front door, causing me to momentarily stop and wonder who it could be, silently praying that it isn't a stranger but César himself. To assure my curiosity, I slowly and as quietly as possible, open the bedroom door and peek my head enough through the gap to check who it had been.
And as I've guessed correctly, it is César, thankfully. It seems he recently comes from Zablan for him to be dressed formally in uniform. After ensuring that he had the main door shut, he pulls off his hat before discarding it and the paper bag he is carrying to a nearby table for him to work on removing his shoes and wear on some slippers. For him to be back now means that it had been incredibly late, really, for me to start the day; and he seems to not realize that I am watching him yet. Only when after returning his shoes to a rack, taking then the paper bag with him to the dining room, did he actually sees me there like a caught mouse out of its hole.
Well, he is also surprised to see me there watching him, but only for a moment that he then shows me that irresistible smile once again and greets me, "Good morning, (Y/N). Or rather..." He glances on his wristwatch as his smile widens much more. "Good afternoon, my love."
Tangina... sabi ko nga na kapag bumalik pa ako sa panaginip na ito... hindi ko na talaga alam ang gagawin ko!
"Good afternoon," I almost mumble as I try to suppress my own smile from even appearing.
He reaches out to touch his freehand's knuckles against my cheek and later on turns away to head on to the dining, asking me then in return, "Kakagising mo lang?"
Opening the door much wider and exiting the room, I nod and follow after him. "Yes. Hindi mo ako ginising kaya mukhang AWOL ang nasa record ko na."
He laughs. "Anong AWOL ka diyan? Nakalimutan mo ba na day-off mo ngayon?"
Hindi ko nga alam kung anong date ngayon, paano ko pa malalaman na day-off ko ngayon?!
"Kaya ka nagiging limutin dahil madalas mong kinakalimutan ang pagkain, lalo na ng almusal." César sighs heavily. "Gusto mo bang initin ko 'yong iniwan ko para sa iyo kaninang umaga?"
"H-Hindi na!" I counter as I stop him from pulling off the cloche. "Ayos lang kung hindi naman bagong init." I take the cloche myself, and see the well-prepared breakfast he had left for me. Unfortunately, I am to take this now at noon in his presence.
He looks at me for a moment, and I start to feel insecure of being watched. Finally, he takes the seat across from me, saying, "Minsan napapaisip din ako paano mo nagagawang mag-survive ng wala ako. What will you do without me?"
I look up at him, seeing him with that teasing smile once more that only makes me blush and turn my attention back to the food I have on the plate. "Still live?" I inquire. "Still be the same old me, I guess? That's, well... kung hindi tayo nagkakilala, panigurado ganoon."
"But you have me now. I guess that's all that mattered, at wala akong pakialam kung magiging dependent ka sa akin all throughout this life."
"That's too much... Anong gagawin ko kapag nawala ka naman?"
"I think that's quite farfetched to be of the present." César chuckles before combing off his hair with his fingers and then pulls out the item from the paper bag. "Sa tingin ko mauuna ka pang magsawa sa pagmumukha ko bago pa mangyari iyon."
"Ano naman ang pagsasawaan ko sa pagmumukha mo?" I inquire.
He shrugs at that. "I don't know. Time will fade and... Well, bakit ba tayo napunta sa ganyang pag-uusap?"
"Sabi mo kasi paano ako makaka-survive kung wala ka."
"Ah, yes. But, in the contrary, I know that you will. You've always been strong, (Y/N)."
Buti pa 'yong sa dream na ito, I am credited to be strong. Pero sa totoong buhay, nadadawit na ma-kidnap...
I don't know what to say to that and instead, after taking a bite of my own food, I catch sight of the packaging that he opens up from the paper bag.
César realizes that I am looking at that and he then explains, "Oh, nakita ko sa may likod ng silya sa may terrace. Halatang galing kala Mama. Siguro akala niya walang tao kaya iniwan niya na lamang doon. Pero piaya ito na mula pang Negros."
Piaya? Maging dito...
I take the paper packaging, reading then the sticker written on it as "Varmont Refreshment's Piaya", and looking on inside, it had been a stack of the familiar crispy piaya that I unconsciously know, just by looking, to be something that César loved.
"That's the original crispy piaya," he explains. "It's a favorite of mine. Kaya ever since na lumipat kami ng Maynila, kapag bumibisita kami or nagpapadala ang mga kamag-anak ni Mama mula Negros, laging may ganyan."
Didn't he say that... his mother's family? Ibig-sabihin, maging sa panaginip na ito, taga-Negros din ang maternal side ng family ni César? Like ni Elian mismo? Tangina... hanggang saan ba matatapos 'yong similarities nilang dalawa?
"Mas gugustuhin mo bang... sa Negros na lang kayo nanatili sana?" I suddenly ask him.
César reaches out for the packaging, placing it back on the table and then touches my hand, slowly holding on to mine. And then smiling, he answers, "Nope. I definitely thanked my parents for that decision, and for the acceptance of my choices that led me to meeting you. Parang mas nakakatakot na hindi naging ganoon ang mga choices na iyon, na kapag may isa akong pinagsisihan at gustong bawiin, magbabago lang bigla ang lahat. And that's scarier. That's why..." He takes something out from the inside of his coat's uniform—a small brown envelope that he then hands to me.
I raise an eyebrow at him first before checking and sliding out what's inside it—producing then a photograph in sepia color tones of him.
It isn't like an ID photo, much more like a graduation portrait taken with him in uniform, showing the shoulder boards, collar pins and the hard-earned wings badge, topping it all with a hat that causes slight shadows on his face but not enough to obscure that handsome feature with the slight hint of a smirk. Classic César.
"This is very much like you," I remark. "Compared sa mga ID photos mo."
"That's why I want you to have it," he says.
"Ano?"
"It's yours. Keep it. May kopya na naman sa kampo as part of the records. So, that's yours. Para kung mapahiwalay man tayo, kahit imposible; since we're on the same squad but in different departments... you'll still not miss me."
"César..."
"Now... continue eating, (Y/N). Para, pagkatapos mo kumain, makapag-ayos ka na, at hindi tayo mahuli sa sine."
Sine? I blink at that, but I am not able to stop myself from asking, "Are you inviting me for a date?"
"As I also have today's day-off, except sa pagkuha ng mga litrato, I'm all free. So, yes, I am inviting my fiancée for a date. And..." He clicks his tongue. "Isa lang ang pahiwatig nila Mama kaya siya nag-iwan ng piaya."
* * *
César fills me in with the blanks. Definitely, this date is something he had planned for a long time but only decides to tell me today as some sort of a surprised. It seems like I've known him for a long time already to understand that he usually keeps up to a schedule than be the spontaneous one. All at once, that reminds me another time of Elian, who've managed to kidnap me with my own words. For some reasons, this is a little bit like a parallel to that, too.
He also tells me that it had been more than a month already since he was discharged from Lahug and then assigned here at Zablan, and he hadn't been quite a dutiful son that he is yet to visit his parents.
"Kaya pala nasabi mo na pahiwatig na 'yong pagbigay ng piaya sa iyo," I told him during the drive. "Napakabait na anak talaga."
He laughed at that. "I think, I never was a good son at all. All I caused my parents is trouble."
I looked at him. "Mukha namang hindi. Feeling ko, simula lamang noong nakapasok ka na talaga ng PAAC, doon ka lang talaga naging busy kaya ganoon."
"Pampalubag-loob na lamang na sabihing madaming ginagawa at madaming inaasikaso."
I didn't push him to speak more about the matter; because, who am I to intrude at such a very familial history? Even though he'll be assuring me that it is fine for me to be aware of it; as this dream me will soon be his wife... it is strange to just simply intrude. Even the concept at all is also very strange, at least to me.
Additionally, he informs me that to finally do the duties of a son of piety, after receiving a long sermon call from his mother a few days ago through the office's telephone, he promises then that tonight, we'll be having dinner at their house. And that is enough to make me be quite on edge.
"Kaya nga manonood muna tayo ng sine," he explained and then laughed. "For you to unwind somehow, knowing that you always have that jittery feeling whenever you are to meet my parents."
"Malamang naman, parents mo 'yon. Gusto ko naman na maging maganda ang impression nila sa akin," I countered.
"Mas maigi na maging natural ka lang sa kanila. Para mas makita nila kung bakit ikaw 'yong nagustuhan ko. At bakit ka ba talaga din mahihiya sa kanila? Tanggap ka nila. Minsan nga, parang mas anak ka pa nila kaysa sa akin."
"Hindi iyan totoo. Kahit anong mangyari, hindi naman kita mapapalitan para sa kanila."
"I'm just being honest. They like you. With us being engaged, dapat masanay ka na i-consider sila as your parents, too."
That's when I get a good grasp of this dream me's family, and take note to myself that when I return back from the promotional shoot, I'll definitely have to spend some time with my own family. It seems to be something that César is taking for granted; but for some reasons, like other people, no one can blame them for what is happening within the four walls of a house, as it may be so different from what it appears to be from the outside.
* * *
A/N: Vote, comment and share! Whatever you do means a lot to me, and I am really wishing for some feedback! I passed my Instrument Rating Theoretical Exam last Thursday (91.25%), and received an IR simulator schedule for the 17th until the 19th, and at 1600-2000. Hence, any delay with the update of the next chapter next Wednesday will definitely be because of the said schedule. Furthermore, as I'll be deployed to La Union for the actual IR flying and my completion for 200 hours, then updates may not be consistently done at 2000LCL; especially when I am to attend flight briefings for the following day's... I'll be informing any delays or changes in Twitter, so keep updated there!
A few list of notes to share!
1. The photograph I've take into consideration is that of César's famous portrait. If you'll be checking it out in the Photographs chapter, I've noted that the portrait is taken before that of him being attributed to the Sixth Pursuit Squadron.
2. Varmont Refreshment's Piaya indeed exist at that time. Nowadays, it is called as Bailon's Piaya. To be honest, I am really not a fan of piaya. I did have a taste of it when a college friend brought a series of delicacies from Bacolod, including that Bailon's and that of BongBong's. However, if I am to choose between the two brands, Bailon's is actually much what I imagined it to be truly the original version.
Chapter title: Lift. One of the four forces of flight that generally causes a plane to be off ground, and the force in contrast to weight or the pull of the gravity. Choosing it as a title for this chapter is actually a little hard to find a desirable term for; however, as I continue with the chapter, I realize that it is a light read. Perhaps an uplifting one compared to others that show a domestication atmosphere between César and the Reader... as if there is no war looming... Yes, I love angst.
Follow me on twitter @23meraki for more updates and trivia. ;)
#CFBArtificialHorizon