Photo credit: pinoymountaineering.com
Meng finally arrived at the spot where the 3 guys are waiting. She forced herself to smile. No use involving them.
"Madaya kayo iniwan n'yo kami!"
It was Jose who answered, "Oy hindi ah, hinto nga kami nang hinto para hintayin kayo pero sorry na lang, ang bagal n'yo talaga maglakad."
Sensing the forced smile, Paolo knows something was off. "Kuya Wally, mabagal ito kaya mabuti pa mauna na kami. Isasabay na namin yung guide natin."
"Sige intayin lang namin si Tisoy."
They have walked a good 100 meters when Poch stopped her.
"Sthap! Malayo na tayo sa kanila. Ano problema mo Meng, okay ka lang ba? Bakit mo nga ba biglang iniwan si RJ? Saka bakit namumula pisngi mo pero salubong naman kilay mo?"
"Ang dami mong tanong. Hindi ah, mestisa lang ako at malamig dito."
"Anong mestisa pinagsasabi mo? Tisoy lang nakasabay mo, naging mestisa ka na? Nakita ko yon oy! Sige, talon pa more! If I know, nagpayakap ka lang talaga. Replay na yun eh, nakita ko na kahapon yun sa ilog. Style mo bulok!"
"Of course not! Excited lang kaya ako nung makita ko kayo." feeling her cheeks heating up again at the memory of that moment at the slope.
"Pero in fairness, insan, alam mo, mukhang may chemistry kayo. Yiheee! Kinikilig yan!"
"Tumigil ka! Anong Chemistry? Physics ang subject ngayon, nasa bundok tayo! Height, temperature at pressure ang variables. At hinaan mo boses mo, baka marinig ka, maniwala pa yon."
"Speaking of, ayun oh, tingnan mo, nakatingin sa 'yo si crush. " Bigla siyang napalingon only to find him talking to the two guys with his back to them.
"Ang bilis ng tingin mo ha? Eh di affected ka nga! Crush mo nga! hahaha!" Sensing her discomfort, he tried to appease her. "Ano ka ba Menggay, okay lang yan! Cute naman talaga eh. Siguro, ang dami n'yo nang napag-usapan no?"
Remembering the small talk and the truce, bumalik na naman ang inis niya so she chosed to keep quiet.
Seeing her eyebrows drawn together, Paolo repeated his inquiry "Huy Meng, okay ka lang ba talaga? Bakit parang naiinis ka na? May sinabi ba siya?"
She made a pabebe face to stop her cousin from teasing her but to no avail.
"Pero insan, binabawi ko na sinabi ko. Tingin ko, magiging exciting ang linggong ito. Puwede ba ko magtake ng pictures n'yo together para may resibo?"
"Subukan mo lang kuya Poch, hindi mo na makikita yang phone mo!"
"Ang pikon mo naman! O siya, lakad na! Ayun na si kuya na guide."
Meng needs to get the topic off her mind. Yes, the guide. "Nakakaintindi ba siya ng Tagalog o kailangan ng sign language?"
"Oo naman, nag-taTagalog sila. Ibig sabihin hindi n'yo napag-usapan ni RJ sa tagal n'yong magkasama?"
Oo, puro pabebe ginawa namin kaya eto napala ko! But of course, she can't tell kuya Paolo, so she turned to their guide. "Kuya, kanina pa sila guide nang guide ang tawag sa 'yo. Ano ba talaga pangalan mo?"
"Ligawon po." Ligawon, Ilokano ba yan ng ligawan? O dear! Is this a sign? Great, just great!
"Ligawon? Magandang pangalan, huwag ka muna manliligaw ha? Nakakasira ng ulo. Puwede bang magkuwento ka tungkol sa pupuntahan natin? Andito ba ang pamilya mo?"
This distraction will do for now.
(A/N: Promise, it's an authentic Mangyan name)
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RJ
He was not aware that he's still looking at her when he joined kuya Jose and kuya Wally. Something that did not escape the two guys.
"Ano Tisoy? Kaya pa?"
"Ha? Anong kaya pa?" He turned to face them.
"Eh hindi maputol yung habol ng tingin mo eh. Parang may pisi yung mata mo o! Kasama mo na nga ng 4 na oras, di ka pa nakontento. Ano Wally, pustahan tayo, tingin ko hindi na 'to aabutin ng isang linggo, tutuka na 'tong manok natin"
"Hindi pa ba Jose? Eh pumupuso na ang mga mata eh."
"Ano mga problema n'yo? Kayo nga itong nang-iwan kaya ko nakasabay eh."
"Kami brad? Wala kaming problema, chill-chill lang kami. Kanina pa namin kayo iniintay. Ang tagal n'yo! Ikaw ang malaki ang problema. Nakita namin yun oy!"
He remembered the scene they were talking about, "Alam n'yo ang dudumi ng isip n'yo! Pinigilan ko lang baka mahulog, sagutin ko pa."
"Alam mo rin, buti hindi siya lumingon, baka nakita niya na halos isang dipa pa layo niya bago siya mahulog. Para-paraan ka rin eh!"
Okay, looks like they are not done yet. It was kuya Wally's turn. "Pero Tisoy, alam mo, gusto namin siya para sa 'yo kung sakali. Mukhang walang ka-arte arte sa katawan. Baguhan lang pero kinaya yung akyat."
"Oo nga RJ. Kaso masyadong misteryosa, pati yung pinsan. Kahit anong piga namin, wala kaming makuhang impormasyon. Mukhang sanay umiwas sa mga tanong. Baka naman..."
"Baka naman ano? Kuya Wally, Kuya Jose, ayusin n'yo yung mga tingin n'yo ha!"
"Ibig naming sabihin ni Wally, baka naman lubusan na kayong nagkakilala, 4 na oras din yun. Magkuwento ka naman. Kung ako yan, nasabi ko na buong istorya ng buhay ko sa kanya, pati mga plano ko in the future. At English yun ha!"
"Sorry na lang kayo. Isa lang ang sagot ko. NO COMMENT!!! Tara na!"
"Anak ng...NO COMMENT! Kailan ka pa natutong maging showbiz? Kahit konting kuwento lang! Tisoy!"
He suddenly remembered something. "Nasaan na nga pala yung mga kausap natin, diba dito ang meeting place?"
"Ngayon mo lang naalala? Samantalang concern na concern ka na ma-late kanina. Sila Apo Kalo ba yung hinahanap mo? Nauna na, alas-dos ang usapan, mag aalas-4 na."
"At sino may kasalanan? Alangan naman madaliin ko siya eh alam kong first time niyang mag-hiking."
"Oo nga naman Jose, concern lang siya." Wally said with a wink.
"Sige alagaan mo yang concern na yan, malayo mararating niyan! Ayaw mong magkuwento? Puwes kami magkukuwento kay Lola Glo. Magkaka-lovelife na apo niya! Sigurado Wally, may bonus tayo."
"Huwag kang nang umasa Kuya Jose, galit na siya sa akin ngayon. Huwag n'yo nang itanong kung bakit. At huwag n'yong makuwento-kuwento kay lola 'to kung ayaw n'yong magkuwento ako sa mga asawa n'yo! Mauuna na ko, wala akong mapapala sa inyo."
"Galit na siya? Teka, RJ! Ano na naman ginawa mo? Sisiw na 'to Tisoy, baka maging bugok pa. Hoy RJ, intayin mo kami!"
He walked ahead of them. This is new for him. That he doesn't want to share what he talked about with a girl even if they are just too trivial to matter. Surprisingly, it matters to him. He wants to keep it to himself for now. Kahit anong tukso pa gawin nila.
But they are right, she's still a mystery. How much do we really know about her? Bottomline, he still doesn't have any significant information....Who is she, really? Even as trivial as her age, her background, her family. What does she do for a living? What is she running away from? Why does she wants peace and quiet for a week? What makes her tick?
The sociologist inside him wants answers to these questions and yet the RJ, the one who wants to end the truce is hearing warning bells. A lot of warning bells.
Stay away from the cliff.
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"Hoy Menggay, ano? Naririnig mo ba yung mga sinasabi ko? Wala ka pang sinasagot sa mga tanong ko. Nasa bundok na nga tayo, mas mataas pa yata narating ng isip mo."
"Kuya Poch ano ka ba, kausap ko yung guide natin. Alam mo bang Ligawon ang pangalan niya? Sige na nga, ano nga yung mga questions mo? Paulit."
"Ay teh, iba na 'to! Absent-minded lang? Ano talaga nangyari? Dapat ba hindi kita iniwan?"
"You didn't miss anything. He was the perfect gentleman. Don't worry, I didn't share any personal information. Puro small talks lang." she said while they continue walking down a slope.
Soon Their guide stopped and pointed below. "Uy teka Menggay, andito na yata tayo o, tingnan mo o...."
She turned her attention and saw that at the valley little below the summit where they are is a small village with houses that looks like nipa huts lined up. So this is what a Mangyan community looks like.
The settlement is surrounded by rain forest on the left, acres and acres of rain forest while on the right, the slopes of the mountain were converted to plots for farming - not rice but different crops
Ligawon signalled them to wait while he went down the steps curved out of the mountain slope.
Soon they were joined by the three guys. Kuya Poch greeted them but she kept her eyes on the village below.
RJ stole a glance at her and he noticed, mukhang galit pa rin siya. Averting his eyes from her, he spoke to the group.
"Okay guys, this is it. Andito na tayo. Ang nakikita n'yo sa baba ay ang Hanunoo tribe, ang pinakamalayong tribo ng mga Mangyan dito sa Occidental Mindoro. Bihira ang nakakarating dito kahit medical missions. Mauuna kong bumaba. Reminder lang, kahit anong mangyari, ingat sa kilos, ayaw natin silang ma-offend at all cost. Igalang natin ang values nila at paniniwala."
Before he went down, "Kuya Wally, ikaw nang magpaliwanag sa kanila."
"Bakit ako parating tagapaliwanag, dahil ba maliwanag ang ulo ko? Tisoy! Ano ipapaliwanag ko? Mag-joke na lang kaya ako?"
A/N: Sorry naman, may pahabol na hugot pa pala si Tisoy. May 'stay away from the cliff' pang nalalaman. Bibigyan ko to ng award for most dramatic exit line.