RJ and Maine spent their fourth day hiking and visiting rainforests in the inner portion of the island. Their phones and cameras are now filled with selfies and photos of each other, and with each other when a stranger would offer to take it for them.
"Would you like me to take your picture?"
RJ and Maine looked at the stranger before saying 'sure' in unison.
RJ put his left arm around Maine's shoulders while she had her right arm around his mid-back, both smiling big for the picture.
"You guys are such a good looking couple," the woman commented as she gave the camera back to RJ.
She wasn't the first person to say that because most of the people who offered to take their picture throughout their whole trip made a side comment about them being a couple.
Maine just smiled shyly and nodded politely at the lady, as she always does, while RJ answered a proud, "Thank you."
He got a gentle push from Maine once they were left alone but he just laughed it off.
"Feel na feel mo," Maine told him.
"Tara na nga," he replied to her, chuckling while he put his hand on her lower back to guide her through the entrance.
Another day in Hawaii and another day of memories. Maine and RJ are at the Polynesian Cultural Center for an authentic luau experience. It's considered as one of the highlights of a Hawaiian trip.
The center consists of six villages named after, and dedicated to, the islands of South Pacific: Samoa, Aotearoa, Fiji, Hawaii, Tahiti and Tonga. Each village has demonstrations of rituals and traditions from each island, and some have interactive activities for tourists. There are tall palm trees that performers climb on, grass landscapes and multiple traditional huts spread throughout the center, replicating those seen on various islands of polynesia.
Maine and RJ were currently in the Samoan village where they were demonstrating traditional cooking and fire-making.
"Who wants to try?"
RJ slowly turned his head to Maine and she saw a mischievous grin.
"Oh, RJ. No. No. No. No. No."
"Come on, it'll be fun," he said as he raised his hand. "We'll both try!"
"Alright, come on over and get low on the ground," the guy said while he set up each station to make a fire.
"RJ! I can try and make a fire in my backyard when I get home," he heard her say as he pulled her to where the guy was standing.
"Yes, but you can't replicate the polynesian center in your backyard. Bilis, try lang natin. It's now or never, diba?"
RJ helped her sit on the larger piece of wood and get in position to effectively rub the stick against it and ignite a fire before settling down beside her. The instructor gave them instructions but Maine wasn't hearing any of it. How could she, when the guy beside her was looking so attractive with his biceps bulging out of his sleeve while he tried hard to make a fire using only two pieces of wood?
Stop it, Nicomaine, she told herself.
She tried to make it subtle by making it look like she was trying to make a fire but her eyes were on him almost the entire time. It didn't take long before she saw smoke from what RJ was working on, and he looked even more attractive wiping the sweat off of his forehead. She didn't know the tropical weather in Hawaii could make someone making a fire look so attractive.
"Miss, do you need help?" The guy's voice took her out of her reverie.
"Wait, ganito dapat," RJ stood up and walked to her, positioning himself behind her, circling his arms around her petite figure and put his hands on top of hers.
His scent, the scent that has made a mark on her, was lingering around her whole being and she couldn't help but comment on it.
"Bakit ang bango mo pa rin kahit pinapawisan?"
RJ peeked around to meet eye-to-eye with her with a smirk on his face. "Mabango lang? Hindi gwapo?"
"Ayan ka na naman eh, kinocompliment na nga," Maine chuckled as she nudged him with her whole body.
"Wait! Ma-out balance ako! Mahuhulog ako!" RJ said as he hugged her tight to keep himself from falling. On instinct, Maine grabbed his arms and held on tight.
"Sorry," he heard her say while laughing.
"Eto oh, hinuhulog pa ako eh hulog na hulog na nga ako sayo," RJ replied as he positioned himself better behind her.
"Ewan ko sayo," Maine answered, still laughing.
The other tourists couldn't help but smile at the two, and their undeniable chemistry was visible to the people in the open hut, even to the tribal staff.
"Okay, lovers, we know you're deeply in love with each other but save the play for the bedroom, okay? Let's make some fire so you can cook. Your kids are hungry!"
"Mommy kasi, magluto na tayo, gutom na mga anak natin," RJ laughed as he held Maine's hands in his again.
"Feel na feel mo na naman, daddy," she replied, making RJ chuckle with giddiness.
"Ang harot natin, mommy, naghihintay mga anak natin oh."
"RJ!" Maine laughed as she playfully slapped his arm.
"Dali na kasi, masyado mo kasi ako pinagmamasdan kanina, di ka tuloy nakagawa ng apoy."
He earned another playful smack before they started working on the fire. It took them long before they saw smoke from the wood because they had to stop a few times from laughing at their playful antics with each other.
"Finally! Let's give a hand for daddy for helping mommy make fire! But the kids are crying of hunger because they're too playful!" The tribal instructor said as he laughed at RJ and Maine.
"Mommy, let's go to the next village?" RJ said as he held a hand out to help Maine stand up.
"Pinapanindigan mo talaga," Maine laughed as she tightly held on while she stood up.
"Syempre, why not?" RJ put his arm around her waist and guided her to the next village.
Maine had noticed how she and RJ have been more physical with each other. And by that, she meant in an intimate way, like a real couple. She found it hard to resist his touch and she would be lying to herself if she said she didn't enjoy it because she did, very much so.
They went through the other villages, emersing their experience by participating in the activities. Just after 2 in the afternoon, RJ guided Maine to sit in front of the large canal that stretched out in the middle of the 4-acre cultural center to watch the canoe pageant. It was a good time to rest their feet and have snacks while watching each of the six villages perform traditional dances on floating platforms supported by canoes.
Next on their list was the Tonga village where there was as an interactive presentation of Tongan drumming. Random men are chosen to participate on stage and join one of the natives on a drumming session. Right when the native started calling men on stage, RJ happened to look at Maine who had a suspecting smile on her face.
"Over here!" She called out to the native, pointing at RJ.
"Oh come on now, Maine," He shook his head while letting out a soft chuckle.
"YOLO, diba?" Maine winked at him as the native approached them.
RJ shook his head again as he went up on stage and he had to wear a string skirt, a traditional garment in the Tongan culture.
"Damn, how can you still look so attractive even with a skirt on?" The native said as he handed RJ drumsticks. "Why don't we ask the girl who volunteered you?"
RJ laughed along with Maine and the audience, but he smiled sincerely at her when he looked her way.
He introduced himself through stomping and chanting before playing along the rhythm on the drums set by the native. He would look at Maine who was obviously enjoying herself, her head thrown back sometimes from laughing too hard at the native's playful jokes on RJ.
He would do the same thing over and over, as long as he sees Maine laughing and enjoying herself each time.
"Tuwang tuwa ka sakin kanina ah," he teased her while they were walking. "Sabi na nga ba crush mo ako eh."
"Ang cute mo kasi, bigay na bigay eh," Maine laughed while eating dippin dots, a bowl of ice cream-like pebbles that are refreshing as heck to beat the tropical weather.
"Wala, wala. Crush mo ako, aminin mo na kasi."
"Feeling neto!" Maine nudged him. "Kumain ka na nga lang," she said as she held a spoonful of rainbow dippin dots in front of him.
RJ ate from the spoon and opened a bottle of water for them, taking a drink first before letting Maine take a sip.
He was reading her facts about the cultural center from the brochure when he noticed Maine was quiet.
"Maine? Are you ok?"
She looked at him with a smile before looking back at one of the open areas. There was currently a presentation of a traditional wedding in the Tahiti village and people were gathered to watch it. RJ looked at Maine and led her to sit on one of the benches under a shade while they watched the wedding from afar.
"Alam mo ba, one of the things I look forward to in life is to get married and have my own kids?" Maine smiled while keeping her eyes on the performers. "I used to imagine myself walking down the aisle on my wedding day. Actually, I still do."
"Hindi mo naman kailangan itigil, Maine," RJ said. "You don't have to stop dreaming of your own family."
Maine looked at him with a sweet smile.
"You will have your own family, Maine," RJ said again. What I would give just to be able to call you my wife, he said in his mind. "And I'm sure, you're going to be the best wife and best mother to our kids."
"Our kids?" Maine looked at him with crunched eyebrows.
"Oo, diba nga gumawa pa tayo ng fire kanina para maipagluto natin mga anak natin?"
Maine chuckled and looked back at the performance again. "I'm sure you're going to be a great husband and father too."
"You think so?" RJ asked.
"I know so," she looked at him and replied with a sincere smile.
"Maine?"
"Hm?"
"Wala, gusto ko lang sabihing masaya ako kasama mo," RJ smiled at her.
"Bakit ang drama mo?" Maine nudged him again.
"Ikaw kaya nag-simula!" RJ laughed. "Ang violent pa oh, talagang hinuhulog ako. Hulog na nga ako sayo, ang kulit!"
"Che!" Maine said as she walked away.
"San ka pupunta??"
"Sa puso mo. Joke!" She quickly said while turning around to stick her tongue out at him after throwing the cup in the garbage.
"Aysus! Nahulog!"
"Yung phone mo?" Maine asked while walking back to the bench.
"Ikaw."
"Ha? Paano? Lasing ka yata," she laughed as she took a seat beside him.
RJ leaned close, almost too close that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her jaw, and talked in a low voice. "Nahulog ka sakin, and I'm drunk in love with you."
She turned to him and they met eye-to-eye, staring into each other's souls for some time. Neither of them dared to say a word and both were using their eyes to communicate words and feelings that were mutual.
Maine broke their eye-to-eye first, using her hand to gently push his face away from hers before turning away with a smile on her face.
RJ sat there, his body still turned sideways to directly face her, still boasting a lovely smile for Maine.
In the evening, after a traditional Ali'i Luau buffet in an open covered area with a backdrop of waterfalls and lush gardens, wearing flower leis on their necks, they watched the most awaited evening show. It was a combination of a broadway show, with singing, acting and dancing, and flaming knives with rituals.
Hā: Breath of Life. A story of passion, ignited by fire, song and dance. A story about love and family; and a story about beginnings and endings, like RJ and Maine's.