Five
"Good morning!" Magiliw na bati sa akin ni AJ, dressed in his blue beach shorts, pink regatta shirt and a cocky smile pasted on his lips.
"Hi, AJ." I greeted back, smiling at him. He walked me to the cafe.
"I never know I could have so much fun here!" He exclaimed. Pangatlong araw na niya sa Parola and the guy rejected the idea of leaving at all. "Napuntahan namin ni Jason ang altar rock formation kahapon. It was so much fun, trekking and all!"
"Mabuti naman nagustuhan mo." Grand Ida insisted that I should take a rest because of my injury but I insisted to work. A quack doctor from Pundaguitan checked my bruise and applied some ointments to it. Pero iika-ika pa rin ako sa paglalakad. When Grand Ida is around, I try my best to walk normally para hindi na siya gaanong mag-alala.
"Hey, I really want to go inside the lighthouse." Wika ni AJ as he opened the door to the cafe for me. He gave me a pleading look. "Sabi kasi ni Jason ay bawal nang umakyat doon dahil delikado. But I really wanted to go upstairs. I bet the aerial view of Pacific Ocean from the top is terrific!"
I sighed and slip inside the counter, looking for my black apron. Nang makita ko iyon ay itinali ko sa beywang. Saka ko tinapunan ng tingin ang orasan. Mag-aalas sais na nang umaga.
"Fine." I muttered. "Pero sandali lang tayo, okay? Hindi tayo pwedeng mahuli. Tsaka may trabaho pa ako."
His face lit up like a Christmas tree. He pumped his fist into the air. "Yes!" Then he trailed after me.
Three lighthouses erected right above the cliff of the cape. The middle one is the tallest but the oldest of them all. These lighthouses were built by the Japanese during WWII at dahil sa katandaan ay isinarado na ito noong nakaraang taon sa publiko. Masyado na kasing madulas sa loob at hindi na sila palagay sa kondisyon ng konkretong bumubuo sa lighthouse.
The only person who is allowed to enter the lighthouse is the researcher Dr. Reyes. He is observing the behavior of migrant birds from Japan for over a year. He is a middle-aged man with pot belly and a permanent scarf wrapped around his neck. Noong una ko siyang makita ay inakala kong turista lang siya dito, as he sets up his small tent. But Grand Ida informed me that he is a man of intelligence. May sarili siyang research center sa Davao at palagi siyang dumadayo rito para ipagpatuloy ang kanyang study.
At first glance, I thought this old lighthouse is a silo. AJ helped me remove the piles of woods they served as a barrier and we quietly slip inside. The floor is damp, probably because of the rain last night. The stairs looks suspiously slippery as well. Dahan-dahan kaming umakyat papunta sa taas habang nakakapit sa dingding ng lumang lighthouse. Walang railings o kung ano pa mang sumusuporta habang paakyat ka.
When we finally reached the top, AJ gaped at the view of the Davao Gulf waves crashing against the Pacific Ocean. The last islet stood beautifully in the morning. Malamig din ang simoy ng hangin.
"This is great!" AJ beamed as he took pictures from his mirrorless Sony camera. He preview the images from the small screen and frowned. "The camera did not do justice at all. Sobrang ganda sa personal." Then he glanced at me and immediately pointed the camera towards my direction. Before I could even react, he quickly snapped a photo of me in my working uniform at the top of the lighthouse.
I scowled. AJ grinned and wore the straps of the camera over his neck. Hinayaan niya itong nakabitay. Then he casually leaned over the railings, the cold wind whipping both our hairs back and forth.
"So Katherine, why don't you tell me about your life?" He queried.
"Me?" I pointed at myself.
"Yes, you." Wika niya. "And don't look at me as if I just asked you to jump over the cliff naked." He chuckled at his own joke. "Magtatatlong araw na ako dito pero hindi pa rin kita nakakausap nang matino. You're always busy at the cafe or locked away inside your room. Si Jason lang ang palaging kumakausap sa akin." May himig pagtatampo pa niyang sabi.
I gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine." He waved his hands dismissively. "So, what's in here for the Katherine Lagmadeo? Everyone is curious about your life, you know." He wiggled both of his eyebrows.
I shifted awkwardly on my feet. "Stop putting the before my name. I'm not some kind of a saint." I murmured. "And really, there's not much to know about my life except for the fact that I live in a place with no signal and works as a waitress in a cafe."
Tumawa siya sa sinabi ko. This guy keeps on smiling and laughing. He's like a big ball of positivism. A literal one, if I must say. AJ appears to be a Mama's boy. The kind of child na hindi pinapabayaan ng ina. He looks very healthy, if you'd ask me. But it didn't make him any less attractive. In fact, it makes him more humane. Malayo sa mga malalaki at perpektong katawan na pilit tinatamasa ng mga kalalakihan ngayon.
"Yeah, that's quite surprising. Akala ko nga ay matanda na si Katherine Lagmadeo. I've read your book, it's good. I kept on searching for your name pero wala akong matibay na source na makita para ma-determine kung ano talaga ang mukha mo. There's this one picture of a middle-aged woman inside a bus with a hardbound copy of your book and some papers. Someone took her picture and claimed that it's Katherine Lagmadeo. It went viral but of course, walang makapagsabi kung totoo nga ba until your publisher rejected the conspiracy." kuwento niya sa akin.
Come to think of it, Mr. Sullivan mentioned it to me once. Pero hindi ko naman masyadong pinagtuunan ng atensiyon. Brgy. Lavigan is the last barangay in Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental, situated on the corner before the wide sea onwards other countries like Japan and Taiwan. It's where the road literally ends. It is also the Easthernmost part of the Philippines, a cape facing the great Pacific Ocean. Kaya walang signal. Hindi ako updated sa nangyayari. Kung gusto man naming tumawag ay kailangan pa naming pumunta sa Brgy. Pundaguitan, a few kilometers from here and the signal isn't very reliable either. I keep on hearing constant long distance hums whenever I talk to Mr. Sullivan on the other line.
Wala ding TV. Sa radio lang kami nakikinig ng balita araw-araw, minsan ay hindi pa gumagana. I can't use my phone and I'm glad I couldn't. This remote place is perfectly isolated. Malayo sa mata ng mga tao. Malayo sa mga taong tinatakasan ko.
My heart constricted painfully inside of my chest as I think of Harry. Kamusta na kaya siya? Nadala ba siya sa hospital? Nakabalik ba siya nang maayos sa Pampanga?
"And that Harry dude you were crying about during the fire in NCCC mall." I snapped back into my senses when AJ mentioned his name. "Boyfriend mo ba yun?"
I opened my mouth but closed it again, after realizing that I do not have a concrete answer to his question. I lowered my gaze and my shoulders slumped. Boyfriend ko pa nga ba? I left him two years ago.
"No." I finally said. "Just... someone I knew."
"You looked like you were ready to go back inside and risk your life for that man. After all the trouble I've done just to save you, sasayangin mo lang?" umiling-iling pa siya but I know he doesn't mean what he says.
"Harry is... someone so important to me. That's all I could say."
Tumango-tango si AJ. Pinagmasdan na naman niya ang dagat sa ibaba namin at ang malakas na alon.
"How about you? I saw a picture of a younger you and a girl hanging in your living room. Girlfriend?"
Namula kaagad siya sa narinig. Then he muttered things like taking down the picture when he comes back home. "Her name is Shane. And she broke my heart."
"Wow." Napatawa ako. "That's a real piece of poetry, buddy. And a peculiar way of introducing your girlfriend as well."
He frowned. "Hindi naman naging kami. Or so I thought. I loved and adored her for five years but we just kind of ended. And the worst thing is that, I don't even know why."
"Oh," Naisip ko kaagad si Harry sa sinabi ni AJ. What would he think of me? Ano kaya ang iniisip niya sa nakalipas na dalawang taon? The pain inflicted on AJ's attractive face is real, it made me feel guilty. Then I gave him a sad smile and relaxed on my position. "That's the thing about love, AJ. You never know when it'll hit you. It will either complete you or break you into pieces."
"Yeah." He said in a serious voice. I'm not used to seeing his lips in a thin line and his eyes burning with sadness. Then all of it vanished as he turned towards my direction and grinned. "Fancy an interview with me?"
"What?" I frowned at him again, showing my disapproval.
He pouted like a little kid. "Aww, c'mon! I need a new content for my YouTube channel and your inspiring words will most likely hit among your readers! Wala pang nakaka-interview sa iyo eh," He whined.
"No." Nameywang ako. I glanced down and tensed when I saw Nilo emerged out from their house. Nagpalinga-linga ito sa paligid. "Crap." Kaagad akong yumuko at hinila si AJ. "We need to get out of here."
"What? Pero hindi pa ako tapos—"
"AJ, Nilo will kill the both of us if he learned that we climbed the lighthouse." I dragged him downstairs and step down as fast as I can without tripping because of the slippery floor that smells of moss and rain.
We waited for a few seconds. Nang makapasok na si Nilo ay kaagad kaming lumabas sa lighthouse, ibinalik ang kahoy na nakaharang, and ran to the cafe. When he snapped his head towards our direction, we pretended as if we're hanging out around the cafe all morning instead of sneaking up to the lighthouse. AJ couldn't hide his grin I have to slap his chest to avoid suspicious looks from Nilo.
Nang lamunin na ng kadiliman ang langit ay dumating na si Are, as what he had promised. Dala-dala niya ang kit niya. Nakipag-usap siya sandali kay Grand Ida bago siya tumikhim at umupo sa labas ng cafe.
I beamed at him. "Are!"
He gave me a disapproving look. "Narinig ko ang balita kay Ida. Muntik ka nang mamatay, tattoo pa rin ang nasa utak mo."
When I first saw Are and his tattoos, to say I was captivated was an understatement. I was deeply moved by the way he moves the needles according to his will and draw with passion in his old weary eyes. Artists have never failed to amaze me, and Are is the living proof of it.
Excited akong naupo sa harap niya. He rolled up my sleeves and told me to put some alcohol on it bago siya mag-umpisa. As I rubbed the cool liquid up and down my left arm, I spotted AJ heading towards the cafe. He waved his hands and his gaze immediately landed on Are.
"This is my friend, AJ." Malumanay kong wika saka ko iniabot ang Ethyl alcohol sa kanya. "Siya ang nagligtas sa buhay ko."
Are nodded at AJ in recognition. Then he inserted his hands into a pair of black gloves and pulled out his needle.
"Wow, this is awesome." AJ sat down and watched in awe. "So you got your tats from him?"
"Yeah." I nodded my head. Are knows the design that I wanted. Napag-usapan na namin yun bago siya bumalik sa kanila sa Caraga.
He slowly pressed the needle into my skin, both his eyebrows are furrowing in concentration. I bit my lips to suppress the pain. Nung una akong magpatattoo kay Are ay mangiyak-ngiyak ako pagkatapos. Namaga pa ito kinabukasan. But I was really glad with the results of the tattoo on my right sleeve. Are have an exceptional talent in tattooing.
AJ rose from his seat. Pumasok siya sa Cafe. Hindi ko na siya sinundan ng tingin dahil nakatitig ako sa karayom na pumipisil sa malambot na parte ng aking kaliwang braso. It throb everytime Are inserted the needle, pero unti-unti na din akong nasasanay.
Mayamaya pa ay bumalik si AJ na may dala-dalang dalawang bote ng Red Horse. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko lalo na nang ilapag niya ito sa lamesa. He just grinned at me and went back into the cafe once again. Pagbalik niya ay may dala-dala na siyang tatlong baso at isang malaking bag ng Dorritos.
"Why don't we have some fun while you guys are into tattoo mode?" Nagsalin si AJ ng alak sa isang beer mug at iniabot ito kay Are. I was about to open my mouth to protest but Are place his needle down and took the mug gratefully.
"Salamat," He said in a low voice.
"Sigurado ka bang iinom ka, Are? Baka masira ang design, ah." I complained. He emptied the mug in just two long gulps and placed it back into the table with a slam, wiping the frothy remnants from the corners of his mouth.
"Ayos lang, mas ginaganahan nga ako eh."
"Oo nga." AJ retorted, handing me a glass as well. "Loosen up, Katherine. Balita koy mas nagiging creative daw ang mga artists kapag lasing sila." Tinanggap ko ang baso gamit ang kanang kamay as Are continued on his work. I sip on the bitter taste of beer, careful not to disturb my tattoo artist in the process. "Isa ka ba sa mga iyon, Are?"
Humalakhak si Are but it sounded like a growl of a beast. Napakalalim talaga ng boses niya. "Every little task you mix with beer will result into a beautiful piece of work, boy."
"See?" Lumawak ang ngiti ni AJ, proud na napasang-ayon niya ang matandang tattoo artist. Lumabas si Nilo mula sa cafe at nagsimulang manirado. He eyed the three of us disapprovingly but said nothing. Nang matapos na niyang mai-lock and front door ay tumulak na din ito papunta sa bahay nila kung saan naghihintay ang kanyang ina.
"So, how long have you been doing this cool stuff, Are?" AJ queried as he took a gulp of his second mug.
"As long as I could remember." Wika ni Are, his eyes fixed on the needle and my bleeding skin. Mayat'maya at pinapahiran niya ng bulak ang kaliwa kong braso to stop it from bleeding.
The rest of the night went on like that. The two males enjoyed themselves on the beer as they chatted animatedly. Pinipilit ko namang huwag mahimatay sa sakit, kahit na pangalawang tattoo ko na ito. Nang matapos si Are ay ubos na din ang dalawang bote ng Red Horse. Natutulog na din si AJ sa lamesa, obviously drunk.
Nagsimula nang ibalik ni Are ang mga gamit niya sa kit niya. "Tulad ng ginawa mo noon, hugasan at alagaan mo ang sugat hanggang sa gumaling. If you started peeling, you better give me a call para magamot kaagad. Wag kang gagamit ng kung anu-anong produkto at baka mag-fade ang design bago pa man yan tuluyang gumaling."
I nodded my head. "Thanks, Are. You're the best."
He scowled at me. "If only you aren't my friend," He muttered under his breath then his gaze landed on AJ. "Baka gusto mong tulungan ang binatilyong ito. Iinom-inom hindi naman pala kaya." He chuckled.
I blow a hair off my face. Nagpaalam na si Are na uuwi so I was left with a swelling left arm and a drunk buddy.
"AJ..." mahina kong sambit habang niyuyugyog ang mga balikat niya. He only groaned and started muttering unintelligible sentences. Natawa ako nang bahagya. "C'mon, buddy. Kailangan mo nang pumasok sa kwarto mo." Inakay ko siya palabas ng cafe. He kept on stumbilng every now and then. "Very graceful, AJ. So graceful." I muttered.
He giggled like a kid then his hand unconsciously went to stroke my hair. "Shane... you feels so good."
I tensed. Napatingin ako sa kanya. His eyes we're half-open and a permanent grin is pasted on his face.
"Shane..."
Napabuntong-hininga ako. Talk about guy and his brokenhearted problems.
We made it to his room without tripping, so I glorified myself for a bit. I fished for his keys inside his pocket and kicked the door open. I switched on the lights and my eyes immediately darted to single bed on the corner of the room. Panay pa rin ang tawag ni AJ kay Shane. Inakay ko siya papunta sa kanyang kama at ibinagsak ang katawan niya roon.
Ang kaso nga lang, hinapit niya ang beywang ko kaya sabay kaming bumagsak sa kama.
"Shane..." He reek of alcohol and chips. His eyes fluttered open as he stared at me. Then the corners of his lips twitch and before I could even react, he pressed his lips against mine. Nanlaki kaagad ang mga mata ko.
Harry.
Against my better judgement, I used both of my hands to pushed him away, my left arm throbbing painfully in the process. He almost fell out of the bed, laughing furiously.
I cursed under my breath as I glared at him. "Pasalamat ka, lasing ka." I said through gritted teeth. Dali-dali akong bumangon mula sa kama niya, rubbing my lips as hard as I could.
"Shane!"
Nilingon ko siya. Then I rolled my eyes. "Shane's not coming for you, AJ." Wika ko, then I took a deep breath. "The same way I'm not coming for Harry anymore." I said silently before I headed out of the door and shut it close behind me.