He woke up from the sunlight peering through his window. When was the last time he woke up because of the sunshine? He was trying to recall his dream, it was filled with sunshine too. She was so delighted in that dream, he is trying to recall that memory, is it just a dream or one of the rare moments he could remember her being really happy. It was a memory. She was being hugged by the sun, tickled by the sand and called by the sea. It was in Caramoan, one of the last places they had been to. And she was at her happiest.
He decided to just get up. Explore. That's the whole point he's here. Aries wanted to discover what she wanted to see in Palau. Summer vacation for her wont be complete without a trip to the sea. But her goal then was to travel around every beach in the Philippines first before exploring out of the country. Aries never had an inkling that she wanted to go to Palau. He tried to make his breakfast but ended up just making a cup of coffee for himself. He'd just pick up something for breakfast along his way he thinks to himself.
Aries went to the beach, with her diary. It was left behind when she ran that day. That was 5 years ago, but he only saw the diary about a year ago when he tidied up the books in his library, someone must have placed it on the shelf along with his books.
"is long term engagement not really ideal? Are three years even long enough for someone to get bored? does love really fade through time? when did this relationship started going south? this dull? when did this discord started? Is it really my fault? Am I really too short of efforts?
This entry was not something he doesn't know, she has asked him a million times, Aries just ignored them. "I gave her time, I tried to stay with her. I just observed her and my weighed feelings, if I would still feel at ease with her, if I could still stand staying. If whether I'd want to be with her or Erin. She was comfortable while Erin was refreshing. I wanted something more than just comfortable. I chose adventure."
Aries was distracted of the children's laughter. It's the little girl again, with a bunch of her friends. Her smile, her pout, they all seem familiar. Her giggles, they are very contagious. It made Aries smile or sort of smile. His heart sank, to his gut. He remembered her, she was a nursery teacher. She would have enjoyed this scene.
Aries supposedly met her during their sophomore year in college. It was the week before summer break, he was on his way to the liberal arts building for an errand. His senior asked him to drop off a letter.
"So it's you! Aha! You're the one who's been dropping off those letters! You are Mr. Romantico! You are her secret admirer!"
Aries was so confused. What's going on? What is this girl talking about? "I'm sorry, miss, but I don't know what you mean."
"Our friend has been receiving these lovesick letters. And we have been on stakeouts hoping to catch you! You just dropped off a letter in her mailbox!"
"That wasn't from me! I was just.." oh..shoot! That was that cryptic instruction for! I'm in trouble. "Oh..yes..I just dropped the letter..it is..yes..they are from me..those letters." He was stammering so hard because of shock and the lack of choice. How unlucky could I be? How many of us have been sent to do this quest? Why should it be me who gets caught! He feels awfully helpless.
"Ha! And you were trying to get off of it! From what college are you? What year are you now? How did you know her? What's your intention? How long were you planning to keep this up? When were you planning to face her? Are you gonna propose to her now that you are caught? Will you not break her heart?"
Aries held his arms up in surrender. "Easy, one question at a time, please?" He doesn't even know who "her" is. How can he answer these questions. He has to be quick on his toes or else he'll blow up this cover. He can't let them know that he's not the sender of those love notices. What did I get myself in to?! How am I going to get out of this?
A girl is approaching him and this inquisitive girl. "Amelia, who is he?" Asked the girl who just came. She looks headstrong, hair tied up in a neat ponytail, good walking and standing posture, her sense of fashion is kind of safe compared to this loud girl. Is she her? Hmmm..not bad.
"Tara! I caught him! Red handed! Saw him leaving a sweet note for our bunny!" The loud girl with the pigtails told Tara with glee and excitement. "And I'm in the middle of interrogating him. What's your name by the way?" Directing all her energy back to Aries.
Before Aries could even answer. Tara's examining eyes were on him and he felt like some organism under a microscope. "I haven't seen you around here, are you from the Sciences Building? Hmmm..an archi student?"
Woah! This girl is good! Aries was surprised with the accuracy. "How did you know?"
"Well, you have your storage tube hanging behind you. I just made a good guess on the "archi" part." Tara replied with a very satisfied smile, flicking her hair back.
"So, what's your name? How do you know our friend? Do you like "like" her or you just like her? Are you just giving a shot on her or are you trying to woo her?"
This Tara has more complex questions compared to that Amelia. Aries doesn't know what to answer. I don't even know her name! He thinks to himself. Can't the ground just swallow me whole? Just this one time?
As if on cue, somebody called the two girls and is now approaching them. "Hey girls, what are you up to? What are you doing with that poor soul?" And he winked at Aries. It's Dylan, the real culprit.
Dylan is a year senior to Aries. He is the president of the Go FAr, Guild of Future Architects. Aries looks up to him, he is the golden boy of the Architecture Department. And Dylan has been sending club applicants to this conquest to gain entry. If it wasn't for his membership application, he would never dare do this kind of thing and he never expected it from Dylan. To be shy like this and profess his feelings for some girl in this secretive way. Who is this girl? Aries is now more curious than ever. Who is she that "the Dylan of Architecture" doesn't have enough courage to say his feelings for her upfront? Aries wonders as to what type of girl she is.
"Is that right, Aries?" Dylan asked playfully and winked at him again. "You know him?!" Amelia interjected, crossing her arms together. "Amelia, they are from the same college, so most probably they would know each other." Tara matter-of-factly answered. "I know! I was just making sure. Hahaha!" Amelia answered laughing.
"Where's that bunny anyway? She hasn't returned any of my texts all day." Dylan asked while looking around, as if trying to find someone. "She's on her way home probably and you know her. It's just music and the view whenever she's travelling." Tara informed him. "Already?" Dylan was surprised and a bit disappointed. "Yep! It's just completion week now, she's done all her requirements ahead 'coz she misses the fambam so much and the kiddos are out of school now. She's pretty excited to do experiments on them based on what she learned. Haha!" Amelia added.
Kids?..Experiment?..What is she? A mad scientist? Dr. Frankenstein?! Aries was just watching the trio talking about her. This mystery girl. This misunderstanding he's in. Dylan better get me out of this mess. He looked at Dylan asking for what better thing to do about this situation.
"So, Aries, what have they done to you? Have they been treating you well? Amelia, are you being your pouncy self? Haha! And Judge Tara? Interrogated him properly?" Dylan is enjoying this position of Aries being in boiling water instead of him.
Aries is still speechless. "I.." No words could just really escape his mouth. "That's alright. Girls, can I take it from here? I'll do the interrogations. I'll talk to him, man to man." And he winked at the girls. "I'm his senior, he doesn't have any choices. I will squeeze out all the information from him." Dylan told the girls with all smiles.
Yeah..right. If only I could tell these girls that you are the real Mr. Shy Romantico. Aries was thinking to himself. He's really tongue-tied, he's normally quick on his feet, but this situation, he's never been in one. How often could this happen anyway? But I'm really in some serious trouble.
rrrriiinnnggggg.. "Hey you, too! Where are you now? That's alright, I was just a bit worried 'coz you haven't replied to any of my messages and you weren't answering.."
"Is that our bunny?! We caught Mr. Romantico!" Amelia shouted.
"..yeah..Amelia caught him. Haha!..yeah..you know Amelia..anyways, enjoy your trip and take care, okay? I know..just making sure. Call me when you arrive at your house and whenever, okay?..yep! We will. I'll see you soon."
"So, Girls. I'll take it from here. Be assured that I will be scrutinizing Aries well." Dylan seems to be really enjoying this.
"See yah later, D! We will see you again Mr. Romantico! Haha!" Amelia was really amused by this situation. The two girls then left.
..phew.. "I really don't know what to say to those girls! What the heck did you get me in to? Why can't you just admit your feelings for her?" Aries said with a bit of frustration.
"I can't yet. We grew up like siblings. I want Cari to see me as a man first, not as an older brother." Dylan is serious now, with brows furrowed. "Just go with the flow for now.." Dylan added looking distantly as if weighing things down in his mind.
So, Cari is her name. "Okay..wait..what? Go with the flow? Can't I just disappear? Since I rarely go to this part of the campus? There is no way I'm gonna continue to be pretending as that Mr. Romantico!" Aries was really getting frustrated. He's got nothing to do with this, he was just dropping off the letter for Dylan.
"Amelia and Tara has seen you. Tara could probably just let go of you, but Amelia. She's one firecracker. You heard her right? She's already announced to Cari that "you've" been caught. Just go with it for now, Cari isn't here anyway and it's almost summer break. We'll deal with it on the coming semester." For lack of choice, this is the only game plan Dylan has for now.
"What's her name? Cari? You've known each other your entire life but expressing your love under a pseudonym? and what? Mr. Romantico? I never imagined you to be lame on this department." Aries remarked flatly.
"Don't judge me, okay? And Amelia just came up with that "Romantico" name. It seems you're an expert on love. Why don't we discuss this over pizza? My treat, for letting those girls put you under extreme pressure. Haha!" Dylan was just distracting himself, he's not quite convinced with his temporary solution. Am I doing the right thing? Maybe. For now.
"How long have you been hiding your feelings?" Aries asked, full of curiosity on this girl, why the Dylan of GoFAr was like some meek lamb hiding his feelings. "What came to your mind that you started doing this silly thing?" Aries was half wondering and half amused with this situation.
"Our parents are really good friends and we were practically brought up like siblings. My mom only has me and my older brother. Cari became the daughter that she dreamt of having. Growing up, I was kind-of jealous to her as I felt like the attention given to her by my mom and dad were supposed to be mine as I am the youngest child. Even kuya was fond of her. So, I was often mean to her. Then it just happened. It was when I went home for summer break, she was incoming college then and my mom informed me that she got admitted here in our university. My mom was all "take care of her there, okay? You are her kuya, that's your responsibility." It was just really annoying, I just got home from months of being away and yet all she could think of was Cari. Then that night, we went over to their house for dinner. And there she was, in the kitchen, she was like some fairy doing wonders in the kitchen with her nanny. I shrugged it off at first because I was really practically her kuya. I tried to avoid her then, making excuses not to spend time around her because it felt really odd. I was questioning my feelings. Then she started calling me and sending messages asking about life here, we grew closer and closer and that's it. She was still the same her but I see her differently, I was the one who changed. I got smitten." Dylan was telling the story like he was in a trance.
"Earth to Dylan! Haha! Smitten?! Haha! This is my first time hearing this from a guy." Aries was really amused. He wondered even if he ever felt this way.
"I told you not to judge me. You can laugh at me now, but it seems you haven't felt this way. I will be waiting and will be watching from the front row. I even thought you were an expert but apparently you are just naive. We will see then. Haha."
"If I will turn like you because I got "smitten". No thank you. Haha." But he's got someone in mind.
"We will see. I will see."
He woke up from his daydream. How long ago was that? 10? 11 years ago? Cari. He stood up and brushed of the sand on his shorts. Where was she supposed to go here? because when Cari sets her mind in going somewhere, there is usually something specific she wants to see in that place. What attracted her to go here? Why didn't she mention this to me? Or did she? I wasn't just paying attention. I wasn't paying real attention then anymore.
"..I need to go somewhere..I need to think..but I cannot go somewhere far..I want to clear my head..I don't like a place where I might bump in to someone I know or knows anybody I know..Palau..I've mentioned it to Aries, but I doubt he payed any attention..nobody would think I'll be going there.."
Aside from the beautiful beaches, she's also fascinated with history. Archeology interests her like cooking and baking. That's why Cambodia was her first ever trip out of the country. Angkor Wat was on top of her bucketlist. Did she mean to visit the Etpison Museum in Koror?
Aries walked around the town to find somewhere nice to have lunch. What delicacies are they famous for? He looked for local restaurants, a not crowded one. Everywhere is just so busy. I will try and do things the way Cari would. I might as well start with Etpison Museum tomorrow. He's doing this for Cari.