Chapter 5

"Ay, right. Palabas na," I said as I wiped my eyes using the back of my hand, standing up from my bed before I turned off my phone and threw it there.

"Ang sabi 'di nakita?" Inez whispered, teasing, as I got closer, I gave her a glare causing her to laugh as she stepped out of the way, revealing Christion standing at the doorstep. His eyes immediately met mine before he took a step backwards as I got out of the room. I do want to swim.

Tahimik kaming lumapit sa dagat, diretso lang ang tingin ko doon habang nasa gilid ko siya, hindi umiimik. And as we arrived at the shore, he froze.

Hindi ko na lang siya pinansin at naghakbang pa muli, ngayon ay nasa tubig na ako. I felt shiver crawl onto my spine as the coolness of the water met my skin. I don't remember the last time I've been in a beach, touched sea water, or inhaled ocean breeze. I take another step forward before i turn to him.

"What? Halika na!" I said, exclaiming, catching his attention. Galing sa kawalan patungo sa akin ang kaniyang mga mata. "Oh?"

He shakes his head. "I change my mind. I'll watch you na lang."

My forehead and immediately shake my head before I walk towards him. "I don't want to swim alone," I said before stopping just inches away from him. He shifted his eyes away from me before he let out a sigh. "What?"

"You go na, you want to swim, 'di ba?" he asked and I nodded.

"But I want kas-- gusto ko ng kasama. Tara na!" I stomped my right foot to the ground causing a splash, he immediately backed off. "Seriously don't want to get wet?"

He looked up to me before pressing his lips together and nodded. "Smart girl."

I let out a chuckle. "Tara na! Hindi naman tayo pupunta sa malalim, ah!" I said before he closes his eyes and gently shakes his head. "Why!"

He opens his eyes once more to my whining. "May kasama ka naman, ah? I won't leave."

"But still!" I exclaimed, causing his to let out a chuckle. "Ngayon lang kita tinotolerate, pinagbigyan kitang icarry ako last night--"

"I was doing you a favour," he said.

"That I did not ask! Pinahiya mo kaya ako!" I said and his smile widened for another chuckle.

"I don't see a part na nakakahiya doon. You can barely walk and you are my wife, that is something you shouldn't be embarrassed of."

"And what? Being seen with your wife on the beach is nakakahiya?" He shakes his head. "Then why not!"

"You can ask Inez to join you if you want, basta I'm staying here. Safe and dry," he said before crossing his arms to his chest. Binigyan ko siya ng masama na tingin bago tumalikod, at doon narinig ko siyang mahinang tumatawa. "Would you like me to call them?"

"They're tired," I said once my feet have touched the water. 

"She seems to be fine just now. What? you want to spend time with me na?" he asked and I turned to him, causing him to chuckle louder. "You really do?"

Tama ako… Tamang tama ako… "What if I say I do? would you come here na?" I asked and he snickered.

"Not a chance--"

"Why ba! Takot ka ba sa dagat or what?" I asked, whining but he shakes his head.

"No," matipid niyang sagot bago nilaglag ang mga kamay sa gilid niya. "I just don't want to change again."

I felt all my tense loosened up as I narrowed my eyebrows to him. "Seryoso ka?" I asked before I slowly squat down to the water that is levelling my feet. He nodded his head as I scoop a decent amount of water using my palms and immediately splashed it towards him. He steps back once again, looking down to his now worn shorts and I found myself starting to laugh. "Oops."

"Oh, please don't," he said, sincerely. I stand up from squatting before I walk closer to him. Kaagad naman siyang naalerto at sabay naglalakad patalikod para matawa ako. "Hey--"

I stopped my feet just at the dry part of the sand while he was a quite short distance from me. "Assuming,"I said, rolling my eyes before I turned around once again. I look down to my feet before I sit down on the sand, taking off my slippers as I then feel his presence getting closer. "Your excuse is so invalid, you know? Ayaw mag bihis? 'Yon lang?"

"I don't have anything else to wear," he said and appeared on my left. I place one slipper in front of him before I look up at his face and he looks down back.

"Pabili ka?" I suggested but he shakes his head. "Why? Sa 'yaman mo'ng 'yan--"

"It's not that," he interrupted. "Lahat pinawash ko yesterday, ang daming ants sa suitcase ko."

"E 'di don't change, nasa beach naman tayo, ah?" I tilted my head as I place my hands on my waist. He shakes his head once again.

"That's uncomfortable--"

"Edi bumili ka nga! Ang daming resort shirts d'yan for sale!" I said, exclaiming, lifting my left arm as I gestured to the buildings behind him. He doesn't do anything and looks at me, and my eyebrows narrow.

"I have too many clothes, we can swim naman tomorrow--"

"But I want to swim now!" I whined, and he softly shakes his head, dropping his head down to his side. My eyes landed on his arms, and I quickly took the chance and grabbed his hand. 

I see his shoulders dropped as I hold his hand with both of mine, he looks up to the sky as he quietly groans before I try to pull him closer and closer to the shore. But he refused to move and used a stronger force, each pull I try to pull harder and harder as I whine. "Quick swim lang!" I said, exclaiming as I pulled his hand. 

He doesn't even have a hard time and chuckles. "Ikaw na nga lang doon, dito lang ako," he said, slowly. I continue to pull his hand, frowning at his words as he holds a huge smile. 

I try to use all of my strength, pulling him once yet stronger causing him to finally move. I felt my lips stretched for a smile as his eyes widened, I repeated the same action once, causing us to take a step closer to the shore, I put my right foot behind me as I pulled him once again and we arrived at the waters. The small waves crashed onto our feet causing him to look down to the ground.

"Ella 'wag na nga--" he paused as I continued to pull him closer and closer. He still tries to fight against my force but he seems to have already given up. I tried another stronger pull, and it suddenly got lighter. The wave got bigger and stronger, I felt its force run onto my feet causing me to stumble

Napapikit ako nang bigla na lang siyang gumaan, nadala ako sa sarili kong hila at ganoon din siya. My back crashed onto the cold water, causing a blurry splash to echo in my ear. But then suddenly, I immediately felt a touch on my waist and arm. I quickly search for his hand, I try to hold onto it as he helps me get up. I slowly feel the water drip down to my body as the blurry noises clear up, I wipe my palm to my eyes before I open them to see Christion, holding a huge smile on his face as we continue to stand up.

"Are you okay?" he said, chuckling. "Ang babaw lang dito, 'yan kasi, e, mapilit."

As we stood up, I immediately looked around as I caught my breath. I can feel my hands tensed along with my chest pounding. My eyes then landed on his eyes, meeting his gaze. I lifted up my hand and took his arm once again, medyo basa na kami dalawa at wala na siyang choice. 

I pulled him immediately with him off guard, he moved farther to the ocean, exclaiming my name, causing bigger splashes as he still fought against my pull. His eyes are still wide open, turning back to me. I narrow my eyebrows causing his eyes to hood. I look down to the water once it has reached my thigh, I look to hide to find it reaching his knee still. "You really have done it," he said, causing me to chuckle.

Doon ay binatawan ko na siya at tumalikod, I try to splash him behind causing another splash of water to crash onto the back of my head. Siya yon. I walk farther deeper and deeper as I can feel him follow me. Kids are arriving, shouting and enjoying with their high pitched voices, breaking the soft silence. 

We reached the point where the water was already near my chest, I stopped my feet before I turned around to him. Basang basa na ang kaniyang shirt habang ang tuyo ng buhok niya, I tilted my head, causing his forehead to crease. 

"What?" he asked. 

"Your hair is dry," I said, shifting my eyes, meeting his gaze.

"Yeah, and?" he asked. I quickly assumed it had sarcasm yet as I stared at his face, he seemed to be sincere with his question.

"Wet it," I said and he immediately shakes his head softy. I chuckled. "Basang-basa ka na nga tapos ayaw mo pang ibasa yang buhok mo?"

"Yes," tipid niyang sagot bago tumalikod. My eyes immediately look up to his head before I look back down to the water, forming my hand to a bowl as I then scoop water and lift my arms to his head. "H-hey!" 

He turns back to me with his hands on his head, I let out a chuckle before he splashes directly on my side. My eyebrows narrowed once more, bumawi ako sa kaniya ng mas malakas na pisik ngunit biglang tinaas niya ang kaniyang kilay bago pumisik pa nang mas malakas.

Hindi siya nainis… 

Nanatili kami sa tubig na tahimik nagaaway, we splash water to each other before we gone to silence. 

Namiss ko 'to. Namiss ko kung gaano kapayapa at maingay ang mga dagat, namiss ko ang kakaibang simoy ng hangin at lalo na ang tubig na malamig at malinis. Akala ko a-ayaw na ako sa mga dagat, hindi pa rin pala matigilan.

"Mag-asawang Luciano! Hoy! Ma'am, Sir!!" 

We both froze as a familiar voice shouted, sabay kaming napatingin sa lupa at doon nakita si Inez na winawagaywag ang dalawang kamay. 

"Lunch na! Alas dose na!" she shouted once again, and there Christion turns his head to me. "Bahala kayo diyan at kakain na ako!"

"Let's eat na?" he said, ignoring Inez as I saw her walk away. I raised my eyebrows before I slowly nodded my head, he immediately took my answer and suddenly, he grabbed my right hand from under water as he started to walk away and I followed him.

Yet when the water reached my thigh, he stopped walking. My forehead creased before he slowly turned to me, looking down to the water with his face holding wide opened eyes and a creased forehead. "What the fuck."

"What?" I asked and I felt his grip on my hand tightened. I can see his shoulders moving up and down, roughly to know he's catching his breath.

He slowly shove his other hand to the water as I can see him lifting up his left foot. Kaagad naman dumilat ang kaniyang mga mata at mabilis niyang inangat ang kamay at may hinagis na kung ano. My eyes follow the flying object to see a green sea weed flop onto the water, my eyebrows rose as I felt myself lightened. I turn back to him to see his reaction the same. "What was that?" he asked. whispering.

I chuckled, catching his attention. "What was that?" he repeated and I shook my head before letting out a sigh.

"Seaweed yata?"

"What?" he asked, exhaling, and his crease deepened with his grip loosened up as he took quick glances at the floating green thing.

"Natural green sea plant thing," I said, unsure, and he sharply turned his head to me.

"Plant? Hindi buhay 'yon?" he asked. My eyes widened before I started to laugh, shaking my head.

"Living thing but 'di 'yon creature, geez," I said, taking a step forward. "First time?"

It was with sarcasm but he nodded his head, causing me to pause. 

"Seryoso? First time?" I asked and he started to walk, dragging me with having no choice but to follow. "Hello?"

"I don't like beaches," he said as we arrive back to the dry land, kaagad naman kaming dumeretso sa slippers namin. 

"What why?" I asked but he didn't reply. I watch him walk to my front, I look down to my slippers and put my feet in it yet unexpectedly, he squats down and holds my foot as he locks my lace.

"Ayaw ko lang," he simply said before he let go of my right foot and held onto my left, with my other slipper on his other hand. "You go to beaches a lot, that's obvious."

I shake my head. "No, actually. I don't really," I said as he helped me put on my other slippers. He drops my foot before he sighed, standing up. "This is my-- like fourth time."

"Okay," he sighed, nodding his head. "That makes sense."

"Why do you not like beaches? City person?" I asked before he turned around.

"Maybe? I really don't know." He started to walk away and I immediately followed. My eyes took a quick glance at my feet before I felt my cheeks heating up all of a sudden.

We arrived at the restaurant with a decent amount of people in there. The staff somehow recognized us and led us to Inez who was sitting at a four seat table, at the centre of the room. Kumakain na ito, as expected.

Sumunod lang ako ni Christion, he stopped in front of a chair across Inez and I stood beside him, in front of another chair on his left. He looked at me before pulling the chair and I did too. As I tried to pull the chair, I paused for a moment realising how heavy it was. I put my other hand to pull it harder yet suddenly Christion's hands pulled mine. He drags me to the right as he walks towards my seat, doon ay nahila na ang upuan niya. He quickly managed to pull the seat on the left easily and there he sat down. I didn't have a choice but to sit down to the right before I noticed the meal in front of me.

My eyes shifted to Inez to see her eyes wide open. Palipat-lipat sa aming dalawa ang kaniyang mata bago siya biglang umubo at kaagad uminom ng tubig. She exhaled before looking back to us, I turned to Tion to see him eating already, calm. "Sir, may damit na ho kayo? Hindi ko pa nakukuha sa laundry--"

"No, I don't. Can you buy me?" 

"Ah sige po after nito-- bakit ba kasi naligo pa kayo? Pwede naman bukas na--"

Tion clicked his tongue. "Gusto, e. E 'di pag bigyan."