We ate the breakfast that Adam cooked and set ourselves to leave the cave. The calvary then happened again. Binabanas na ako, gusto ko ng maligo. Not to mention that I am still on my period. Although it’ We started going out and walked through the narrow passages. The water subsided, it looked exactly just like the way we first saw it. We walked at a slower pace since Adam is helping Chris to walk. Selene is still quiet, she touches every single corner of the cave that we are passing through as if when she did that, she’ll be able to gather all the memories that she lost. The glowworms are still there, and just like the first time, it still amuses me. I can say that I get to enjoy this second wonder more than the first. The first wonder at Chip is where we started to talk about this trip. It was the first time that I got a chance to have a long conversation with Chris who tirelessly keeps on convincing me with this trip. Last night was still a question. He spoke words that I cann
Selene showed me their pictures. They look really in love in those images. Selfies, family pictures with Selene and Maure’s relatives, portraits, and pictures in the house owned and bought by them. Ang dami niyang kinuwento sa akin na halos hindi ko na naunawaan lahat. I just stood there and let her talk and talk. All I know is that from what she told me and the pictures that she showed, they really have a romantic relationship. We do not know what Maure and Chris talked about. When they went inside the camper van after their conversation, Selene and Maure left right away. Maure thanked us for everything that we did from helping her at the Island of Regain to keeping her safe by accompanying her and letting her join us even for a short period of time. Selene gave us her contact number and address so that if there would be a time that we needed help and we wanted to see Maure, we could visit them any time. It was a moment where I felt like I lost another significant person in my
I finished three bowls of rice. Probably because of the hunger that I am feeling since a lot of things happened early in the morning. Or because I just simply missed this food. It’s nostalgic, bringing me back to Ariel – to home. It feels like a very long time since I had thought about home. Most of the time I don’t consider Ariel as home because it does not feel like it. But I cannot think of anything as home except Ariel. Home is a place where I live with my parents, with the people I grew up with – by that I meant all the people at our house including the guards and the maids. Basically that’s home. But home is more than that – more than a concrete wall. More than the parts of an infrastructure. Because most of the time, home are people. I have been longing for home for a long time. The warmth love that it gives on a cold night that you are doubting everything, even yourself. The words of encouragement that you can only seek at the shelter you always run at when everything ha
It was a story of a young man who was about to get an arranged marriage to a fine young lady when he accidentally put the ring in the finger of a corpse. The corpse was a bride and mistook the accident as a wedding vow for her. So he brought the man – Victor – to the land of the dead. Corpse bride has this animation and the feels that really captivates my heart. I can relate to the young lady – Victoria. Grew up with strict parents, must be obedient, do things really fine and modest. "Why this movie?" Asked Chris. We're sitting a meter apart from each other. The blanket was that huge for us to sit in that distance and even has a place for all the foods. "Why ask me to watch a movie?" He shrugged and drank another bottle of San Miguel flavored beer. Movie theaters aren't my thing. Whenever there are films that I want to watch, I would just wait for it to be released on televisions or online platforms where I will still pay. I went to bars more than cinemas. I love to be alone, wa
It’s weird. The stare of the two men is frightening. “Chris?” I said and held his arm who was just resting beside me. As I looked at him, he was also looking at the window outside. “Leira, after washing and drying the clothes let’s go back to the van right away, du’n na lang natin itiklop ‘yan.” I nodded instantly. I took out our clothes and put them next in the dryer. He operated the dryer so that we could finish the laundry faster. The amount of clothes we washed used three dryers. I am silently hoping all the dirt is gone but I doubt that since we only spun it for fifteen minutes. Talagang nagmamadali kami. Chris must have felt that the two men that were watching us were weird and terrifying. Nagmadali na kami sa paglalaba at basta na lamang ibinalik lahat ng nalabhan na damit sa loob ng bag. We walked outside hurriedly, not minding the stares of the few customers that are with us. I am certain they are just wondering about why we're doing this in a fast forward, but the sta
It was freshman week. A week where all the first year students could get to know each other, attend different activities prepared by the higher year, and familiarize themselves in the campus. Sidesea University is the largest among all the colleges in the City of Ariel but has the lowest number of students due to hard admissions. Students shall take an entrance examination first to know whether they could enter the University or not, there are special cases – of course, which really usually happens – for students who have connections. Connections like powerful businessmen, teachers, admins, and facilitators inside the school, and government officials at Ariel. School started three days ago and I haven’t adjusted to the environment yet. It’s like I am always lost. Lost in a sense that I am having a hard time not to get lost. And another lost in a sense that I don’t know what I am doing, if the course that I took would be manageable enough for me to pass. People around me often say
I immediately went back to reality when I heard a sob. Patricia was crying in front of me. She kept on saying sorry and hugging me. I just stared at her, still in my thoughts on how we first met. That night was one of the best nights I would never forget. She’s my best friend, my only friend, my sister. “I visited the café then I went to a bar. I was really drunk, I am sorry. Y-you can put me to jail or whatever. I am sorry Cindy” She still calls me with that name because we are at Cinderella right now, funny how she still keep up with that stupid idea of mine. Out of all the people in this big City of Cinderella, why Patricia? I checked her schedule, that's why I am comfortable that we are not going to meet each other. But here she is. She even hit us. “Cindy?” “Huh?” My mind is clearly somewhere else plus I don’t really know how to talk with her, after what I’ve done. Imagine running away from someone and meeting them again, it’s awkward. Really awkward for me. The nurse
Chris caught us in that situation. He looked at us for a second and then walked inside without minding us, putting a tray with food that I supposed he bought outside. It felt like my parents caught me crying and I would have to hide and easily wipe away my tears so that we would not talk about it. Patricia and I wiped our tears, “are you sure he’s just your boss?” She giggled and whispered to my ears as she sat down on the bed beside me. Of course Patricia and I were talking about boys sometimes – mostly her – that’s one thing that she influenced on me. I became vocal about the guy I like but was still shy most of the time. “Ikaw ha. You wanted good guys with good looks and good grades,” pang-aasar niya nang malaman niya ‘yung tungkol sa lalake na nagustuhan ko nu’n sa kolehiyo. But she’s uncertain about what is happening at home. I am sure she has an idea but she chose not to ask. Hindi siya kailanman nangialam tungkol sa bagay na ‘yon hangga’t hindi ako nagsasabi, nagtatanon