Chapter 11

I woke up feeling refreshed and rested. Maliwanag na ang kalangitan. Nakikita ko ang mga ibon na namamahinga sa puno kung saan kami natulog ni Writan.

Umupo ako at napangiti sa ganda ng paligid. The more I look at the scenery, the more I'm falling in love with it. Napatingin naman ako kay Writan, natutulog pa siya hanggang ngayon. Nakapatong ang kanyang kanang bisig sa noo niya. Nakapikit pa rin siya at nakatikom ang bibig.

Napangiti ako habang pinapanood siya. Tumayo muna ako para mag-stretch. After a few minutes, I wake Writan.

I slowly tapped his face. Nakaluhod ako sa tabi niya habang tinitigan ang mukha niya. I want to know if he had girlfriends in the past. Imposibleng walang nagkakagusto sa kanya. Sayang ang guwapo niya.

Tumayo ako nang kumislot siya. He opened his eyes and I quickly took my eyes off of him. Kinuha ko na ang bag ko at inilagay 'yon sa balikat ko.

"Good morning," Writan greeted with his low tone voice.

I grinned. "Bumangon ka na r'yan. Gusto ko nang makita ang dulo nito. Tara na."

Nakita ko pa ang pagngiti niya bago siya tumayo. Naglakad na ako sa tabi ng kalsada at nag-stretch pa rin.

"Ang ganda mo pala tuwing umaga," compliment ni Writan.

Nasa tabi ko na pala siya agad. Nagulat naman ako sa sinabi niya. Parang nag-blush yata ako bigla.

"Sa umaga lang?" I teased him.

He laughed. Nagsimula kaming maglakad.

"I dreamt of us at the end of the road," share niya.

Napatingin ako kay Writan. Magulo pa ang buhok niya dahil sa pagtulog. Tumigil ako sa paglalakad at inabot ang ulo niya. Nakalimutan ko na matangkad nga pala siya sa akin kaya natipalok ako at natumba sa katawan niya. Buti na lamang ay nawakan niya ako sa baywang. Nahihiya akong ngumiti.

"Sorry. Medyo magulo kasi ang buhok mo. Aayusin ko sana."

Tumikhim ako at umayos ng tayo. Umiwas ako ng tingin sa kanya. Napakinggan ko rin ang pagtikhim ni Writan. Binalingan ko na siya.

"Ayos?" He gave me a thumbs up.

I gave him a thumbs up too. "Yeah."

Nagpatuloy kami sa paglalakad.

"As I was saying, I dreamt of us last night."

"Yeah?" I said, interested.

"Hmm. We're holding...hands and...we're smiling," nahihiya niyang tugon.

"Pinagpapantasyahan mo siguro ako sa panaginip mo."

His jaw fell. I cracked a laugh and ran away from him. Sumunod naman siya kaya nagtatakbo ulit ako.

"Come back here, Claudia! Hindi kita pinagpapantasyahan!"

Tumawa ako lalo. "O baka iniisip mo lang ako ng sobra?" pang-aasar ko pa.

Hindi ako tumigil sa pagtakbo hanggat hindi pa ako hinihingal. Nang mapagod ay lumapit ako sa puno at nagpahinga ro'n. Ngumisi kaming dalawa sa isa't isa nang lumapit sa akin si Writan at hinihingal din.

"You're having fun teasing me, huh?" he said, grinning.

I chuckled. Kinuha ko sa kanya ang bottle ng tubig. Hindi naman niya ako pinagalitan. Kumuha siya ng panibago.

"So, anong itsura ko sa panaginip mo?"

Pinaningkitan ko ang mata niya habang pinapanood si Writan na umiinom. He gulped down before answering.

"You still looked beautiful."

Tumango ako.

"No. You were way beautiful in my dream...unlike now," he teased me.

Hindi ko na siya nasuntok sa braso nang mauna siya sa paglalakad. Lumapit ako sa kanya at inakbayan siya. Dahil hindi ko rin maaabot ang balikat niya ay inalis ko rin 'yon. He's the one who made it on my shoulders. I didn't mind it.

"Malayo pa ba tayo?"

Huminga ako nang malalim at tiningnan ang ulap. Kulay asul 'yon at parang wala nang hihigit pa sa ganda niyon.

"We'll be there at noon."

Bumaling ako sa kanya. "Bok said there's no time in here. How did you know it'll be noon when we get there?"

"I've got a sense of time. I could assume it without looking at the time. Cool, huh?"

"Not bad," I annoyed him.

We both grinned and continued walking. Naalala ko ang story niya kaya hiniram ko ulit sa kanya. Katulad kahapon ay inalalayan niya ulit ako habang binabasa ko ang kwento niya. Napangiti ako sa katapusan.

"It really is a happy ending," I said, satisfied.

Ibinalik ko sa kanya ang papel. "Sobrang ganda. Inspiring and dreamy. I wanted a love like that. There's no limitation, it's free, and there's no holding them back."

Ngumiti rin siya sa sinabi ko. "Thank you for appreciating my piece of junk."

I slammed his arms before laughing at him.

"Makulit ka talaga, 'no?"

He grinned. "Sa 'yo lang. Sarap mo kasing asarin."

Hindi na ako nagkomento. We walked to the end of the road. I'm not excited about seeing the end, what I'm excited about is our journey together. So far, I'm enjoying it. I can't exchange this joy with anything right now.

"Thank you for taking me here, Writan," I whispered.

Nakikita ko na ang dulo ng kalsada na kahapon lamang ay pinag-uusapan namin. Tumingin kami sa isa't isa. Nagulat ako nang hawakan niya ang kamay ko at halikan ang likod ng palad ko.

"Sa iyo ako nagpapasalamat, Claudia. I won't be here without you. You want me to tell you about the thing about this road?"

Tumango ako. A smile plastered on his face.

"The person you're with on this journey will be yours forever."

I realized it now.

"Yes, I'm considering myself being with you forever, Claudia."

Instead of jumping out of joy, my heart started to throb. How will he have me forever when I'll not stay here for that long?

I sighed in nervousness. I enveloped my arms to Writan and prayed. I'm hoping I could be here forever. I wish for our forever.

Magkahawak-kamay kaming naglakad patungo sa isang statue ng isang couple na nakangiti at magkayakap. Kulay bronze ang buong statue at parang hindi maluluma sa ganda no'n.

"Ang estatuwang ito ay simbolo ng ating pagmamahalan. Isinusumpa natin ngayong ika-walo ng Agusto 1975, sa katapusan ng ating paglalakbay na tayo'y para lamang sa isa't isa habangbuhay. Ang estatuwa ni Boston San Pedro at Penna San Pedro."

Huli na nang mapagtanto ko ang binasa ni Writan. Nanginit ang mata ko. Nangunot ang noo ko nang makita ang pangalan ni Grandma. But it wasn't Penya but Penna. Who's Penna?

It hit me hard when I remembered the conversation Bok and I had. He loved a woman named Penna. Penna is my grandmother. Is this means, Boston is Bok? My grandfather is alive. Why did Grandma tell me he's dead? Does Mommy know?

Tumingin ako kay Writan. I gripped his hand.

"Did you know about this? That Bok is my grandfather?" naguguluhan kong tanong.

Magsasalita pa lamang siya ay tumalikod na ako. Nahagip ng mata ko ang isang puno. Mayroong nakaukit do'n. I touched it and my tears fell.

"I'm sorry, Bok," I read on the carved three words

It made my heart hurt. It was her who left Bok, my grandfather. Why did she leave Bok? Why would she left him with a poem and never came back?

"Claudia," Writan called me.

Umiling ako. "Not right now. I have to go back."

"No."

I shook my head and started to leave him. I have to talk to Bok. All this time I thought he's just a leader! Oh, my gosh, why am I so stupid? That explains everything! He was here since forever, he never went back to the other side. But why?

Nananakit na ang binti ko sa paglalakad. Ayaw kong tumigil. I have to know everything!

I shouted out loud in horror when someone lifts me. It was Writan. I slammed his back.

"Stop! Ano ba! I have to talk to my grandfather! Damn you!" naiinis kong sigaw.

Nagpatuloy ko sa paghampas ng likod niya. Hindi siya tumigil kahit alam kong palakas nang palakas ang pananakit ko sa kanya.

"I hate you! You lied, Writan! You knew it was him! I trusted you, manloloko!"

"Calm down, Claudia," seryosong tugon niya sa gitna nang paghampas ko sa kanya.

Hindi ako tumigil hanggang sa ang kamay ko na ang napagod. Tumigil ako sa pagsigaw at nanahimik. Tumulo ang butil ng luha sa mata ko. I sniffed and controlled my sobs.

"Damn, now you're crying. I don't get this woman."

Dahan-dahan niya akong ibinaba. I covered my eyes with my eyes and my shoulders shook as I cried.

"I put all of my efforts to discover my grandparent's past. Ako pa ang magugulat na pinaglalaruan lang pala ako ng tadhana. How could you two do this to me? Masaya na ba kayo?"

I took my hands off and gave Writan a death glare.

"You? Masaya ka na ba? You played me!"

I saw his jaw tightened. He put his hands on both sides of his hips and glared at me too.

"Bilis mong mang-akusa. Hindi mo muna ako hinayaang magpaliwanag. Before you assumed, let me say a word."

I sobbed and wiped my tears.

"Don't fucking cry in front of me, Claudia! Nabobobo ako kapag nakikita kitang gan'yan!"

I pouted and stopped.

"Wala akong alam sa lola mo at kay Bok. Oo, alam ko ang tungkol sa minahal ni Bok noon pero hindi ko alam na ang lola mo pala 'yon. I will never lie to you."

Umiwas ako ng tingin sa kanya.

"Pupuntahan natin si Bok. We'll find out about your grandmother and him. Okay na?"

I nodded. He sighed, frustrated. I looked at him. He licked his lips and took his eyes off of me.

"Punasan mo na 'yang luha mo. 'Wag ka nang umiyak. Tara na," seryoso pa rin niyang utos.

Hinawakan niya ang kamay ko at hinigpitan ang pagkahahawak niya 'ron. I smiled a bit before walking with him. I slightly looked at him again and saw his eyes staring at me. Nabigla ako sa titig niya kaya umiwas ulit ako.

"Umiiyak ka pa ba?" his voice was gentle now.

Tumango lang ako. I heard him sigh.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you. I was frustrated. Will you forgive me?"

Tumikhim ako. "I will...if you forgive me too. I'm sorry...for accusing you. You don't deserve my punches. Masakit ba?"

Tumango siya. I pouted, guilty.

"Sorry," I whispered.

He smiled at me. He pulled me in his arms.

"It's okay. You were hurt. I understand. This is just a physical pain not compared to the pain you're feeling right now. I'm sorry, Claudia."

I feel comforted. He successfully took my pain and disappointment from what happened. I'm glad he's with me.

"Thank you for being here, Writan."

"I won't leave you."