CHAPTER SIX: Ride

I wrapped my arms across my body as I admired the blue ocean in front of me. The wind is wrapping around my body as my hair dance with it. Kakarating lang namin at ang pananatili kaagad sa dalampasigan ang inuna ko. Nakakaramdam ako ng kaginhawaan habang pinapakinggan ang bawat hampas ng alon, ugong ng hangin at ang tunong ng mga dahon at halaman sa paligid.

Liningon ko ang aking ulo mula sa kanan. Doon makikita mo ang mga taong may kaniya-kaniyang buhay. Nagsasaya at sinusulit ang mga sandali nila rito sa Siargao.

Malalim akong suminghot bago iyon binuga.

Walang tao sa kinalalagyan namin dito pero matatanaw mo naman sila hindi kalayuan dahil private property ito nila Tomi.

Mula sa kinalalagyan ko ay natanaw ko ang paglabas nila Tomi sa resthouse. They were probably going to rent a surfboad, kahapon pa iyon binibida ni Tomi sa kaniyang kapatid. Natutuwa kasi siyang may common sila sa isa‘t-isa at iyon ay ang pagkahilig sa surfing.

“Love,” Tomi called out once his eyes landed at my direction.

Lumapit ako sa kanila pero hindi ko sinubukang padapuin ang paningin ko sa lalaking katabi ni Tomi. Baka hindi na naman ako makaiwas.

“Saan kayo pupunta?” tanong ko nang makalapit.

Tomi kissed my lips before answering my question. “We’ll go look for surfboard to use. Baka kasi magkaubusan na.”

Dahan-dahan akong napatango.

“Sasama ka ba sa amin?” Lazarro suddenly asked.

My gaze slipped from Tomi to Lazarro before I could even stop myself. My heart slightly jumped from its place when I met Lazarro’s heterochromanic eyes.

And there it is, I couldn't look away anymore, as if I'm drowning with his ocean blue eyes and his white plain eyes that holds no mercy.

“Sumama ka na para naman makapaglibot-libot ka,” singit naman ni Tomi.

Ngumiti na lang ako bago muling tumango. Tumalikod na ang dalawa. Nag-uusap sila patungkol sa surfing at wala akong maintindihan sa pinag-uusapan nila. Pinapaliwanag ni Lazarro kung gaano kahalaga ang quality ng surfboard for safety. Tumatango-tango naman si Tomi, talagang iniintindi ang lahat ng sinasabi ni Lazarro.

We entered at the small shop.

Sumalubong saamin doon ang mga iba‘t-ibang surfboard, pati tuloy ako ay naengganyo na tumingin-tingin.

Naglibot-libot silang magkapatid. Panay turo si Tomi sa mga surfboard na gusto niya pero ilang beses din siyang iniilingan ni Lazarro at sinasabi ang mga dapat na i-considered ni Tomi sa pagpili ng surfboard.

“How about that Kuya?” Tomi asked, pointing the surfboard hanging on the wall.

Lazarro squinted his eyes before trailing the edge of the board using his fingers, examining the board. I gulped before looking away.

Tumango si Lazarro bilang pagsang-ayon.

Kitang-kita ko ang saya sa mukha ni Tomi nang tumama na rin siya. Para siyang nakapasa sa boardexam. Inabot muli ni Lazarro ang surfboard kay Tomi.

“Sabi sa’yo mabilis akong matuto e!”

Tomi laughed before playfully swang the board towards Lazarro. Para sana kay Lazarro ang tama niyon subalit napalakas ni Tomi at sa direksyon ko ang… Tama!

“Tomi—!” before I could even alert him a loud bang stopped me.

The edge of the board nearly hit me, but Lazarro’s arm came too fast, blocking the board before it could touch any of my skin. His palm landed at the wall behind my head and his heterochromatic eyes burning with furry while staring into my eyes which widened in shocked.

God… he is too close, too close that I'm scared he might hear my heartbeat beats.

He stepped back, jaw clenching, as if restraining himself from breaking Tomi in a half.

“You should watch what you are fucking doing!” he growled.

Nakita ko ang saglit na pagdaan ng takot sa mga mata ni Tomi habang tinititigan niya ang kaniyang kapatid.

“I-i’m sorry, I didn't mean to hit you. Hindi ka na dapat humarang pa.”

The air felt heavy between us. Even after Tomi muttered another apology, the sound barely reached me. All I could hear was the uneven rhythm of my own heartbeat — loud, wild, and traitorous.

Lazarro didn’t say another word. He just kept staring, jaw clenched, chest rising and falling as if he was forcing himself to breathe. For a moment, I saw it — something raw flickering behind his anger. It wasn’t just fury. It was control barely holding itself together.

Then he looked away. Just like that, the spell broke.

I swallowed hard, realizing my hands were still trembling. The spot on the wall where his palm had landed was only inches from my shoulder, but the heat from it felt like it burned through me.

“Let’s go,” he said finally, voice rough, low — more like a warning to himself than to us.

Tomi nodded quickly, relief written all over his face. “Yeah… yeah, let’s go.”

But as we stepped out of the shop, I caught Lazarro’s reflection on the glass door and he wasn’t looking at Tomi.

He was looking at me.

Our eyes met again for half a second, and my chest tightened. There was something dangerous about the way he looked at me, something that made me feel both safe and terrified.

The moment passed when he turned away, leading the path back to the resthouse. I followed silently, pretending not to notice how my knees were still weak or how my skin still remembered his closeness.

Maybe it was just adrenaline.

Maybe.

But deep inside, I knew it wasn’t just fear that made my heart race.

It was him.

Hapon na nang mag-aya si Tomi na puntahan ang mga famous spot dito sa siargao. Hindi na rin sumama sila Tita Glaiza at Tito Edgar dahil gusto nilang magbonding ang dalawang magkapatid. Hindi na sana ako papasamahin ni Tita so the two can enjoy themselves pero sumingit si Lazarro. At the end walang nagawa sila Tita Glaiza but to agreed.

First destination namin dito sa Siargao ay ang Mapungpungko Rock pools. Second ay ang Sugba Lagoon. It was fun there. Lalong-lalo na sa mga taong mahihilig mag-dive.

And lastly the Tayangban Cave Pools. I look around the area. There was a small sari-sari store near the Tayangban Cave pool where Lazarro paid the entrance. At the sari-sari you’ll get outfitted with a hard hat and headlamp to prepare for your trek. You also need to bring your own water shoes because the uneven surfaces in the cave are difficult to walk on without footwear.

Mabuti na lang at lahat ng kakailanganin namin ay nasa resthouse na nila Tomi kaya hindi na mahirap pa ang mga iyon. Iniwanan na rin namin ang ilan sa mga gamit namin na maaring mabasa.

“Hawakan po ng mabuti ang lubid,” paalala ng tour guide namin.

It was underwater cave. Kailangan mo pang dumaan pababa sa mabato, madulat at mapuno. Nang makarating sa loob, nagliliparang paniki kaagad ang sumalubong sa amin. Madilim sa loob ng kuweba, kakaiba rin ang tunog sa loob.

“Are those bats—?!” I screamed in fear.

“Miss hawakan niyo po ng maayos ang lubid! Baka mapaano po kayo!”

Mas lalong dumagdag sa takot at kaba ko nang marinig ko ang sigaw ng tour guide. It was dark here and it's normal for me to be scared! Saglit ko lang naman nabitawan ang lubid.

I bit my lower lip before holding the rope again, this time more careful.

“Don‘t shout,” Lazarro growled. His voice sounds so dangerous and it send chills through my body even though the water is too cold.

Nasa likod ko siya at hindi sa akin ang tingin niya kundi sa tour guide na nasa harapan.

“Sorry ho!”

Lumingon si Tomi na nasa harapan ko, “Hey, hawakan mo ng maayos iyang lubid at malamang may mga paniki, kweba nga. Puro ka kasi kaartehan.”

Napakunot ang noo ko dahil doon subalit hindi na ako nagtangka pang magdahilan.

“There was a cave that has no bats.”

Umahon ang saya sa puso ko nang marinig iyon. See! Buti na lang at may kakampi ako sa likod ko. Gusto ko sanang ipamukha kay Tomi na mali siya pero hindi na ako umimik pa.

“Ang Tayangban cave po ay may haba na 240 meters at deretso po ito sa grotto. Para po kayong nasa ibang daymensyon ng mundo pag narating natin iyon. Hindi madalas puntahan ang Tayangban dahil sa dilim at nakakatakot daw ito.”

Naghiyawan ang ilan sa mga kasama namin nang manakot ang tour guide. Maging ako ay kinakabahan na rin!

Habang tumatagal sa kweba ay pakipot din nang pikopot ang daan. Naramdaman ko ang presensiya ni Lazarro sa likuran ko, inaalalayan ako dahil patuli na rin nang patulis ang mga bato.

“Careful, you could hurt your feet,” he whispered and I shivered.

Masyadong malapit ang katawan naming dalawa at nararamdaman ko na ang t-shirt niya sa likod ko. Napatingin ako sa likuran ni Tomi, nakatalikod siya kaya hindi niya kami nakikita. Dinilaan ko ang ibabang labi bago pinagpatuloy ang paglalakad.

Sa bandanh huli narating din namin ang grotto na sinasabi ng tour guide.

“Wow…”

I was mesmerized at what I'm seeing. Tila nga nasa ibang mundo ka. There was a large circular place that looks so unrealistic. Ang mga kasama namin ay agad na nagtampisaw kasama na roon si Tomi.

“Kuya! Dito, malalim!” tawag ni Tomi.

“Let’s go?” napangiti ako nang hinawakan niya ang kamay ko mula sa ilalim ng tubig at hinila ako patungo sa direksyon ni Tomi.

Nang nasa gilid lang ako nagpapahinga dahil napagod ako ay mag babaeng lumapit, “Miss, may lahi ba iyon?”

Tinignan ko ang tinuro niya at parang kumulo ang dugo ko nang makitang si Lazarro ang tinuturo niya.

Ano naman kung may lahi? Papalahi ba siya?

“Yeah..”

“Oh, kaya pala parang anghel e,” she giggled and for a moment I want to drown her here in the emerald green water. At least she died at this beautiful place, “Boyfriend niyo?”

Doon ako natigilan.

Mabilis akong umuling. “No, I already have husband. Ayon oh kasama niya,” turo ko kay Tomi.

Nanlaki ang mga mata niya, “Ang akala namin boyfriend mo iyong hottie at third wheel lang iyong isa!”

Natawa ako roon, “What? He’s the brother of my husband.”

“Something fishy, Miss. Be careful!” she said teasingly before hoping backwards, palayo sa akin.