Ventures of Love

Earlier that morning, Yves was packing her clothes. Yves struggled to sleep last night, thinking about whether to spend her work leave at home or traveling to Palawan. She eventually decided to proceed to Palawan. If it weren't for her Aunt, Yves wouldn't have had to go. "Keys, wallet, cellphone..." Her eyes wandered around the corner of her apartment one last time. To make sure, Yves peeks at her shoulder bag and walks around to double-check her electricity sockets and gas tank. Yves left with nothing much to feel. What could go wrong in Palawan? The grief must've shown evidently. It has been a week since the burial rites of Yves's mother. Maybe she appeared sluggish; even her operations manager suggested that she take a week's rest. At first, she declined. Giving it a second thought was coerced. Aside from that, her Auntie Elise keeps pestering her to go on a vacation, saying she is stressed and needs to unwind. Auntie Elise even sponsored her flight to Palawan and booked her an accommodation there. Yves only got irritated and gave in to the idea. When Yves got to the airport, it was past noon. While waiting for her boarding, she bought a medium-sized Coke and a burger. The logic behind the expensive food in the airport was still questionable. For more than an hour, Yves waited. She often snapped the sky and other scenery she might want to recall. Her flight lasted almost an hour and passed without a hitch. A sense of excitement resides in the pit of her chest as her eyes sparkle with the most vibrant hues of El Nido, Palawan. The sun is up high, and the wind blows in one direction. The airport looks classy, almost similar to the interior of a hotel. Yves hailed a taxi and let it take her to the resort her aunt talks about. On their way, she feasted her eyes on the natural beauty of the surroundings as they traversed. How could something exist, yet no amount of words would justify how splendid they are? They arrived at the resort after a mere twenty to thirty minutes of travel. After paying for the fare, Yves went straight to the front desk. "Good afternoon, this is the Zilaria Hotel Sea Front. How may I help you?" The clerk instantly addressed her presence and politely greeted Yves. "Hello, good afternoon. I am Yves Servilla. I have a booking at your resort today under my name." "Yes, ma'am. May I ask your name again?" "Yves Servilla." Yves heard the clicky sound of the keyboard, watching the clerk as she searched for her reservation. "Ms. Servilla? I apologize, ma'am, but we do not have a room reservation under the name of Yves Servilla." Yves's brows gradually furrowed. "How about Elise Rique?" "Can you spell the surname, ma'am?" "R-I-Q-U-E." "We also do not have a reservation room under the name of Elise Rique, ma'am. If you allow, we still have available rooms for you today." "No... no. Can I get back to you? My aunt told me she booked me a room in your hotel." "Ok, ma'am." Yves instantly left the lobby and stood beside the entrance to dial her aunt's digits. The consecutive ringings required insurmountable patience. She couldn't count the times she tried to reach out to Aunt Elise, but the back of her neck started to feel hot. "Pick up... pick it up..." When there's still nothing to pick her call up, Yves moved to bombard her aunt with messages. She has no idea what was going on, but it pisses her off. Yves bubbled her cheeks, feeling nervous and, at the same time, close to enraged. She instantly regretted coming to the place without reassuring her place in Palawan. She occupied one of the ironwood benches, waiting for a response from her aunt. A deep sigh escaped from her mouth as she thought of going back home. The only reason why Yves was convinced to take a vacation was the room her aunt promised. It was a five-day stay. Yves wouldn't want to waste much on such a lavish vacation even if it happens once in her lifetime. Yves dialed her aunt for the last time. When no one picked up, she stood upright from the seat with a determined mind. She will go home! This time, she wants to ride a ferry for a change. Suddenly, a red motorcycle with a covered sidecar attached stopped in front of her. It was strange to see it first because it was wider than what they had in Bulacan. Cool, though. "Where are we going, ma'am? I'll drive you there." Yves stoops to look at the driver's face. His face had been hidden from the nose down. She guessed the man's age to be between forty and fifty. "Is there a nearby port here?" Yves asked. "El nido Port, ma'am?" Yves nodded. "Get on board, ma'am. Are you going to Coron?" He asked, helping her get comfortable in the seat. "I'm actually going back straight to Manila," Yves answered. The vehicle starts to move. "Oh, there's no ferry here going straight to Manila, but Coron." "So, from here to Coron, then Coron to Manila?" Yves clarifies as she keeps her hair together, as it blows away. "Yes, ma'am!" "Uh, ok. It's my first time here, so I don't know. Thank you, sir!" "It's ok, ma'am." Yves only nods, ending the conversation. Deep inside her lingers the feeling of wanting to roam. The greens and blues softly rest her worries and pain from the loss. She has seen a lot of these on several vloggers, but being able to see it with her eyes is beyond. The farther they get, the fewer the houses they see. Yves was having a good time with the colors of the nature surrounding her, and the fresh wind felt balmy from within. Her head was empty, but somehow clouded. Little did she know that the sudden swaying of the tricycle taxi was something to regret. "What the..." Yves' first reaction was to grip the handle of her luggage in front of her. The vehicle gradually slows down until it wholly halts beside the road. "What happened?" Yves worriedly asked, wandering her eyes from the driver to the outside. The driver didn't respond; instead, he dismounted and acted as if skimming the tricycle. Yves waited for about a minute until the driver spoke. "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but the rear tire is flat." "Huh!?" "I'm sorry to ask, but can you get off first, and I'll just get my spare tire from the compartment?" He pleases. At one point, Yves tormented her eyes before exiting the car. She would check the situation, but the engine started as soon as her foot touched the ground. It was one of the times in Yves' life that happened before her brain could analyse the situation. Before she knew, the vehicle accelerated faster, leaving Yves dumbfounded. "Oh my god!" Yves' feet moved, but not desperately. Her body reacts: sweaty palms, rapid beats in the chest, confusion, and a heavy feeling. What surrounds her is far from everything that fits the word 'help'. The swelling of her eyes mirrored the loud sigh she heaved from the bottom of her lungs. All that Yves did was place her hands on her waist, disappointed and, at the same time, regretful. The purpose of her vacation was to lift her grief, but what the hell was that? All that was left was herself; none of her essentials got to be in her jeans pocket. Yves's body moved heavily. When tolerance runs out, the puffy cheeks act as a barrier. Her inability to feel direction made it difficult to decide which side of the street to walk on. Instead of finding her way, she sat on the gutter, looking at the afternoon scenery. The sky was pinkish blue, and the sun was halfway across the horizon. The wind blows on the empty road, where her presence couldn't be felt or seen. "I'm tired... and hungry." Yves unconsiously said, reminiscing about a piece of burger she had for lunch. Thoughts of regret started to flood her mind, but blaming herself further wouldn't help her leave her current situation. Bahala na. Yves lost count of the times she sighed while waiting for the day to end. She was waiting and pondering what her next move would be. She was close to pitying herself, feeling like a damsel in distress, when she heard a vehicle approaching. Her eyes waited on the side where it should appear until a white Toyota Hilux came into her view. There are two of them, following each other. Surprisingly, it did stop in front of her. What followed was the appearance of a man wearing sunglasses and a bucket hat. He was handsome, Yves thought, by his appeal. He seemed like a foreigner because of the black clothing that highlighted his white skin. It gazes down at her. In a quiet, courteous accent, proficient in the local tongue, he asked, "Mind if I ask, if there could be a river somewhere here?" Yves's eyebrows draw together a little. She hesitated a little as she pointed to the road ahead of them. "I don't know. There?" His gaze followed it only to return to her. "Are you from here?" He asked, probably noticing there was something about her. Yves was suddenly alarmed by the question. The last time she openly appeared as a tourist, it didn't go well. Mind you, it was only a couple of minutes' gap. She has a lot on hand already. Yves stood, tapping out the dirt from her pants. "Just go there." Almost to run, Yves walked past the two vehicles without further chatting. She chose to start walking after turning onto the contrary road. Yves had no idea where that path would lead her, but remaining at the location would put her at greater risk of an accident and any other unfavourable incident she didn't want to touch on. She has experienced a lot today. Yves had no idea why she was even hesitant to visit Palawan. She ought to have fallen asleep and allowed her aunt to squander the money on the ticket. She should learn to deal with misfortunes rather than merely remaining at home. When she thought she would pick leaves and tear them apart until she found someone might help her, the two white Hiluxes came into sight again. This time, they had a purpose. Yves watched their cars as they stopped beside her, unsure if she should run. The man who had questioned her showed up again, and this time, she could see clearly that he was visually pleasing. He had removed his glasses, and Yves could see his hazel eyes well. The man got out of his car, which Yves did not buy. "What is it again?" Yves took a step backward. "No! I am not doing anything. I am here to help if you need help. You weren't from here, were you?" He asked, taming her. Yves looked at her suspiciously. "I am Geo. These are my family." He introduced and pointed to the other three men dismounting the vehicles. "Are you lost?" This time, the stern-looking man spoke. He was the tallest of them, taller than Geo and the other two. He's tanned, but it fits him well. "I got robbed," Yves told, almost a whisper. "Robbed!? So, the stories around here must be true!" Her eyes shift to the man wearing a bandana on his forehead. Given by the aura, he seems jaunty. The second tallest is him. He is light-skinned and quite slender. He comes out as more approachable. Yves looks around, slightly horrified by what she has heard. Geo must have noticed her sudden worry and returned her assertion to him. "What exactly happened to you? Only we can help if you tell us." Yves tells them the story of how she ended up like that. She sat on the road barricade, surprisingly calm and able to describe her situation. Despite having different facial expressions, they listened intently to her narrative. It was short yet precise. "If you want, you could join us." All of them simultaneously look at Geo. "What are you saying, Geo?" The tall man was the first to react. He doesn't seem to like Geo's idea, but Geo smiles. "What? There's nothing wrong with it. In fact, it would be fun." Yves's brows furrowed, confused. "What's fun about it?" "We'll help you get home, eventually. You're already here, though. You had an issue just now. It seems we are the only ones giving you a trip in Palawan, so your visit here won't be a waste. What do you all think, huh?" Geo's gaze wanders to all of them, trying to prove a point. The two of them silently exchanged looks until the more mature one halted Geo on his arm. "Can I talk to you in private, Geo?" Yves's eyes followed Geo as though he were the strangest person he had ever encountered. Not knocking off the grimace on her face, Yves pointed Geo to his friends. "He's... I don't know, troublous?" "Don't pay too much attention to him. He's just the way he was. Joshua, by the way." He opened the bottled water before handing it to her. Joshua indicated the man arguing with Geo and the man next to him, saying, "This is Arnold..." "And that is Wallace." Yves took a sip of the water, watching from afar how Wallace and Geo's hands dances. She clearly knew what they'd been debating. "Would you come with us if Geo won?" Arnold asked. The three of them exchange gazes. The innocence inside Yves' eyes once mirrors the figure of Geo. She presents herself as firm and less worried, weighing the details of her situation. "I don't know. I don't actually expect anything from anyone anymore. Why are you hustling yourselves for, if you will leave me here? You should've left. If you bring me along, there's no assurance of coming back. It's either you drop me off at the port or airport. How sure are your consciences that I can be home only by doing that? It's all on you. My salvation will be at the extent of your help."