Over the Mountain

CHAPTER 10: THE MOUNTAIN

CHAPTER 10: THE MOUNTAIN

We stayed on our spot for minutes until the sun has finally set. It’s a great feeling to witness the sun and the movement of the clouds at the same time. It’s memorable. This view and this moment will always be a memorable one.

Naang maging matapat na ang sikat ng araw ay nagpasya na rin kami ni Leo na umalis sa aming kinaroroonan at tsaka na maglibot sa bundok. Para akong isang bata na sabik na sabik sa aming ginawa. Na maging ang mga puno sa bundok ay nagawa akong manghain.

Nature’s beauty will always be exceptional. You only see green colors but when you start to appreciate nature, you will see the beauty behind the green color.

Mabuti na lamang at tirik na ang sikat ng araw kung kaya’t kahit papaano ay naglalaban ang init ng araw at ang lamig ng hangin sa bundok. Napangiwi na lang ako ng malamang sa maliit na parte pa lang ng bundok ang natatahak namin. Samantalang ang kanilang village ay doon pa sa kabilang bahagi ng bundok.

“Are you tired?” tanong niya matapos ang ilang minutong paglalakad namin.

I smirk at him. “I’m not. I’m not yet even sweating,”

“Hmm. You are not boasting, right?” he playfully asks.

I chuckled at her. “I’m not. But seriously, I’m not yet tired.”

“That’s good. That only means that your stamina was well trained also,” he stated. “Let’s continue then,”

We continued walking and as we continue, we bump with different hikers with their hiking bag at their backs. Habang naglalakad din kami sa loob ng bundok ay nagsimula na rin si Leo na magbigay alam sa akin tungkol sa iba’t ibang halaman at mga bulaklak na makikita sa bahagi ng bundok.

It’s just amazing to know that the mountain is still mysterious even though there has been a lot of studies about it. Mountain has its own life. The moment the mountain knows that someone or something is about to come that will ruin its peace, it will hide. The mountain will hide its beauty, its wealth, and will show as something mysterious. But when the mountain felt that something is about to come that will make the mountain the best and safe, the mountain will become bountiful.

Hindi ko alam ngunit habang patuloy si Leo sa pagbabahagi sa kaniyang kaalaman tungkol sa bundok, lalong lumalalim ang aking paghanga sa kaniya. Whenever he opens his mouth and tells a story about the mountain, he suddenly glows. As if he’s an angel of this mountain.

Well, he is. He was born and grow here. He knows the mountain better than anyone else.

“Kaya pa ba?” tanong niya muli ng makalipas ang isang oras na aming paglalakad.

“Malayo pa ba ang village niyo?” tanong ko ng hindi sinasagot ang tanong niya.

“Yes,” he answered. “Iba ang tinahak nating daan kanina kung kaya’t napalayo tayo sa daan patungo sa village namin,”

“Bakit sa ibang daan tayo dumaan?” hindi ko napigilang tanong.

Ngumisi siya ng makahulugan ngunit agad ding itinago ang ngisi na iyon. “That’s the shortest way para makarating tayo sa spot kung saan sisikat ang araw,”

I don’t know if he’s telling me truth, but I squint my eyes on him and tried my best to study his face if he’s telling me truth. Pero wala akong nakitang bakas na nagsisinungaling siya. Napasimangot na lang ako bago uminom ng tubig.

When Leo checks his phone. It’s already nearing afternoon. Kaya naman ay naging five minutes break lang ang pagpapahinga na ginawa namin ng sa ganoon ay makarating na kami sa kanilang village bago magtanghalian.

I become unconscious. Hindi ko makita kung ano na ang itsura ko. Ramdam ko ang pawis sa aking mukha at likod. Pasimple kong inamoy ang aking sarili at laking pasasalamat kong mabango ang aking amoy! I felt unconscious on my appearance because I will be going to meet Leo’s family. I have already met his parents and his grandparents, but Leo had mentioned me that his extended family lives in their village too. I have never met his relatives and the other villagers, and that’s making me unconscious. Pero agad ding napawi ang iniisip ko ng sa wakas ay natanaw ko na ang kanilang village.

“Is that your village?” I ask the moment I stop walking.

“Yes,” Leo proudly answered.

“Wow,” I commented, and he chuckled.

Ilang metro pa ang layo namin sa kanilang village pero kahit sa distansyang kinaroroonan ko ay natatanaw ko na kung gaano kaganda ang kanilang village. Their village is way far to what I have been imagining all these years! How could be this village inside the mountain could be this beautiful!? This is whole a crazy thing.

I blink twice to see if I’m just hallucinating but I didn’t. Their village indeed resembles the appearance of the kingdoms. But their village is just small. Hindi ako makapaniwala. Buong akala ko ay simpleng village lang ang mayroon sila. Iyong village na umaayon sa kung saan ito nakatayo. The houses were all made of wood. Large and bulky bamboo. And the roof, I don’t know what they use in their roofs but it’s amazing since it matches the wood structure of the house.

I look at Leo and I caught him staring at me while smiling. I don’t why he’s smiling but I’m sure that maybe he’s happy of my reaction? Maybe. Well, I am in awe.

“Your village is unbelievably amazing,” I commented.

“I feel overwhelmed,” he said.

“Bet that your village is an attraction here,”

“You got it right,” he answered. “But we put restriction meters away from our village. This is personal property, not a tourist attraction,” he explained. “So far, the hikers have been respecting the restriction. Hindi mo pa napansin ang restriction kanina?”

Nahihiya akong napatingin sa kaniya. “Hindi,” then I chuckled awkwardly.

“That’s okay. I know that you are busy admiring the mountain,”

“You got it right,” I agreed because it’s true. “Mountain making me fall,”

“Oh?” he reacted as if I said something wrong. “You can love the mountain, but the mountain can’t love you back,”

“Uh-huh. I don’t believe in that,” I defended.

I heard him scoff before he moves to block the view of their village and come face to face with me. “Why don’t you believe in that?”

I crossed my arms on my chest and narrowed my eyes while thinking for a reason. Truth to be told, I don’t have any specific reason why I don’t believe what he just said. I just…don’t.

I sigh deeply and face him. “Honestly, I don’t have any specific reason why I don’t believe what you just have said. But thinking right now, I think I didn’t believe that because…because mountain can love us back in a sense where mountain will give us comfort when we're sad, broken and alone?”

I’m not sure about my answer but it’s just my thought and realization? Truth is, the moment I climb the mountain, something embraces me. As if the mountains welcome me, giving me chills, making me feel its presence.

Bukod sa napagtanto ko, nakadagdag sa sagot ko ay ang mga kwento ni Dad na kaniyang karanasan sa taong pagiging park rangers. Madalas niyang sabihin na delikado ang bundok ngunit minsan, ang bundok din ang nagsisilbing seguridad ng isang tao. For years of working as one of the park rangers, Dad told me that hikers had different reason why they climb the mountain. And one reason of it is because mountain comforts them.

“You always break my expectation, Sierra,” Leo said after a long silence. “We believe in the same thoughts, Sierra. But I just tried to say the opposite. Thinking if how you will react,”

I groaned and sent daggers to him which made him chuckle. “I was also surprised to myself,” I admitted. “I mean, all along I thought I will be just the girl who loves city life and city stuff. I never imagined that I will be able to grow like this,”

“You are more than a city girl, Sierra. Always remember that.”

“Are you sick? You’ve been complimenting me since earlier,”

Leo chuckles at me. “You don’t like it?”

“Of course not. Hindi lang ako sanay. I mean, for all these years, bilang lang sa daliri ko kung ilang beses mo akong binibigyan ng compliment. Unlike now, hindi ko na mabilang,”

Leo took a two-step forward at me. “All these years, I’ve been complimenting you countless time, Sierra. Pero sa isipan ko lang,”

I narrowed my eyes on him and forward my face which he copied. My eyes widen so I immediately took a step backward, but I step on something rocky form that made me lose my balance. Mabuti na lang at mabilis na naabot ni Leo ang aking palapulsuhan at mabilis akong hinila palapit sa kaniya. Palapit sa kaniyang matipunong dibdib.

My world stops. For a second, I thought everything fades and the only thing left is the mountain, me, and Leo. His hug is very genuine and secure. It is very welcoming, just like the mountain.

“You are enjoying my hug,” Leo teases after a long breathable silence.

Mabilis akong kumalas sa yakap at tsaka masamang tinignan. “Ikaw ang unang yumakap!”

“Yeah? But you are enjoying my hug,” he accused.

“As if! Ikaw nga ang nag-eenjoy dyan eh,”

“Of course, I enjoyed it so much,” he answered while grinning from ear to ear.

I blink twice. Thrice siguro dahil sa pagkabigla sa naging sagot niya. Naramdaman ko ang pag-iinit ng aking pisngi kaya naman upang maitago iyon ay hinampas ko na lang siya sa kaniyang braso na siya namang ikinatawa niya. Hindi ko siya tinantanan ng hampas at hindi rin siya huminto sa kakatawa. Nang mapagod kakatawa ay mabilis niyang hinuli ang aking kamay at tsaka ako mabilis na hinila palapit sa kaniya.

When he saw how I blush, he smirks proudly before fixing the way he holds my hands.

“Bilang ko kung ilang hampas ang ginawa mo,” aniya. “Gusto kong maningil,”

“Ha? Sisingilin moa ko? Ano, hahampasin mo rin ako?” pagtataray ko.

Ngumisi naman siya sa akin at mabilis na inilapit ang kaniyang mukha sa aking mukha. I almost scream! “Mayroon akong sariling pamamaraan ng pagsingil,” pabulong na sabi niya. “Just wait, Sierra,” dagdag niyang napaka lapit na ng mukha sa akin.

When he took a step backward, matunog na pagbuntong-hininga ang nagawa ko. My heart is beating so damn loud and fast. Ramdam ko ang pag-init ng buong mukha ko at ang paglipad ng mga paru-paru sa tyan ko.

And it was all because of Leo.

Napailing ako ng ilang beses habang patuloy na pinapakalma ang aking sarili. Everything that happened today is unexpected. It all surprised me to the core! Ramdam ko pa rin ang pag-aapoy ng aking mukha at pagkabog ng aking dibdib kaya naman ay tumalikod ako sa kaniyang gawi. Leo is starting to walk again while I was still stuck. Pinaypayan ko ang aking sarili gamit ang aking kamay. But it’s not still enough. I inhaled and exhaled until my heart finally calms down.

Nang magpasya na akong humarap ay ganoon na lamang ang gulat ko ng ang matipunong dibdib ni Leo ang bumungad sa akin!

“Leo!” impit kong sigaw ngunit tinawanan lamang niya.

“Huwag mo naman masyadong ipahalata ang epekto ko s aiyo, Sierra,” panunukso niya.

“You are being too boastful, Leo,” pagtataray ko.

Ngunit ang loko ay yumuko lamang upang matapatan ang aking mukha. “That’s a fact, Sierra,” aniya kaya napairap ako. “Don’t worry, we’re just even. I’m just good at controlling my reaction,” saad niya bago tumaliko at hulihin ang palapulsuhan para magpatuloy na sa paglalakad.