INSANE RAINS

CHAPTER 7 - "I shall return"

Manila International Airline was swarmed with tourists, aliens and domestics marching towards their destination – gates of tears, lonesome, longing, tight embraces, smiles, opportunities and chances. Others were sitting napping and waiting. Fast-forward as Billy dawdled.

Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 89B to Los Angeles… Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten-minute time. Thank you. Spoken from nowhere.

Time’s nearly coming. Billy was standing clumsy beside Liza, opposite to Grace’s stifling tears. He leaned forward and embraced Grace – “I’ll come back soon. Fine” and said it softly. Those words soothed the uneased soul of Grace. That sound was she missed for almost two years, a promising timbre.

Grace replied him with twist kiss, she’ll wait. Yeah, sure!

“Grace, take care.” Liza meant more than, “He’ll come back.” She said with a tap on her shoulder.

He was glance-following the hulking man who was in a white shirt with a print I'll kill you across his bulky chest.

This is the final boarding call for passengers Liza Block and Billy Domingo booked on flight 89B to Los Angeles. Please proceed to gate 3 immediately. The final checks are being completed and the captain will order for the doors of the aircraft to close in approximately five-minute time. I repeat. This is a final boarding call for Liza Block and Billy Domingo. Thank you. was heard loudly that vibrated their ears.

“Let’s go.” Liza entwined her arm to Billy’s.

The gap, space, distance was going farther as Grace stood weak-knees, like she wanted to run after them and hug Billy once more.

Her heart bobbed unsteadily.

Restlessly.

Billy’s words came back to Grace – “I’ll come back soon. Fine” and smiled shortly.

She paced out of the airport while mumbling repeatedly the poem she wrote for Billy five years ago, like she was comforting herself:

LOVE is gentle,

quiet,

beauty,

music,

patience,

unselfish,

Love is like any distant star…

and glanced once more and a sudden fancy of Billy coming nigh. Then vanished slowly, she realized.

She waved for taxi and get in. she fiddled the ring that had given by Billy and – “Will you be my lifetime partner?” re-echoed on her mind and corners of her mouth upturned slightly.

***

In the aircraft, Good afternoon passengers. This is your captain speaking. First I’d like to welcome everyone on Rightwing flight 89B. We are currently cruising at an altitude of 33, 000 feet at an airspeed of 400 miles per hour. The time is 8:30 pm… Until then, sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the flight.

Billy heard like nothing and just stared at the outside and saw nothing but clouds and smokes. He realized, life is like nimbus cloud, it brings turbulence, storm or flood that impact us deluge or catastrophe but through these we find our light, new hope or we always expect sunshine after all.

In my case, I don’t see any light or sunshine but soot-clouds of yesteryears, he asserted in his mind against realization. And picked a magazine, New York Times. He reckoned, time. Time never ends but sorrow, pain, grief, agony and any sort of these will disappear in the process.

I – He took a deep breath and exhaled – shall return. He meant something with depth. He meant of coming back to Philippines for Grace, the wedding. He meant of coming back as Billy as had been known someone before. He meant of coming back to life as he was ere dead and no-one. Or he meant of coming back to be someone else unknown.

Billy put off the magazine and looked shortly at Liza unsmilingly. Neck bent and he napped on his neck pillow.

Liza tapped Billy’s knees as a sleeping infant. Like when she carried him on her arms singing lullaby whenever Ally left Billy to her.

The captain spoke smoothly that in approximately 30 minutes the plane will land to LAX and the time is 8: 00 a.m.…

The atmosphere was pretty different and the sun still glowed behind the fogs. A need of a thick, leather jacket for the month of October, unusual start of winter, a climate change.

Everyone might ponder of ice ski or stone-cold snows but for Billy just nothing. He walked ahead of Liza towards the waiting area and sat idly. Liza waited for the baggage, and scooped Billy afterwards.

A man and a very cute young man stood waiting for them with a banner written in red ink: Welcome to Los Angeles, Billy.

Billy wore no smile.

“This is your uncle Jacob and this young man-“ The young man rudely interrupted, “Bogs, man.”

Billy idly smiled, and patted his palm on Bogs’ head and shook briskly.

“Hey, I’m already a big man.” Bogs removed Billy’s hand away on his head. Finger combed his hair.

“Let’s go.” Jacob handed the luggage and dragged out the building.

The glowing sun set and it is the beginning for Billy. New start. The night drowned the town and specks of light can be seen from the not-so-distant. Nightlife at the nightspots or everywhere at the street: cheerfulness and prosperity, California people reckoned.

As Billy gallivant his eyes around the town, he thought of Grace and the beats of his heart bobbed faster. Closed his eyes shortly and sat lazily on the bed and gazed unblinkingly at the nightlight beside.

Kill off the lamp when a voice from the outside rang him, “Hey, there. Friend from the sad room. Hey!”

Billy got off the bed sluggishly and headed in the window to peep that rude bloke singing like a sick nightingale. A bloke in yellow hair highlight, smiley face and light aura. He stood six feet or something higher in inches, slender and white taut skinned. Billy eyed him in scrutiny. He stands like a benevolent man, a kind-hearted. Billy reckoned but he recognized him as nothing to be with like a whining pooddle at the backyard.

“Hey, friend. You want dancing club.” Went nearer and spoke with a crack and swayed his waist like a crazy lady dancing in a disco.

“Crackers!” Billy pulled the curtain closed and went to bed.