Chasing the Unknown (Boy's Love Series)

CHAPTER 4

Chapter 4: A Fateful Summer

"If you can't forget, don't!"

~My tee the series

Chapter 4

~Ali Hean~

After a tiring journey from Manila to Batanes, at last we reached Batan Island. A week later, away from the dream, I dreamt about that man in this peaceful place. Well, scratch that line. It's not really a dream but rather a fragment of my memories.. Yeah, that was a memory I surely treasure. That man seems engraved in my heart. Heck, my heart skipped a beat every time I see him but I'm a man, too. I think I'm a homo. God, what can life give me worse?

Laying my back to rest in my small bed. We're in a hotel room for a little rest.

I close my eyes when a knock keeps banging on my door.

"Ahh", I grunt.

"What the heck, Vrihh stopp!!"

"What!"

"Wooow! Chill man".

"I just wanted to invite you for some late breakfast down at a restaurant".

Then my stomach grumbled. Vrihh secretly laughing behind my back.

"Tss, yeah whatever". As we walked and exited the hotel, we eventually stopped at Vunong Dinnette, a restaurant with Batanes delicacies.

How do I know? I ask Mr. Google. Yeah, back to the restaurant. The place welcomes us with a warm ambiance. The waiter approached us with a hospitable smile as we sat down at a vacant table near the glass window.

"May I take your order please", the waiter politely asked. Looking directly at us with his cute little eyes.

"Yes, well, we can have Payi, mahi-mahi, uvud and vunes. Thanks". I smiled as I looked at the waiter. He nodded and went to get my order to be exactly I turned to see Vrihh with visible shock yet amusement in his eyes.

"What"? Irritatingly scoffed at him.

"Heck, this is my first time to eat that food but you, you seem to know all this stuff like you came here before". A playful smirk was painted on his face. I rolled my eyes and just looked around to ease my annoyance, not bothering to answer him.

When our orders come.

My stomach grunt. It smells good. My mouth is watering the moment I saw the food. It smells heavenly because of the aroma assaulting my nose. I can say that it's all delicious. So without further I do's, we eat happily, satisfying our stomach with good food. I first devour a part of payi. It's actually a local lobster. It tastes so fresh and delicious. It fueled up my appetite till we finished all the dishes. We finished our food while talking about some ridiculous things and laughing about our epic failing moments.

"Hmm. Where do you think is the best site to visit first"? Vrihh said thinking.

I just shrugged my shoulders and pout my lips.

"How about the beach front"? I just uttered it while giving some help to the waiter.

"I wanted to go to the lighthouse"! He excitedly stood immediately as he confirmed the first destination we had to visit.

"Let's go", he added. I just rolled my eyes.

Heck, he's weirder than weird. A minute before his asking me, now he was answering his own question like duh! He shouldn't have asked me in the first place. I mentally shook my head with words full of annoyance.

"Let's go, Ali. Faster. I don't want to waste our time".

"There's so many places to visit here". He exclaimed. I just nodded and smiled at her. Smirk rather. A smirk full of sarcasm.

Spending some minutes of being lost and a tiring walk, at last we reached Tayid Lighthouse on the other side of the island. It looks like a typical lighthouse only from the fact that it's facing the blue and enigmatic ocean of the Pacific. Also, it's an amazing hexagonal tower deck. Looking like an 18th century old edifice surrounded with luscious green grass painted like a masterpiece in this mesmerizing landscape, jailed by an open ocean and guarded by a nearby Mount Iraya.

After a minute of taking pictures and feeding our eyes with some good views of the calm island, we decided to go to the house of Dakay, the oldest surviving stone house in the island province. It's an old Spanish bridge used as a pedestrian bridge by the locals today. We also saw a lot of Batan farmers with their signature looks. Traditional hairdresses and the same old dresses give off a good ambiance to the tourist. They show off their smiles silently saying that the day will end not because it's the ending, but rather to welcome the beginning of tomorrow. As long as we believe and smile, everything will be fine.

After a tiring sightseeing in the old- vibe house of Ivatan. I pulled Vrihh back to Batan Island beach and spent some minutes walking on the three-kilometer trail of countless round boulders and stones scattered along the stretched seashore of the Island.

"Now, we're here. Welcome to Valugan Boulder Beach". I whisper to myself, leaving only the wind to hear. I looked around. Waves from the waves of the Pacific definitely shape the stones on this shore. The strong wind blew away my hair and gave me a realization that, like the waves that shape the shore of stones, time itself shaped people not to become this messed up but rather to be stronger and able to face the ranging storms of society like the storm of Pacific.

I'm probably lose to time and fate. I'm lost in the wide ocean with rough waves. I lose myself trying to keep being alive. I'm lost and feeling sorry for my lost soul. I fixed my eyes on nowhere as I kept uttering to the winds and waves the words of silence and my unspoken thoughts feeling the ranging waves and rough wind that strangely made me feel calm.I just let myself be blown by the misery and emptiness with the wind.

I hopelessly sigh.

I may say that loneliness and sadness sometimes become a dear friend.

"Come, it's past dawn. We have to go back now. Let go". Vrihh said, giving me a tap on the shoulder. Assuring me of things without saying it directly. I managed a nod as an answer and followed him.

I glanced again at the place and said goodbye because I had to move my feet away from that place. I might not come back here, so I'm bidding my last goodbye, hoping for the best and wishing it may not be the last. After all, I treasure this place. My heart remembers this place and it seems that I can't forget my time that I spent here.

It's cold here. The cool breeze of the night is everywhere. On the way to our hotel, we decided to stop at the canteen for dinner. I let Vrihh order our food.

"I want a payi, this one and that too". Ordering a bunch of seafood dishes.

"Do you want anything, Ali"? He added. I just shook my head and said to him that I'm fine with his orders.

We waited for our order to be served. Well, after a minute or so. It finally serve. We say thank you to the waiter and smile politely.

"Hmm. This lobster is so delicious so as this dish". Vrihh moans in delight as he savors his food.

I nodded, agreeing to what he said. This dish is ambroisa. I love how it tastes.

We finished all the food in less than an hour. We are both full and happy with the dishes served. Vrihh called a waiter for our bill, then paid for it and then we walked out of that place.

Now we're outside gazing into the skies full of twinkling starlight. The ground was lighted by illuminating moonlight. With the cold breeze of summer. And the sound of wind swiftly blowing into the trees. The night here seems alive. Full of life. Yes, full of life indeed. Birds are obviously glaiding in the air. Crickets set a moody song and the people make it sounds lively with flashing lights and some undying stories. We passed in that happy corner and slowly reaching our hotel room. Vrihh is silent. Maybe because he's tired from our trip like me. I'm feeling exhausted . I want to lay down to my bed and have a good night sleep. To fell in a peaceful slumber in my quite little hotel room and my breathe is the only sound.

When Vrihh scoff, I notice that we're finally here at our hotel. It seems that I'm taken by my thought and couldn't notice that we're here already. I look at Vrihh's face painted with exhausted image. Oh, that handsome face is no longer handsome it turn to be cute. So cute. Cute big Vrihh.

"So, do you have some time to accompany me"? Vrihh looked at me waiting for may answer.

"I think it's better to have a good rest. Maybe tomorrow".

"I'm very tired and dying to lay my back to my comfy bed then have a good night sleep". I answer lifeless. He notice that I'm tired to spare him some time for a little talk. And like me I know your tired to.

"So goodnight, bro". I manage to add.

"Hmm. Goodnight". Answering me with a nod as he open his room and I open mine too.

I quickly lay in my bed and moan. Satisfying my aching back to the comfort the bed gives me. I closed my eyes ready to sleep when a knock in my door wakes me from my half sleep state. What the hell. Good god. Please don't persuade me to kill Vrihh. His annoying. I grunt.

"What"!! I irritated as hell shouted and open the door harshly.

" What is it? The heck Vrihh give me some time to rest. I'm died tired".

"Sorry, man. I'm just wondering if you have any mosquito repellant"?

"Those little s**t is feasting my blood". He said whinning like a damn child. I open my door room and walk to my bag to get the repellant.

"Here. And go to your room. Let me sleep. Close the door". I said then lay to the bed to sleep again. Still annoyed but the sudden knock.

"Thanks, man and chill. Sorry again". He replied, I just stayed silent and here a creaking sound of the closing door. Finally. I sigh and calm my irritated nerve. My eyes closed as the tiredness I'm feeling sweeps me to the dimension of nowhere. Far away from this reality. I hope I can find him in my dream. Wishing that in my dream our path can crossed again once more. Well maybe it will. I wanted to see his face, and know his name. To make myself sane and stop my crazy thoughts of finding him.

I just don't know if he truly exist. What if he's only a dream. He's just a vivid dream or maybe a fragments of my memory. Whatever he is, I should find him. I know in my heart that he's the missing part of me.

But lurking behind my dream and will to find him is the question How?

How can I find him?

I don't know he's name. I only see his blurry face and nothing more. Then where?.

Where should I find him? Where?!

Where should I start? Does my mind playing trick on me? I should say, everything happen for a reason.

My reason maybe good or bad. Still I have reason. There's a reason why I end up losing my memory. However knowing that I gave up on those memory then now why would I have to chase them again.

Perhaps finding and fix them whole again to make the wrong, right is the only reason why I'm breathing and alive.

Still I have to chase the unknown.

Ending my trail of thoughts then I finally drop to the depths of night and slumber.

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