All Over Again

CHAPTER 22: Hawak Kamay

Venice's POV

Hmmmmmmmmmmm...

-___-

HMMMMMMMMMMMMM...

Jerwin: Keep staring at him like that and I'll start getting jealous.

O___O

Napabalikwas akong bigla. Napalipat ung titig ko na kanina lang eh naka-focus kina Anton at Sheena dun sa kabilang side nung table, papunta kay Jerwin na may kung anong pang-asar na ngiti sa mukha nya. Kung di lang masyadong brutal, pinakilala ko na ung plato sa mukha niya.

Ako: At feeling mo naman may care ako kung magselos ka?

Jerwin: Feeling mo naman magseselos talaga ako?

Ako: Ahsus, nahiya ka pang aminin.

Ilang oras na kaming nasa villa. Nagluto si Anton at si Jerwin ng lunch, habang tinatambak namen ni Sheena yung mga gamit dun sa mga closet sa mga kwarto namin.

Ngayon, dahil sa sinabi ni Jerwin tungkol kay Anton, hindi tuloy ako matahimik tuwing nakikita kong magkadikit si Anthony at si Sheena. Bakit nga ba hindi ko napansin dati un? Obvious na obvious nga naman na iba ang aura ni mokong pag inaasar sya ni Sheena..

Nang napansin kong nawiwindang na ang brain ko, tumayo na ko para hugasan ung pinggan ko. Sumunod naman si Jerwin sa'kin.

Jerwin: Bothered ka?

Ako: Yeah Should I tell Sheena na type sya ni Anton?

Jerwin: Eh? Why would you do that?

Ako: What should I do then?

Jerwin: Hayaan mo lang sila. Let Anthony handle his own affairs.

Ako: Haayy.. I wish nandito si Kenny. I'm sure, if ever, wala pang 5 minutes, alam na ng buong bayan ang issue. *tingin kay Jerwin* Akin na nga yang plato mo at natutuwa akong maghugas ng pinggan pag stressed ako.

Jerwin: Wow... So pag nasa iisang bahay na tayo, dapat pala lagi kang stressed para lagi ka naghuhugas ng pinggan.

Ako: Oh shut up. -_-///

Kinuha ko yung plato nya as he laughed. Tinungga nya lang ung natitirang tubig dun sa baso niya then nilagay niya na rin yun sa sink.

Jerwin: I'm just gonna go take a shower and then I'll go out, okay?

Ako: Eh? San ka pupunta?

Jerwin: Hmm.. We passed by a small town earlier, not so far from here. It was right at the foot of a mountain. I might go hiking.

Ako: Hiking? Sama ako.

Jerwin: You?

Ako: Yea-ha! Ayoko naman maiwan dito.. Baka maistorbo ko pa ung pantasya ni Anton.

Jerwin: Do what you want. But hindi kita hahabulin pag may nanghabol na tutubi syo ok??

Jerwin's POV

The sun is just about to set. I'm walking through a dense forest. It's the perfect time for insects to be out and crawling. It's wonderful. I knelt in front of a tree's huge trunk, and focused my camera on a beetle peacefully chilling on the wood. It's been a while since I was last able to venture into a wild setting with overgrown tree branches almost covering the sky, grass growing everywhere, unknown animal sounds piercing the silence, all kinds of odd-looking bugs fluttering their wings in the air--

"Why are you taking a picture of a cockroach?"

--Oh. Yea. And Venice. -_-

Me: It's not a cockroach. It's a beetle.

Venice: Yea, yea.. Cockroach, beetle... Same creepy family.

I took the picture and then stood up to glance at Venice. She's sitting on a fallen tree trunk. She looks very comfortable in her gray cotton sweat pants, red shirt, and dirty white sneakers. Ilang oras na rin kaming naglalakad kaya ung ponytail nyang buhok eh medyo magulo na. Ilang beses na sigurong nasabit. Oh well, at least she's not freaking out every single time na may lumilipad na kung ano na malapit sa kanya.

She suddenly points at something beside her.

Venice: Ai look! Ang colorful nung insect! Picturan mo! Baka rare species!

Ako: Venice. It's a butterfly.

Venice: What? Hinde ba pwede maging rare ang butterfly?!?

Ako: Haaayy.. Why are you here again?

Venice: Coz I was bored, and you wanted to go to this mountain instead of the beach. AND--

She held out the map I gave to her before we left.

Venice: I am the way, the truth, and your lifeline. Without me, you shall lose your way.

Ako: Well, way, truth, and lifeline, get your butt off that tree and let's go back to town. It's almost dark.

Venice: Yes, sir!

She jumped off and pinagpag ung sweatpants nya, and then studied the map.

I swung my camera around my neck and waited for her to figure out where we're going. After a while, she pointed east.

Venice: Okay! This way!

Ako: Are you sure? Didn't we come from the other way?

Venice: But the map said na may shortcut daw dito.

Ako: Okay. You have the map..

Sumugod na kami dun sa direction na sabi nya eh shortcut daw. I grabbed her hand to make sure she won't fall down or trip over something again.

Going up the mountain with Venice made me realize that some people who are ridiculously clumsy do exist. Aba, ang laki-laki na nga nung bato or a bulging tree root, pwedeng-pwedeng iwasan, talagang ipag-aacrobatic pa ni Venice ang pagkadapa..

That's why this time, I made sure I hold her hand.

5... 10.. 15 minutes later..

Venice and I walked through an unfamiliar path. She held the map in one hand, and held my hand in the other. I didn't really mind holding her hand, but--

Ako: Are you sure we're going the right way?

Venice: Of course! Shortcut nga raw!

Ako: You keep on saying that but--I feel like we're getting further away from where we parked.

30...

35 minutes..

I helped Venice over a big moss rock boulder.. She gently pulled me toward the "Right way".. I frantically dragged her away to escape a couple of snakes.. We saw a few weird birds' nests.. thought we're gonna run into lions or tigers..

We'd pause for a while.. Venice would look at the map, then she'd grab my hand again.. or Venice would stop and start moving forward, lost in her own thoughts, and I would gently take her hand in mine..

40...

45..

50 minutes..

Even though I was fascinated by all the wild creatures we had encountered, I am getting exhausted and thirsty, and the sky is almost completely dark by now.

Venice suddenly slowed in her tracks.. I can hear cars.. people.. civilization.. I fished in my pockets for my keys so we can jump into my truck as soon as we're out of the wildlife environment..

Venice: Now I'm sure.

Ako: That we're here?

We exited from the trees, and we both froze.

O___O

Venice: Now, I'm sure that we really are lost.

-_-

-_-||

-_-///

O_o

We ended up in a town, alright.. A smaller town.. A different town.