Wind and Sail

Chapter 47

“I saw your pictures,” he answered.

“What? Where?”

“In your room. You were wearing a white bikini and I think you were twenty meters under, weren’t you?”

Tumango ako. “Yeah, how did you know that it was twenty meters?”

“I just know.” He shrugged.

“If you knew, then what are you worrying for?”

“You have so many questions.” He nuzzled my nose with his finger. He always do that, I think it’s his habit towards me. “Should we go under together?”

He smiles then held my hands. I nodded my head yes then he counted to three. We plunged into the water until we reached the floor. Inangat niya ang kamay namin na magkahawak at sinenyasan ako na umikot na para bang nasa ballroom kami. We both rise to the surface as I turn around.

“Let’s go to Clarene, where is she?” I asked him. Pareho kaming lumingon-lingon sa paligid at ayon... ayon si Clarene may kausap na lalaki. Nakatalikod iyon kaya hindi ko naman makita ang itsura.

“Is that— I think I know who is she talking to,” Sxan uttered.

I looked at him and ask him, “Huh? Sino naman?”

“Goddmamn it, that’s Denzel.”

Napatingin agad ako sa lalaki na nakatalikod at pinaagmaasdang mabuti. Sxan is right! It is him! I can see the resemblance, his back, his haircut, and his height. Indeed it is Denzel.

“But, what the heck is he doing here? Kasabay pa talaga na’tin?” I asked, confused.

Pumunta kami sa mabatong parte ng talon at umupo roon habang pinagmamasdan ang dalawa.

“Wait here,” sabi ni Sxan. Tumayo siya at umalis. Sinundan ko siya ng tingin, huminto siya sa nagtitinda ng inihaw na mais. Ang mga babae ay aliw na aliw na naman sa kaniya, kahit saan talaga magpunta ang lalaking ito hinding-hindi mawawala ang mga malalagkit na tingin, matitinis na tili, at mga bulong-bulungan ng mga taong nadadaanan niya. I can relate to the girls though, ikaw ba naman ang sagasaan ng rumaragasang gwapo ‘diba, sino ang hindi madadapa?

Nakita ko na bumalik siya sa ilalim ng puno at may kinuha sa bag ko. Bumalik siya na hawak na dalawang mais na nakatuhog sa stick, may isang malaking baso ng buko juice, at shawl. Binigay niya sa akin ang isang stick at ipinatong ang shawl sa mga binti ko.

I scoffed and chuckled.

“What?” he asks, eating the corn.

“Nothing,” I answered, laughing softly.

He puts the corn down and lazily looks at me. “What? Baka kasi lamigin ka kaya ko kinuha ‘yan,” sabi niya at umirap sa akin.

“Hm. Okay sabi mo, e,” nang-aasar kong sabi.

He sighed heavily then looks at me again. “Okay, it’s that and... j-just look at their eyes, it’s like their eyes are glued to you legs!” sabi niya at saka tumuro sa mga lalaki na nasa kabilang tumpok ng mga bato.

Pinanlisikan ko sila ng mata. Tinanggal ko ang nakatakip sa akin at tinaasan sila ng gitnang daliri. I mouthed “f**k off” at them. Sxan was shocked, of course, but he also raised his finger.

“What the heck, Dayn?”

“Oh, look at them little hungry boys who are feeding off their mom’s asses!” I yelled at them.

Most of the crowds look at them and because of humiliation, they left in a hurry.

“Mahal,” sabi ni Sxan.

Ako ba ang tinatawag niya? Hindi ko alam kung lilingon ba ako o ano. Hindi nalang ako sumagot at kumagat sa mais.

Noong tinapik niya ang braso ko ay saka lang ako tumingin. Tinaas ko ang kilay ko bilang tanong na “Ano?”

“Saan ka ba nakatingin? Tinatawag kita, e,” sabi niya.

“Hm? Wala naman akong narinig. Ano ba iyon?” tanong ko sa kaniya.

“What time is it?” he asked.

Tumingin ako sa relo ko at sumagot, “It’s almost ten, wow, ang bilis naman ng oras.”

Parang kanina lang ay kararating-rating lang namin dito.

“We should go before eleven. For sure resto’s packed already if we go back any time later than that. Come on, let’s interrupt those two,” sabi niya at saka tumayo. Naglahad siya ng kamay pero tiningnan ko lang iyon at tumayo mag-isa.

Nauna ako at kaswal na lumapit sa kanila. Napansin ako ni Denzel at bumati.

“Hey, how’s it going?” bati ni Denzel kay Sxan. Nag-fist bomb silang dalawa at mabilis ang mata ni Sxan na sumulyap sa akin.

“Good, good. Thanks for asking,” Sxan answered.

“You two finally met! Wow, I didn’t expect you here, Denzel!” I said, gosh I am so... ugh! I’m just trying to get along with him here.

Clarene’s on full on blush, I don’t recall her putting make-up earlier. Oh, no, this girl’s caught up. Siniko ko siya sa tagiliran para kuhanin ang atensyon niya.

“Your face, what happened? Para kang prinito!” bulong ko sa kaniya.

“Shut up, Dayn. I like him,” bulong niya pabalik.

Napangiwi ako roon. “I know, but please can you make it not too obvious?”

She nods.

“Yeah, dude, is this really a coincidence?” Sxan asked him.

Tumango-tango siya. This dude is also topless and... yeah, he is one goddamn hot barbecue. No shame Clarene’s trippin’.

“Yeah, I was already here at dawn. My place is just up around here, so this is my go to place to swim after a morning jog especially after summer. Not a lot of tourists, you know,” he said.

Oooh. Napatingin agad ako kay Clarene at nginisihan siya. Pinigil niya ang ngiti at pinagalitan ako nang hindi nagsasalita. Gamit lang ang aming mga mata at kilay naay nagkakaintindihan kami. She’s telling me to shut the hell up.

Why would I shut up? I am not even saying anything! I tell her, only with my brows and looks.

She got it and she just rolled her eyes.

“Are you going straight to the farm for lunch after this?” I asked.

Clarene looks at me and tells me to stop what the hell I am about to do. If I could hiss right now, I would. I am Dayn, the unstoppable.

“Yeah, probably going to have lunch there, also to help around. Customers and tourists are coming since it is Sunday,” he says.

“Really? Then why don’t you join us for lunch then? We will also be on our way, that’s why we had to interrupt you guys, sorry.”

I hear Clarene scoff beside me. I shushed her and got back at denzel to see what’s he going to say.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll be there at eleven, so I guess I’ll see you there?” he turns to Clarene and smiles.

“Yeah, sure, of course. It’d be nice to be with you at lunch since these two have their own world already and I feel left out,” Clarene answers, laughing.

“Are you two together? I just want to confirm, really,” he asks.

Gumapang ang kamay ni Sxan sa baywang ko at tumango. I look at him, forehead creased and a little confuse here.

“Really? She doesn’t look—”

“See you at lunch, dude,” Sxan interrupted him. Denzel just nodded and bid Clarene goodbye with a hug.

We both squealed and jumped in kilig overload when he was gone. Sxan had to step back and give us some space.

“OH MY GOD! WHY IS HE SO HOT?!” Clarene exclaimed, squeezing my hands.

I cackled. “My gosh, we’ll plan something later! Let’s go!” I said to her.

She excitedly nods and clung into my arm.

Natawa nalang at napailing-iling si Sxan sa amin. Mabilis akong nagpatong ng damit.

“Nagugutom ka na?” tanong ni Sxan sa akin.

“No. Lagi mo akong tinatanong kung kamusta na ako.” I chuckled.

“Of course, why? Does it bother you?” he asked.

“No, no, no.” It’s actually cute and I feel like I am really being taken care of. “Well, does it bother you? Always asking me and me not asking you?”

“No, of course not. Why would it be a bothersome for me? And I am not asking for anything in return, mahal ko. Don’t worry,” he says. He scrunches his nose and touched my nose again.

“Really?”

“Yup.”

“That’s good to know coz I don’t care about you,” I kid. Nilapitan ko siya at binelatan.

“That hurts!” He put his hand on his chest dramatically. “You are so cruel to my heart!”

“Ang arte mo, tara na nga!” Tumayo na ako at naunang maglakad pabalik sa jeep, nasa likuran ko lang siya. Si Clarene ay kanina pa naroon dahil naiwan niya raw ang pamalit niya sa sasakyan.

“Sxan, can we go to a coffee shop quickly?” tanong ko habang naglalakad. Tumingin ako sa likuran ko dahil ang tagal niya sumagot. There was no one behind me.

“Sxan?” Tumingin-tingin ako sa paligid. Where the f**k did this guy go? “Sxan? Where are you?” I started walking back to check. I can hear my heart thumping a little louder than usual.

“Sxan! Huwag mo na nga akong lokohin, get the f**k out here or else I’ll leave you ass alone in this f*****g forest!” I yelled. I can’t just leave him here, what if something had happened to him and I just didn’t notice it?

My palms are getting sweaty. I started walking off the trail to look around.

“Gosh! This stupid grown ass man, where the f**k did he go?” I murmured. Kinakabahan ako na naiinis. He’s really starting to get into my nerves. “This is not a funny joke! Come out now!” I shouted again in the middle of nowhere. I made sure to go as far as I can but still can see the trail.

“Okay!” My stupid heart almost jumped out of its cage when he popped out right exactly in front of me when I turned around to see who the f**k just talked. Agad ko siyang sinuntok sa dibdib. Nilakasan ko iyon para matauhan siya.

He just— did he just f*****g laughed at me?

“It’s not funny,” malamig kong sabi at bumalik sa trail. Nakakainis siya. Bwisit, ang sarap tirisin.

He ran after me, still laughing. “Why? I thought you said you didn’t care about me?”

I stopped walking and sighed before turning back to him

I raised my finger at him. “See this? Now, I don’t f*****g care. Go, f**k yourself,” sabi ko at tinalikuran na siya. Mabilis akong naglakad kahit na alam ko naman na maabutan pa rin niya ako.

“Hey, I’m sorry. It was funny... to me. If you only saw your face, you’d laugh too,” he said, walking beside me. He catches up quickly whenever I walk faster.

Hindi ko siya pinansin.

“Sorry, forgive me, please?”

Bahala siya riyan, tangina niya to the bones.

“Alright. It wasn’t funny. I am sorry and I will never do that again.”

I stopped walking to just give him a glare then continue to walk again. Sumakay agad ako sa likuran ng kotse. Kitang-kita ang pagtataka sa mukha ni Clarene noong nakita niya ako na nakasimangot at galit.

She asked me why, so I looked at Sxan. The reason. She immediately got it. Pumasok si Clarene sa sasakyan at umupo sa harapan. Humiga ako sa likuran at pumikit dahil sa inis.

Maya-maya ay bumukas ang pinto ng driver’s seat, mabilis din iyong sumara at sunod na bumukas ang isang pinto dito sa likod. Tiningnan ko iyon, si Sxan iyon at bukas ang pinto na nasa paanan ko.

Si Clarene ay nasa passenger’s seat pa rin at pinanonood kaming dalawa.

Sinipa ko si Sxan palabas pero nahuli niya ang dalawa kong paa at hinawakan iyong mabuti. Pumasok siya at umupo, ipinatong niya ang paa ko sa lap niya.

“Can you drive us back, Clarene?” he said.

“No!” I opposed.

“Please?” Sxan pleaded. Sinamaan ko siya ng tingin.

“No, Clarene!” pigil ko. She nodded and switched to the driver’s seat. “Hey! You treacherous!” I yelled at her. I tried to get up but Sxan hold me down.

“Sorry, Dayn. Love you,” Clarene said.

Sxan looks at me as if he won! Yeah, he did, but I hate him so I’ll say that he just cheated to win. 

“Hey, Clarene, can you get this woman a coffee quickly? Just turn to that coffee shop right there, it’ll cool this burning one,” he said. Clarene obeyed him! My god! I can’t believe my eyes!

Bago lumabas si Clarene ay nagsalita si Sxan. “She’s getting a venti Iced Americano, two shots espresso with two pumps hazelnut syrup. Just an Iced Vanilla Latte for me, thanks. And don’t worry, we won’t be doing the deed here.”

“I hate you,” I uttered.

“I know,” he said.

“Of course, you know everything.” I scoffed.

“So do you,” he replied, cold and dead eyes.

He’s taunting me. Nilabanan ko ang titig niya pero ako ang unang sumuko. I shook my head slowly and scorned again.

“Stop that,” he says.

“Or what?” I mocked.

“You’ll get the least you are not expecting, so I’m asking you again to stop scoffing, please.”

“Really? What is it?” I asked, grinning.

“You won’t like it...” Hinila niya bigla ako paupo at inilapit niya ang mukha niya sa akin. His eyes looked down to my lips then back to my eyes again. “—or maybe you will,” he said.

Pinikit kong mariin ang mata ko at bumuntong-hininga nang malalim. His lips crashed into mine the moment I opened my eyes. I froze. My body froze. I didn’t know what to do except to just close my eyes. His hand caressed my face gently while his lips are still moving.

He stopped to catch his breath. I opened my eyes, s**t, I forgot to breathe as well, naalala ko lang noong nakita ko siyang huminga. He reached out to my lips and touched it gently.

“I asked you to stop, didn’t I? I see that you liked the or else what.”