Dusk Kisses

14

"Gago," he chuckled, then looked down for a second before  he started to stare at the awe of the blue mesmerizing sea.

I sighed subtly in defeat. Apparently, I waited for nothing.

The way he smiled... Gradually makes me trace a smile on my face too.  Sinamantala ko ang pag analyze sa mukha niya, and I was ready to trail my sight off him when he suddenly threw an ounce of look to me... Sending different emotions through his eyes... Making me feel rather nervous. I frenziedly poured my attention to the food kahit nag porpotesta ang dibdib kong tumingin na lang sa kanya.

"Matagal na kayang nakabalik, last June pa!" Sagot naman ni Mark, "’di ba lods?" He was waiting for Kent's answer and all of a sudden I got intimidated when our eyes met…for God knows how many times already, and I tried to shrug off that awkward aura because it is not needed here. And neither the situation called for it. Tinitignan ko lang naman siya kasi baka magsasalita siya, wala namang masama dun. I just want to pay attention to what they’re talking about para naman hindi ako ma out of place. 

No. I'm not defensive, I'm just explaining.

Sabi ko sa sarili ko.

His eyes pierced through my eyes as if he’s fighting back the stare I've been giving.

Ano hindi na ba siya sasagot? Wala na ba siyang sasabihin? ‘Yun na ‘yon?

Gosh, why do I even care?

"Okay, stop with all that fuss. Di pa 'ko tapos mag trivia" Mae interrupted.

"Oh sorry to interrupt you, carry on Ms. Trivianator" Daustine waved his hand on the air na para bang prinsesa ng England 'yung kausap niya.

"May gano'n?” I was chuckling when I asked Daus.

"Oo," he was too confident.

and as expected, may kokontra na naman, "luh, sabi nino?" ayaw pang maniwala ni Sy.

"sabi ko, bakit may angal ka?" 

"Ayoko na pa lang kausap ka, mahirap makipagtalo sa bobo" Our eyes widened when Syrus pulled the trigger.

"Oh s**t," Mark commented. “Minus five points.” 

"Okay, as i was saying..." hindi rin mapigilan ni Mae ang tawa. "Bulalo was one of the most favorite dishes in the Philippines. It's a classic Filipino dish and its authenticity goes back during the pre-hispanic era when boiling, grilling, steaming, and roasting were the best known methods of cooking." Mae formally uttered as if we weren't her friends.

"Best in History award goes to...." Daustine was up to something again, causing me to shake my head partially while grinning. Para akong laging may kasamang bata kapag may mga pakulo silang ganito.

"Ten tenen ten, tenen ten ten tenenenen!" Mark even tapped the table to take place as a drum roll.

"Ms. Maerenica Jeian Santiago!" Daustine announced it just like how some other boxing announcers do it. He stood up and so did Mae. Sinabitan ni Daustine ng imaginary medal, making her look around with her chin up and start waving to all the people who were watching over us as if she won in a competition or something.

"Don’t be shy, sabihin mo ‘salamat, Google’" pang uuto pa ni Daustine, Mae just glared at him causing him to chuckle playfully. 

"f**k you! You're going to get me doomed." Mae gave him an eye roll, and can I just say that was so sassy of her. Gosh, Nasapo ko 'yung ulo ko dahil karamihan sa mga kumakain ay nakatingin talaga sa amin na para bang may live show na nagaganap ngayon!

"Let's give her a round of applause!" My eyes widened nang nagsimulang pumalakpak yung mga kumakain sa kani-kanyang lamesa. None of them have an idea how much I badly wish I could just disappear right now with all the mortifications they’re giving me! I started clapping when Sy nudged my waist as a sign na makisakay na lang ako sa trip nila. I sighed when I realized that I really have no choice but to act!

"Because of that.. it's all on me! order all you want!" She announced as if she was a host in an awarding ceremony! I fixed a smile on my face with the feeling of gratitude. At least, libre yung kakainin namin, who was I to refuse? 

With so much Mae had to say, she sounded like she’s into something like a recital. She even introduced Adobo sa dilaw, gotong Batangas, sinaing na tulingan, nilupak, longganisa at tapang taal at kaldereta. Judging how they savor the kaldereta, I’m a hundred percent sure that they don't have even a single idea that it was a goat they’re eating.

"Ang sarap ng... kalderetang kambing 'no?" I stopped myself from laughing nang makita ko ang pag-iiba ng reaksyon ni Kent. he was the one who my eyes caught kaya siya ang una kong napansin.

"A-ano?!" He asked me with wide eyes, probably taken aback with my words. I raised my brows and chewed my food.

"Sabi ko, masarap… ‘di ba?" i smirked.

With his brows close to being knitted, he parted his lips, believing that that's not what he wanted to hear. It was all written on his face. "No, hindi yan... yung isa pa"

"Kalderetang... kambing? Totoo ba?" he said as if he got betrayed by someone he trusted the most. Na parang may utang ako sa kanyang hindi ko na nabayaran. Nasamid si Mark habang iginawi ang katawan niya sa kabilang gilid para hindi namin makita 'yung reaction niya. Michael did nothing but part his lips as he arched his brows in so much amusement, he probably never expected himself to not notice a single detail like that. I mean he can't blame himself, malapit lang ang lasa ng kambing sa baka. Hindi ko rin sana mapapansin kung hindi binulong sa akin ni Mae. So did Daustine, parang hindi niya alam kung ano dapat ang irereact niya. Mark’s making a funny sound that makes me lose my appetite! Para siyang susuka any moment from now!

"Tangina, seryoso ba?!" Syrus cursed as crusty as a pizza could ever get, causing her to stand up, while Kent was in a deep state of shock. His jaw hardened but then he slowly shook his head, looking like he still couldn't believe that this was actually happening. He also stood up and walked away. I laughed hard when Syrus tended to throw up! Sa public sink pa talaga, yung malapit lang sa seashore! Mae and I laughed together. What a wonderful start it is! Syrus’ right, I'm going to have a lot of fun until our last day here.

"Kinakain ba talaga 'yun?" Sy's assuring na hindi labag sa animal protection law yung ginawa naming pagkain ng kambing. We were on our way to the cottage, we just finished eating kahit medyo nahirapan pa 'yung iba na kumain ulit. Being skeptical that the foods that were placed in front of us weren't the usual kinds of food they used to eat just like the kalderetang kambing.

"Siguro" I didn't gave her a precise answer. Medyo gusto ko siyang maguilty. Hindi naman siguro ako haharangin sa langit sa simpleng ganito lang. 

"Ugh! I hate you," She said she regrets waking up early, so she should! Pumasok kami sa isang cottage para do'n kami mag stay kung ayaw namin magswimming.

"No, you don’t... we all know that you love me—in love with me" I teasingly said.

Tulog din sana ako kung di niya ako ginising. Sumakit tuloy ulo ko nung lumabas na kami sa mismong beach. Nasobrahan sa liwanag yung araw, wala bang brightness settings? Panalangin ko na lang na ‘wag ako atakihin ng bullshit na migraine na ‘yan.

"Uy, una na 'ko ah?" Daustine informed us.

"Oh, sure. Doon kukuha ng board, here's the card," tinuro ni Mae 'yung renting post tapos binigay niya yung card niya para malibre sila sa renta ng surfing board.

"Hoy sandali! Sama ako—Aray ko! tangina" Muntik pang madapa sa kakamadali si Mark, Kaya naman tinawanan siya nila Kent and Michael.

"How 'bout you?" Mae asked me.

"Pagkatapos ko sigurong icomfort at suyuin 'to, daig ko pa may jowa, e" i rolled my eyes, gusto ko na ngang mag beach pero pabebe naman 'to.

I heard syrus sobbed.

"Huy! Hala ba't ka umiiyak! ang pangit mo..." Pang aasar ko pa.

"'yung kambing!" She cried louder. Lumingon lingon ako sa paligid kung may nakakakita ba sa kanya, baka sabihin pinaiyak ko pa! I’m not clingy and I’m probably the kind of person who doesn’t need hugs but for the sake of this such-a-baby I hugged her as I tried to appease her.

"You literally sound like a goat now, Sy," dagdag pa ni Mae. We laughed when Sy sniffed, I brushed my hand back and forth through her arm while giving her my warmest hug.

"Tahan na. Gano'n talaga ang buhay, una-unahan lang." Di ko alam kung nakakacomfort ba yung sinabi ko, basta bahala na si batman! "Kung 'yon 'yung purpose niya sa mundo, at least naging meaningful diba?" Her brows furrowed.

"Pa'no naging meaningful 'yon?!" Pag aaklas niya pa habang iginawi ang paningin sa akin mula sa pagkakayakap ko sa kaniya.

"Isipin mo 'yun, namatay siya kasi ang purpose niya ay magpakain sa tao!" I don't know what exactly I am saying right now or kung tama ba yung pinag-sasasabi ko dito. Syrus wiped her tears then hugged me back. She was just meany on the outside to protect her soft side.

"Mukha ba 'kong tanga?" she asked, still wiping her tears and stopping them to flow down through the side of her cheeks. Kumalas ako sa pagkakayakap para makita ko ang kabuoan ng mukha niya, i almost bursted into laughter when i noticed how red her nose was.

"Di naman, medyo lang" asar ko, i hugged her again, her head was clinging onto my upper chest while her arms were wrapped around my waist. Nakakainis lang talaga yung pagiging madaldal nito, e. But to sum it all up? She’s a gem. A gem I would never like to lose. "Mag club tayo mamaya, ah?" She looked to me, seeking for a chance na pumayag ako.

"Masyado ka nang sumusobra—Anong oras ba kasi?" Her smile widened nung sinabi ko yun. Gosh, future walwalera ba 'to?

After that chit chat we decided to join them by the beach habang di pa ganoong kainit dahil around 9 am pa lang naman. Syrus fell from the surfing board countless times! Hindi ko napipigilan 'yung tawa ko kaya kahit tinutulungan ko siyang umahon ay tumatawa pa rin ako.

Umahon kami nung bigla na lang uminit 'yung sinag ng araw, lalakas pa daw yung alon mamayang tanghali kaya 'yung boys na lang yung magsusurf while the four of us was taking a picture para may kanya kanyang post sa IG.

I took a montage of the place and made it a story on IG, tapos umupo ako sa beach lounge. Pinanood ko ulit para tignan kung decent ba yung filter na napili ko. Ayokong kahit nasa malayo ako ay pagsasabihan pa rin ako ni Asteria dahil lang sa damn filter.

I lost track of how many times I've viewed my own story. Ang alam ko lang, paulit-ulit kong pinipindot kasi natutuwa ako sa nakikita ko.

I smirked inadvertently. He looks like a model, gosh. I felt the heat spreading through my cheeks nung narealize ko na topless siya and his hair was a little bit damp dahil pinupunasan niya yung buhok niya sa video. The back of my other hand landed onto my cheeks, feeling how hot it is right now. 

Bigla akong kinabahan sa naisip ko. May lagnat kaya ako? Magkakasakit ba ‘ko? Wala akong dalang gamot. Ayoko naman maging pabigat sa kanila. They went here to have fun. 

“Are you okay?” napatingala ako nang marinig ko si Kent.

He looked at me with those eyes. And as of now? Parang hindi makapag function ng tama ang isip ko. Nalilito na ‘ko. 

From my eyes, he looked down to my hand on my cheeks and that seemed to bother him. He lifted his hand but on the half way, he looked hesitant. He tilted down his head a bit, being much more gentle, “can I?” I suppose he wanted to feel it himself, so he could drop the final judgement.

It took me quite a while before shaking my head. “I’m okay…” I smiled to back up my words. Akala ko kapag sinabi ko yun aalis na siya para magsurf ulit pero mali pala ako. He took a medium height stool t’saka umupo dun. 

“I’ll keep you company… if that’s okay?”

I licked my lower lip before I turned my head sideways to face him. Tumango ako nang dahan-dahan.