Chapter 3: First Encounter
1061 Words
Before finally leaving the city, Derrek stopped by the cemetery where his late fianceé was buried. It was his first time going there because back then, he wasn’t strong enough to face the truth, so he chose to lock himself away and not attend her funeral. But now, with the support of his mother and friends, he finally had the courage.
“Sam, wherever you are, I hope you’re happy. I know if you’re watching me now, you’d be happy for me too. Thank you for everything. I guess this will be the last time I mention your name. It doesn’t mean I’m forgetting you—I just want to move forward,” Derrek said as his final farewell. “Goodbye, Sam.”
He stood up and started walking away. His friends — Foster, Ian, Drake, Red, and their manager Levi — were waiting for him. Today was the day they would go to Trinidad.
During the trip, Derrek opened the van window. He breathed in the cold air, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.
“This is it,” he whispered. “Wherever fate may take me, I hope I can finally accept everything.”
“We’re almost there,” Levi said. The excitement showed clearly on the men’s faces. Finally, they would arrive at the so-called Island of Paradise. The vehicle traveled for a few more minutes before they reached a place crowded with people, most carrying luggage and bags. They got off the van. Even in the area where passengers bought their tickets, there were many tourists.
“This will be great!” Red exclaimed. “I’m sure there’ll be a lot of hot chicks there.”
“Are you sure about that?” Ian teased. “If not, then let’s check it out.”
The two slapped palms, overflowing with excitement.
“Hey, we’re here to work, not for any funny business,” Levi reminded them.
Derrek smiled as he looked around. He was excited too about how beautiful the place might be. This wouldn’t just be work—it would be his fresh start. This was where he would begin again.
“Let’s go!” Red invited. They pulled their luggage and started walking toward the ticket counter. The guards checked their chest bags and put their luggage through the scanner. After everything was cleared, they walked on and signed the forms. They boarded the boat. Derrek took a photo with the whole band once they put on their life jackets. The waves were strong, so he held on tightly.
Sometimes, he felt the sea water splash on his face. He just smiled. After a few minutes, they reached the island.
WELCOME TO ISLA TRINIDAD!
“Woah!” Ian and Red exclaimed as they saw the island’s front beach. The two ran and played barefoot in the sand like kids who had never been outside before.
“Those two really never change,” Levi said. “They even left their slippers behind. Should I just throw them away? Tsk.”
“Let them be, Manager. They rarely get to travel far, so that’s why,” Drake explained with a smile as he watched them.
It was afternoon, and they were at the beach waiting for their first sunset there.
“So this is how busy life is here, huh?” Derrek said as the four of them sat down on the sand. “It seems like they don’t have time to worry.”
“You know, bro, everyone has problems they carry with them in life. Look at those people—even if you can’t see it on their faces, I’m sure they each have their own struggles. Like the guy offering water sports over there.”
Ian pointed to a man wearing a blue t-shirt and white shorts up to his knees. The man was tanned from the sun and had signs of sun exposure on his face. He smiled as he offered water sports activities and handed out flyers to passing tourists.
“Every day he spends under the sun, I’m sure there’s a family counting on him. No matter how hard his job is, he still smiles. That’s how life should be—smile even if you have problems,” Ian added.
Derrek was thoughtful. How many years had he wasted because of Sam? Two years.
“There’s the sunset! Who wants to be the photographer?” Levi asked.
All four raised their hands. Levi immediately turned on the camera hanging around his neck and began taking photos. Red and Ian joined in after getting tired from playing in the sand.
“One... two...” Levi counted. After tiring themselves out at the front beach, they decided to return to the resort where the owner of the club they would perform at had provided them a staff house.
However, Derrek didn’t come with them because he wanted to be alone. He was entertained by the bands playing there. There were also firedancers dancing energetically. It looked like a celebration, and the tourists from different countries were happy.
He thought about walking a bit. After a few minutes, he felt tired and was about to sit down when he suddenly got startled.
“What the—” he exclaimed when he saw what looked like a person sitting on the very chair he was about to sit on. He hadn’t noticed it before, so he was surprised. “H-hello?” he said.
The person didn’t answer, so he decided to take out his cellphone and shine the light. What greeted him was a woman’s tangled hair covering her face.
She was blinded by the light and complained.
“Hey! Put that light down. What do you think you’re doing? Someone’s trying to sleep here.”
“Seriously? You’re going to sleep here?”
“Yes, why? What’s it to you if I sleep here?”
She pointed at him. The woman smelled of alcohol, so he was sure she was drunk and sleeping anywhere she could.
“No miss. I don’t care if you lie down here all night and freeze,” he said firmly.
“Well then, what are you still doing here? Go! Leave!” she ordered him.
Derrek frowned. But he didn’t let her intimidate him. He put on his flip flops and walked away from the stubborn woman.
- Writer
