CUPID ON VACATION (FRANDEESAL)

Chapter 3

Amy's POV

Medyo marami nang lamok dito. 

"..Kuya Pido's real name is Eros Isidto C." Kwento ko. 

"Sy? So Chinese siya?."

"Hindi. I mean C, which stands for Caldo."

"So Eros--Caldo?."

"Trust me, his parents are even worse than that in terms of making decisions and naming people. At alam mo ba kung anong pangalan ng kuya niya?. Ang Probinsyano dahil sobrang fan sila ni FPJ. I mean who does that?. Pero I prefer calling him Kuya Vince."

"Well, I guess broken humor runs in the family."

"Hoy, kahit papano naman nakakatawa jokes ko no. Saka at least ako, maganda ang pangalan ko."

"Amanda?. Eh kapangalan mo lang yung kapitbahay naming nangongolekta ng taya sa jueteng haha. Wala namang special dun. Buti pa sakin Lorelaine. May kilala ka bang artista or criminal na Lorelaine?. Wala. Ako palang.."  Bigla syang napaisip.

"..Sa artista part ah." Linaw nya. 

"Well medyo common nga ang pangalan ko pero alam mo ba kung anong ibig sabihin nun?. Worthy of love sabeee."

"Hmm ako naman, I'm born to be an executive."

"Walang nagtatanong."

"Sama ng ugali, pinagshare nga kita eh. Pwede bang ako naman?."

"Joke lang o sige na--"

Magsasalita na sana sya nang biglang, 

"Amy! Laney! Nasan na kayo?! Amy! Laney!." Boses yun ni Ate Sela. 

"May tao. We're saved!. Andito kami!. Andito kami!." Sigaw ko sabay tayo. 

Naririnig kong parang papunta na sila rito. 

"Gosh, there you are. Tsk. Okay lang ba kayo?." Tanong ni Ate Sela.

"O-okay naman po Ate." Sabi ko.

"Sa susunod kasi wag kayong lalayo sa troop lalo na't hindi nyo pa gaanong kakabisado ang lugar." Sermon ni Ate Sela.

"Sorry po." Sabay naming sagot ni Laney.

"Oh sya, tara na. Malamang malamig na ang hapunan natin sa kakaantay." Kaya ayun naglakad na kami pabalik.

..

Jaydee's POV

Magkahawak lang kami ng kamay ni Madie habang naglalakad. Medyo malayo layo pang lakaran to. 

"Okay ka lang? Di ka ba nilalamig?."

"Nope. I'm fine." Sabi lang ni Madie.

"Ang ganda ng mga bituin ngayon no?. Pero syempre mas maganda ka." Sabi ko.

"Corny." Mahinang siko nito sakin.

"Hmm. I'll think for another one pero wag nalang, kuntento na pala ako sayo."

"That one's fine."

"Marami pa yan."

"Impress me."

"Well andito nako. What are your other two wishes?." 

"Hmm improving." She said with that adorable smile again. 

"Alam mo gusto ko talagang ipakita sayo ang mundo ko, kaso may salamin pala kayo sa inyo."

"I wish I could just kiss you right now." She said staring at my lips. Pano nga ulit kumalma?. That means the feeling's mutual right?. 

"Well, I wish the world allows it." mukhang nadismaya naman sya dahil sa sinabi ko, pero yun naman kasi ang totoo.  

3am. Nakapila na kami para mag-igip ng panligo namin at sa wakas nakaigib narin kami. Nauna na samin sina Dana, so ang naiwan ay kami nalang ni Madie. Ibig sabihin kami ang magkakasabay maligo, oh yeah kasama yung tatlong juniors. Si Frances, Coleen at Klaire. At least kakilala lang unlike last year na random strangers lang ang nakakasabay namin. 

Sabay na kaming lima na pumasok sa room dala ng mga dala naming balde ng tubig na panligo. Dapat talaga tipid kami sa tubig kaya kasya nato samin. 

So basically, si Klaire, Coleen, Frances, Me and Madie. Medyo nagkakahiyaan pa nga kami in taking our clothes off. Literal na tahimik lang kaming lima.

..

Frances' POV

Wet naked Ate Jennifer. No Frances, stop. That's not the function of peripheral vision you perv!. Tsk. Stop looking and just take a bath without imagining weird things like normal people do. 

Well nakasurvive naman ako sa torture chamber na yun, sort of.  Gooosh, ano ba tong nangyayari sakin?. 

5am. Kumakain na kami ngayon ng breakfast. 

"..I can't believe it, na assign ako na maghabol ng baboy at gumapang sa putik tsk. I knew it, I shouldn't be here in the first place." Sabi ni Coleen, well that's the least of what she thought she'd do in this camp. 

"Come on, it's not that bad." Sabi ni Klaire.

"Sinasabi mo lang yan kasi madali lang naman ang archery training." Sabi ni Coleen. 

"Girls chill. At least you don't have to clean the whole area for the whole day and wait til 9PM to catch fireflies in a freaking cold forest." Because that's the activity assigned for me. And yeah, would you look at that. Too much for a coincidence. Partner ko dun si Ate Jennifer. 

So since by partners yun hindi na namin kailangan magkumupulan, we're expected to separate ways. The first pair na makahuli ng limang fireflies ang makakakuha ng special firefly badges, at ang pagkakaalam ko wala pang nakakakuha nun for the past 10 years. Baka naman kasi wala talagang fireflies sa lugar nato. 

9pm. Kasama ko na ngayon si Ate Jennifer sa forest. Dala dala ko na ang jar na gagamitin namin and of course my mini backpack for emergency purposes. Nasa kalagitnaan na kami ng forest. I just hope na walang nagtatagong serial killer dito somewhere. 

"..do you really have to bring all that stuff?." Tanong ni Ate Jennifer.

"Yes Ate. Dapat laging handa."

"But that jar, you know we wouldn't need that right?."

"Po?."

"I mean it's impossible to find fireflies here."

"Malay nyo po baka meron pala. Wag lang tayong mawawalan ng pag-asa."

"Fireflies are only found in tropical or hot areas and this place is literally as cold as your crush's reply. Oops. No, just kidding haha. Pero seriously, finding fireflies here is impossible especially dahil Ber month, cold season. Buti sana kung summer."

"They're here. We just have to find them."

"Ooh stubborn, I like it. You know it's a trick. Wala talagang fireflies dito. They're just testing us."

"At bakit naman nila gagawin yun?."

"They just want us girls to bond. That's the point of this activity, or maybe they're testing our patience, faith, ability to think or understand virtues like contentment. It's more like finding the 3rd goat you know."

"Ano po yun?."

"I'll tell you once you stop calling me po. Para kasing antanda tanda ko na eh months lang naman gap natin. Just call me Jaydee."

"Pero Ate--"

"Ops."

"Fine. Okay Jaydee. Tell me 'bout the 3rd goat."

Tuloy parin kami sa paglalakad. Hindi ko na nga alam kung san to papunta eh.