When He Loved Me

Ch. 6 Nico's Thoughts

Nico stepped out into the darkness of the night and felt the chill of the night sea breeze touch his skin. He could not believe that he just spent the last few minutes with Liza alone for the first time after twelve years.

He is generally a quiet guy, someone who keeps to himself so he cannot believe he's voicing out his opinions to Liza. It's stress, most probably. Nico has been high strung since he first saw her this morning. To say that he is surprised is an understatement. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that they'll see each other again.

For the past years, Liza has made it very clear that she has no intention of going back to the island. After she left on that boat to chase her lofty dreams of a good education and an even better future, she didn't even bother coming home for summer vacations. Her mother also eventually followed her to Manila and so she has lost any further reason or motivation to come home, so why do so now, Nico wondered.

He kept walking towards his house and he couldn't help but be filled with thoughts of the past.

Liza has always been different, even when they were younger. She has always been full of spirit and spunk, always been passionate.

He remembered when they were eight years old and he was teasing her one time with this wicked chant that their classmates invented to bully her.

Si Liza ay matalino't mabait,
Hinahabol ng langaw sa puwit
Wala namang sebo, wala namang pandikit
Yun pala't may tae sa puwit!

She got so annoyed, she kicked him on the back. It was too painful he almost cried, but he didn't because he's a boy. He tried so hard to hold his tears back and he tried so hard to keep himself from hitting her back because she's a girl. His father taught him better than that.

He closed his eyes tightly shut for a moment to calm and control himself. When he opened his eyes, he realized that all their other classmates have been holding their breath, waiting for what will happen next. He looked at Liza and saw both fear and determination in her eyes, which are also filled with tears that she's trying so hard to hold back.

"Don't ever sing that song again," she said firmly when she realized that Nico was not going to hit her back. She gave everyone a strong look, making them understand her seriousness. It was only after she's sure that she made her point that she let her tears fall, as she walked away from the circle of their astonished classmates.

From that day on, no one bullied her anymore for everyone knows that she's not the type to be crossed. She's smart, she does well in class, and at the same time she's strong and she fights back.

The year after that, she lost her father, and from then on she and her mother lived alone. Liza's father is the native of the island, while her mother is someone from the city.

When Nico and Liza got together eventually, Liza always told him how her mother has always felt the need to get out of the island and go back home to the city. The only thing keeping them in the island is a piece of land that her father left them. After the land has been sold, the two of them got out of the island permanently.

"Uggh...stupid!" Nico chastised himself, recalling the  last words he said to her. 'You don't belong here anyway,' why would he say that? Of course she knows that! Why else would she make it her life's mission to put distance between herself and the island as much as she did? No need to rub it in.

Nico kicked the pavement as he walked, his steps heavy with guilt. Why has he turned so bitter, he wondered. He's been very rude to her, acting like she wronged him or something, when he knows deep inside that she did not.

Whatever happened between them, they decided together. They were young, yes. But they understood everything. He understood everything.

When they were in school, teachers would always ask them what they want to be when they grow up. As most kids do, they say they want to be teachers, or policemen. Some say they want to be fishermen, or farmers, for it's the only thing they knew. For Nico, he said he wants to be an engineer, like his father, for it's what he knows too. But Liza was different. She had the biggest dreams of them all.