---x
It's December. The waves and the weather might be frightening at times yet she chose to booked a ticket. Sa barko siya sumakay. It was cloudy that day. Sa economic part siya ng barko at iilan lamang ang mga katabi niya sa bunk beds. She's in the lower bed. Mag-isa lang siya papunta ng Cagayan De Oro dahil nauna na si Ian roon.
She was eating her seafood noodle while facing the ocean. Kahit saan siya lumingon ay dagat ang nakikita niya. Di naman gaanong malaki ang mga alon. Ian suggested to book an airplane ticket but she prefers to ride a ship. Somehow, she's interested on how the ocean looked like during the December month. Isa pa, hindi naman siya nagmamadaling umuwi. Riding the large ship means slowing her riding pace.
Paubos na ang noodles niya nang may kung sinong lumapit sa kanya.
"Berry?" Nagkagulatan silang dalawa ni Lirio. Pareho sila ng sinakyan?
"Lirio?" Tumuwid siya ng tayo at napahigpit ang hawak sa cup noodle niya.
"So you're actually spending the holidays in CDO." Napalingon ito sa karagatan. "Figures. Your family was one of San Miguel's family friend in CDO."
Malamang, nabasa na nito ang libro niya kung saan featured ang Cagayan De Oro. Bigla siyang kinabahan. Hindi naganda ang kutob niya kung ano ang mangyayari.
"Pinaglalaruan yata tayo ng tadhana. We tend to meet accidentally." Sumandal ito sa railings, nakatanaw sa dagat. Hinahangin ang buhok nitong mukhang kanina pa magulo. But the looks didn't seem to faze his handsome face. At sanay na si Berry sa guwapong mukha nitong hindi naman nito gaanong napapansin.
"I thought you'll spent the holidays back in Cebu." nasabi na lang niya.
Bahagya itong umiling. "Alone? Before. Nakakalungkot mag-celebrate mag-isa kaya sumama na ako. Lahat ng San Miguel yata ay nasa CDO na. Well, except for my workaholic cousins."
At tiyak na hindi nalalayo na mabubunggo na naman niya ito sa mga events katulad noong mga bata pa sila. At wala itong malay roon. "My family was there. Ayokong magtampo sila. Baka nandoon na rin ang kapatid ko. She's younger than me."
"Freya, isn't it?" Naikuwento na kasi niya ang tungkol kay Freya. Tumango siya.
"She's a biologist. Probably, napilit na naman siya ni Ian. That cousin of mine wants us to stick together."
"Makikita ba kita roon without actually planning to meet you?" Siningkitan niya ito ng mga mata.
"You already know the answer." Napangiti na lang ito at namulsa sa jacket nito.
"You won't be absent in social gatherings?" Kilala na siya nito na hindi talaga mahilig um-attend ng social gatherings. "I can introduce you to my naughty cousins. But of course, may limit iyon."
She rolled her eyes. If she could handle Lirio, then probably she could handle the San Miguel cousins. "Klint and Marc was messy and noisy. And I can tolerate them. Even the snob ones."
"Naisip mo ba kung kailan ka, unang nagpakilala at nakipag-kaibigan?" tanong nito. She pondered about that. Her silence means no. Everyone she knows approach her first. She's not really the kind of person who initiates. Except for children. She's comfortable with them.
"You can try talking to strangers and spilled your thoughts randomly."
"It's not easy to talk to strangers."
"More easy than talking to familiar people. Nagawa ko na iyan nang ilang beses nang mawala siya. It's quite weird to release those recurrent thoughts. Dahil hindi naman nila ako kilala. Isa lang akong estrangherong broken, one of the strangers whose suffering from grief."
BINABASA MO ANG
Scarlet's Letters
Ficción GeneralWhat if the book you've written for a certain person and your memory with him flashed before your eyes? It was a nightmare for Raspberry to discover that her manuscript which was only for a memento was published - revealing her feelings and long-for...
