"I thought you aren't going to come." Saad ko at saka lumingon kay Paulo. Nakasakay na kami ngayon sa eroplano at magkatabi kaming dalawa. Kung nagtataka kayo kung paano siya nagkaroon ng ticket, kmuha talaga kami ng ticket na sakto sa aming lahat. Kung sakali mang may magdesisyon na hindi sumama ay okay lang, good thing we did that. Kung hindi, we have no choice but to wait for another flight. We can't just leave someone from our league.
"Hindi ko sinabing ayaw ko." Sagot niya sa akin with his serious face. Tama naman siya. Never niyang sinabi sa akin na ayaw niyang sumama.
"But you didn't say yes too." Pagrereklamo ko. Tumawa siya ng mahina. Akala ko ay ayaw niya. Sadyang hindi niya lang ako ma-diretso na "hindi" dahil naaawa siya sa akin. Gustong-gusto ko kasi na kumpleto kaming lahat dahil magiging busy na kami sa kanya-kanyang buhay kaya mahihirapan na kaming magkita-kita ulit.
"I wanted to surprise you." He said after a couple of minutes. With an instant, mmy gaze turned to him but he just smiled at me. He planned it all along. Effective naman dahil na-surprise talaga ako. Kahit ayos lang sa akin na kulang, hindi ako ganoon kasaya sa ideya na mayroong maiiwan. Worst, siya pa.
The travel is fast as we have expected. It was past 4 when we reached Puerto Princesa. Dahil mga inaantok pa ay dumiretso na kami sa hotel resort at nag-decide na magkita-kita sa lobby, 7 ng umaga para simulan ang 1st day activities namin. Syempre, breakfast muna.
I literally guided them one by one to their room. The old man insisted nga na bigyan sila ng tig-iisang room, but my classmates were eager to help me the way they can kaya nag-decide silang doon na lang kami sa 3 beds every room para raw mas makatipid. As long as I wanted a room of my own ay hindi ko magawa. Parang unfair sa kanila.
Halos hindi na ako nakatulog dahil sa pag-aasikaso sa kanila. Okay lang naman dahil ako 'yung tipo ng tao na kapag naalimpungatan ay hindi na talaga nakakatulog pa kaya hinintay ko na lang na sumikat ang araw habang nakaupo sa buhanginan habang natutulog pa ang iba.
Nakatanaw lang ako sa kawalan nang may tumabi sa akin. Lumingon ako sandal. There's Paulo looking at the sky while smiling. I got distracte for a couple of while but thankfully, I got back to my senses.
"Pinayagan ka naman siguro ng parents mo?" Pagsisigurado ko. Baka mamaya ay tumakas lang ang isang 'to. Sumabit pa ang pangalan ko dahil sa kanya. Mahirap na. My name entails our family name. I grew up with that mantra. I never did anything bad before because it feels like I was just borrowing the name that I am using, and I needed to protect it the best way I can.
Tumawa siya. "Syempre naman. Hindi naman ako pwedeng tumakas." Sagot niya. We went silent after that and just focused to watch the sun to rise. It's just overwhelming to see something like this in the morning. Nakakawala ng pagod. Kung pwede lang na dito ako tumira habang buhay. Malayo sa pamilya na dahilan ng stress na mayroon ako, gagawin ko.
"Resort niyo 'to di'ba?" Tanong ni Paulo sa akin. I felt his stares. I looked down and smiled bitterly.
"It was theirs. Not mine." Sagot ko. It was almost a whisper, but I am sure, it was enough for him to hear. I can feel that he wanted to say something for the nth time, but he remained silent as he was used to. Careful about how I would feel and react.
