Mahingga

Chapter 12: Departure

Ako read his Palam as he reached the boat. It read 11:15, five minute early. Kita was there double-checking all the supplies.

"Early even, that's amazing," Kita said with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah," Ako said and put his satchel down on one of the seats. "Are we good to go?"

Kita sighed and nodded slowly. "I think so."

Ako untied the mooring in a blur, eager to be on their way, but once it was undone, he held it in his hand gingerly. "So, this is it, then," he mumbled to himself.

Kita stared back at Mahingga and nodded again. She must've known what he meant.

Ako threw the rope into the boat and then pushed off from the deck. They used two oars to get the boat out of the docking area before raising the sail. They steered the boat northeast to get through the pass between Mahingga and Bato. Once it was angled properly, they both stared back at Mahingga silently as the boat sailed out to sea. When would Ako again see the giant, green peaks of his homeland? He wasn't able to suppress the shudder that followed the thought.

They'd sailed past the rocky shores of Bato when Kita pulled out a compass and asked, "Which direction did you see the aircrafts go? I think it was an east and slightly northern direction, but I only saw the last little bit as they were flying off."

Ako turned his attention to her. "Yeah, that sounds right. I'll try to angle it. They'd fly it in a slightly globular orbit through the north, so we'll have to adjust it a little bit here and there."

Kita raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you an expert in nautical navigation?"

"Hardly. I just did a little research is all. Plus, I've looked into long-distance flight before, and I think it would be comparable to sailing oversea to some degree."

"Well, I hope you're right," Kita said with a frown. She pulled out a funky, wide-brimmed hat and placed it on her head.

"What's with the hat?" Ako asked. He scratched his head.

"Shade. I don't want to burn. I bought one for you, too." She pulled another hat out.

Ako smiled. "No, thanks." Their direction had been set, and Ako sat down and stared back as the islands slowly grew distant. The northernmost island, Palay, was only visible as a thin sliver on the edge of the water. He'd never been this far away from the Dagatan islands. It felt like he was drifting away from the entire world. Once the islands slipped down under the horizon, it seemed like he was already lost. How am I supposed to know where we are?

"It's kind of lonely out here," Kita said in a soft voice as she stared across the vast ocean. They'd been sailing for a couple hours without hardly saying anything.

"Huh?" Ako grunted. He'd been staring down into the water, trying to see beneath its depths. How far down is the land?

"My father always made sure that when he sailed out, he could still spot one of the islands," Kita continued. It was almost like she was just talking to herself.

Ako didn't mind—as long as he didn't have to say much. He was enjoying the sound of the water and the occasional flap of the sail. And Kita spoke softly enough that her voice barely carried over the air.

"How come?" Ako asked.

"Well, there's no need to go any further. Sailing is just used to travel between the islands or catch fish," Kita explained. She glanced back at him over her shoulder. "Or for sport in some cases I suppose. They could sail a lot further I'm sure—even my father knows how to use astronomy and directionals to navigate in the deep sea—I think everyone learns a bit of that, but it's only just in case they drift too far from the islands. Nobody really has to use it very much."