Two Years To Become Erin

Chapter 2 - Tag, You're It!

18 March 2019, 01:30 AM

We arrived at Tagum somewhere around 01:00 AM.

All three of us stayed at an inn to take some rest and drive again by daylight.

Roland paid for the largest unit. The two were quick to fall asleep. Well, they were up since six in the morning. Being awake for 19 hours can really knock you off to bed.

I had a tiny amount of sleep back inside the car, so I'm still wide awake right now.

I sent a message to Manang Cora, letting her know where we were.

Looking back at it, I think I've been doing this for as long as I can remember. Wherever I go, I always message Manang. That way, she knows where to find me.

I miss her. I hope she's safe.

I hope everyone is.

19 March 2019, 11:43 PM

Jeany woke me up today as early as 6:00 AM. We went downstairs to the inn's restaurant to have breakfast. By eight, we were back on the road. The rancid taste of the pork sausages still lingered on my tongue. Good thing my stomach didn't turn up with that horrific chunk of meat.

My palate continued to linger in discomfort. I asked Roland to pull over next to a sidewalk vendor. I asked for one bottle of water and some mint candies to counter the acid flavor in my mouth. I popped open some packets and sucked on them hastily. Thank God for menthol.

I asked the vendor if she could dispose of the wrappers for me. The old lady kindly took the wrapper and threw it in a small plastic bag next to her monobloc chair. As she turned her back against me, I suddenly heard her cough. She tried to suppress her coughing, but her jerking shoulders gave her away.

Jeany looked at her, then she looked at me. Jeany asked if I sanitized the bottle and wrapper first before using it. I couldn't answer. She scolded me and took the bottle, spritzing it with alcohol herself. If only disinfectants are consumable items too.

Jeany went on and said I should be more careful with receiving things. But I didn't put too much thought into it.

Whatever was happening in the capital, it's probably contained there already.

We continued our journey to New Bataan. After two hours, we finally made it. But we were not prepared for what we arrived at.

Right at the edge of the border, a barricade of military vehicles and steel barriers blocked the road leading to the province. Roland pulled over to the side and stepped down from the car. Jeany got out as well, and I followed after. The three of us went closer to the military post and asked the person standing outside the shed.

What we learned almost brought us down to our knees.

There was a breakout in New Bataan. Covid-19 has reached the province and has spread overnight. All of the borders are now closed to contain the virus. The military personnel would not let us in for our safety. When the authorities asked us where we came from, Roland had to pause for a safe reply.

He told the military that we came from Tagum City. The officer advised us to return to where we came from and swayed his fingers in a dismissive gesture.

We sat in our car for almost 30 minutes, wondering what we should do or where we do we go next.

I told them we should head back to Davao. But Roland said the capital is already in total lockdown. Traveling there would not make it in time, nor would it be worth the risk. Jeany asked if Roland had a place to stay within the surrounding provinces. He didn't. Jeany fell quiet and went back to thinking.

I sat in the back of the car, restless and anxious about our situation. I feel like a fugitive, having no city or province to take refuge from the terrifying disease. We cannot tell people we're from Davao. Otherwise, they would turn us away. I was born and raised in this land, but I have never felt so displaced in my whole life. I was tired, afraid, and a bit frustrated.

I wished we never left Davao. We would never have been stuck in this situation in the first place.

Then out of the blue, Jeany suggested escaping to Maragusan.

She offered her home for us to stay in.

Jeany asked if I was okay to travel further, almost circling back to where we started, and stay in a half-timbered house. I said yes, as long as we were not going to sleep on the road. Any place is better than where we at presently. Besides, a breath of fresh air from the crowded, concrete jungles of Davao would be a welcome relief.

Roland buckled up and steered the wheel back to Tagum. From there, we would take a new route to Maragusan. It was a taxing drive, pacing back and forth just to get around to our next destination. I could hear Roland speak under his breath, he hoped it wouldn't be a wasted effort to go there.

Jeany prayed that the virus hadn't caught up in Maragusan yet. She was worried about her younger sibling. Gab, as Jeany calls her, lives all alone in their house. I comforted Jeany and told her everything will be alright. Once we get there, Gab won't be alone anymore.

Jeany looked over the dashboard mirror and smiled with her eyes. She said I would like it there. Maragusan's natural setback is incomparable to other provinces in Davao Region. Jeany was also excited to introduce her younger brother to me. We share the same age, it seems. As for me, I can only hope things turn for the better.

Four hours into the journey, the fiery afternoon sky was slowly embracing the night. I started to feel incredibly sore and tired. We've been on the road the whole day, and we're nowhere near our destination yet. When we finally reached Maragusan, a great sense of relief came over us as we saw the borders open and free of any military barricade.

It was quite a long drive still, getting to Jeany's house. But after another hour, we finally made it home.

Jeany prepared her own room for me to sleep in. She told me she would sleep in Gab's room in the meantime. When I asked Jeany where her brother was, she told me Gab was doing graveyard duty in a convenience store down in the city center. He will be back by daylight.

I felt embarrassed for having to bother such a small house. For a family of two, it was an ideal place to live in. But to squeeze in all four of us together felt like a pack of sardines in a can.

Roland had to sleep in the living area as there was no more room to spare. I had to apologize to Jeany for making such massive adjustments for us.

My personal maid just smiled and said it was alright. Anything just to make sure I was safe. She was home as well, so nothing could be better for her. I offered to help clean the house in exchange for her family's hospitality. But Jeany insisted to do it all by herself. She urged me to take some rest as I had an incredibly rough day.

I was a bit reluctant. But my persistence would just wear her down. So, I decided to comply. My back and waist ached terribly anyway. Jeany asked if I was feeling hungry. I was, but I declined the offer. I couldn't impose my empty stomach on her.

Now, I'm here in Jeany's bedroom. The light from her study lamp is the only thing illuminating the space. The stillness of the countryside was pleasantly calming, and only the steady sound of crickets could be heard.

I checked the time and didn't realize it was already past 11:00 in the evening.

I better go to sleep; my eyes are stinging already.

And my throat's a little scratchy.

I wonder why.