manuel of la brea

25

leftovers

The jeep led us somewhere after you gave your leftovers to a stray cat.

The last time my eyes blink was a moment of pure kindness, but suddenly the tranquil waves were gently brushing against us—and it was the end of November.

Tondaligan boasted of a long, white sandbar and an ankle-deep water as we sat on the beach. And we watched it together upon low tide as nipa huts raised off the ground, lined up together with palm trees and other tropical plants on either side.

Restaurants were also around the area but we chose to rent a 50-peso cottage. And it was enough to let us know that we weren’t two worlds apart—there I’ve lain in your lap since.

We stayed there for three to four hours like it was our home. Then I started to recognize how colorful your shirt was. It was bright yellow like spring, while my cedar puff sleeve was covering your favorite part of my body.

I asked you where we’d go next, and you told me wherever the sandy, pebbly shore might take us.

Then we walked down the pier and held hands all the way. Ate a box of pizza and had Vitamilk to quench the thirst. We also encountered a boy who loves chocolate milk and whose brother was stubborn. We forgot his name nevertheless, but he said we looked cute together.

We walked again and I can still remember how our hair both waved at the same time with breeze and held each other close. The weather was humid like a burning fireplace, but our curls didn’t need a fix.

Then you picked up a stick and drew my name in the sand. It was not too long before the wave took my name. And we both smiled anyway, knowing that my name would always be yours.

We walked again and I can still remember the sand felt beneath our feet and the seashells we decided to collect. And I couldn’t help but think that nothing else mattered except for us in that moment.

I wanted that moment to last forever, but the sky turned red and the sun set low, leaving only stars in your eyes. Your eyes sparkled like lights on the sea. And I knew I would be forever lost in your gaze.

That day is etched in my mind forever—all because I shared the sunset with a cat lover.