Anthologies {MIKHAIAH AU}

august

1st August

Mikha hates long distance driving.

It's boring and unnecessary. She tried to convince Colet that flying somewhere was a better idea but her best friend was adamant to do a road trip from Manila to La Union to kickstart their last summer as college students. In all honesty, Mikha didn't think it was the worst idea but she really fucking hates the idea of driving for a full day listening to some dumb Taylor Swift album that Colet will insist on playing.

Yet here she was half way through this so called 'Summer of Fun roadtrip',as Colet called it, listening to Taylor's fourth album, eating trail mix out of the bag, drinking stale coffee from a road side diner. God, she was feeling exhausted.

Summer in La Union was not exactly her idea but Colet had convinced her by arranging free accommodation with a distant aunt, Anna, she never knew Colet had. It sounded like a sweet deal, she gets to live there for free and coach volleyball to kids at the local community centre. Colet gets her summer out of La Union and everyone wins.

//

31st August

Mikha still hates long distance driving but she hates the idea of it more than ever now.

She also hated packing up her shit into two duffel bags. She didn't buy anything in La Union, yet as she hauled her luggage into the car boot, they felt ten times heavier. But maybe that's just her emotional baggage weighing her down. This was supposed to be a fun summer - and it was for the most part. It was supposed to be temporary and fleeting and she accepted that in the beginning. She was always going back to Manila- that was always the plan. But why doesn't it make sense now?

Why does she feel so heavy and sad and the opposite of a fun summer?

She shuts the car boot and the heavy thud strikes her as if someone punched her in the gut. It really was time to go. How did it go by so fast? She thought time had slowed down while she was here, in this bubble. But now as she hears Colet say her goodbyes to her aunt and her new friends, it really started to sink in.

Mikha tries to fight the tears. The actual fucking tears about to free themselves from her eyes. She is not going to cry. Not in front of them. At least she wasn't there to say goodbye to Mikha. That's probably a good thing.

"Mikha, ready ka na, bai?" Colet asks her silently and looks at Mikha intently.

FUCK NO. Is what Mikha wanted to say but all she could muster up was broken "Yes."

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2nd August

Mikha wakes up without an alarm for the first time in forever.

She felt the sunlight on her skin through the sheer curtains covering her bay window bedroom. It was a nice cosy room and she really could not complain - it was free after all. Colet had done her part of the bargain. Anna's house was in a neighbourhood called Greenway Parks and before getting there, that didn't mean anything to Mikha at all but last night, as she pulled her dusty old Mitsubishi into a private, gated driveway she understood quickly what it meant. Heck she understood as soon as they passed the sign to welcoming them to this suburbia. Mikha's not quite sure how Colet and Anna are related. They look nothing alike. She makes a mental note to ask later on.

She was so goddamn exhausted from being the only driver of this road trip. When they arrived last night, Colet's aunt Anna welcomed them with a good-old boodle fight. It was the only thing that helped Mikha get over the aching bones and sheer exhaustion she felt. That and ice cold beer.