what if we happened

37. Remember the Deal

Chapter 37: Remember the Deal

Seren

"Woah!" I exclaimed in astonishment as my eyes unable to look away. Hindi ko na naitago ang pagkamangha nang saktong maabutan namin ang magandang tanawin; ang unti-unting paglitaw ng araw mula sa likuran ng bundok.

Sa isang farm resort kami idinala ni Anais. It was already morning by the time we finally arrived. Although the long drive had left us completely exhausted, the moment the van doors opened, humaplos sa akin ang malamig at preskong simoy ng hangin na tila nagpagising sa aking diwa. It felt as though the place itself was welcoming us.

The view was nothing short of breathtaking. Everything is so simple, pure, and untouched. Unti-unting nang nagiging kulay kahel ang paligid. I couldn't even remember the last time I had taken the time to watch a sunrise like this.

From the corner of my vision, hindi lang ako ang napahinto, as if we had come to an unspoken agreement to pause and simply appreciate what was in front of us. We were truly mesmerized.

"Ang ganda," Elias murmured, his eyes glued to the sunrise, not even blinking.

I smiled, a little amused that he was even here. Akala ko hindi siya makakasama dahil hindi ko talaga siya ma-convince but thankfully, I found an ally in Lola Elliona, who insisted him to join the trip. In the end, wala na tuloy siyang nagawa kung hindi ang sumama. Thanks to Lola Elliona. Alam ko naman na gusto niya talagang sumama, sadyang inaalala niya lang ang lola niya.

"I need to post this in my story! This view is absolutely perfect! OMG!" Anais exclaimed excitedly as she pulled out her phone and snapped pictures from every angle she could find.

"Ngayon lang ulit ako nakapanood ng sunrise," Thalia commented.

"That makes sense. Paano'y tanghali ka na gumigising," pambabara ni Anais sa kaniya habang abala sa pag-picture. "That's why no one ever greets you good morning."

"Ang mahalaga, nagigising," Thalia shot back instantly. "Palibhasa inuuna mo mag-good morning kay Arturo kaysa mag-thank you kay Lord. Quiet nga, please."

Natawa kami sa sinabing iyon ni Thalia. But I had always been curious about her. I had never seen her fall in love or mabaliw manlang sa isang lalaki. If there was anyone dominant in our group, it was definitely her. She never talked about personal things like that and remained focused on her studies.

While everyone continued to admire the beauty of the morning, my eyes wandered and pointed to Viviana. She stood quietly beside the van, staring at the horizon with a blank expression. I couldn't read what she was thinking but she looks emotional.

I walked up to her. "Vebs, are you okay?" I asked gently.

She blinked as if snapping back to reality and turned to me. "Oo naman," she replied softly, quickly wiping the small tears that formed in her eyes. "Kasama ko kayo, eh."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "Let's enjoy this trip, okay? We all need this break. Hihinga lang tayo."

She nodded slightly and gave a faint smile. "I will," she murmured.

As the sun finally rose completely, Anais and Thalia made their way to the reception area to check us in and confirm our room assignments. A few minutes later, bumalik din silang dala ang mga susi. According to them, the girls would be staying in one cabin, while Arturo and Elias would share another.

"Tara na! Ang lagkit ko na! I need shower!" Anais said dramatically.

The guys, being the self-proclaimed gentlemen they were, carried most of our luggage. Panay ang ikot ng mga mata ko habang binabagtas namin ang daan patungo sa mga cabin dahil sa kagandahan ng paligid. Pansin kong abala ang lahat ng nakapalibot sa amin. We saw horses eating grass near the stables, and a few chickens walking around freely. Ang tatayog din ng mga puno at ang daming halaman sa paligid. All I could see was green. Ang sarap pagmasdan ng lahat, no concrete, no noise, no city. Just peace. Everything looked calm and full of life.