The dinner was simple. Rice, tinolang manok, and mangoes for desert. They ate peacefully, away from responsibilities and work, occasionally laughing at Rafa's jokes.
"Senator..", Mang Lino, the barangay captain turned to Win, "Laking gulat ho talaga namin nung nakita namin kayong kasama sa kanila"
Win shyly scratched his nape, "Eh naimbitahan po kase" he turned to Rafa, then back as the hosts. "Oportunidad narin po ito para paalalahanan ako na pagbutihin yung trabaho ko"
Mang Lino nodded, "Tama". He turned his gaze to Leni and Riza, "Mabuti ring hindi kayo nahihiya na sumama sa mga doktor"
Before Win could answer, Rafa immediately spoke. "Actually, hindi sya nahihiya", he pointed his spoon to Win. "Mas gusto nga nyang-"
"Rafael", Riza didn't even raise her voice. Just a single firm tone.
Rafa immediately paused, "Masarap po yung tinola"
The captain just chuckled, "Maganda yang barkadahan n'yo. Tumutulong"
After dinner, Leni and Riza insisted on helping to clean up despite the protest from Aling Nena. The two ended up convincing her and washed the plates voluntarily.
Mang Lino ended up offering the men to sleep in their living room and even took the courtesy to set up the foams on the ground.
"Kap mahihiya na talaga kami neto", Rafa said while helping him with the foams.
"Wag nang mahiya, mga bisita kayo" Mang Lino replied tapping the cushion. "Tsaka ang bigat nang trinabaho n'yo buong araw".
The captain reassured them. After the couple retired for the night, the five of them found themselves sitting on the front porch.
The cool breeze brushed against their shivering skins. Somewhere between the trees, crickets sang while the frogs replied from the nearby creeks.
The laugher from the school nearby where the volunteers are staying would echo every now and then before fading back slowly into the night.
The stars hugged the darkness of the sky, and the moon reflected brightly within their eyes. A thing that the city robbed them long ago.
The heavens were uninterrupted by buildings, even the milky way painted a faint ribbon across the darkness. So clear it could reignite someone's astronaut dream.
For some time, none of them spoke. Until, a mother with her two children passed by.
"Gandang gabi po", she greeted them, which they answered in unison.
The little girl immediately waved at Win upon noticing and the senator enthusiastically waved back.
"Sya po yung magandang doktora, mama sabi ni kuya"
They were already few meters away but still, the child's words were audible enough. The five of them just laughed.
"Nakakamis maging bata", Rafa sighed and looked down at his fidgeting fingers.
No one answered immediately, Win was the one to break the silence .
"Bakit?"
"Ewan", Rafa shrugged and pointed at the empty road,
"Ang saya lang nilang tignan. Takbo lang nang takbo, walang cellphone, walang iniisip"
"Kanina" he turned to everyone, "Ang saya nila kahit butas yung bola nila, kahit tig-iisang snickers lang ang binigay ni senator". He chuckled to himself, "Kaya nakakamis, simple lang ang kaligayahan. Di gaya ngayon"
YOU ARE READING
Always And Forever
Fanfiction"I will love you, always and forever", he said to her while he hugged the woman that he dearly loved, despite the pain that he needed to endure, by letting her go. A story of Doctors who fell in great intoxication at the most unexpected time and mom...
