Lena woke up early the next day. Hindi rin naman siya gaanong nakatulog. Bailey helps her sleep at night. Madalas na nakapatong ang ulo nito sa tagiliran niya kapag natutulog. Without him, the bed feels bigger. The empty spaces remind her that she's alone. It makes her uneasy, lalo na't matatakutin siya.
When Julie, Cyrus and Blake arrived, she was already done preparing. Nanunuod na lamang siya ng TV habang hinihintay sila.
They helped her load her things, one bag for her equipments and one for her personal things. Kotse ni Blake ang dala ng mga ito. It has room for the four of them along with all their belongings.
Naturally, Julie rode shotgun while she and Cyrus took the backseat.
"Pakigising na lang ako kapag nandun na tayo," sabi niya sa mga ito. "Wala pa kasi akong masyadong tulog."
Sumandal siya sa may bintana at pumikit. The road wasn't exactly smooth, so her head kept hitting the window. After five minutes of struggling, isinandal naman niya ang ulo sa kinauupuan. But she wasn't comfortable sleeping that way.
Nevertheless, she shut her eyes and tried to sleep. That's when she felt a hand on her shoulder. It gently pushed her to her left, making her lean on someone. Nang magmulat siya ng mata, kay Cyrus na pala siya nakasandal.
"Better?" he asked.
She nodded and murmured her thanks. Then she closed her eyes. And she was finally able to sleep.
--
She woke up with her head on his lap and her feet on top of the seat. Nakasikat na ang araw. They already opened the windows to let the cool breeze in. When she got up, she realized that they're not in the city anymore. Maaliwalas ang paligid at sariwa ang hangin.
"Morning!" Julie greeted.
Kinusot niya ang mata. "Nasa'n na tayo?"
"Malapit na," Julie answered, which didn't totally make sense. Cyrus provided her a better answer though. Malayong-malayo na nga sila sa Maynila.
Nag-stop over muna sila sa isang kainan along the highway bago magpatuloy sa pagbibyahe. Nasa kalahatian pa lamang daw sila, maybe a couple more hours before they get there. Para sa kanya, impractical ang desisyon nina Julie na puntahan pa iyong mismong lugar para sa ilang pictures. But that's just her opinion. Alam naman niyang sentimental ang dalawa.
She's not big on adventures. Being an introvert confined her inside her little comfort zone. The only time na nakakalabas siya, ginugugol pa niya ang oras sa pagkuha ng litrato.
She readied her camera. When they're at the doorstep of the restaurant, she snapped a few pictures: one of the sky, one of their backs, and one of the road less traveled. Sumunod siya sa loob pagkatapos.
Breakfast platter ang in-order ng mga ito, which to her looked like her 3 meals in a day all rolled into one. Plus a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Tingin pa lang sa pagkain, pakiramdam niya'y nabusog na siya. Her companions ate with gusto while she tried to finish even just half of her plate.
"Ayaw mo na?" Cyrus asked when she put down her utensils.
"Busog na 'ko." Sayang wala si Bailey. Ito kasi ang tagaubos niya ng pagkain.
"Kumain ka pa. Matagal pa bago 'yong next meal natin. You'll need the strength for the long hike."
Napalunok siya at the mention of the 'long hike'. For someone who doesn't like the outdoors, hiking is a nightmare. Akala niya, pagkaparada ng sasakyan nila sa lugar, doon na rin sila magsi-set ng camp. Apparently, they'd still walk their way to it.
