"Hi! Good morning! Where are we having lunch today? I'm going for a jog at Central Park today. See you later!" Dickie texted Nic early one morning. They had been exploring more of New York now. In a few days though, they'd be going home to Manila.
"Hello! Good morning! A jog around the park sounds good. See you there...."
"Usual spot?"
"Hmm...maybe....if not, I'll see you at our stoop at noon, ok?"
"Sure! I feel like pizza today..."
"Pizza it is....see you!"
Nic approached cautiously. She wasn't sure if the shirtless guy seated under the tree near their usual spot was Dickie. He was facing the vast open space of the park, using his shirt as a towel. There were a few people in the area but most of them were engaged in conversation with each other and a little far from their spot; this guy was alone. Then, as she came closer, she saw something familiar. A birthmark on the guy's shoulder. She remembered seeing something similar on Dickie's shoulder.
"Dickie?" Nic said softly, unsure.
Dickie turned around and smiled, throwing his shirt over his shoulder.
"O hi! I went for 2 rounds na...."
"Uhh....yeah.....I bought us food nalang.....here o...." Nic said as she put down her things and spread a picnic blanket on the ground.
"Uy!" Dickie helped Nic with the food. "Thanks!"
"....I thought it would be a nice day for a picnic...."
"Actually, it is. I was going to tell you sana if we could have a picnic instead....."
Nic smiled and took a bite of her sandwich.
"Dickie...."
"Yeah?" he replied while chewing.
"....Your.....your mole....."
"...mole?....ahh.....birthmark....here....." Dickie looked at Nic before touching his shoulder. "How did you know?.....Ay! Sorry!" He looked down his chest and immediately put on his shirt.
"Hahaha! I saw your back when I arrived kanina...."
"Sorry .....sorry....."
"No problem....that birthmark though....."
"What about my birthmark?....I had it checked before.....it's non-cancerous naman...."
"Ahh...they can be cancerous?"
"That's what I was told....my cousin had a birthmark on her wrist that was removed because her doctors were afraid it was cancerous...."
"Ahh talaga?"
"Yes....besides, mine is much smaller than hers.....hers was as big as a quarter.....she said it looked like grass that was pulled out from the ground because it had hair and the mole itself looked like soil because it was brown and had bulb-like "roots" underneath.....ay sorry!" Dickie explained but stopped when he realized that they were eating.
"It's okay....it's quite interesting actually...."
"Teka....why are you interested in my birthmark?"
"I saw it when you had that....that wasabi incident at Topper's....."
"Ahh..."
"...and....the kid in the old white house also had a birthmark on his shoulder.....Nanay said it was called...."
"Balat...." they said in unison.
