That Summer When She Cried

His Second Summer On That Cold December

In so many ways, I find her just like me. In so many ways, I find her different too. It leaves me wondering what else she can do that will make me add to the lists of our similarities and differences.

-Jeric

--

"What does the fox say?"

The rest of the crazy, and nakakaulol, sound was left as a responsibility to the speaker that looked like a Sprite in can.

Kevin was standing outside the tent, imitating the same insane dance step of the video, while the rest of the Tigers were fixing their items inside their own.

The same lines kept on playing on the speaker and Kevin was obliging in keeping the momentum of his dance. Jeric was sitting outside his tent, watching him with his blank face.

Out of his intense irritation, Kaizen snatched the speaker away and turned it off.

"Mukha kang gago."

It made Jeric laugh.

"Wow pare, ang unfair mo! Sumasayaw ako dito hindi ka tumatawa tapos sinabihan akong gago ni Lo natawa ka?" he reacted.

"Burn Ferrer! Burn!" Aljon laughed.

Kevin shook his head and raised his middle finger. "Tandaan nyo, nandito tayo para pasayahin si Kap. Gawin nyo yung mga responsibilidad nyo."

"Kung ikaw rin lang papasaya kay Kap, baka humanap na ng bangka yan na magbabalik sa kanya sa Pundaquit," Aljon kidded.

"Make him happy? Get a girl for him," Karim commented.

"Ako nga walang girlfriend, hahanapan ko pa si Kap? Finder's keeper," he said. "Ano, dito na lang ba tayo sa campsite? Di ba tayo lalangoy?"

"Lalangoy e hindi mo pa nga naaayos yung gamit mo!" Ed commented.

It was a December. The air was chill and people are quite getting ready for the holidays. The Tigers however are advancing their summer after Jeric forced them all to keep that weekend reserved for them.

Anawangin on a December somehow gave them privacy. It may not be too much but at least they can roam around as easy as they want. Everyone was present, except of course their coaches. They built tents which are big enough to accomodate ten each. Wanting space to move, they built two.

They brought cooked food, bread, ready to eat meals. Gathering a bunch of calorie-burning men who can eat tons of rice in one seating yet never became friends with the art of cooking, it was best not to cause forest fire dahil lang sa siga.

"Aakyat ba tayo dun sa bundok o magswimming muna tayo? Langoy na langoy na ako," Kevin said.

"Hindi. Magsimula ka na munang maghanap ng ppwestuhan mo," Aljon commented.

Then a bag flew out of the tent.

--

The five of them - Jeric, Kevin, Fortuna, Aljon, and Kaizen - were already trekking their way up the cliff that divides the shores of Anawangin. It was easy to climb, the only problem they have encountered was that it was hard to make a comment with the story that Jeric T was narrating.

"Teka, ibig mong sabihin, tinulungan mo si Karl na magkabalikan sila ni Jeron?" Kaizen clarified. "Ang martir mo naman bro!"

Jeric laughed. "Martir talaga? Ayos na yung may sumaya kahit na isa man lang samin ni Jeron. Kahit naman hindi ko ginawa yun, sila pa din naman yung pipili sa isa't isa."

"Kahit na Kap. At least hindi ka gumawa ng paraan para magkabalikan pa sila. E kaso bayani ka, papagawan ka na namin ng monumento," Fortuna added. "Pero kung masaya ka naman sa ginagawa mo. Ayos lang."