Kick-Start

Road Trip

James was already asleep, but Ella wasn't done with her schoolwork yet. Thank god, James had a laptop she could work on. Still, they would have to get to school early so she could print her stuff in one of the facilities there.

"Mahal? 2am na. Hindi ka pa tapos?" James asked, yawning.

"Hindi pa eh. Bakit ka nagising?"

"Hanap kita eh." He gave her a quick back hug. "Kaya pa? Pahinga ka muna kaya?"

"No, baka hindi ako matapos. Santiago, can you please wake me up mga 6am kung hindi ako magising?"

"Oo sige. Magaalarm na din ako."

She told him that they needed to be early in school also. "Okay lang ba? Sabay na tayo maligo para mabilis?"

"Yun! Sige!"

"Hay nako. I don't have time for that kasi maaga ako dapat sa school ha."

"Oo, pero... babawi naman tayo?" He asked, hopefully.

She nodded. "Oo na. Rest na. Aakyat na din ako in a little while."

He gave her one last hug before going back to sleep.

The following day, James hired a cab for them. "Santiago, we can't afford-"

"Ngayon lang. I have some extra. Marami kang dala, mahirap mag-jeep."

Ella gratefully stepped in.

At lunch, she noticed that James only had a salad. "Sabi ko na nga ba hindi natin kaya mag-taxi eh."

"Kaya naman! Natraffic lang kaya over budget," that excess fare ate into his lunch money.

When she bought her food, she asked, "Ate, ano po bang mura? Konti lang yung lunch ni James eh."

"Ito na. Pinagtabi ko na kayo."

"Yey! Magkano po?"

Kalahati nalang ibayad mo."

*

James awakened before Ella and he kissed her cheek to wake her up after he had gotten their breakfast ready. "Wake up na, Mahal ko. Time for our road trip!"

Ella stayed the night so that they could leave immediately.

"Yey!" She whispered, still half asleep. "Just a second. I'll get up na to prepare breakfast."

"Meron na! Labas ka nalang kapag ready ka na."

She pulled him back. "Don't leave yet. Hug me pa."

"Uy ang lambing lambing naman... ito yung namiss ko talaga eh. Yung madaming madaming hug kahit bad breath pa."

"Naman eh." She tried to move away but he wouldn't let her.

"Joke lang. Hehe. Get up na para we can go!"

Ella has been to Baguio before but this was the first with James and her excitement was through the roof. The house they booked was available early in the day, so they headed there early to make the most of their trip.

"Excited?" James asked.

"Super!!!"

"What do you want see first?"

"The church. I want to say a prayer of thanks, especially to the people who helped us... your lola, our neighbors, sila Jean, yung mga Ate sa canteen na nilalakihan yung servings natin... lahat."