One Shots: An ADNBookClub Writing Challenge

Plateau

by Zoe

"Ouch!"

"What?"

"Yung ceiling fan. Aray dahan dahan naman sa balibag."

"Sorry I didn't notice meron pala nun. Are you okay? May sugat ba?"

"Wala. Nasipa ko lang. Ikaw kasi, you know I gained some weight na."

"Nothing changed for me, ikaw pa rin ang hinahanap-hanap nito. I miss you, so much gusto nang kumambyo ni junjun."

"You want me to...you know, my magic hands."

"Later na, appetizer ko muna. I'd like to taste you hair-free."

*#%)@%^

"So, paanong naalala mo ulit ako? After four years. I like your stubbles now, may pakiliti."

"Sabi ko di ba, I dreamt of you. Then you replied to my message. At ito na tayo ulit. Sarap mo pa rin magmasahe dyan."

"Hala, gumalaw agad? Namiss nya kamay ko. So you're saying na after we parted ways nung 30th birthday mo, you totally dumped me like a hot potato? I remember you didn't give me a proper kiss."

"I know, sorry for that. I chickened out. Siguro dahil sinabi mong someone's seriously pursuing you sa Italy. I got hurt, well my ego really. Kaya babawi ako. Kaya na ba ulit? Wait baba mo pa konti, yan sarap!"

"Akala ko na offend ka nun kasi nag shopping ako ng toilet seat cover when we're supposed to spend time together. I was just following your cue. Aaahh, I miss your fondling my inside. Faster please."

"Sorry again. Nakarma ata ako after dumping you twice in a row. Sige pa, stroke me harder."

"You got married. Anyare pala dun? We were still single at 30 pero what happened nga ba? We made a promise, remember? Tapos a year after nag-asawa ka na. Upper please, you know how I want it done faster, ahh."

"We lived together for three months then, ayun, we fell out of love. Mas kinakampihan nya pa ang ibang tao kesa sa akin. But she's married now, sa States. Paano kaya yun, we never had an annulment, walang kumukusa. Pero good for her na rin, no hard feelings. Ohh continue what you're doing."

"So are you not committed sa ngayon? May sasabunot ba sa akin? Jay, stroke it harder pa please."

"Wala, clean slate. Healed and moved on na. Bibig mo naman, baba ka."

"It's a tie! Haven't been intimate for a long time. Kaya naexcite ako sa pa dream eme mo. And how did you know sa Pinas ako? You stalked my socmed no? I miss doing this. Still haven't figured out which one is bigger, yung left ba or right."

"Hahaha, you never fail to make me laugh while seriously doing me down there. So far so good, hhmmm... kayo ba ng fiancé mo? I heard from a common friend."

"We didn't get that far. Like yours, hindi pala magkatugma after all. How about this?"

"The shaft please, ayan. Ahh, sige pa, go deeper."

*$^%(#69%@$#

"Shower? Sa next round gusto ko sabay tayo. I want to give you multiple."

"Okay lang ako, baka hormonal imbalance din. Happy akong naggaganito tayo ulit. Carry me please."

"Wait, banlaw muna, madulas. We never really had a big fight naman, basta lang nagkakalayo, nagiging tahimik, may nakitang iba hindi naman pala. Baka in the end tayo pa rin. Sampa na!"

"Agh, sarap pag sagad. Malamig lang ang tiles. Okay nang ganito muna tayo, no commitment, no expectations. Just enjoying, savoring each other. We've been through a lot of emotional turmoil, together and apart. Ahh, ahh, I'm almost... aaahhhh."

#*@^$)^#(II*&%

"Order tayo ng water, uhaw na uhaw ako. You want anything?"

"You, again and again. Sige, I'll get some beer. You want?"

"Light lang. Baka di ko maubos. Di na ako sanay uminom."

And they shared 3 bottles of SM pilsen, 1 bottle of SM light, a sandwich, Happy peanut blue, muted television and non-stop talking about memories, gossips, climate change, and seemingly endless catching up, all bare and naked.

"I want to take you again, harder this time."

"As if we have not been doing that for years. Miss ko young favorite position natin."

"I know. That's when you first said you love me, 18 ka pa lang nun. Ulitin natin."

"The deed yes, not the 'I love you' hindi na makatotohanan."

"Ouch, butthurt ako. Wala na ba talaga ako dyan?"

" Your spot is always here. You left an indelible mark pero, dormant pa eh. Ako ba?"

"Ikaw ang una, sana ikaw din ang huli. Pero sabi mo nga, nagplateau na."

"May poem ako for you, di ko lang na send kasi may kurot pa that time. That's when we had a group dinner and you dropped the bombshell, that you got married."

"Sorry about that. I thought I was doing you a favor, kasi until I'm not settled, hindi mo rin sasagutin yung Italian na yun. He was the right one for you it seemed."

"Said who? Wait nasa blog ko yung poem. Ito basahin mo."

Draft email no. 2

We are what used to be

Twin souls locked

In still darkness

Under the highway bridge

From the barren creek we stood

Unmoved by the whirring trucks

At your home beach at pitch black

Like its coarse sands that tickle

The entrails of our imagination

Up in rugged valleys we call our own

On a moonless night you stirred a spark

As we lounged rapt in an endless tete-a-tete

Clandestinely we relished and laughed

Tracing back a kaleidoscope of scenes

Of yours and mine eight years past

Forgetting how time has slipped away

We hardly let go of each other's hold

Clinging to the night that has to end

Finally we bade our awkward goodbyes

You awaken from a trance to keep a vow

I remain in the sphere to wander around

"Maine, how can I make it up to you? Sorry for the hurt, intentional or not."

"8 Oohs, minimum hahaha. Ano ka ba, it takes two to tango, nasaktan din kita. Kahit nung mga bata pa tayo. Pero let bygones be. Can you do me a favor?"

"Indulge me, and my man, too."

"Yung hindi pa natin nagagawa dati."

"Meron pa ba?" Come, tell me. I love watching us in the mirror, lalong nakakagana."

May binulong. After 5 more rounds, two calls from the reception, additional 3 hours of stay, acrobats and somersaults, sore limbs, legs and lips, they finally cuddled each other to sleep. An hour before check out, they did it one more time. Slowly, more passionately, teary eyed and silenced moans.

12 days after, no phone calls, minimal text messages, seldom FB stalking. Same old, same old.