Beyond the Ocean

Chapter 2

Fall

I felt that my head is aching so I decided to rise from lying down while my eyes were closed. I massaged my nape because I felt like I might have a stiff neck due to lacking of pillow.

"Kuya! Gising na siya!" (Kuya! She is awake!) a girl, who is standing next to the bed, shouted. I rubbed my eyes before opening them. I can't understand what she said. She gazed out the door. I followed to the direction where she gazed and I saw a man standing on the sand.

"Ayos ka lang ba?" (Are you alright?) she said as she looked at me. I look around and found out that I'm in a small house made of palm tree.

The house is just small, very small. I lie here on the bed that is made of wood. There's a small table with two chairs to the right and there's also a window beside the door.

I look at her. She looks like a teenager and she's also beautiful. "Ate? Maayos na ba ang iyong kalagayan?" (Ate? Are you now alright?) she said.

"I'm sorry but I can't understand your language. Where am I? What place is this?" Her eyebrows met. Maybe she can't understand as much as I do.

"Kuya! Hindi ko siya maintindihan! Ikaw ay nakapag-aral sa Maynila kaya marahil ay naiintindihan mo siya!" (Kuya! I can't understand her! You studied in Manila so maybe you can understand her.) she said while walking to him.

Both of them are talking and sometimes they glance at me. I look at myself. I am wearing now a lousy old dress. They stopped talking and the girl walked toward me.

"I am Teresita." she said. She sounds like she doesn't really know how to speak in English.

"I'm Lily." I said while having a smile on my lips.

"Ate Lily, you talk to my Kuya because he, he, you talk to him, okay?" I prevent not to laugh because of her pronunciation.

She helped me to stand up. I walk to him slowly. He's just standing on the sand while looking at the sea. I stood beside him. "Hi. I just want to know what had happened to me." I said as I look at him.

He didn't bother to look at me. I just look at the sea and heaved a sigh. His face is so cold. He had a beautiful eyes that can catch anybody's attention. He also has a tan skin.

"I was just fishing yesterday when I saw you floating on the ocean. I immediately swam and brought you to the boat. I gave you a cardiopulmonary resuscitation and then you woke up. But you suddenly collapsed so I brought you here in our house. How did you get to the sea?" Then he suddenly stopped.

"Thank you for saving my life. I owe you. By the way, I'm Lily. I lived in Los Angeles City and my father has been elected to be the president of my country. They've decided to celebrate it in a cruise ship but that ship was full of bombs. It exploded and I was not able to ride onto a small boat."

I didn't notice that I was crying as I talked. I immediately wiped my tears away then he offers his handkerchief. I took it and continued wiping my tears. "I'm sorry." His face is still cold but I can see in his eyes that he is worried somehow.

"It's okay and, by the way, I'm Jose. After eating breakfast, we will search for some woods in the forest." he said then walked away.

I know what he meant. I have to help them in return for letting me live in their house. I stared at the sea before going back in the house. I hope that my family are searching for me.

They are now eating. I look at their food. They mix the rice and soy sauce. Both of them looked at me. Teresita stood up and took a plate for me. I took it and gave thanks to her.