Flying with You

Chapter 5

Kyle and I spent the rest of our trip together. We visited the T'boli museum and the School for Indigenous Knowledge and Traditions to know more about Lake Sebu and the people living in it. A few people had mistaken us for a couple but I didn't know how to correct them. What I had with him right now could be just a sort of a summer fling and I didn't know what had gotten into me. I just wanted to spend more time with him. The more I got to know him, the more I felt that we had so many things in common. He was like that knight in shining armor that saved me and the little sanity that was left in me.

"Hija, you are lucky to have a boyfriend like him," a grandmother told me while we were observing the T'boli dream weavers. I felt my cheeks turn as red as the thread being used in making t'nalak because of that. I wanted to tell them that Kyle wasn't my boyfriend, but when I looked at him, he just held my hand and gave it a little squeeze.

With the way Kyle was acting around me right now, I felt like our relationship had gone to another level. He put in too much effort around me and I didn't know how to react anymore. There was this instance when I was really sleepy that morning and Kyle tried his best to get me a cup of coffee. When I was done with my daily dose of caffeine, he rested my head on his shoulder and even allowed me to rest.

"Would it be all right if we continue seeing each other in Manila?"Kyle whispered while we were touring around Lake Sebu, Lake Seloton, and Lake Lahit. I thought it was just one of his jokes so I didn't take it seriously.

"Hey, look! The lotus flower is so beautiful!" I told him while we were at Lake Seloton. I pretended to be busy taking pictures and was surprised when he tapped me on the shoulder and asked, "Did you hear what I said?"

"Could you take my picture here?" I asked him and handed him my camera.

"Arci, please don't try to change the subject," he pleaded and that's when I realized that he was serious. At that time, words seemed to fail me. I looked at him with a blank expression on my face, not even sure of how I should react.

"Does your silence mean yes or no?"

"I don't know?" I answered him reluctantly. Wasn't he a bit too forward right now? I mean, we were still getting to know each other, for crying out loud!

"Arci, don't worry. We could just see each other as friends first. It's not like I'm pressuring you into something big, you know."

"I don't know, Kyle . . ." Just because we flew several times together does not mean that you have the right to act like this. I wanted to continue but I chose to keep my mouth shut. I would be lying to myself if I told him that I didn't want to see him anymore. Being with him felt . . . natural. It was like I knew him for a long time even if we just met a few days ago.

"Wait. Don't tell me you hated my company," he said with a faint expression that I guessed was worry or fear.

"What? No! Honestly, I really had fun," I told him and I heard him sigh in relief. We didn't talk about it anymore but with the way he was holding my hand all throughout the tour, I knew words weren't needed between us anymore.