Night and Day

1 - Lord Supreme

In the middle of a city of concrete, Tom appears to be lost in thought and in space. In his memory, he can only remember being here at this almost empty coffee shop, where Gio would fetch him every time he wants to visit, which at that point can only be counted by one hand. They would eventually have to ride another bus to god-knows-where-exactly going to his place. The Manila landscape has always bothered him. The plains give him that strangling feeling, where Gio has only been his savior, but not on this exact moment.

Tom picks up his phone and checks the time: 8:12 PM. His last message was more than an hour ago.

Gio, please? This is the last time. Gusto lang kita makita.

He was trying not to expect for replies. Who in this year bothers themselves to an ex's sober messages? At the very least, he was not sober, but he sure was very lonely. Tom may have his selfish reasons, one of them, to prove to the other that he can be something, that he is not just a poor mountain boy who looks for a city lover to feed him eventually.

He looks at the canvas he wants to show to Gio, that is, if the other wants to see him anyway. He takes a sip of the now very cold coffee, which is his first and last cup. If only he could ask the barista to brew some of the beans he brought from home, maybe that would take him elsewhere.

The coffee shop stands a few distance from where Tom was constantly eyeing the bronze statue of Ang Supremo, which looks lost in the city curtain, the same as he is. He would love for the best friend to see this, as he makes a mental note to send him a picture before he leaves for the night. He has not sent him updates on his whereabouts since he took him to the terminal that morning.

He picks up the phone again, fidgets, and looks at the time: 8:46 PM. He opens the camera to check on himself, which he does not normally do. He looks the same as he is. Tom has strong eyes, which make him look hostile to some. Robbie, his best friend, constantly reminds him to smile more, but he feels contorted when he forces himself to smile. His complexion is one thing, as most mountain dwellers have a light olive hue, but he is somewhat thankful that the cold climate up north has made his skin clear, whereas the intense sun on the rest of the country can make one's skin prune even on the early years. He closes the phone just when the message he anticipated finally arrived.

Nasa labas ako.

Tom felt his stomach turned in anticipation. The bitter coffee might be coming back from where it came from. He reads the message again, but there was nothing else. P'wede na 'to, he thought.

He glanced around the coffee shop where a good four to five people remain glued to their laptop screens, while the baristas on shift are chatting while waiting for customers. Outside, a few people pass by the dark streets. He did not see Gio anywhere.

He leaves his things as he stands. He feels a bit of a strain from sitting too long, but this is the least of his worries. Baka huli na rin naman 'to, he feels.

He steps out of the cold coffee shop where he feels the warm wind, even at night. He hits call on the sender's number on his phone.

The number you dialed cannot be reached.

He looks confused. Ano'ng nangyayari? he asks himself. Technology has not been his best friend, but he is sure that something is happening, or has already happened. He tries the number again.

Tom finds himself inside the coffee shop once more after a good amount of time outside. He looks at the time on his phone: 9:50 PM. The last messages were all his.

Nasa labas din ako. Nasa'n ka?

Gio? Nand'yan ka pa ba?

Nandito pa 'ko. Pupunta ka pa ba?