When the sun was finally out and everything went dark, we realized it's time to go.
Jho was quiet, and I am too, until we reached this small restaurant near Morong Beach to change our clothes and maybe stay for dinner too.
Jho looked back at me before entering inside, napataas agad ako ng kilay---my initial reaction whenever someone needs anything from me. She shook her head and then she smiled tsaka niya inalis ang tingin sakin at tuluyan ng pumasok sa loob.
I smiled at myself, remembering the sunset. I've never admired sunsets like that before... it was... lovely.
We definitely had a moment there... or maybe I definitely had a moment... Either way, it's a moment.
When we finally changed into fresh new clothes, we decided to also eat dahil nandito na rin naman kami and the smell of the food made our stomachs grumble.
After dinner, I was pretty much tired and drowsy from all the walking we did today and wala pa rin naman akong maayos na tulog since I came in Batanes. I was on the verge of closing my eyes when Jho came back from the restroom. Agad akong napaayos ng upo.
She laughed pagkaupo nya sa harap ko. "Hindi mo naman kelangan magpretend na hindi ka inaantok."
Napakamot ako sa batok. "Sorry. I'm so full kasi tapos we did a lot of walking pa."
"Are you tired? Gusto mo ba magpahinga? Pwede tayo maghanap ng hostels."
I fixed my hair and shook my head. "No, I'm fine pa naman." Of course I wouldn't waste our remaining time para lang matulog 'no. And I can see na mukhang hindi pa naman siya inaantok and I don't want to spoil the moment. Sleep be damned I don't care.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm super sure." I smiled.
"So uhm..." Nagpalinga linga siya sa paligid na parang biglang hindi alam ang sasabihin. I just watched her hanggang sa binalik niya ang tingin sakin. "Punta tayo sa Port?"
I stared at her for a split second until I creased my forehead. "Port?" pag ulit ko sa sinabi niya.
Port? Gusto na ba nyang umuwi? Have we reached the end of... everything? Was the first thing that came inside my head, but then realization occured to me na impossible yon because wala ng byahe sa Port pabalik sa Basco ng gantong oras ng gabi.
"Gusto ko sanang puntahan yung Light house." Jho said.
I almost forget about the Light house! I saw it kanina when we arrived at the Port but it was crowded with tourists and ang makipagsiksikan is definitely not on my vocabulary.
"But it's dark na. We wouldn't see anything by this time." I said.
"It's the experience that's important, Bea." She smiled. "Let's go?"
I smiled. I would go anywhere... with you, Jho. Definitely. Without second thoughts.
"Let's go." ang tangi kong sinabi. Lumawak ang mga ngiti niya sa akin.
Jho paid our dinner---she insisted so hard I was left with no choice--- and then we left to go back to the port. Pagdating namin, nagpasalamat ako kay manong driver for driving us around with his nipa hut tricycle... our tricycool... I'll definitely miss the experience, too bad everything must come to its end.
"You're a very sentimental person." Jho said habang naglalakad kami patungong light house.
I laughed. Nakita niya yata kung paano ko titigan yung tricycle kanina habang papalayo ito.
