Found Myself In You ✔

23

Kabanata 23

"Let's take a picture!"

Hinatak ko si Ryker at tinaas ang phone para makapag-selfie. Ang laki ng ngiti ko habang naglalakad kami sa loob.

Tinignan ko ang picture.

"Bakit ka nakatingin sa'kin? Dapat sa lense ng camera!" Nilingon ko siya.

"Hindi ko mapigilan, eh. Isa pa!" Aniya.

Kinuha nito ang cellphone ko. Nag-peace sign ako at lumapit sa kanya. And, he snapped it.

"That's better!" I said while looking at our second take.

We enter the quarry exhibition space at a random stage in the show. And if you do walk in in the dark it doesn't take long to get accustomed to the unusual surroundings. There's a lot of random large blocks of limestone here and there...everywhere.

It feels organic, phenomenal, and powerful.

I move around to the quarry like a kid, Ryker is still holding my hand. I'm so happy seeing the paintings from different angles and perspectives makes me feel alive, so beautiful.

You will also see rolling projections of his writing taken from letters and old photos of Paris. The paintings are so big that you can see individual brushstrokes. I examine the minute detail of different sections and the letters that Van Gogh wrote while in he's Paris and Japan.

Ryker pushed me gently to one limestone that has an image of Cafe Terrace At Night. "Picturan kita, dali!"

Tumayo ako at nag-pose.

"One more, baby."

I pose, again.

"That's my girl." He said and walk towards at me. Pinakita nito ang picture. Napangiti ako dahil sa ganda at linaw ng quality ng pagkakakuha niya sa'kin.

Nagpatuloy muli kami sa paglalakad.Kada paintings ay nagpapa-picture ako kay Ryker. Siya ang naging photographer ko. Mapupuno ang feed ng Instagra ko. Tanungin ko na lang mamaya 'yung username niya sa IG para ma-credits ko.

Around 500 of Van Gogh's works of art have been digitalized and are projected onto the walls, ceiling and floor of the immense tomb-like space accompanied by a stirring soundtrack. The vast volumes and incredible images swirling all around before moving further into the auditorium.

The images merge into one another, colors change. Water ripples and lights reflect giving the impression you're on the water, then without noticing the transition you're in a cornfield or starry night. 

"Ang ganda ng music!" Nahampas ko ang braso ni Ryker habang pinapakinggan ang tugtog. The soundtrack is a rousing electic mix ranging from Janis Joplin, Brahms, Vivaldi, and Smetana to Grieg, Puccini, Miles Davis and Nina Simone!

I heard his chuckles beside me.

Pinisil ko ang kamay nito kaya napalingon siya.

"Ikaw naman ang picturan ko, ha? Sayang naman ang OOTD mo ngayon."

He smirked. "Fuck the OOTD. Okay na ako na ikaw ang picturan ko. Kahit mapuno pa ang phone ko, okay lang. Basta ikaw." At kumindat.

Ngumiti ako.

"May limited time ba 'to?"

"Wala. Unlimited ang lahat. Kahit gabi na tayo umuwi hanggang sa magsawa ka." Aniya at tumawa.

Ang saya naman!

Hindi ako nag-sawa na tingnan ang buong paligid bagkus ay nakaramdam ako ng gutom. Kaya kinalabit ko ang braso ni Ryker at tinuro ang tiyan ko.