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Chapter Ten

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Second day namin today at ngayon nasa tabing-dagat kami. Sila Cole, Blake, and Athena andun lumalangoy na sa dagat. Hindi na sila nakatiis e, miss na miss na daw kasi nila ulit makarating sa mga ganitong lugar.

Tahimik ko lang silang pinapanood ngayon, para silang batang nagtatampisaw sa gitna ng tubig. Nakakatuwa.

"Hey! mag-isa ka?" biglang tanong ng kung saan. Napalingon naman ako dito.

"Obvious ba?" mataray ngunit pabirong sabi ko.

"Sungit!" natatawang sabi naman niya. Umupo naman sa tabi ko at saka rin pinanood ang mga taong nagtatampisaw sa dagat.

"I'm going to leave" He suddenly said. Napalingon naman agad ako sa kanya. He look at the sky.

"Ha? ang aga naman 3 days tayo dito ah. Bakit aalis ka na agad?" tanong ko sa kanya.

He look at me and flashed a sad smile but he take it back by his chuckle.

"No, I mean not now. After this vacation I'll go back to U.S." I don't know what to say. I am speechless.

"Why?" I ask unsurely. Nakakalungkot isipin na aalis siya. Siya ang una kong naging kaibigan— yung una kong tinanggap tapos aalis na siya.

"I want to study there. That's one of my dream, so yeah, I want to pursue it." Even though he smile at me, I know that there is really something on it.

"And everyone knows it?" I asked. He look away.

"To be honest, they don't know yet." napakunot ako ng noo dahil sa sinabi niya.

"Ha?" I said out of nowhere. I am confused because they must know about it.

"I am going to tell them this evening, we will be having a bonfire, right?" He said.

"But why did you tell me?"

"I don't know, It just that I need to tell it to you first but I really don't know why. Or it is because I am the one who pushed you to have a friend and then here I am, leaving you soon, leaving all of you soon." You can tell that he is also hurt in every words he said. I know it hurts 'cause he will leave us.

Hindi lahat ng iniiwan ang nasasaktan.
Nasasaktan din ang mga nang-iiwan.

When he look at me, there is a water flowing on his face. He cried. I don't know how to do but I find myself hugging him and pat his back.

"No, it's ok. Chase your dream. No one will stop you, ok? Just— just tell them about it."

"What if they get mad at me?" he asked while releasing my hands around him.

"No, they don't. I know, they don't get mad at you. Just tell them, give them an assurance that even though you will leave us soon, you are still us, you are still part of us." I advised. I don't know if it will help 'cause I don't know how to comfort and give an advice to the person who needed it.

Matapos ang iyakan moment namin na 'yon, nanonood na lamang kami sa mga taong naliligo.

"Hey!" tawag ko sa kanya.

"hmm?" lingon niya sa akin.

"Don't you want to swim?" I asked.

"Eh, ikaw?" balik na tanong niya sa akin. I jokingly glare at him and he laugh.

"Kidding, later, tinatamad pa ako ngayon e." he said.

"Eh, ikaw nga?" tanong niya ulit.

"Mamaya" tipid na sagot ko sa kanya.