Destiny's Game

21

After their meal, Rj left Nic for a few minutes to throw their trash. He returned many minutes later to find Nic resting her head on her back pack as she leaned and hugged it for support. Rj carefully sat beside her and gently pulled Nic's body so that her head rested on his shoulder. He took her left hand and intertwined his fingers with hers; he gently ran the fingers on his right hand on her hair. After a few minutes, Nic lifted her left hand and rested it on Rj's shoulder. It was slightly uncomfortable for Rj but he allowed her to embrace him sensing that Nic was really tired from the day's activities. Many minutes later, Rj gently shook Nic awake. It was already almost 11pm.

"Meng...wake up...Meng..."

"...huh?" Nic said as she slowly roused from slumber. Her head was still buried in Rj's chest. When she inhaled, a warm, masculine scent greeted her. "Oh...sorry...sorry..." Nic said as she immediately straightened herself and tried to fix her face and hair by rubbing them with her hands.

"Tired?"

"Medyo...pero thank you..."

"For what?"

"For coming to the concert. For the flowers. For making me rest"

"...St. Scholastica..."

"Huh?"

"Don't you know the story of Scholastica and her twin brother, Benedict?"

Nic turned to Rj confused but amused. Between the two of them, she was the one who was more involved in church activities and seemed to be more serious about school compared to him. "Benedict, as in St. Benedict?"

"Oo...St. Benedict and St. Scholastica nga..."

"So, anong connection ni St. Scholastica?"

Rj looked at his watch. "..malapit na mag-midnight baka hinahanap ka na sa inyo..."

"Ah...bitin..." Nic said as she stood up. Rj stood up as well.

Nic was about to wear her back pack when Rj offered to carry it for her since she also had the bouquet of flowers he gave. "I dadaan ko to bukas sa chapel..." Nic said as they started to walk.

"...anong oras?"

"Mga hapon siguro..."

"...mga 3-4?"

"4 siguro..."

"Sige..." Rj said. Nic immediately understood that this meant they were going to see each other again.

"Oo...you still owe me the kwento about St. Benedict and St. Scholastica...and yung connection nila sa mga nangyari today...."