to yv,
thank you for the iscaleon artwork! 🫶🏻

*****
Messenger
ERPS DIARY

Iscaleon:
Hello.
Paano kayo magyaya ng date?
Niyaya ko naman na siya,
but I want to remind her but
subtle only.

Ryker:
chat mo lang
dtf?
ganyan

Iscaleon:
Done! 🤓

Eastre:
Gagooo
Anong dtf hahaha

Iscaleon:
Ano ba meaning ng dtf?

Eastre:
Down to fuck

Ryker:
down to fuucc

Iscaleon:
Ang gago nyo naman. 😭😭😭
Na-chat ko na si Celest!!!

Ryker:
hala

Eastre:
Hala (2)

Iscaleon:
Na-seen na n'ya. 🥹
Anong gagawin ko?

Ryker:
hubad ka na hahahaha
chat ka lang if papadala ka condom

Eastre:
Fucker hahahaha

Iscaleon:
HALA HALA HALA
ANO SASABIHIN KO

Eastre:
Din Tai Fung 🥟
Use that excuse hahaha

*****

Messenger
Celest

Cal:
Dtf?

Celest:
ha kailan
when
saan
mwehehehehe ready ako
everywhere, anytime, any position

Cal:
Din Tai Fung tayo?

Celest:
ah 🙎🏻‍♀️
okay sureee

*****

Chapter 23

We ate at Din Tai Fung before Iscaleon reminded me about our trip. Of course, I didn't hesitate to say yes and that I would still love to go. Surprise raw pero no need to bring a lot of clothes since isang araw lang naman kami roon. Syempre sinunod ko siya pero nagdala ako ng jacket just in case. Hindi ko alam kung bakit pero naisipan ko rin magdala ng mga snacks para sa aming dalawa.

I was told that Baguio would at least be a four hour trip. Pero nagulat ako nang halos isang oras lang ay nasa destination na kami. I was even surprised that we had to cross a running river just so we could go to our destination. Bahagya rin akong nagulat dahil may malapit na bundok. Alam ko naman na mataas ang Baguio pero parang ibang lugar ito?

"Where are we?" tanong ko kay Cal dahil wala na talaga akong idea. Iba ang Baguio sa isip ko. I was expecting pine trees, fog, and at least signages.

"Rizal," he briefly said.

Pota.

Dapat pala mas naging malinaw ako sa gusto kong puntahan dahil nang makarating kami sa mismong lugar kung saan n'ya ako dinala—saka ko na-gets bakit nasa Rizal kami ngayon. Nasa isang Zoo kami dahil sabi ko nga naman, gusto ko sa isang magubat.

Tarantado talaga 'tong si Cal, masyadong matalino eh.

I left my jacket in his car and opted to only wear my sleeveless gray spaghetti strap and black skirt. Kinuha ko lang ang belt bag ko saka lumabas na ng kotse. Tiningnan ko naman ang itsura ni Cal. He was wearing a back t-shirt, may nakasabit sa kan'yang camera. My lips parted because. . .he looked great in black. Medyo magulo ang buhok n'ya nang lumabas na rin ng kotse.

"Did I get it right? You wanted to go to a zoo?" he beamed at me, like a kid.

Ngumiti ako, "Yup! Pero next time, I also want to go to Baguio. Tara na? Pasok na tayo?"

We went to a narrow entrance so we could pay for the whole experience. Sa simula pa lang ay marami na agad makikitang mga display ng mga iba't ibang animals gawa sa cardboard. Sa totoo lang, hindi naman ako sobrang animal lover. The last time I went to a zoo was when I was in junior highschool. I didn't even thoroughly enjoy it because I was afraid of some animals, particularly the reptiles. It makes my skin crawl, although I still would opt to see them rather than miss the entire opportunity.

Tinatakan kami ng isang footprint mark sa mga kamay matapos magbayad. I told Iscaleon that if he wanted to, I would shoulder the food since malapit lang mismo sa entrance yung kainan at mga souvenir shop.

"Did you want to take pictures of the animals? Some of them are probably sensitive to flashes," I told Iscaleon.

Umiling siya. "Display lang ito. Para mukha akong turista."

I laughed heartily, he really is cute when he acts like a tito. Umiling na lang ako at tiningnan ang unang animal na p'wedeng silipin sa lugar kung nasaan kami. I was blatantly surprised upon seeing big fishes swarming on the side. Itim sila kung titingnan mula sa ibaba.

"Arapaima," Iscaleon muttered upon seeing them.

"Mahilig ka sa animals? You could tell immediately?" tanong ko sa kan'ya. Aba, basta lumalangoy at mukhang isda—isda pa rin siya sa akin. Nalilito pa nga ako minsan sa bangus at tilapia.

Iscaleon lifted a finger and pointed at something. I looked at the huge information board near the pond. Ah kaya pala, may nakalagay naman pala kung anong klaseng hayop yung nakikita namin ngayon.

"P'wede po sila pakainin," sabi ng isang souvenir attendant sa amin.

Napalingon naman kami ni Iscaleon sa kan'ya. She was smiling sweetly at us and she seemed to be nice.

"Anong kinakain nila?" I asked.

"Chicken heads po," aniya.

"Can we?" Iscaleon said and asked for how much it would be. Apparently, one hundred pesos ang isang tub ng chicken heads na p'wede ipakain sa mga Arapaima.

Binigay ni Iscaleon yung tub sa akin agad. Bigla naman akong napakurap nang ilang beses dahil raw chicken heads pala ito. I never thought that a fish would be able to swallow a chicken head. Pero sa sobrang laki ng isda na yun, mukhang kahit buong manok kaya n'yang lunukin eh.

"Okay," kumuha ako ng plastic gloves upang suotin at kumuha ng isang chicken head. "Iaabot ko ba?"

"Ibato mo lang medyo malapit sa kanila. . ."

I nodded as I followed his instruction. Tiningnan ko kung saan sila nakapwesto. Hindi ko alam kung tulog na sila o sadyang tahimik lang ang galaw nila sa ilalim ng tubig. They're really big and long. Napalunok naman ako. Binato ko malapit sa kanila yung chicken head kaya naman napatili ako nang biglaan siyang mag-agawan dahil sa pagkain. Audible bursts of splashes were scattered as soon as the chicken head hits the water.

I yelped when I decided to throw another one. "Shocks! Ang wild nila! Gusto mo ba i-try rin, Iscaleon?"

He nodded as I gave him the tub of chicken heads. Sinubukan n'ya rin yung ginagawa ko at kahit siya ay napapapikit kapag tumatalsik yung tubig dahil sa paglangoy ng mga Aparaima. Matapos ang activity na yun ay nagsimula na kaming pumunta sa iba pang mga lugar, ang ganda ng zoo na ito dahil hindi sobrang kulong yung mga animals nila.

"I prefer the animals to be in their natural habitats, though," sabi ko kay Cal. "Pero ang ganda rin pala talaga makakita ng mga ibang hayop bukod sa 'yo."

"Cel?" Iscaleon furrowed his eyebrows at me.

"Bakit? Hayop ka naman talaga ah," hayop sa kagwapuhan. "Dati kang unggoy, remember? Sabi sa Theory of Evolution ni Charles Darwin."

"Mas naniniwala akong gawa ako sa wangis ng Diyos kaysa d'yan," ngisi ni Cal kaya naman binasa ko ang labi ko nang wala sa oras. Pogi talaga ng isang ito eh. Kaya nga siguro totoo na gawa siya ng langit talaga.

Iscaleon stopped near the swans and took a picture of the information board. Nakita ko siyang kumukuha ng mga litrato. He has an Instagram? Huh? Wala sa itsura n'ya. Pero wala rin naman sa itsura nito na may dump account siyang sobrang kulit eh.

"Do you want me to take pictures of you?" I asked him. "Yung picture mo sa Facebook, palaging iisang picture lang gamit mo sa mga DP blast tapos sobrang formal mo pa roon."

"I don't know how to take pictures of myself," pag-amin ni Iscaleon. "I always look awkward."

I observed him as he was busy taking pictures of the signages instead of the animals. Napangiti naman ako. Hindi ko alam kung gaano kadami ang magiging kaagaw ko kung sakaling makita nila kung gaano kagwapo si Cal. His soft black hair, his gentle onyx eyes, the way his lips would look kissable even from afar. Mabuti na lang talaga na ayaw n'ya masyado magpost ng mga pictures. Gatekeeper na kung gatekeeper! Ikandado ko pa yung gate eh.

"I'll take pictures of you," I told him as I fumbled to the front of my phone. "So I can have memories to look back to in case this is all over."

"Right," mahinang usal n'ya. "When will this be over?"

I could hear the tinge of disappointment melding in his voice and because I wanted to look at him; I got hurt upon seeing his face. Nagmamadali ba siyang matapos na kami?

"Hanggang graduation lang naman ito," I faked a laugh, hoping it would mask my pain.

"Hanggang graduation. . ." ulit n'ya na tila ba disappointed. Siguro dahil gusto na n'yang matapos na kami agad? I don't know, I don't even want to know.

Tahimik na kami pumunta sa susunod na destination namin. We went to see some crocodiles but most of them were not even moving, kung gumalaw man ay sobrang kupad. Hindi ko pa nga makita yung iba, akala ko ay lumot lang sila.

We were following a set of numbers written on cardboard flags until we reached the middle of the zoo. I stopped by an animal that looked like a lizard but definitely not a lizard. Hindi ko rin sure kung anong klaseng animal ito. Pero inggit na inggit ako sa position nila ngayon.

Iscaleon took a picture of it and showed it to me. Tiningnan ko naman agad. Bigla akong bumusangot lalo dahil ginagapang pala nung isang butaan yung isang butaan. Tanginang 'yan; daig pa ako nung malaking butiki! May yumayakap sa kan'ya!

"Buti pa butiki, may kayakap," pagpaparinig ko kay Iscaleon. He only blinked at me innocently.

"Butaan yan," he corrected.

"Maski na! Buti pa siya may yumakayap," I pouted my lips. "Yakapin mo nga ako."

"Bakit butaan ka ba?" he asked me which only soured my mood. Tangina nito eh, hinahayaan na nga siyang maka-score, ayaw pa tumira!

We went to see more animals along the way. Jaguars, monkeys, giraffes, birds, and more. Napagod na nga ako sa paglalakad kaya buti na lang may mga designated resting areas. Huling pinuntahan namin ay yung sa mga tigers. Kanina ay nakakita na ako ng mga lions kaya naman napatikhim ako.

"Yung emoji mo sa contacts ko," I said languidly. "Tiger pala yun. Akala ko. . .lion," I admitted through my own embarrassment.

"Cute," Cal smiled at me. At least, umamin ako sa kan'ya! Hindi ko tinago ang katangahan ko sa kan'ya. I just feel that Cal would never judge me based on my mistakes alone.

Natatawa rin ako dahil binabasa ni Cal yung mga nakikita naming jokes o di kaya puns na nasa mga signages along the way. Ang tito talaga ng datingan nito eh. He would be a great father someday, I just know it. Sa dad jokes pa lang, palong-palo na eh.

Sa huli ay umuwi na rin kami. Ngayon ko lang napagtantuan na wala akong masyadong pictures ng mga animals o kahit ng mga lugar doon. All I have were pictures of Cal in stolen glances. It was pictures of him taking pictures of the information boards. Ang cute-cute n'ya talaga.

"Did I get it right? You wanted to come to a zoo because it's magubat?" tanong sa akin ni Cal habang ngiting-ngiti.

Ngumiti ako sa kan'ya. "Yes, sa susunod naman sa Baguio. . .kung okay lang?"

My heart raced as the car moved to another destination. I wonder how long can I still pretend that I'm okay with this arrangement? Him being this sweet and caring isn't helping me convince that I could let him go.

"Of course," he smiled back. "Anything for my girl."