To my greatest love,

Love, our Calise Alora she's a beautiful young lady now. Aris, bakit gano'n? Nagpatuloy pa rin ako sa paghahanap sa'yo pero bakit ayaw akong payagan ng tadhana na muli kang makita? Hindi na ba talaga pwede? Hanggang dito nalang ba talaga? Aris gusto kong gawin ang pinangako ko sa kapatid mo. Ayaw kong sumuko sa paghahanap sa'yo. Pero habang patagal nang patagal, mahal, nawawalan ako ng pag-asa na muli kang makita.

I hope one day, when we meet again . . . you still feel the same way I do.

- Colin

***

Fifth Day

I saw Aris staring at the balcony. I went to her and sat next to her. She immediately diverted her gaze to me when she felt my presence.

She smiled.

"So anong magandang gawin ngayong araw?" She questioned me.

I shrugged my shoulder.

She lightly chuckled upon my answer.

"Let's talk about our family then," she suggested.

Tumango ako bilang tugon.

"You go first, Tongco," she murmured.

Sinandal ko ang katawan ko sa upuan habang iniisip ang mga alaala na kasama ang pamilya ko.

"What do you want to know, Lopez?" I asked her.

She touched her chin, when I asked her. She was deep in thought. I couldn't help myself from smiling.

"Your favorite memories with your family," she said.

Now it's me who's in deep thought. Reminiscing my memories together with my family. I beamed upon remembering it.

"Noong namasyal kami dahil hindi tumigil sa pag-iyak si Shairah. Kumpleto kami no'n, masaya at tila walang problema. That moment I can see how genuine my mom's smile when she saw how happy we were that time. I can still hear the laughters we did that moment. Ate Steph crack jokes, Shairah's tantrums and me not minding my surroundings.

"As I grow older, I distance myself to my parents. Sa'min na tatlo ako kasi iyong hindi kasing talino at ka talentado ng mga kapatid ko. Being a middle child suck. I take engineering because they want me to."

I saw how stiffen she is about the truth.

"Hindi ka pa matalino sa lagay na 'yan?" Hindi makapaniwalang tanong niya. "Nakaya mo nga'ng maging dean lister at nangunguna sa section natin."

"Hmm," I mumbled. "If you compare my intelligence and talent to my siblings, you can say that I am out of their league. They can always recognize my sibling's achievement. While here I am, being left alone." I can hear the bitterness in my voice.

"You're different to them because you're unique, Tongco," she looked at me. "You may not be as talented and intelligent like them but being yourself is enough. You are being a good photographer and student at the same time. You're striving for your dreams being an engineer and photographer at the same time. It's good enough."

Hindi ako nakapagsalita sa sinabi niya.

This woman really knew how to shut my whole system.

"Hindi ka man kasing talino nang ate mo, pero matalino ka pa rin. Hindi ka man kasing talentado nang kapatid mo. Pero may talento ka. You acquired both of the intellect and talent that your siblings had, Tongco. That's what make you different and unique to them."

I looked at her, recognizing her features. "Lopez, tell me why you're so good with this? Making us calm through your words."

She chuckled upon my question.

"I've been with that situation, Tongco. Comparing myself to my cousins and to the people around me. Here's a fun fact, I even compared myself to you. Why you got higher grades than me, when in the first place you're not participating in orals and we are the same on that part, what makes you different from me?"

I snickered upon hearing that from her, so she had this competitive spirit huh.

"Naiinggit ka pala sa'kin ha," I jest her.

He rolled her eyes on me.

"Dati 'yon," pagtatama niya.

"Sabi mo eh, dati." I snickered once again.

Nagpipigil itong igulong ang mga mata niya sa inis.

"Now, tell me yours, Lopez," I said. "The most memorable moments you had with your family."

"Wala," sagot niya.

Nangunot ang noo ko dahil sa sagot niya.

How possible is that?

"Are you sure that you really don't have any memorable moments with your family?" My voice sounds not convince.

"Yes, I don't have any memorable moments with them, an exact one," she replied. "But I had countless memorable moments with them, because every day, every hour, minute, and second that I spent with them, I considered it as a memorable one."

Habang nakatingin ako sa kanya, makikita ko kung gaano siya kasaya at gaano niya pinahahalagahan ang pamilya niya habang nagkwekwento siya.

She diverted her gaze and look at the scenery in front of us.

My eyes remain on her, before my lips turn into curves. "You're really unpredictable, Aris, I really want to tell the whole world how good you are on everything."

Sixth Day

Maaga akong nagising dahil gusto daw na mamasyal ni Aris, and I won't disagree with her decision of course. I'll go with her.

"Are you sure that we're not taking the car with us?" I asked her for the nth time.

"Oo nga, kanina ka pa tanong nang tanong, e," sagot niya. "Save the planet, less polution na din."

"If you say so." Nagkibit balikat nalang ako at nilagay ang dalawang kamay ko a bulsa ng aking pantalon na suot.

Narinig ko ang mahinang tawa niya.

"Na try mo na bang mag commute? Like sasakay ng jeep gano'n?" Tanong niya sa'kin.

Adventurer ba siya? Ang dami na niya atang nagawa sa buhay niya ah. Akala ko ba mas gusto nito na hidi gumagala at magpahinga nalang sa bahay?

"Still haven't," I answered.

I had my own car, and when I was a child, mom always fetch me.

She clapped her hands because of amusement. What's amusing on that?

"Ngayon mararanasan mo na." Kumindat siya sa'kin.

Beat.

Even small gestures of her makes my heart melt.

She grabbed me, and I was like a dust in the wind coming to her.

When we got to the bus stop, we waited for a jeep to pass. I looked at Aris and just as I turned my gaze to her, she was holding her heart with her eyes closed.

As soon as he opens her eyes, she meet mine, I saw how she startled. I furrowed.

"Are you okay?" I asked worriedly.

She smiled at me.

"Dzuh, oo, ayos lang ako," nakangiting sagot niya.

Yet her smiles didn't reach her eyes.

"Ayon, may jeep na!" Masayang saad niya at pinara ito.

The jeep stopped in front of us, and Aris got inside the jeep first and I followed. I sat beside her. The jeep, as she called it were so crowded since there are plenty of people inside.

I gulped when I see unfamiliar faces. Ngayon pa lamang ko makakasakay ng ganitong sasakyan.

I felt something soft touch my palm, I looked at it and it was Aris soft hand.

"You look pale, Tongco," said by Aris. "Your face says you're afraid."

She is looking at my face like she's examining it. I divert my gaze to other people, but when it landed to a woman, she smiled widely at me, and it shaken my internal systems.

Why does the way they smiled seems so creepy for me? I am just hallucinating. This is nothing, Colin. You're just nervous because it's your first time riding it.

"Paabot," saad ng babaeng katapat ng katabi kong lalaki sa kaliwa.

I turned to the man on my left, but he didn't seem to care because he was still wearing earphones. I saw the woman look at me for the nth time and handed me her fare.

Tinuro ko ang sarili ko.

Her forehead ceased because of what I did. I heard Aris laughter beside me.

"Get her fare, Tongco," she whispered in my ears.

I immediately followed Aris and took the payment that the woman handed me. I passed it to her, and she passed it to someone until it reached to the driver.

I can see countless pair of eyes looking at me. Great, Colin Isaac. You just made a scene.

"Paabot ng bayad, isa lang daw po iyan," she handed it to the next woman next to her.

I took some money from my wallet and touched Aris shoulder. She turned to me with a smile.

"O-our fare," I stuttered.

She gave me a jesting grin.

"The amount of money is huge; fifty pesos will do. Don't worry, I will be the one who pays this time." She said so and returned the money to me.

I scratched my head. What's in my mind that I handed her a five hundred peso What did I even think? That we are on the train or bus?

She handed our fare this time. "Dalawa po iyan. Diyan sa may pasyalan lang."

Hindi nagtagal ay nakarating na kami. The surroundings were too crowded and lively. I see how Aris smile and it was an irreplaceable one.

"This once a dream to me, traveling with someone I want to spend the rest of my life," she uttered while looking at the surroundings.

She gets my hand, and we start walking. She suddenly stopped, so I also did. She looked at me and grinned.

"Tongco, pahiram ng camera mo," she told me.

Tinanggal ko muna ito mula sa pagkakasabit sa'kin at binigay sa kanya.

"Take a picture of me please, remembrance lang." Nakangiting saad niya.

I nod and get my phone from my pocket.

She held my camera as if she were the one taking a picture of me. I adjust my phone, and when I get the right angle, I click the button.

I look at the picture, I can help but to beam. Such a beautiful flower blooming.

She handed me my DLSR. Kinuha ko ito at akmang isasabit ko na ulit nang pigilan niya ako.

"Wait, let me take a picture of you too, kahit hindi ako photographer."

I chuckled upon her remarked.

"Sure," I replied.

Hinawakan ko ang DLSR ko at kinunan ang paligid namin. I heard a click from her phone.

"Gwapo," she suddenly gave me a compliment.

I suddenly felt my whole face burning.

Shoot, that was unexpected.

"Iba talaga 'pag mestizo, e, agad na namumula dahil sa init." Nakangising sambit niya.

I sighed in relieve.

It's a good thing she didn't realize it wasn't because of the heat from the sun, or maybe she just wanted to make fun of me.

She really knew how to make me enchanted to her even the smallest thing she do.