Chapter 11

We were back on track, and whenever I tried asking Synestine where we were going she would immediately shut down our conversation. Ultimately, I would only follow her direction because we would get lost if I didn't do that. I'm not very familiar sa lugar na pinupuntahan namin ngayon. We were already far from Chester Town. Our life back home was different from where we are now.

"When I first saw you, I already knew. . ." Synestine sang and then hummed the rest of the lyrics while she looked through the window, watching the road we passed.

I couldn't help but glance at her. I never thought in life I would be in this spot where I would go on a road trip with someone I have deep feelings for. Ang imposible nga naman kasi kung tutuusin. A few weeks ago, Synestine and I never talked with each other. Para bang hindi kami nag-eexist sa mundo ng isa't isa, but it all quickly changed and it all went down like this. What happened back then wasn't a bad thing, but I guess it was destiny for us to go through this path together.

Well, para sa akin lang. Hindi ako sigurado kung gano'n din ang nasa isip niya.

"Hey, Sy. . ." pagtawag ko sa pansin niya.

"What's up, Mister de Amos?" Hagikgik pa nito.

"Saan ba talaga tayo pupunta? Could you just give me a hint? Kahit super subtle lang."

"Hm. . . That would just spoil the excitement, but okay, fine. . ." aniya at nag-isip naman ito nang mabilisan. "Alright. . . I've got it. . ." Napakagat pa ito sa ibabang labi niya at tila'y pansin ko na hindi pa sigurado kung sasabihin ba niya o hindi. "We're going to a place I've never been before."

"Huh?"

"Yes, we're both going to this destination for the very first time."

Kumusot ang mukha ko nang rumehistro na sa isip ko ang sinabi niya ay inihinto ang sasakyan sa tabi ng kalsada. She noticed that I was too confused of what she said, and for me, it doesn't make sense at all. I took the seatbelt off, face her as if she has the need to explain everything to me.

"What are you saying, Sy? You don't know where we are going?" taka kong tanong.

At the back of my mind, this was dangerous for both of us. Hindi naman ako kaskasero magneho at lalong hindi ko ipangkakarera itong sasakyan ni Tomas. I thought that going to an unknown destination was risky and that potential danger might happen along the way. 

"No, no. It's not that, Cho. Let me explain," anito. "I've seen this place before, but not personally, so I'm not taking us to some place we will never even find. I've watched some people go there by themselves. It was so peaceful. It was dreamy. It was so beautiful. When I was with Cameron, I've always been talking about it with him, pero lagi niyang sinasabi sa akin na ang corny raw. Mas may maraming magandang lugar lalo na sa ibang bansa. He would always shut me down kapag iyon ang usapan namin."

Napaluno ako ng laway habang unti-unti kong pinoproseso ang paliwanag niya sa akin. "So, just to confirm, you haven't been there, right?"

Umiling ito. "Hindi pa. This would be my first time. . . Minsan hindi ko nga sigurado kung totoo nga ba 'yong lugar na 'yon."

"Sy?" Nag-aalala kong banggit sa pangalan niya. 

Natawa naman ito nang bahagya. "Pero don't worry, totoo talaga siya! Hindi kita niloloko or what. I couldn't show it to you yet dahil gusto rin kitang i-surprise, but I'm sure you will love it."

Napangisi naman ako. "Make it sure, Sy."

She chuckled. "Of course! Kaya nga ikaw ang niyaya ko na pumunta ro'n. You're someone who also needs to get out of your comfort zone and surely that place will make you realize something. O, 'di ba? Pinangunahan na kita sa part na 'yon."

"Mukha nga. But give me more. . . Would it be a public or private place?"

"Hmm. . . It's public, but it's almost seems like a private place dahil hindi gano'n karami ang mga tao na pumupunta."

"Maybe because it wasn't that good," sagot ko sa huli niyang sinabi.

"Hindi, maganda nga talaga siya, Cho! I promise!" Itinaas pa nito ang kanan niyang kamay para ipaalam sa akin na hindi siya nagbibiro o kung ano man.

She's cute.

"Alright, Sy. I believe you." Ngiti ko pa. "Nagulat lang talaga ako sa sinabi mo kanina na hindi mo pa napupuntahan ang pupuntahan natin ngayon. How many hours do we still have to get there?"

Tiningnan naman niya ang oras sa kanyang phone. "Well, we only have three hours left! Malapit na tayo. I bet you won't regret going to this road trip with me, Cho. Kung pwede lang natin i-extend, e."

"Pwede naman, pero baka itakwil ako ni papa."

Natawa si Sy. "Well, I might also my job so we won't risk that. . . Shall we get back on the road? Mas maganda na maabutan natin na may araw pa ro'n. I mean, we've still got a few hours left before sunset and for sure ay mas maganda ro'n."

"Alright! We don't want to miss it, so let's go."

Muli kong pinaandar ang sasakyan. Natatawa na lang din ako sa naging reaksyon ko kanina. If I wasn't thinking well, I might've run us off through the barriers. Kung saan man kami pupunta ngayon ni Sy, kahit na hindi pa naman namin napupuntahan ang destinasyon namin ay worth it na siya para sa akin. It was like, I would do anything to do this again with her. Napakaswerte ko ba?

Everything was just a dream back then, now I'm living it. 

Panay ang tingin ko sa orasan. Ang sabi ni Synestine ay tatlong oras na lang ay mararating na namin ang lugar na pupuntahan namin at sa bawat oras na lumilipas ay hindi ko maiwasang hindi kabahan. Hindi na ako nagbalak pang magtanong sa kanya kung anong makikita namin do'n dahil hindi niya rin naman ako sasagutin kaya hinayaan ko na lang muna.

"We're ten minutes away. . ." ani Synestine habang nakatutok siya sa map ng kanyang phone. "Diretsyo ka lang, Cho, and then once you saw the interesection ay kumaliwa ka and then after that diretsyo ulit and you will see a transient looking house. Iyon na 'yon."

"Okay! Copy, madame!"

Sinunod ko ang direksyon na sinabi ni Synestine. I couldn't hold my excitement. Sabik na sabik na akong puntahan na lugar na pupuntahan namin. Alam kong pansin na rin ni Sy iyon sa akin. Bakas din naman sa mukha niya ang excitement. Knowing that it would be her first time to visit this place as well must be special for her.

But along the way, our excitement quickly went down when we heard a tire blow out, and we felt that inside the car. Mabilis naman kaming bumaba ni Sy para i-check kung sa amin nga ba talaga iyon at nakompirma nga namin na ang gulong nga ng sasakyan ni Tomas ang gulong na sumabog.

"Shit," I hissed. Napahilamos ang kamay sa mukha ko dahil hindi ko alam kung paano ko sasabihin kay Tomas 'to.

"Kailangan nating dalhin 'to sa vulcanizing shop, 'di ba?"

Tumango ako. "Yes, but I can't drive the car with a blown tire anymore. Kailangan natin magpa-tow papunta sa vulcanizing shop. I'm sure this would take hours before they could fix it. I'm so sorry, Sy. This is a big trouble. Don't tell it to Tomas, okay? Akong bahala."

"Of course! Let's just find some help na lang muna."

"Yeah, let's do that."

Nagtanong kami sa ilang tao na nakakita sa pangyayari kung saan may vulcanizing shop para maayos ang gulong. When we were told na may malapit na pagawaan ay nakahinga ako nang maluwag. They told us some ways; puntahan ang shop para sabihin na na-flatan kami para sila ang magtanggal ng gulong o imaneho ng mabagal sa sasakyan para direkta na sa shop na ito magagawa.

"What do you think? I think the two options are great. Ayoko lang mapagalitan ka ni Tomas, e."

"I think we should drive it slowly to go there."

"Is it safe?" aniya.

"Sabi nila okay lang naman basta 'wag imamaneho ng mabilis. Makakarating din naman siguro tayo ro'n on time. Ayos lang ba?"

"All fine by me."

Nang magkasundo kami ni Synestine ay iminaneho ko na ang sasakyan papunta sa vulcanizing shop. Ramdam ko ang hirap ng pagmamaneho dahil baka mas lalo kaming masiraan. May spare tire naman ang sasakyan ni Tomas, pero hindi ko gamay ang mag-ayos ng sasakyan dahil in the first place ay wala akong sasakyan na kakalikutin. 

Inabot din kami ng halos thirty minutes nang marating ang vulcanizing shop. Agad naman nilang kinalas ang gulong ng sasakyan at ipinalit ang spare tire at sinimulang gawin ang gulo na nabutas. Hindi ko naman inintindi kung magkano ang babayaran ko dahil wala pa iyon kompara sa tiwala na binigay ni Tomas sa akin na ipahiram ang sasakyan niya.

Hindi naman ako nagdalawang isip na tawagan ito, pero ilang beses kong sinubukan siyang tawagan ay hindi niya ito sinasagot kaya nag-text na lang ako. 

"Nakausap mo na si Tom?" tanong ni Sy.

Umiling ako. "Hindi pa. Hindi niya sinasagot 'yong tawag ko. Busy siguro 'yon, pero tatawag 'yon kaagad kapag nabasa niya ang text ko."

"Oh okay. . . I hope he won't get mad at you. Hindi mo naman kasalanan, e."

"Well, let's see. . ." Napabitaw ako nang malalim na hininga saka bumagsak ang balikat ko. "Ikaw ba? Ayos ka lang? Alam mo, pwede naman na tayo umalis tapos balikan na lang natin 'yong gulong?"

"Okay lang naman sa akin maghintay. . ."

"Sure?"

Tumango siya sa akin para mapanatag ako. "Oo naman. Hindi naman ako nagmamadali at saka we've got a couple of days to do this. . . Maybe some things were just trying to get us there, pero makakarating din naman tayo ro'n. Tiwala lang."

"Yeah, you're right. But I don't want to ruin this for you, Sy. This trip must be so special for you and here we are. . ."

Hinawakan naman niya ako sa balikat ko at tinapik ako. "It's alright, Cho. I don't care if it'll take us a hundred years to get there or if we won't even get there. If it was meant for me to be there then I'll be so happy, but if not, it's okay. . ."

I hold the hand she put on my shoulder. "No, it won't us take a hundred years to do that. I will take you there, and it's a promise for me. We might be ten minutes away from our destination and it might feel like we're still hours away, but I think that's what makes it special. The destination will fulfill our goals, but the journey will let us learn a lot of things. . ."

"Wow! You're really something, Mister de Amos. I liked how you think. . . Those words of wisdom."

Napakamot naman ako sa ulo ko. "Oh, hindi ata words of wisdom 'yon." Tawa ko pa.

"Well, whatever it is, you are right. . ."

We waited for another thirty minutes for them to fix the busted tire. Habang ako ay pinapanood ko ang pag-aayos nila ay si Synestine naman ay nasa kanyang phone lamang ay may pinapanood.

Looking at her, I knew at the back of my mind, there would never be an us. I mean, ang imposible na mangyari 'yon. Ang layo-layo ko kay Cameron. Hindi niya ako magugustuhan, but knowing that I could make her dreams come true sa pagsama ko sa kanya sa lugar na 'to, it was enough for me.

Hindi man ako si Cameron, I know I'm special in my way.

As soon as they called us na natapos na nilang ayusin ang gulong ay ibinalik ko na ito sa sasakyan. Sabik din namang pumasok si Synestine sa loob at saka ako sumunod sa akin.

She told me once again the route we will take, and as soon as we're back on the road, hindi ko alam pero mas namutawi ang kaba sa dibdib ko.

Ito na. We're close to our destination. What would happen then? I can't wait to see what she was talking about all this time.