The fucker promised not to be salty toward me. I wasn't really the type who holds on to promises, especially from a man whose face screams the truth while his mouth is closed. Nasa mukha pa naman ni Snooty Guy na kahit walang sinabing kahit na ano, mababasa sa facial expression niya ang mga gusto niyang sabihin.

But I'm a sucker for food and going out of my Inang's house, so we had a truce. For now. Pupunta kami sa bayan, bibili ng ilang damit ko dahil nasa labahan ang lahat ng pambahay ko, and we would buy food na hindi kangkong, hindi sweet potato, hindi taro—anything na hindi stock sa kitchen na one month ko nang kinakain.

His thoroughbred was waiting under the house's shed, protecting itself from the heat of the noonday sun. The horse was behaving so well that it was just there waiting for its master. The bridle wasn't attached to any post or columns. Walang bantay pero hindi umaalis doon.

"I don't think I can a ride with this—ah!"

I instantly covered my mouth to suppress my scream because I was literally a span away from the horse, and Snooty Guy grabbed my waist and threw me up. I just found myself sitting like a princess on the horse's back and grabbing whatever I could from its body to avoid falling to the ground.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" I yelled.

"Ayokong mag-aksaya ng oras kung paano mo iisipin ang pag-akyat kay Sergio."

"You said you'd be nice to me!" I gritted my teeth in anger.

"Tinulungan ka na nga, ang dami mo pang—" Then he cut his words off. Hindi na niya itinuloy. I saw the horse fold one of its front legs, and I almost took that as an opportunity to scream again until Snooty Guy stepped on the horseshoe and jumped, fixing himself behind me.

His warm, manly smell fenced my position, and that silenced me just for my brain to appreciate what information registered in it a few seconds ago.

Snooty Guy's smell wasn't a perfume or cologne-made fragrance, but he smelled manly good. Did it come from his shampoo? From his clothes mixed with his body heat? His sweat? It was a warm aroma, so sweat surely was involved.

I hate guys with a foul body odor. But if his odor was like this . . . I'd just give him a suspecting side-eye.

It wasn't my choice, but I sat facing his left side. The skirt of my dress was neatly resting on my thighs, with the end barely reaching my knees. My eyes were leveled exactly at his mouth, so if ever he spoke something, I should look upward to see his eyes, since I didn't want to stare at his lips.

"What if I fall from your horse?" I asked, judging him with my stare.

"E, di may dadamputin na naman ako sa lupa."

"You call that nice?" I showered him with my sarcasm.

He answered me with a stifled chuckle kaya lalo akong nainis.

"I knew 'nice' was never a part of your vocabulary, scum," I said as I grabbed his left arm when the horse suddenly walked without a warning.

"Humawak ka nang mabuti para hindi ka malaglag."

Alam ko rin namang hindi ako malalaglag dahil guwardiyado ng mga braso niya ang magkabilang gilid ko. I'd be so stupid and clumsy if I ever fell from here. Baka ako na mismo ang mag-down ng sarili ko kung mangyari man 'yon.

It was already noon, and the sunrays were already prickling my skin. I thought we would go to the iron gate, but when the horse went in the direction of the rice field, saka ko nilingon si Snooty Guy kasi parang nananadya na siya.

"Our gate's not here," I said.

"Pero mainit nga kasi. Gusto mong mangitim agad?"

"And we're going to the rice field? Really?" I cynically added.

"Mas mapuno sa palayan."

"Don't you dare mock me. I'll punch you without a second thought."

He answered me with a hum and said nothing after that.

Compared to the path toward the gate, the path going to the rice field was colder at hindi rin babad sa araw. The horse followed a trail as we passed the woods, the same path I took when I dove in the mud the first day I went here from the U.S.

Hindi kami dumaan sa gitna mismo ng rice field. We could see the golden rice field behind the few trees as we trailed through the woods. It was breathtaking as the sun showed the glory of those rice stalks. Every ear of grain was shimmering under the heat.

Snooty Guy started to hymn a very familiar song. I used to hear that from my mom's favorite vinyl as she played that every Sunday afternoon. It was playing on repeat, and I once hated the song kasi linggo-linggo ko na lang na naririnig ko 'yon. Sinasabi ko kay Mama na, "Wala ka na bang ibang mapatugtog, Ma? Lagi na lang 'yan! Ang annoying na."

It was only last year that I learned that the specific vinyl was the first thing she bought after earning her first salary. She purchased it right after officially calling things off with my dad. She didn't buy jewelry, bags, or anything worth money. She bought the only thing that would keep her sane after choosing the wrong man.

At ngayong ikaw ay nagbalik sa aking piling . . .

I didn't know I'd miss that song after I accepted the fact that the song would never be played anymore on the next Sundays of my life.

The wind in the woods was colder than on the asphalt road. I'd give Snooty Guy credit for being considerate. If I could smell the colors green and brown, I would definitely smell them as we passed the trees. Amoy na amoy ang dahon at bango ng mga kahoy. Some trees in this land released that kind of aroma na sobrang prominent. Hindi lang ako familiar kung anong puno ba rito ang mabango pero maaamoy 'yon habang nagtatagal sa lugar.

"Saan ka nag-high school?" biglang tanong ni Snooty Guy.

Saglit ko siyang nilingon bago ibinalik ang tingin sa rice field. "Coronado. Middle school to senior year."

"Doon ka rin nag-college?"

"I didn't go to college," I replied. "College are for those who wants to study a lot of stuff. I worked on a diner to pay for my old Camry."

"May kotse ka sa Amerika?"

"I had. Mama couldn't afford a driver to drive her to her office. I was the cheapest option. Why are you asking, by the way?" I looked at him again, concluding his intention.

"Ayoko lang na mapanisan tayo ng laway rito. Mas malayo 'tong daan kaysa sa highway, pero at least hindi tagaktak ang pawis natin pagdating sa bayan."

"You work for my family?"

It was a question I had already asked our helpers, but I wanted his answer to clear those I had from other mouths. Sasamantalahin ko na ang pagiging "nice" daw niya kahit ang dami pa ring times na lumalabas ang gaspang ng ugali.

"You're always in Inang's house. Just wanna know why," I added.

"Work na pang-empleyado, hindi," casual niyang sagot. "Four years ako sa philosophy. Three years sa theology kaya wala muna akong regular na work."

"I heard from Jessa about you and law school next year." I glanced at him. "She overshared. I listened."

"Ayaw ni Ma na ikulong ako sa simbahan. Abogado naman ang daddy ko."

"Maybe your mom found your devil's horns, and she just doesn't want to bring it up to you. Law school is where they throw Satan's children."

Snooty Guy gave me a sarcastic smile with a scrunched nose, telling me that he accepted my sarcasm and returned it with one.

It was kinda weird to have this calm conversation with Snooty Guy. Although he promised to be nice, this wasn't the "nice" thing I was expecting from him. Pero may point naman na ayaw niyang mapanisan kami ng laway dahil sobrang tahimik sa dinaraanan namin at nawala na sa paningin ko ang rice field.

"Dinala ka ba ni Isay sa bilihan ng mga pasalubong noong nakaraan?" tanong na naman niya nang matahimik kami.

"Who's Isay?"

"Jessa."

"Oh." I shook my head. "We went to that hub where your band sang. That was all." I gazed at him again. "She had a big crush on you. It's so obvious."

"Matagal naman na niyang sinabi."

"You should have give her a chance."

"Kung may magtanong sa 'yo na gusto ka niya, sasagutin mo agad para maging boyfriend mo?"

"Of course not!"

"Same answer. Huwag mong ipilit nang ipilit, e, ayoko nga."

"You're so damn rude."

My brain was itching to ask about what happened between us yesterday, but recalling our making out was an eye-rolling subject for me.

I let out a sigh and looked around. Puro na puno ang nakikita ko. May trail pa rin kaya masasabi kong hindi kami naliligaw. The horse turned right, and from our position, I could already see a road at the end of the trail.

"I have no money," I awkwardly said, "just so you know."

"Hindi ko naman tinanong kung may pera ka."

"If I buy something, is that a loan from you?" I shrunk.

"Hindi 'yon loan. Saka may pera naman ang daddy mo. Tingin mo ba, aalis tayo nang wala akong dalang pera?"

"I'm just asking. I don't like window shopping, all right?"

We reached the end of the road, and the heat he was talking about earlier was slapping its truth in my face. Sobrang init sa kalsada! Mas marami nang rice field doon kaya lalong uminit kasi wala nang puno sa mga kasunod na area.

"Humawak ka nang mabuti."

"What?"

The horse galloped, and the first thing my body did was hug his left arm as I screamed. He was holding the bridle with only one hand and clutching my waist firmly.

"AAHHH!"

I never imagined myself using his arm as my seat belt as we bounced on the back of the horse. Kasalanan talaga niya kung malaglag ako!

"Aaahh!" I was screaming like hell! I was afraid I might fall, but there was a hint of excitement, which I wasn't supposed to feel, but there it was, as we countered the strong wind of a free road. Nililipad na ang laylayan ng dress ko. Mabuti na lang kasi walang tao sa kalsada kundi kitang-kita ng lahat ang panties ko!

"Hep!"

The horse slowed down as he pulled the rein upward.

"The fuck . . ." Hinihingal akong natutulala sa harapan nang makita mula sa malayo ang mga tindahan. Yakap-yakap ko pa rin ang braso niya habang lumilipad ang mga hibla ng buhok ko sa hangin. "What the fuck?!"

Naglalakad pa rin ang kabayo nang bumaba siya. Nag-panic tuloy ako kasi wala na akong makakapitan!

"Hey!" I called. "What about me?"

"Doon ka na bumaba."

"I can walk!"

"Doon ka na bumaba. Huwag makulit. Humawak ka nang mabuti, malalaglag ka talaga diyan kung hindi ka hahawak."

"Ibaba mo na lang ako, please!"