Chapter Fourteen (Ending part 1)

I rode the car and went looking for her
but there’s no sign of Lailah.. I’m so stupid!! why did I thought of leaving her?!

I went back to the hotel, the one we were in before we went to Malaysia, hoping that I might see her there

“excuse me” I said to the receptionist with a husky voice
“yes sir?”
“have you seen a girl, long hair, fair skin tone, dark brown eyes and --”
“I‘m sorry sir, but no ..”
“are you sure?!” I asked again
“yes sir, I‘m sorry sir but I have to attend to other customers” then she left me

“urgh!!” I shouted

“I came in a while ago” I heard a voice that made me calm down
“Lailah”

“how dare you left me there! you know that I don‘t know how to drive! you idiot! and for your information, I‘m a girl! I‘m not supposed to be left alone in a --” I didn’t let her finish anymore

I hugged her, I felt her body shaking

“I hate you” she said while crying on my chest
“I‘m sorry” I said then parted with her

“what are you doing here? why did you look for me?” she asked
“cause I realized something”
“what? that you’re a jerk?” she said between small laughs while wiping her tears
“no”
“then what?” she asked

“that I can‘t live without my happiness”
“you don‘t know what you are talking about” she suddenly changed again into a cold Lailah
“but I know that I‘m so damn happy when I’m with you. and I think I love you”
“that‘s just what you think, you don‘t even know my real name!” she always contradicts what I’m saying

“I may not know your real name but I know this girl who lose on a bet with me and got drunk with Soju, this girl that always yell at me, this girl that always fight with me, this girl that cries too much, this girl that wished with a floating lantern. and if you know this girl, please tell her that I love her”

she’s now crying but smiling at the same time
so I guess, it’s all good now?

“will do”

“can I hug you again?” I asked
“who said you couldn‘t?” she said smiling

I hugged her again, and this time, longer.


Her POV

nakakapagod ang araw na to, sa totoo lang araw-araw naman nakakapagod eh
pero ngayon, may kakaibang halo na yung pagod na nararamdaman ko
yung pagod pero may saya? basta ganun! ang gulo lang..

nung nakahiga na kami sa mga kama namin, napatingin ako kay Pedro
possible ba? na sa maiksing panahon, e mahalin nya ako?
at possible din ba na mahulog ako agad sa kanya? ang gulo naman!
kung ano man tong nararamdaman ko e bahala na! basta masaya ako ngayon

pag gising ko, ang tahimik ..
tinignan ko yung kama ni Pedro, kaso wala na sya dun.
bumangon ako tapos pumunta sa tapat banyo, nung nasa harap na ako ng pinto bigla kong naisipang kumatok

“occupied” narinig kong sabi sa loob, ibig sabihin andun nga ang loko loko
buti na lang kumatok na ako ngayon, kung hindi malamang nangyari uli yung nangyari nung isang araw

lumabas syang bagong ligo tapos nilapitan nya ako

“morning” tapos ..

*PAK* hinampas ko sya sa balikat

“loko ka talaga!!” nagulat kasi ako!
“what?!” tanong nyang nakangiti
“I hate you!” tapos pumasok na ako sa banyo

naririnig ko syang tumatawa, baliw talaga yun!! kaasar!
halikan daw ba ako?! kahit pisngi lang yun, aba! swerte nya ha?!
pag tingin ko sa salamin, hala! namumula pala ako?! eee! kasi naman eh

punta kaming Sentosa ngayon
dun kami banda sa beach, magrerelax lang kami dun, uubusin naming lahaaaaaaaatt ng oras namin na magkasama, kasi bukas babye na, babye na kaya talaga? pero pano kami? I mean, may something diba?

“let‘s go” aya nya nung tapos na akong mag-ayos
lunch time na kaya kakain muna kami

“where are we going to eat?” tanong ko
“anywhere, but I would like to have a picnic” sabi nya, nag stop sya sa isang grocery store
bumili na kami ng mga kakainin namin dun, tapos dumiretso na uli kami sa Sentosa

since hindi naman tirik ang araw dito tulad sa Pinas, e hindi naman sya kainitan
nagrent kami ng stretch chair, pero isa lang.. tabi na daw kami, sira ulo talaga sya e noh.
ang sikip tuloy namin, kung kelan naman gusto kong matulog, hmp!

“are you sleepy?” tanong nya, tumango naman ako
“come here” inaya nya ako sa tabi nya tapos sabi nya sa balikat nya daw ako.. eeee!! wag ganyan!!

nakakunot noo ako, nagaalangan kasi ako, naman eh!!
tapos bigla nyang hinawakan kamay ko saka ako hinatak paupo

“lean on me” sabi nya, sh*t sh*t sh*t!!
wala akong magawa, kinakabahan ako na ewan, pano na ba to?

maya maya, wala na, nakasandal na ulo ko sa dibdib nya, ipinikit ko na lang mata ko at natulog..

pag gising ko, bandang 4 na

“sorry I slept long” sabi ko
“it‘s okay, I didn‘t mind” sabi nya naman, parang kagigising lang din nya eh

nagpalipas na kami ng oras sa mall hanggang 6 saka kami umalis uli

“where are we going now?” tanong ko
“let‘s watch a movie” sabi nya
“okay? but why are we heading for the car?”
“we‘ll watch on a drive in”
“ooohhh, okay!” sagot ko, di pa kasi ako nakakanuod sa ganun, yung parang sinehan pero nasa kotse kayo? basta yung ganun!

sa kalagitnaan ng panonood namin bigla syang nagsalita

“we don‘t know each other‘s name yet” sabi nya
“huh? mmm, we‘ll tell tomorrow before we part ways at the airport” sagot ko
ngumiti lang sya tapos tinitignan nya lang ako, ngumiti na din ako

“what do you do for a living?” tanong nya, interview ba ito?? haha
“I‘m a photographer, I‘m not known yet but I‘m going there” sabi ko sabay tawa

“how about you?” tanong ko naman
“I‘m in a band”
“wow --”

“Lailah, ma-hal ki-ta and I want to be with you” bigla nyang singit saken

“you know your Tagalog right, don‘t you?” sagot ko naman na nakangiti, hindi ko pa alam isasagot sa kanya dahil naguguluhan pa talaga ako

“I‘ll go after you, after 2months? I‘ll just have to make arrangements back in Australia, ‘kay?” sabi pa nya
“are you sure?” tanong ko naman
“yes” tapos nginitian nya ako uli

umuwi na kami, bukas ng after lunch ang flight namin pareho
hindi ako makatulog, pinipilit ko sarili ko pero ewan!
basta, ang hirap matulog, lalo na pag iniisip ko mga nangyari kanina, napapangiti na lang ako

kinabukasan, eto na, paalis na kami sa Hotel namin.. hingang malalim Jamie, hingang malalim

papunta na kaming highway ngayon, iiwan namin yung kotse dito.
gagawa na lang daw sya ng paraan kung pano mababalik samin yun, pero sa ngayon iwan daw muna dito

“hey look at our shadow Lailah, we‘re holding hands” sabi nya, paglingon ko nakita ko nga

ngumiti ako, wala lang appreciate ko na kahit shadows lang e magkaholding hands kami

tapos maya maya

he intertwined his fingers to mine

napatingin ako sa kanya, sabay napangiti, he is something isn’t he?

swerte sigurado yung ex nya sa kanya

“hey, we don‘t have a picture together yet” sabi ko, wala pa naman talaga kasi
“wait, I‘ll ask the girl over there to take our picture”
“okay, I‘ll get our bags” sabi nya naman tapos ako, lumapit ako sa babae

“excuse me miss”
tumingin yung babae saken, wow ang ganda ganda naman nya!! @Q@ kaingit!!

“yes?” tanong nyang nakangiti
“can you take a picture of us?” tanong ko
“oh, sure” sagot naman nya saka ko inabot yung camera ko

“Pedro! come” tawag ko, tumingin sya saka sumenyas na papunta na sya

hinarap ko uli yung babae at nginitian .. kaso .. nakatingin sya kay Pedro
tas napatingin din ako kay Pedro, pag angat nya ng mukha nya halatang gulat sya

“Jestine?!”