It was nearly midnight of December 26, 2006 at Jay's house in Alfonso, Cavite. I was with Jay in the kitchens brewing hot coffee. A moment later, Lovella entered and signalled that we are about to leave. I forced myself to drink the very hot coffee but I couldn't make it so, I decided to leave it on the kitchen table unfinished and let the other drink it if he/ she wants to. The truth was, I asked Jay to fix me a cup of coffee that will help me to stay awake for the whole early morning of the 27th of December. Lovella again signalled our departure. I have no choice but to prepare myself. I noticed Myra, Eugenio and Catherine Joy are busy at the back of Lovella's CR-V arranging their luggages. My friends approached me and embraced me tightly as a sign of goodbye. Many of them bid "bon voyage" to us. After a few minutes, Lovella, Macky, Myra, Eugenio, Catherine Joy and myself are already in the car. The engine started and slowly it moved.
Jay's home and my friends who're standing and waving goodbye disappeared in darkness as Lovella's car went farther.
Lovella's car tear through the darkness and small road of Tagaytay City. It was dark and only few lights were lit during the night unlike Manila. At Bel-Air, Laguna Lovella parked her car facing the Starbucks and invited us to have drink before driving again.
"Are you excited?" Lovella asked.
"Half excited, half nervous." I replied.
"Nervous? Of what?" Myra asked me.
"Errr... I bet I told you already. The two opposite sides of my neck become painful when I'm in elevator and the same might happen if I ride an airplane."
"Oh! Just chew gum... don't worry your neck will not explode." Macky said.
"And stay calm. Don't overact like someone's strangling you." Lovella added.
After thirty minutes of chatting and laughing we're back on the road going to Manila. But, I felt that there must be something wrong with the car... I noticed fuel's going down. I patted Lovella's shoulder to get her attention and said, "The fuel's going down... let's look for a nearby gasoline station." I said.
"I know." Lovella replied. "Let's look for a nearby Shell gasoline station."
As she drive farther, I saw from the distant the gasoline station Lovella told me. I told her about this and she just nodded. But, when we reached the station Lovella didn't turn her car towards the place which I called "our only hope," she drove straight with great speed ignoring the gasoline station I just saw.
"How silly of you!" I reacted.
"Sorry..."
"Sorry? What if it's our only hope?" I asked again.
"Don't worry... there will be a gasoline station along SLEX." Lovella said.
"You'll wait to reach SLEX before refueling your car? What if the fuel's gone while we're in the midst of the road? We're done then. Bitch!" I raged.
"Don't get too worried, Harry." Lovella comforted me with cunning smile.
"Heh! If the fuel's gone while we're on the road or worst along the tollway... we're dead!"
"Would you mind to sit properly?" Myra asked.
"Sit properly eh..."
"Enough." Lovella signed before I finished mine.
I decided not to argue and sit quietly while praying hardly that the remaining fuel will bring us successfully to the place that Lovella mentioned and no hassles will occur on the remaining hours before my flight to foreign soil. Another thirty minutes passed, we're on the SLEX, I prayed again that the gasoline station is now close because the car's fuel is really going down and down....
Finally... after few moments, another Shell gasoline station came into our view. I'm very thankful and God listened to my prayers. We successfully reached the station and refueled the car.
"Do you believe now pig?" Myra asked.
"This is not your car!" I argued.
"Neither yours... Hehehehe." Macky said.
"Alright! Stop the argument and let's go." Lovella said.
While approaching Manila, I asked Macky... "Why you're here when you're not going with us?"
"Let me remind you that I left something precious in Lovella's unit." Macky replied
"Do you call that lotion precious?" I teased.
"Have mercy on my legs... don't rise any topic to annoy me." Macky fought back.
"Oh! Your legs? I see... I think it's your ruddy fault... you didn't think thrice before submitting your precious legs to hot rays that killed your tiny hairs..." I teased him.
"Is this your legs?" Macky asked with his lips curled.
"But I feel pity because instead of removing your tiny hairs the hot rays of laser fried your legs and turned it to the skin of fried fish. "
"How dare you!"
Finally, we reached Lovella's condo. She stopped at the lobby and told us to get down and collect our things at the back of her car. She gave me the key of her unit then let us reach first her home while she will park the car on the fifth basement just beneath the building where she lives.. When, we reached her place, Macky quickly darted himself to the bathroom... after few seconds, he went out holding a small plastic bottle of lotion in his left hand and kissing it again and again.
"My precious healing lotion..."
"No! Your precious cooking oil."
"Fuck you Migs! Watch your words."
"Hehehehehe!"
Lovella entered few moments after and told us to prepare and double check our things before we catch our flight. I busied myself in thinking which I should bring and which I should left... I noticed the plastic bag full of noodles in a cup which I bought for our trip. I also noticed my books on the table just beside me and spent ten minutes of debate within myself whether I should left or bring it. Finally, I decided that it's better to leave it because the travel might hook me more on sightseeing rather than reading. After one hour of packing and double checking, I announced that I'm done.
"Okay... I'm going to sleep now. We will leave at 9am." Lovella said.
"I don't feel sleepy." I said.
"Oh! You're just too excited because it's your first flight." Myra said.
"No... it's probably the cup of coffees that I drank at Jay's home and in Starbucks."
"I agree with Myra attorney... better accept the terrible truth." Macky raged.
"What terrible truth? That the bottle you're holding is indeed a cooking oil?"
"Go to hell!"
When I turned my back, I saw that Catherine Joy is lying on the sofa and already deep in her sleep. Myra get herself a pillow and lie down just beneath the sofa where Catherine Joy is sleeping... she fell asleep few minutes after then, it's Macky's turn but before that he told me to wake him at 5am if I'm not going to sleep because he will be back to Jay's home with his most treasured cooking oil (Hehehehehe!). Eugenio busied himself watching the television while I buried myself on computer, surfing the net browsing dating sites and chatting for two hours hoping that I will find a temporary partner in my destination. Sadly... I didn't find one.
Boredom came upon me after two hours of staying in the cyberworld... I went back to the living room to join Eugenio but he's already deep in his dream world and he forgot to turn off the television. I get the remote control of the television from his unconcious left hand and turned the DVD player on. Watching the Korean horror film "The Eye" became my new entertainment in the midst of dark morning but there was unexplainable horror that creeped over me. It refreshed the fear that I experienced in Lovella's unit.
It was early morning and the sunrise is still far... I was busy on front of computer in Lovella's room finishing my critical papers for school. When my eyes becomes little tired, I decided to stop for a while and helped myself to fix a hot coffee. I went into the kitchen leaving the computer on. While waiting for the water to become hot, I was busy mixing the coffee ingredients. After a few minutes, I poured the hot water and mixed it to the ingredients that I put inside the cup. But there was someone standing beside me... yes, across the table. I turned my head and saw that there was a woman standing there with long hair and wearing a white cloth. She also wears a red sweater which was not buttoned.
Suddenly, she floated towards the wall and disappeared.
I was paralyzed for a few minutes. My eyes didn't blink at all after I saw her.
This event tortured me for a week... I quickly got myself a pillow and blanket then turned the television and DVD Player off and went to sleep.
It was 6am when I woke up and found that everybody is still in their own fantasy world. I woke Macky and he left us after a few minutes.
"Have a good trip, sis." He said.
"Okay thank you."
"Tell me what Macau and Hong Kong dicks taste like if you got some luck."
"Hehehehehe!"
When the clock strikes to 7am, Myra woke up followed by Catherine Joy. Myra rested for a while then went to shower while Catherine Joy is fixing herself before going home. When Myra's done, she tapped Eugenio's shoulder to woke him up. I went to Lovella's room and woke her.
"It's too early."
"Early is better than late, madam. Get up." I said with angelic smile.
Lovella went into bathroom after Eugenio. Myra went to the lobby with Catherine Joy to fetch her sister. And when it was 8:30am, Lovella told us that it is time to leave. Eugenio helped Catherine Joy to catch a bus then he went back and get himself inside the car.
The sun was already bright and hot in the morning sky when we left going to Clark, Pampanga. I'm praying again while on the way giving thanks for every good things I received and asking new strengths and wisdom that will help me to survive on the distant and foreign lands. We reached the NLEX, and Lovella keep on texting while driving.
"Hands on your wheel, not on your mobile phone." I said.
"Don't worry."
We stopped in a Jollibee fastfood along NLEX to take our breakfast. It was delicious, two pieces of longganisa with two rice and one iced tea. After a few moments of rest, we're back on the road again. At that time, I was busy with Myra and Lovella's mobile phone setting the roaming mode so we can still text our family or friends while we're far away.
The travel was long, I can feel that Lovella is getting tired of driving. We reached the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in few hours but we decided to look for a car park first. Lovella will left the car in the car park while she's away with us.
"Don't forget to blackmail Ric for not looking a carpark for us. You may jinx him if you want, I knew some." I said.
After finding a carpark, we went to SM City Clark to have a stroll first because our departure will be 3:45pm, so we decided to spend some little time to explore the mall. I went for a stroll myself looking for Timezone or Quantum where I can play my favorite video games: King of Fighters and Tekken 5. But sadly, they don't have the game I wanted. So, I decided to give myself a tour inside the mall. There were many foreigners there like in Manila. I sent a message in Lovella's mobile phone asking her whereabouts... she replied that they're busy having make-over at David's Salon.
I went there and found Lovella sharpening her finger and toe nails while Myra is busy straightening her shaggy hair. I invited Eugenio to have a stroll with me. When we're back Myra and Lovella were done with their beauty make-over. We drove hurriedly back to the airport because our departure is approaching.
When we arrived, the lines were not to long and the entrance is closed due to break time.
"It's weird here... breaktime?" I said.
"Shut up."
The entrance was opened on 1:30am. We entered the airport and get into the line to claim our tickets. Everyone of us is successful... but when it's Lovella's turn I felt that there's something wrong happened. I approached closer to see what's going on. Myra's sister told her that she's not allowed to leave because her passport is going to expire in three months and it is against the law of Macau immigration. The discussion went for an hour... I became extremely worried.
"If I failed to go with you... go with Myra and Eugenio. They will take care of you." Lovella said.
"Hey! It was you who invited me here then you'll dump me like abandoned child."
"I'm sorry... I don't know that they changed the rules."
"You'll make it don't worry."
"You're crying?"
"Who me? I'm not!"
"Your eyes were wet... pig."
"It's natural, I don't mean..."
"Lovella... get into the business." Myra said.
"Migs, Eugenio please procced to the departure area now. Wait us there, we will help Lovella to fix this problem." Alice said.
"But..."
"Don't rise any question... just go with Eugenio. I'm fine and you'll be fine with them." Lovella said.
"But..."
"Don't be a cry baby, pig!" Myra added.
"I'm not crying... I'm only worried...."
"Oh! Come on kid... I'll wipe your tears." Eugenio teased.
"Syeetttt!!!!"
Eugenio and me get into the line to the departure area. While in the line, I'm praying that Lovella will be with us... she's the one who cooked this idea and now, she's the one who will be left while four of us is going... Hmph!
In my thirthy minutes of waiting in the departure area with Eugenio, Lovella's message came in my mobile phone.
"I'm sorry Harry... they didn't let me go. I will be charged for a high cost if I ever tried to break the rules. Please just go with Myra and her company... They will take care of crybaby like you. I will be going back to Tagaytay. Enjoy your trip ha."
When I turned my head, I saw Myra with her sister and Eugenio approaching me. They told me what happened as Lovella told me exactly. I decided not to argue and remain silent. Eugenio patted me on the shoulder. I tried to calm down and believed that I will be safe with them.
Finally, the long wait is over. The boarding is announced. I quickly run to the airplane. Before closing my mobile phone, I got another message from Lovella that she's on the way to Tagaytay and told me to take care and enjoy the trip.
