JAMIE

THE ROOM that Alistair and Lorelei booked had a perfect view! As in perfect ten talaga! Mula sa veranda, tanaw na tanaw ang white sand beach at ang tila walang hanggang dagat sa horizon. Below, people were building sandcastles, playing beach volleyball, and swimming on the beach.

Matapos ang nakakabuwisit na encounter namin sa lobby kanina, muli akong na-excite na magbabad sa ilalim ng araw. I could feel that it's gonna be totally fun!

"Jamie, dito ang room natin."

Jokingly, I asked if I could share the room with my Loki dear. Lorelei would surely object to my suggestion. Mahilig siyang mambasag ng trip. Nagbibiro lang ako, pero sineryoso niya. She couldn't take a joke sometimes. Alam kong kami ang nakatadhanang maging roommates dito sa room habang sina Loki at Alistair naman ang nasa kabila.

Inayos ko muna ang aking mga gamit at inilabas ang mga kailangan. I took out all of my two-piece swimsuits and laid them on the king-sized bed. Napanganga si Lorelei sa dami ng mga dinala ko. Pito yata ang nailabas ko. Meron pang tatlo sa loob ng bag, but they're the least of my favorites.

"You brought all of that here?" pagulat na tanong niya. Napasilip ako sa kanyang mga gamit at napansin ang nag-iisang one-piece swimsuit. She must be judging me for bringing these. "Two days lang stay natin dito, ah?"

"Sa dami ng choice ko, I can't really decide kung alin ang babagay sa akin at magugustuhan ni Loki dear." Iginala ko ang aking mga mata sa bawat swimsuit. I looked hard enough at them, hoping na makapag-decide na rin ako sa wakas. "Kagabi ko pa nga pinag-iisipan kung ano ang pipiliin ko. Hanggang sa dream ko, sinusundan ako nitong mga two-piece. Can you help me decide?"

I gave up! Dito ko muling na-realize kung gaano kahirap ang gumawa ng desisyon. Ito ang kadalasang problema ko pagdating sa mga damit. Sa dami ng mapagpipilian, hindi ko alam kung ano ang pipiliin. Kasalanan ko ba na medyo may pagka-indecisive ako sa mga ganitong bagay? I had to make sure na magma-match sa mood ko ang susuotin ko para perfect ang outfit ko!

"Any of those swimsuits will look perfect on you," sagot ni Lorelei matapos ang ilang segundo ng pag-iisip. Napaka-helpful naman ng sagot niya. Thanks to her, I could finally make a decision! "Sorry, 'di talaga ako expert pagdating sa fashion."

Well, I could tell very clearly. She chose a one-piece swimsuit instead of a two-piece. Aware akong wala siyang maipagmamalaki pero physically fit ang katawan niya kaya wala siyang dapat ikahiya kung gano'n ang susuotin niya. She could flaunt her body, like me! Perverts be damned.

"You know what? Just wear whichever you're comfortable with. Aanhin mo ang two-piece na magandang tingnan kung 'di ka komportable habang suot 'yon, 'di ba?" dagdag niya nang batuhin ko siya ng tingin. "Don't dress to impress people, especially Loki. Honestly speaking, I doubt he'd appreciate how you or any of us look."

"But I'm comfortable with every single one of these!" nakapamewang kong sabi. Dadalhin ko ba ang mga 'to kung 'di ako komportableng suotin? Of course not.

"Just choose the red one."

"Finally!" I exclaimed. Isa-isa kong ibinalik sa aking bag ang iba pang swimsuits at dinala ang kulay pula sa aming bathroom. I removed my clothes and put the two-piece on me. Tiniyak kong well-secured ito sa akin para hindi magkaroon ng wardrobe malfunction mamaya.

Paglabas ko ng bathroom, halos malaglag ang panga ni Lorelei sa akin. I couldn't blame her though. Ngayon pa lang yata siya nakakita ng diyosa na naka-swimsuit. First-time din yata niya akong nakitang naka-two-piece. Lagi kasing uniform ang suot ko kapag nagkikita kami.

"How do I look?" tanong ko habang rumarampa na parang kandidata sa isang beauty pageant. May pa-wave-wave pa ako ng kamay para feel na feel ko.

"Gaya nga ng sinabi ko kanina, any of those will look perfect on you," comment niya.

Tumingin ako sa malaking salamin na nasa wall at chineck kung maganda ba akong tingnan kahit saang anggulo. Lorelei took her one-piece swimsuit and went to the bathroom. Paglabas niya, sinalubong ko siya ng matamis na ngiti at tiningnan siya mula ulo hanggang paa. I knew it. She's also physically fit and perfect to wear a two-piece, but she still chose that medyo conservative na swimwear.

"That looks perfectly good on you too," I returned the compliment she gave me a few moments ago. I wasn't faking it though. Seryoso ako na bagay sa kanya ang suot niya. She should take note of my comment dahil bihira ko lang siyang i-praise.

Kinuha namin ang aming beach robe at isinuot ang mga 'to. As much as I wanna flaunt my sexy figure, ayaw ko namang magmukhang mayabang habang nakasakay kami sa elevator at naglalakad sa hallway. We had to cover our bodies until we reach the beach. Mine was a robe with the combination of red, yellow and orange while Lorelei's robe had floral designs.

Matapos naming masiguro na perfect na talaga ang aming looks, lumabas na kami ng room. Nadatnan naming nakaupo sina Loki dear at Alistair na kanina pa yata naghihintay sa amin. Sorry naman! Talagang ganito kami katagal na magbihis. Mula sa pamimili ng susuotin hanggang sa pagtingin sa mga itsura namin sa salamin.

"You two look pretty," Alistair commented as his gaze followed me and Lorelei walk toward the couches. I kinda expected for his jaw to drop as he marveled at our beauty, but that simple reaction was okay.

"And you look good too!" I replied.

Alistair wore a casual Hawaiian polo shirt—with flowers, leaves, and palm trees as design—and cyan-colored shorts. Hindi pa talaga summer pero ramdam na ramdam ko na sa suot niya. The upper two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned kaya medyo kita ang kanyang collarbone.

Loki only gave us a sidelong glance. I was more interested in what he had to say. Nagandahan ba siya sa akin? Aling beach robe at swimwear ang mas bet niya? But Lorelei might be right. Wala siyang say sa suot namin. He did not care about what we wore. Or maybe—just a maybe—he was speechless or at a total loss for words kaya wala siyang ma-comment? He saw something so beautiful that words wouldn't be enough for him to describe it!

Wala rin yata siyang balak na enjoy-in ang aming trip sa beach mamaya. Kung ano ang suot niyang shirt nang dumating kami rito, 'yon din ang suot niya ngayon. I sighed. Couldn't he try to be just a little enthusiastic about this outing? Halatang napilitan talaga siyang sumama sa amin. This must be his way of protesting that he didn't like what's going on.

But I wouldn't surrender yet! Masyado pang maaga. Pwede ko pang baguhin ang isip niya. I'd make sure na magkakaroon siya ng reason para sulitin ang outing na 'to. The word impossible is in my dictionary, but I don't wanna use it in any context related to Loki dear.

"Let's go?" tanong ni Alistair sa amin. Tumango kami sa kanya at sumunod patungo sa pintuan. Palabas na sana ako, but I noticed that there's just three of us going out of the room.

"Pass," sagot ni Loki. Inilipat niya ang page ng kanyang binabasang libro. Magmula kaninang nagbibiyahe kami, nagbabasa na siya. Hanggang ngayon ba naman? "I already told you that I have no interest in going to the beach."

"So you're gonna spend the whole day reading that book?" tanong ni Lorelei.

"The time spent reading a book is a time well spent," sagot ni Loki na slightly na ibinaba ang hawak na libro. "This is better than getting sunburnt. Much safer. Much relaxing—"

No, no, no. That wouldn't do!

Mabilis kong hinablot ang binabasa niya at inihagis 'to sa balcony. The book flew like a bird that spread its wing but quickly plummeted down. Sorry sa mga book lover. Mahilig din akong magbasa ng mga libro at ayaw ko talagang gawin 'yon. But this might be the only way to force Loki out of this room.

"What the hell—" Loki's jaw dropped as he stared at the open balcony. Maging sina Lorelei at Alistair, nagulat sa ginawa ko. Nagmadali siyang tumakbo roon at dumungaw sa ilalim. Para siyang bata na nahulog ang hawak na candy

I didn't wanna do this to him, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'm sure he'd also say the same if he's in a situation like this one.

"Medyo sobra yata 'yong paghagis mo ng libro," bulong sa akin ni Lorelei. "Paano kung may natamaan sa baba?"

"Don't worry. Hindi naman nila malalaman na sa room natin 'yon galing," I whispered back to her. "Bibigyan ko na lang si Loki ng PDF copy mamaya. Basta ang importante, mapaalis natin siya rito."

"Look at what you've done!" he roared like a lion, his right hand motioning to the balcony. Para siyang bata na nagta-tantrums. I should be acting like his future wife who cares about him, not his mother who scolds him for being childish.

"Kung gusto mong makuha ang iyong book, kailangan mo munang lumabas at tumapak sa beach," nakapamewang kong tugon. Under normal circumstances, ako na mismo ang magbo-volunteer na kunin ang libro niya sa baba. But not this time. "We won't be doing you a favor kahit magmakaawa ka sa amin."

Once he gets out of this room, there's no way he could get in anymore. Sasabihan ko si Alistair na i-secure nang maigi ang card key para hindi 'yon manakaw sa kanya ni Loki. He might be good at picking locks, but he couldn't easily pick a digital door lock. Wala siyang magiging choice kundi hingin kay Alistair ang card key. I doubt our goody-two-shoes member would give it to him.

"No matter what you do, I won't be leaving this room," Loki insisted. Aba, nagmamatigas pa siya? Bumalik siya sa kanyang puwesto sa couch kanina at ipinagkrus ang mga braso. "You can throw all my stuff out of the window, but I won't budge."

Hindi ba niya naa-appreciate ang efforts namin para ma-enjoy ang aming oras sa outing na 'to? I really wanted this trip to be memorable with him. Hindi pwedeng kaming tatlo lang ang makatikim ng Vitamin Sea. Dapat kasama siya because he's part of the team.

Nagbato ako ng tingin kay Alistair at sumenyas sa kanya. Mukhang wala na kaming choice kundi idaan sa santong paspasan ito. Tumango siya sa akin at nilapitan si Loki.

I was kinda hoping that he'd drag Loki out of the room, but he just stood behind him. Ano bang ginagawa ni Alistair? Wala naman siyang dapat ikatakot kay Loki dear dahil mas malakas siya physically kaysa rito. He could carry him in his arms kung gugustuhin niya. Uhm... That might look awkward, but I bet he could do that.

"I don't know if you don't like beaches in particular, but we would really appreciate it kung sasama ka sa amin," nakangiting pakiusap ni Alistair. Bale gusto muna niyang idaan sa santong dasalan? Sige na nga. "Hindi namin mae-enjoy ang outing kung iiwan ka naming mag-isa rito. We came here together. We must enjoy things together."

"Just to be clear, I have no issues with beaches. I'm not afraid of sharks or an ancient sea monster lurking in the depths," sagot ni Loki. "I only came here with you out of courtesy. We might have a different definition of the word 'enjoy.' What is enjoyable for you may not be enjoyable for me. You cannot shove your own interpretation of that word down my throat. You enjoy the beaches, I enjoy the books."

"Don't you wanna try something new?" Ayaw pa ring sumuko ni Alistair. "Baka kasi iniisip mong hindi ka-enjoy-enjoy ang beach trip na 'to kahit na hindi mo pa nasusubukan. Why not give it a try and judge if it's a complete waste of your time or not?"

"I don't need to go out there to confirm to myself and to you that this isn't gonna be fun for me."

"Very well then." Umupo si Lorelei sa kabilang couch. Nakipagpalitan siya ng tingin kay Loki. Balak ba niyang makipag-staring contest? This wasn't the time for that! "If one of us doesn't want to go out, then none of us will."

"What?!" Kumunot ang aking noo, pero slight lang. Ayaw kong magmukhang matanda agad. Sayang ang skincare routine ko. I spent half an hour choosing my two-piece swimsuit tapos cancelled na agad ang lakad namin sa beach? Ni hindi pa nga dumadampi sa balat ko ang sinag ng araw!

Mabuti't hindi ako masyadong nag-react. I admit na minsan exaggerated ang response ko sa ilang bagay, whether intentional or not. Alam ko namang hindi 'yon sasabihin ni Lorelei nang basta-basta. Meron siyang gustong mangyari. At mukhang alam ko na ang reason kung bakit.

"So you wanna waste the whole day sitting around in this room?" natatawang tanong ni Loki. "You must be joking. You can't stand being bored to death here."

"You heard Alistair, didn't you?" Lorelei glanced at the man behind him. "We came here together. We must enjoy things together. Kung may isang ayaw mag-enjoy, dapat tayong apat, 'di rin mag-e-enjoy."

That's childish reasoning, but Loki's acting childish kaya pwede nang palampasin. Umupo ako sa tabi ni Lorelei at ipinagkrus ang aking mga braso. Umupo rin si Alistair sa tabi ni Loki. "Lorelei's right. Walang lalabas ng room 'to kung may maiiwan sa atin!"

"Why? You afraid that I might steal some of your stuff if you leave me here alone?" pabirong hirit ni Loki. Wala ni isang nakitawa sa amin. Maging ako na laging naka-support sa kanya at sa mga suggestion niya. Kailangan niyang ma-feel na seryoso kami.

"My God," he muttered, looking away. "Why are you three taking this beach trip so seriously?"

Wala ni isa sa aming tatlo ang sumagot. We just stared at him. It hurt me to make him feel as if he's being ignored. But this had to be done. Silence is the best response to make a point sometimes.

Lumipas ang ilang seconds, walang kumibo ni isa sa amin. Nanatili kaming nakaupo sa sala at nagpapalitan ng tingin. Kadalasan kay Loki nagagawi ang mga mata namin.

Seconds turned to minutes. Silence ensued in the room like we were in the school library. Kulang na lang ay isang librarian na magbabantay sa amin. Nakakabingi rin pala ang katahimikan minsan. But we had to endure it.

"This is getting awkward already!" Loki groaned as he stood. "Fine! I'll come with you down the beach! You happy now?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed. That's the power of silence and solidarity! Kaya huwag na huwag nating maliliitin ang kahalagahan ng katahimikan. Silence could be as loud as the noise we hear around us!

Nagsitayo na rin kaming tatlo at muling naglakad patungo sa pintuan. Pinauna na namin si Loki para masigurong tutupad siya sa kanyang sinabi. He might have said those words so we'd leave the room. Kapag nauna kaming tatlo, baka magmadali siyang pumasok sa room at i-lock ang pinto mula sa loob para hindi na namin siya maistorbo.

Luckily he didn't try to do anything funny. Of course, siniguro kong hindi niya kami mauutakan! I locked my arm into his arm habang naglalakad kami. Kapag sinubukan niyang tumakbo, madali ko siyang mahihila pabalik sa akin. I wouldn't let him go away so easily!

q.e.d.

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