Chapter 2

We Meet Again

Maaga akong nagising at kahit naisip ko rin na matulog pa dahil nasa bakasyon naman ako. Back in Metro Manila I would be busy working at my mother's boutique or bridal shop as an assistant designer during weekdays like this. After I graduated from college ay kay Mommy na ako nagtatrabaho. Kilala rin siya na designer ng gowns, especially wedding gowns. Currently I'm still learning from her...

Hindi ko naman talaga desisyon na maging designer din kagaya ni Mommy...

Back then I was just told that I should take after my mother para na rin may magmana ng business niya...

May sarili rin na business si Daddy. At wala siyang tiwala sa nag-iisa niyang anak na babae na makapag-manage din ng gaming company niya...

Kahit na sa totoo lang ay interesado rin ako roon. Now my father plans to entrust his company to Nathan, my fiancé. Kaya naman mas lalong dapat ko itong pag-isipan nang mabuti...

I remember back when I was in high school, o kahit nga noong mas bata pa ako ay mahilig na rin ako sa games. And how amazed I was with my father's work. Na pinagmamayabang ko pa nga noon sa mga kaklase ko na naglalaro rin ng game na gawa ng company nina Dad o ni Dad mismo.

Both my parents were career man and woman. Ito ang naging dahilan kung bakit napabayaan din nila ako noong bata pa o wala silang oras sa only daughter nila dahil sobrang busy rin sila sa kani-kanilang mga business at careers.

I would often be left with my nanny and the other helpers in our home as a child. Walang sapat na panahon sa akin ang mga magulang ko. Nevertheless I still grew up properly. Maybe because I looked up to my parents that I didn't want them disappointed in me, too. If ever I did something that would embarrass them...

I sighed as I got out of bed. Mas mabuti pang lumabas na ako ngayon, kumain, at mag-enjoy muli rito sa isla. At saka ko na lang iisipin ang mga naiwan ko sa Manila...

I let out another sigh before I went out of my hotel room's door. Pagkatapos ay tuloy-tuloy na ako sa pagbaba hanggang sa restaurant ng resort. I also love their food here. Especially the seafood and it's obviously fresh. Kahit ang dessert nila ay tama lang din ang tamis. I like it. So I'm as well excited with my every meals here.

"Good morning, Ma'am."

"Good morning." I smiled to the staff who greeted me, too.

Naupo na rin ako sa table ko at nagsimulang mag-order ng pagkain. And then I handed the menu back to the waitress after choosing my breakfast today. And while I was waiting for my food to be served I met with the same man again here in this same restaurant. Ito ang lalaking nakasabay ko ring kumain dito kahapon nang wala na kasi siyang mauupuan dahil puno rin kahapon nang oras na iyon itong restaurant.

"Oh." I reacted when I saw him entering the restaurant. Papunta na rin siya sana sa uupuan niya when he also noticed me, too.

Napangiti ako sa kaniya. And he went to my table instead first to greet.

"We meet again." He said, smiling.

I realized that he's so much taller now that I'm sitting here. Kaya napatayo na rin muna ako. Although he's still taller than me even if I stand beside him. And I feel even smaller. "Good morning."

"Good morning."

"Oo nga, we meet again. And in here." nasabi ko pa.

He was smiling and nodded his head. "Yes, thanks again for yesterday. Baka hindi pa ako nakakain agad if you hadn't shared your table with me."

Umiling naman ako. "It's okay. Wala lang naman 'yon."

"So, uh, you're alone again?"

Tumango na lang ako.

"I'm alone, too. Are you up for some conversation? And maybe we can share one table again today?"

"Is that okay?" He asked.

Tumango naman ako at ngumiti na lang. It wouldn't hurt sharing a table again, would it?

So we sat there, the two of us, and enjoyed another meal together. And it was filled with smiles and some laughters, too. And I found myself really enjoying my time with him... Kahit sa simpleng pagkain lang naman ng breakfast and little talk...

His name's Keegan Eleazar. At natuwa pa ako nang malamang may kinalaman din pala sa online games ang business niya. "May gaming company din ang Dad ko!" I said, glad.

"Matagal na ba ang company mo?" I asked next.

Umiling naman siya. "No. It just started a couple of years ago."

"So... you just started from scratch?"

"Hmm, yes. You can say that." He said.

My lips formed into like saying "woah". I was amazed.

"What's the name of your Dad's company, by the way?" He asked.

I told him the name of our company and Keegan said that he even looked up to it and he knows my Dad's works. Wow. I smiled happily.

We continued talking about it until we finished up eating. Pagkatapos ay imbes na magpaalam na sa isa't isa ay nagkasundo pa kaming i-explore na lang itong island na magkasama... At pumayag naman ako.

So I just went back to my hotel to change and got my essentials before I went back again and met with Keegan.

He was already there waiting for me. And then we went on our first adventure. We decided to finally have the island hopping. May iba pa kasing mga isla na malapit din dito at nag-ooffer na rin ngayon ang Villa Martinez island resort. I've been wanting to do it kaya nga lang ay wala pa akong kasama... And now I have Keegan here to do island hopping together with me...

"Do you know how to swim?"

"Hmm, yeah. Marunong naman." sagot ko.

Keegan smiled at me. "You sure?"

I nodded and smiled as well. "Oo naman."

Dahil pagkatapos ay nag-swimming din kami sa mga isla na pinuntahan namin. And to be honest I had so much fun. Like I never felt like this before...

And even though Keegan Eleazar was a stranger at first, kahit sa mga sandaling ito ko pa lang siyang nakikilala ay parang magaan na agad ang pakiramdam ko sa kaniya.

I feel like he's easy to be with. He's also such a conversationalist. That I never get bored while talking with him. Ang dami rin niyang alam na fun na topics. Madali lang siyang kausap... At hindi mahirap pakisamahan...

I hope he also feels the same with me...

I kept on smiling as I'm with him...

And I even feel like I have forgotten my problems while I'm with him...

He held my hand underwater. Para mas mabilis pa kaming makalangoy. We watched the corals and the fishes together. And when I signaled him ay mabilis niya rin akong hinila pataas so that we could breathe again out of the salty seawater.

It was really fun.

And I swear I never had this kind of fun before...

I smiled at Keegan who went up after me in the boat we rented from the resort. Hinahanda na rin ng bangkero ang bangka para sa pagbalik namin sa isla.

Ngumiti rin sa akin si Keegan and started removing his wet clothes in front of me and changed into a dry one. Nag-iwas naman ako ng tingin habang pinupunasan ko rin ang basang buhok ko gamit ang isang towel.

At nang muli kong binalik ang tingin ko kay Keegan nakita kong nakasuot na siya ng isang plain and fresh white T-shirt. And on his background from my view I can see the setting sun. It's orange in color. And it was beautiful...

Nakasuot na ngayon ng T-shirt si Keegan pero mahahalata mo pa rin na maganda rin ang pangangatawan niya... He's tall and with right amount of muscles in their right places on his well-built body...

Bumaling siya sa akin. "You had fun today?" He asked smiling.

Tumango naman ako sa kaniya at ngumiti rin. "Yes, I had fun today. Thank you..." I said to him. And I really did.

He smiled and it looked so genuine and fresh in the eyes... I don't remember seeing anyone I knew smiling like this before... And feeling like this just through their smile...

Kaya nagpatuloy na lang din ang ngiti ko habang kasama ko pa siya... And I feel truly happy this day...