Thursday, Justine is getting ready for her flight back to manila. She listed all the things same as she did before she arrive here. She almost forget to buy something for her parents and she have no idea where to buy. She ask some hotel staff about it and they prefer some store near the hotel but before she go, she take her breakfast first. She was about to leave to go to the store when suddenly Andrew came.
“ you came at the right time, I was about to go to store to buy something for my parents”. I said. “ do you mind coming with me “? I ask him
“ yes ma’am. I’m coming”. He said politely
“ so how’s your sleep”? He ask me while walking
“ it was okay, I sleep well. Thanks to your food I didn’t got hungry”. I reply
“ I’m happy you like it”.
I buy my mom’s for cooking and for my dad I buy him a acoustic guitar, hope they both like it. And for Melissa I buy her some bags and a coffee beans since she like coffee. Everything is done I buy everything I can and I enjoy staying here in Cebu, it was a very beautiful and elegant place to spend a summer. Ten o’clock Andrew and I take a cab to go to airport and exactly eleven we bid goodbye to the lovely place of Cebu. He is sited in front of me in the airplane but he talk to the woman next to me that he wants to be sited next to me so they exchange. We had a great travel time that moment because he told me about him. His childhood life with his family, his first ride with his dad, his first picture to take, his memory with his grandparents, his first crush and his first girlfriend. Twelve thirty we arrive at Manila, I stay in the nearest hotel from the airport so I wouldn’t late for my travel for tomorrow. Andrew drive me into my hotel and he invite me for a lunch. We eat near the fancy restaurant and I’m still amaze how every restaurants in the Philippines has so delicious foods, like everywhere I eat the foods was so delicious and yummy. While having a lunch he ask me about my plans when I get back to Portland.
“ I didn’t know. Back to my work, I guess.” I said
“ are you okay now that Martin is getting married”? He ask
“ since the day he abandoned me I was getting okay everyday”. I said while smiling.
“ that’s great.” He said. “ So what’s your plan for this afternoon”? He ask again
“ I don’t know. I’m done preferring my things for tomorrow”. I reply
“ so you’re free this afternoon”? He ask excitedly
“ yeah.” I reply with a smirk.
Andrew invite me again to go somewhere. We go to amusement park and take a rides in the Super Viking, it was my first time to ride and I feel really scared, I almost fainted after the rides. The second ride we go to Zyklon Loop, a travelling steel roller coaster. I enjoy riding and I enjoy every moment, it was the best ride that I ride on. The last ride the Sky Eye, it was like a Ferris wheel but taller and it was moving slowly. The view in the top was amazing, you can see the whole City. Andrew took his camera and take a photo at the top of the view. While we’re moving slowly he suddenly ask a question.
“ Are you ready to fall in love again, Justine”? He ask seriously
“ I’m ready if you’re ready”. I said jokingly
He smile but never say any word, I guess he was thinking of what I said.
I buy him an ice cream and he choose what flavor while walking and watching some tourist playing some ball games and we sited in the bench under in a green tree that covers the sun rays. A minute later a young girl came in front of us begging for some food to eat but I was finish in my ice cream so I give her some money and Andrew give the bottled water that he buy for me. He talk to the young girl in their local language and I ask him.
“ what did you say to her?
“ I told her to buy foods and she thank you”. He said while making an eye contact with me.
We talk again and while he was talking I was looking in his eyes and realize how beautiful he was when he speak while smiling I guess I was searching for that smile since we met. I never notice how time flies so fast when we’re talking and were almost finish having a conversation when a young girl came back again and hand over some money and we both confused. Andrew talk to her again but this time it’s in English.
“ I buy some foods and I am here to give back your change”. Said the young girl with a sad face and hand over the money. Andrew look at me to answer.
“ you don’t have to give back the change, it’s all yours now”. I said slowly while holding her hand.
“ you can use that money to buy some things that you want like dress, shoes or some school stuff”. I continue. Andrew look at me confuse and I realize that the young girl don’t understand to what I say so I keep quiet and Andrew laugh at me secretly but I see him. We send the young girl away and Andrew told me that she was living near the city. We walk back and he was telling a joke when a strange couple came and ask Andrew to take some pictures of them. He hand me his camera and he take pictures of the couples and they make some conversation. While listening to what they saying I realize that Andrew was a friendly guy that even in stranger people he was so kind. They ended their conversation when Andrew introduce me to them and we get back to what we were talking.
While heading back to my hotel, we suddenly saw a group of people having a party near the restaurant where we had a lunch. They said they’re celebrating a wedding anniversary of their friends, so we celebrate with them. They dancing and singing in the bonfire that they made. I eat with them and Andrew was drinking. The couples made a speech and suddenly Andrew ask. “How you guys know if you’re really meant for each other”? He ask while looking at me. “ Only the two of you knew the answer”. The couples said. We we’re walking down to my hotel and he never said anything so I ask him.
“ are you okay”? he look at me and nodded with a smile
“ yeah, I’m okay. I’m just kinda sad because you were leaving already”. He said quietly. I never said anything because I don’t know what to say and he never said anything too so, I keep walking until we reach my hotel and we said goodbye.
Do you ever think about the “ what if” in your life because I was thinking about it. What if Martin and I never broke up I will never met Andrew. What if Melissa never suggest about this vacation, I will never be in the Philippines. What if the airport staff said different place instead of Cebu I will never make a great summer vacation. We had a lot of what if in our lives but did we ever think about the opposite side when we were making choices. Did we ever cared about the things that we never picked up. What if we say no instead of a yes in a invitation. What if we choose left instead of a right when we were driving somewhere. What if we never said goodbye when we were leaving. I guess no matter what we choose in life we are choosing what we thought is best for ourselves. Whether we choose right or left, right or wrong it won’t matter, what matter is where we going after we choose. Did the right things makes us happy or the other things make us a better person.