30 Days with Fina by JellOfAllTrades

Chapter 3

A cloud passed by overhead, covering the starlit sky that my newfound friend and I have been admiring for the past couple of hours.

"Hindi pa ako nakakarating ng Maynila, maganda ba talaga doon?" Fina asked, brushing yet another lock of hair behind her ear. The cold salty sea breeze has been blowing at us, making our hair fly behind our heads.

"If you're a fan of air pollution, oo maganda siya." I smirked, remembering how crowded and polluted the great capital city of the Philippines has turned into.

"So, hindi maganda?"

I reconsidered it. "Nakarating ka na ba kahit sa isang syudad lang?"

"Sa Lucena, noong may binisita kaming kamag-anak sa hospital."

We passed by Lucena city on the way to Calauag and it doesn't resemble Manila that much, but it will do. "Well, iimagine mo nalang yung Lucena, pero mas matao, mas madumi ang paligid pati na ang hangin. Sobrang init din lalo na kapag summer."

"Ganun?" Fina tilted her head to one side, her eyes closed as if she is imagining it in her mind.

"That's what I see most of the days. Pero minsan kapag may topak ako, I think the buildings are wonderful."

"Talaga? Ang pinakamataas na building kasi na nakita ko ay hanggang tenth floor lang."

I chuckled at that. "Well, sa Manila maliit lang ang ten floors. Yun ngang university na pinagaaralan ko ang pinakamababang building ay six floors lang. Ang pinakamataas namin ay nasa twenty three at wala pa yun sa katabing condominium na higit forty floors ang taas."

"Wow."

I sighed, missing my school and my home. But I may not be able to see it again until next month. A cold sea breeze blew at us and Fina shivered beside me. I took off my flannel shirt and offered it to her.

"Eto oh, nilalamig ka na eh."

Fina eyed the shirt warily and then looking at my tank top that remained, she said. "Salamat na lang pero baka lamigin ka din eh,"

"Hindi yan, sanay ako sa aircon," I put the shirt on her shoulders.

Fina smiled gratefully at me, pulling the shirt tight around her. "Salamat,"

My cellphone beeped in my pocket and I checked the new text message that I've received.

Asan ka na?

"Hinahanap ka na ata," Fina said, looking over my shoulder.

I checked the time, it's already 12:30, dad must be in the bar already to pick us all up. I slipped the phone back to my pocket. "Oo eh. Ikaw ba, hindi ka pa hinahanap sa inyo?"

"Alam naman nila na andito lang ako eh."

"Madalas ka dito?" I looked around. The place is silent except for the soft crashing of waves on the dock, the couple and the group of teenagers on the other side of Pong Pagong must have already left.

"Hindi naman, minsan lang kapag gusto kong mapagisip isip."

My cellphone beeped again.

Asan ka na?

I typed in a hasty reply. I'm fine. Uuwi nalang ako magisa.

Wala kang susi, wala ding maghihintay sayo. Umuwi ka na.

"Sige na, Jell. Pinapauwi ka na eh." Fina said, standing up.

"Sorry,"

"Ba't ka nagsosorry?"

She's right, why am I apologizing to her? It's not like I've done something wrong.

"Eh kasi naguusap pa tayo tapos biglang kailangan ko nang umalis." I just said.

Fina chuckled. "Hindi mo naman kasalanan na pinapauwi ka na eh. Gabi na kasi, saka isa pa, kailangan ko narin naman nang umuwi."

I just nodded and we both started to walk back.

"You know, I had fun talking to you," I said, kicking a piece of rock to the side.

"Me too,"

"Pwede ba tayong magkita ulit?" I suddenly blurted out. I mentally kicked myself for saying that! What if she thinks I'm hitting on her? That I like her?! Oh geez, Jellane, what a smart move!

"Sige, bukas ulit?" We stopped near the fish port where fishermen are starting to get ready for fishing, hauling ropes and buckets to their boats on the dock.

"Sure, san tayo?" I just coolly said, relieved that she didn't turn me down.

"Tiga san ka ba?"

"Pinagtalleran," I pointed to the eastern side of town. "Dun kami sa tabi ng isang hardware store."

"Alam mo ba yung playground dun sa dulo? Dirediretsuhin mo lang 'tong seawall at makakarating ka dun."

I nodded. "Yeah, alam ko yun. Dun nalang tayo?"

"Bukas ng hapon," Fina said, taking the flannel shirt off and returning it to me.

"Hindi, sayo nalang yan," I pushed it back to her. "Nilalamig ka ohh," I noticed her arm where goosebumps had shown up.

"Hindi," She insisted, giving me back the shirt.

I took the shirt but draped it over her shoulders. I towered over her by several inches so she just looked up at me, smiled, and pulled the shirt tighter around her.

"Thank you," She said. "Ibabalik ko nalang kapag nalabhan ko na."

"Kahit wag na,"

My cellphone beeped again but I didn't bother to check it. I knew the text is from my dad. He doesn't have good patience too.

"Sige na, Jell, kita nalang tayo bukas," Fina turned.

"Hatid na kita sainyo?"

"Hindi na, malapit lang naman yung bahay ko saka hinahanap ka narin. Bye."

"Bye."

She started to walk away.

"Goodnight!" I called out, watching her go.

She waved goodbye, her hair rippling in the breeze, the sleeves of my flannel shirt blowing in the wind behind her.

My phone beeped again.

Pauwi ka na ba?

Asan ka na?

Letting out a deep breath, I typed a quick reply. Pabalik na ako ng bar. Anjan pa ba kayo?

Oo. Bilisan mo na, tumba na mga pinsan mo.

Chuckling, I hurried back to Kelly's Karaoke.

When we got back to the ancestral house, it was quiet, almost everybody is sleeping already. I helped Mary to her room while dad helped Gerald. My brothers were drunk too so we had to return to the van where they lay sleeping. I half carried, half dragged Kier to his room on the second floor so, by the time I got to my room, I'm already exhausted.

I quickly got ready for bed, thinking of Fina and our meeting tomorrow afternoon and then I remembered the incident back at the bar.

What if Ashley babbled to my brothers soon after I left? What if she said I tried to kiss her until Mary opened the door to the restroom? She could easily turn the story against me because I'm not there to defend my self.

I stood up and went to Mary's room. Knowing full well that she's asleep already I went in without knocking. I sat beside her bed and shook her awake.

"Mary, huy, Mary!"

"Hmm?" She groaned, opening half her eyes.

"Anong nangyari kay Ashley pagkaalis ko? May sinabi ba siya sainyo?"

"Huh?" She groaned again.

"Si Ashley! May sinabi ba siya sainyo tungkol sakin?" I shook her shoulders.

"Wala, naasar lang siya sayo pero wala siyang sinabi." Mary closed her eyes and I felt relieved. Tucking her in, I returned to my room.

Good thing Ashley didn't say anything about what happened in the restroom. My brothers will have nothing to report to our parents tomorrow morning and I will still have my car when I return to Manila.

But then I thought of Fina.

Fina's a nice girl. Someone smart and funny and unbelievably innocent. Like she said earlier, the farthest she's been to is Lucena city which I still consider a province. She thought I looked scary when I walked up to the docks but she talked to me anyway because she thought I needed someone to talk to. She's pretty cute too, although not the head turner type. She's what I can call a probinsya to the very core; Simple and innocent.

If my car isn't on the line, I would have considered playing with Fina, just so I'd know what a probinsya like her would be like. But no, I can't and I'm stuck here in Calauag, Quezon for a whole month. So if I want to survive the next 27 days with someone I can hang out with, I should know where my limits are with Fina.

But later that afternoon, when I walked up to the rusty old playground on the eastern end of the seawall and I saw Fina standing by the edge, looking at the sea, her long black hair rippling like waves on her back, her white plaited skirt lightly flying in the breeze, I thought...

Can I really trust myself to put her on the friendzone?