Chapter 10 (1/2)
¹Hulog- The Filipino word for ”Fall.”
²Kuya- Ate is Older Sister while Kuya is Older Brother.
Both can be used towards people who are not your actual family,
it can also be used towards older people as a sign of respect.
#TheirOwnTorture
“Everything will be painful for someone who is cruel to oneself.”
-x-
Jhing envisioned things differently.
She was too sure that when destiny will try to play with their lives, the smiles will be forever gone. Jhing can imagine him not even saying any 'Good morning!' greetings after that embarra.s.sing scene. No stare. No talk. Not even wanting to breathe the same air as hers.
And she was too sure once she pushed harder, he will back away.
That was what she wanted.
She was scared as f.u.c.k when he didn’t even budge.
As if there was no past, no heartbreak, or even blocking of accounts.
She was expecting bitterness! Anger! Questions of whys and hows! Even the sound of his voice, too dark and angry, was in her head every night before she sleeps- playing over and over again - as he should point out every single thing she had done to him. He needed an explanation from her, and a reasonable one on his part.
But he didn’t ask.
No anger.
Not even bitterness.
Even mentioning about what happened, nada.
Negative was what she envisioned Miko to be.
If someone left her without any reason like what she did to him, Jhing will hate and burn that person into the pits of h.e.l.l… But, duh. She forgot that everyone has different personalities. Same situations, different actions. Same feelings, different reactions.
Miko and Jhing are really different from each other.
It seems like Fall has already moved on asking 'Was I only dreaming when I saw you in the washroom? With Miko?' When Jhing didn’t respond, she laughed and followed, 'I'm not pregnant, am I!?'
Fall was so drunk that night, her appearance was Miko’s cue to get out of the scene and go home.
Miko was absent the next few days.
But every night, before going to sleep, Miko’s serious yet smiling face was vivid in Jhing's mind. She can still feel how he wiped her cheeks with a handkerchief. She could still remember him, her reaction to him and her heartbeat as he said, ‘I stay.’
The line was too familiar to her heart; she was so sure Miko knew it was from hers.
When Miko showed up in the office and smiled at her when they crossed the path in the pantry, Jhing just stared at nothing as she tries to stop her traitor heart from beating too fast.
Walls up. Poker face. Think like nothing happened. And go with the flow.
Like how she always planned from the start.
“I'll pa.s.s,” Jhing answered when asked, rather, when July said something about team building, weekend getaway, and Caliraya. “I'm not going.”
“What?”
“Less headcount, less expense.” She sat in her cubicle and started editing the ma.n.u.scripts, but July turned her around to face her.
July’s smile was scary. “I don’t think so. Writers need to go to.”
“Huh?”
A triumphant smile of July. “News flash, Jhing. You’re our writer, and an editor, too.”
Her thoughts about being a writer and an editor for being a win-win situation? Jhing is starting to regret it.
“Is that true? Mac-Mac is visiting our home and asks for me?” I asked Jamaica, my sister.
“Uh, hahahaha [Describe the laugh. Not just type hahaha.]-err—oo, ate [1* Ate] That's why you should come back here in the Philippines often. It seems like you're enjoying your life in England with aunt [Aunt] Bee… [*3 Add actions!] Almost 13 years have pa.s.sed since we last met, [I was 4 and you were 9. I'm 17 now,]< too=”” much=”” info=”” for=”” her=”” dialogue=””>, ate [Ate] Henna.”
1* Capitalize a t.i.tle/codename when directed called to a person. Ate. Bro. Papa. Aunt. The Emotional Guy.
2* Put action in between a chunk of dialogue for no one in a daily convo say long paragraphs continuously as if memorized.
“This is why I'm here now, right? I want to spend the time I have lost with you. ” I miss speaking Tagalog. It's been years since I've spoken our dialect ah! ”Uy let's use the elevator, Mai!” I pulled her and entered the elevator.
[Character facts can make a dialogue realistic.
Henna should say “lift” (English term) instead of “elevator” (American).
Note: If necessary, use slang words (but not too much).
Dialogues should move story forward (avoid boring conversation), reveal character personality/backstory (important only!) and provide (not redundant / too obvious) information.]
We slept after watching movies. Mai-Mai wasn't lying, when we woke up, Mac-Mac came and visited us.
[Actually, the whole scene can be shortened for it didn’t move the plot forward. Can be deleted too.
Note: Don’t let characters sound the same. If someone curses d.a.m.n it, let the other curse s.h.i.+t, b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, or f.u.c.ks.h.i.+t. Or give good reason why they talk the same (ex: because they talk to each other too much every day that's why they share the same expressions.)]
I was shocked when I found out the reason why Mac-Mac kept visiting our home. It's not because he wanted to ask how I was doing. He just wanted to see Mai-Mai and bring him their son that was staying at his house. Welcome back to me, said the both of them and their son.
Wow. That was one h.e.l.l of a turn of events.
As for Jhing’s turn of event in h.e.l.l, it was the team building. Her apartment, even lonely, was much more comfortable than a crowded area, thank you very much.
And the last but not the least of her concerns was….
…Miko.
But there wasn’t any other choice, were they?
Jhing basically dragged herself to join the Caliraya escapade. The writers, together with the book department, were on the same bus. Other departments are on the other buses.
Fortunately for Jhing, she was sitting beside Fall.
Unfortunately, Fall and Miko have a close relations.h.i.+p so the latter sat on Fall's other side while Facio followed Miko to sit on his side. Just one turn of Jhing's head, she will surely see him. Even if she sets her eyes on the windows, she can still see his reflection.
“Wow, Hulog¹, you're blooming today.”
Very unfortunately for Jhing, she can clearly hear the voice of Miko despite the noise inside the bus.
“I'm not going to give you my Lays so leave me alone.”
“Awtsu.” Miko laughed as he reached for the junk food in Fall's bag. “How about the Ruffles then, come on!”
The journey to Laguna was a mix of Jhing trying to get some sleep with earphones and music on, the noise of authors and book team chitchats, and Miko, Fall, and Facio’s horrible trio of Gangnam Style.
Few hours after, the second they got out of the bus, Jhing almost shouted, “Amen!” and jump with joy. She wanted to jump in the water when Fall shouted at Miko saying that they still need to ride a boat to reach Caliraya premise.
“Help us here ah!!” Fall cursed when Miko playfully pulled her back the moment she stepped on the boat.
When Jhing saw Miko look at her, she didn't say anything as she quickly stepped on the boat and directly went inside. She ignored Fall’s questioning eyes.
At the a.s.sembly, Jhing was supposed to help in unloading the luggage at the Duplex, but she was with Fall and was forced to come and join the activities.
“Jhing!”
Aahhh!
She hated it when people call her. Because they were in the middle of taking a group picture, all attention was focused on hers, including his.
“Come on, Smile,” said Fall, holding five phones. “Or else you'll be the one taking the picture!”
Good idea!
But Fall didn't let her so Jhing went back to her position and tried to smile too wide, exposing almost all her teeth as if she was scaring a baby or herself.
Then she heard Miko laugh.
Did he just laugh at her? What the.
After the nerve-wracking sky bicycle experience, Jhing enjoyed every place they went even though it was tiring and awkward. Playing earth ball - writers vs book team - made them laugh hard. Even the mini zip line and bungee jumping, they jumped a few times until it got boring.
The adults become kids for the day.
Until they decided to do wall climbing, Jhing went back to her normal state. Fall was trying to force her but this time, Jhing didn't give in. Her knees felt numb because of the sky bicycle.
Fall finally gave up after few minutes. She then climbed the wall with Facio. Failed to clasp a rock, she shouted, “I'm tired, Kuya²! Can you just please pull me up to the top!?”
Miko was the one who pulled the rope suspending Fall in the air. He fooled around so Fall kept shrieking at the top of her lungs. “f.u.c.k you! f.u.c.k you, Miko! Shet! Help!”
A few curses after an unsteady rope, Fall finally reached the top with the help of Miko. “Yes! I finished climbing even though I didn't do anything! But still, f.u.c.k you, Miko!”
A set of laughter.
On the other hand, Miko was breathing heavily as he sat near Jhing. The silence and their arm’s inch distance felt awkward, so in the end, she stood up and went to the corner with her legs wiggling.
Miko stood up and went after her.
What the heck.