Chapter 4: Chapter 4

I slept last night so early because of jet lag from the flights and I wake up early today so I can enjoy my vacation. I get out to finally see how beautiful the island. I see people walking and some of them are tourist like me, I walk around to see the beach but I was too far so I decided to change first. I start to walk somewhere and memorize the name of my hotel so I won’t lost. I see different kinds of people, some of them are locals and they are so approachable I just look at them and they smile back at me. I continue walking without knowing where to go when I suddenly hear a bell from the church. It was so loud that even in the other side of the island can hear it and I notice that every people walking around earlier they all going to the church. I get confused so I go inside of the church, I was so amazed how beautiful the church. They paint some historical events in the wall of the church which added to the beauty of the church. A walking man with a knife in his waist I can tell how strong the old people before because of how they dress. The earliest parade in the island and some events that I didn’t know what’s all about. The church was near the ocean and I can see the ocean by standing outside of the church. I walk near the shore to see the white sand and blue beach. It’s so beautiful, it’s my first time seeing a white sand with a blue water I can see underneath the shore. The oceans are so clear like a diamond that covers the water to capture the beauty that never fades. The sky is so bright and the sun is in the middle of the island, lightning the whole City. The greenery environment and a bluest ocean with a clear blue sky makes my eyes feel calm and relax. I decide to spend my lunch near the beach and try some local foods. They’re foods are great, totally different from what we eat in Oregon and I like it. I was finish in my lunch when the restaurant staff gave me some delicacies that they originally made. She said it’s their way of saying thank you to the tourist so I grab it and eat it. It was so yummy, it’s sticky in the teeth but there was something in the middle that makes it more delicious. I went to walk after and decided to spend the rest of day in the beach, I walk slowly as slowly as I can be and suddenly a group of some people making a noise they were like in parade of something, I stop by in the side of the road to give way to them as they approach in me they hand me something. It’s like a small doll with a mask with a word written on the side “ paradise of the South” and they’re gone. I walk again and I decided to keep walking until I get to the bottom of the shore and I see the beautiful and widest blue sky I picture myself spending my whole vacation in this place. I take some selfie’s to send it to my parents and tell them how beautiful the place. I was walking back when a I see a piece of slipper drifting into the shore

“ maybe it belongs to somebody that went here” I said to myself and I continue walking but then I decide to get it and plan to give it to some authorities but unfortunately there was a man came at me and ask for the slipper and I saw the other pair in his hand. I hand it to him as easy as it like.

“ thank you again for taking care of my slipper, he said gladly. This slipper is from my father and it means so many memories with him”, he continue but I never make an eye contact I just look at the beach as we talk.

“ it’s okay, I just thought it belongs to somebody and give it to authorities”, I said politely.

“ by the way, what is your name”? He ask gently

“ I’m Justine, I was from Oregon, USA” I said confidently I never ask his name but he said it with no hesitation.

“ I’m Andrew, I’m not from here”, he said while pointing his hand in the air. “ I’m from Manila and I am here to take some pictures of some place like here”. He meant the beach

“ okay, so you left your slipper because you were taking some pictures”? I said in question

“ no, I left this because I take a swim and I’ve been looking all over the place and I am so happy that someone like you cared in my slipper he said with a smile and this time I make an eye contact.

“ I have to go now, Ms. Justine. I hope you have a great time”. And he walked away.

I left looking at the ocean thinking and I walk again until I reach my hotel room and I make a call to my parents to tell them that I was doing okay and that I was enjoying my vacation time. I take a nap for a moment and wake up almost 10 in the evening and I was really hungry I went down in the cafeteria hoping there’s still a food for me to eat and I was glad that they had more foods than I thought. They had a great foods, some seafood’s that I never tasted in my entire life and some local foods that they’re proud of, and some delicacies that locally made. I had a great dinner and I felt like I ate too much so I decided to have some walk around and I see how beautiful the night sky. The stars are so bright that I can see the whole galaxy, I never saw like this before even in my house it’s really different place. I wasn’t alone walking around there’s some tourist sitting in the park bench while talking and taking pictures and there’s someone sitting like having a picnic with the whole family, it was really a perfect place to spend the vacation, I guess. I went to my room almost midnight and fall asleep immediately.

Next morning the hotel staff talk to me and say that I was part of some guests who are invited for the opening of the other branch in the small island in Cebu at first I didn’t accept it but when they explained to me the condition’s I agreed right away. Who wouldn’t agree if you have a exclusive two days free to spend in the beautiful island and the food is also free. I was so excited to go there I pack my stuff for tomorrow and I spend the whole day doing nothing. I was relaxing myself for tomorrow because I felt like I wasn’t going to make a sleep any minute in the small island because the staff says that there will be a parade and a party whole night because it was their grand opening. By noon I go out to buy something and I see Andrew from yesterday, falling in line in a store and I approach him to ask what he’s buying.

“ I buy something for my mom and my sister when I get back.”

“ What did you buy to your mom and your sister”? I ask him, trying to make a conversation.

“ it’s a beach hut for my mom and a Cebu shirt for my sister”. He said.

“ wow, I didn’t know you’re a good son”. I said teasing him.

“ You don’t know me, I was a kindest son in the whole world, don’t you know”? He said confidently.

“ oh, really. Google never said that” I said more confidently.

“ well, now you know” he said right away. “—what about you? What are doing here”? He ask continuously.

“ I was looking for some store to buy some product that made from here” I said. “ I think, since it was my first time traveling I think I need some remembrance so I won’t forget my journey here in Cebu” I said again. “ do you know some store”? I ask him.

“ yeah, I know some place”. He said right away

He brought me to a store and introduce me to the owner. A woman named Corazon, a old woman with a red lipstick and a short brown hair.

“ Hello, young lady” her warm welcome to me. “ so, what are you looking for”? She ask me in her sweet voice. But before I speak she let me see her products. Most of her products are bags made from coconut leaf with a heart shape and a word Cebu inside. Andrew help me to choose what to buy when suddenly Corazon came and had a chat to both of us.

“ she’s beautiful, Andrew” she said while looking to Andrew

“ She’s my Friend and I was helping her”. Andrew reply and I look to both of them and smile

“ do you have boyfriend, Justine? Mrs. Corazon ask with a smile. And i wasn’t able to answer quickly so she ask Andrew

“Andrew, do you have girlfriend? And Andrew look at me before he reply

“ no, Mrs. Corazon. I don’t have”. I heard what he said but I ignore it. Mrs. Corazon invited us to take some lunch in her house beside her store. Andrew and I agreed. We enter her house and we see pictures of a lovely couple, I suppose it was Mrs. Corazon and her husband. We head on to the kitchen to eat and we see Mrs. Corazon sited in the top table, and we sited facing each other. The food is serve and we start to eat. I heard a silence in her house as we eat and I see a wedding picture in the wall. The man was look like foreign and I wonder where he is?

“ is that your husband, Mrs. Corazon? I ask while eating

“ yeah, that’s my Henry. She said. My loving Henry”. She continue

“ Where is he now? I ask again

“ He’s dead now. She reply with a sad voice. Andrew look at me and we look to Mrs. Corazon

“ I’m sorry, Mrs. Corazon. I didn’t know”. I said sadly

“ it’s okay, it’s been a long time”. She said smiling

“ is he a foreign? I ask again before I drink my water

“ yes, he’s American. He’s from Chicago”. She reply smiling again

“ that’s too far away, how’d you guys meet”? I ask and Andrew look at me again confused

“ He was a tourist here and he stay in my parents resort for awhile and he fall in love here and he stay here for so long”. She mumble trying to remember her late husband.

“ I met him one day, he was asking for some tools for the boat he was rented but I don’t know what he was looking for so I let him enter the house for a moment and he thank me for that and that night he ask me for a date”. She said while looking in her late husband in the wall

“ and I starting to like him right away because he was so gentleman and kind. He walks with me every afternoon at the shore and waited for the sun to set.” She said while holding on a hut that I knew it was Henry’s hut.

Andrew and I were silent to listen in Mrs. Corazon’s story. Andrew interestingly ask some questions

“ Mrs. Corazon, how do you know that you’re in love in Henry that time”? He ask while looking in my eyes

“ Henry was a good man and he always makes me smile. Every morning he gave me a flower that he pick from the garden in the city and he drive from here just to give me the flower and I was starting to fall in love with him”. She confess

“ but how do you handle the long distance relationship”? He ask again

“ he send me a letter every months with his pictures in Chicago and I send him my letter too and for almost a year we did that”. She let us see the letters to each other and I saw the picture of them young and happy.

“ He proposed to me before the day end, it was Sunday and he invited me to walk in the beach. We we’re having a conversation when he pointed his hand in the beautiful sun set and he hold my hands and he kneel down while he open slowly the ring box and I was in tears and he asked me to marry him”. She said while crying

Andrew and I were quite because we were amaze to their stories. I thought she’s done talking and I was planning to go home when she suddenly say something

“ Andrew and Justine, she said. “The two of you, and we both look at her. “The two of you if you found the love, never hesitate to tell it.” Andrew look in my eyes and I couldn’t turn my eyes away because I felt like he want to say something and Mrs. Corazon continue speaking. “The love just might be in front of you, you’re just too busy hesitating.”

I go back to my apartment after that and I never had a chance to tell to Andrew about the event tomorrow. We never talk about Mrs. Corazon even.

“Love is like a flowers. Bloom in a perfect time and shine in a perfect moment and just like flowers it has ending too.” - Unknown.