The long drive in Cebu was enjoyable, especially once we left Cebu City behind. We headed south towards Naga, and I couldn’t help but smile whenever the wind brushed against my face. The car windows had been open since earlier. I wanted to see everything clearly, especially as the car sped along the coastal road near Seaside.
I also spotted the under-construction Cordova-Cebu Bridge outside. That future bridge will connect mainland Cebu and Cordova on Mactan Island. Many motorists will surely be pleased, especially since I heard that the traffic on the two pioneer bridges, Mactan Bridge and San Francisco Bridge, is quite heavy. With the new bridge, residents near Cordova won’t need to drive through those two bridges anymore to cross the sea. I hope it will also ease the traffic congestion.
“From now on, Azora… I’ll be the one to pick you up and drop you off.”
I glanced ahead when Japen said that. When I looked in the rearview mirror, I saw that he was focused on the road. “Why? Do you think I’ll agree?”
He turned the wheel, and the car entered a long tunnel. The loud noise prevented us from talking. When we emerged from the tunnel, he finally spoke.
“Aren’t you happy?” he asked.
I furrowed my brow. “No.”
He suddenly grinned, causing my eyes to squint again. To be honest, I didn’t like the idea of him picking me up and dropping me off. They said that Japen had changed a lot over the years, but I hadn’t seen him since the last time. And the evident change was in his physique.
He had these bulging muscles, but they weren’t like those of underground fighters you see on TV. They were just right to be called well-built. I like to think he acquired them through hard work in the fields. His hair was naturally messy, tousled by the wind. His pouty lips were pinkish, and his medium complexion exuded charisma and masculinity.
“Done checking out?”
I blinked at Japen’s question. I returned to reality and realized I had been staring at his reflection in the rearview mirror. I was sitting in the middle of the backseat, so every glance at the mirror showed his entire face.
I looked away. “Nevermind. I can commute. You don’t have to do that.”
“Mmm… I heard the news about the student who committed suicide at your university, Azora. Do you know them?”
I restrained myself from looking his way. No. I wouldn’t look at him. But my body moved differently. I just saw myself staring at his reflection in the rearview mirror again. He wasn’t looking at me, so I could freely look at him. Of course, he was driving, and it wasn’t good to always look in the rearview mirror.
“None of your business,” I whispered.
Now that he had brought up that topic, I couldn’t help but feel sad for Anthony. He was a good boyfriend and a good student despite being too perfectionist. He didn’t deserve to die like that at the hands of my father.
I covered my face with both hands and squeezed my eyes shut. I didn’t want to remember that scene again, but my mind kept hitting that replay button. It was like I was taken back to that scene. My heart raced.
“Azora,” a distant voice said. The voice repeated my name over and over, getting louder and louder. “Azora!” The last call jolted me upright.
I quickly looked ahead. I saw Anthony’s worried face. I blinked. Wait… what happened?
“A-Anthony?” I whispered.
He furrowed his brow. “Who’s Anthony?”
I blinked repeatedly and rubbed my eyes. I looked back at the person kneeling in front of me. Japen’s face replaced Anthony’s face. His brow furrowed even more. “Who’s Anthony, Azora?” he asked seriously.
His tone shifted as tension visibly tightened his muscles. I glanced around and noticed we were still inside the car. The left backseat door was already open, and I thought Anthony had entered through there. I sat in the rightmost part of the backseat, disheveled and somewhat shocked. Meanwhile, Japen was bending his knees on one of the back chairs to reach me and wake me up.
Confused and a bit embarrassed, I asked him, “What are you doing?”
He seemed to snap out of it and quickly sat properly on the seat, facing me. “You suddenly screamed there. I parked the car on the side and woke you up. You seemed like you were having a nightmare while awake.”
His words caught my breath. Nightmare while awake? I bit my lower lip and looked away. I didn’t understand what was happening or what was wrong with me.
“I really don’t know.”
Japen smirked. “Do you want to rest for a while? Take a walk before going home?”
“Where are we?”
“Talisay City.”
I nodded and took a deep breath. Maybe I needed some fresh air. I opened a door and stepped out of the car.
Looking up, I could only see stars. I could barely see the moon. Maybe it was a full moon, or maybe the city lights were too bright. But I could clearly see the stars, so I guessed it was a new moon that night.
I stood there for a few minutes, ignoring the passing cars’ noise. I noticed the car had stopped in front of a wide vacant lot. It was probably private property that hadn’t been developed yet.
“There’s a bench there,” Japen suddenly interjected.
I shrugged and didn’t argue with him. It was tiring, and besides, there was no point in fighting with him. I always ended up winning. I even thought about that one.
He sat on the bench first. The bench faced a large empty lot, making it easy for me to look up at the sky and see the stars, despite the noise behind me.
“How are you, Azora?” Japen suddenly asked.
I didn’t want to answer, but I realized there was nothing wrong with answering his question. Besides, it was a generic question.
“I’m doing well…”
Not until last night.