There was a song that my mother first taught me. It was “If We Hold On Together”. I couldn’t recall who sang it, but the melody and lyrics were etched in my memory. This song had been a source of comfort when my mother passed away years ago. Every night back then, when sleep eluded me despite counting sheep, I would sing that song to remember her.
I whispered the song lyrics softly while lying on Japen’s firm bed. He wasn’t there; he was busy outside.
Earlier, we had dinner together at one of the country’s popular fast-food chains. It was my treat. Since Japen did me the favor of driving me back to San Fernando, I suggested stopping at the fast-food place to eat instead of having dinner at his place. Well, I didn’t quite like the dishes he served anyway, so eating out seemed like a better option. At least we were both full by the time we got home.
Earlier, I took a short walk around the neighborhood, with Japen trailing behind me, which made me a bit nervous because I could feel his eyes on me. It was reminiscent of the feeling I had all day at university – as if someone was watching me. But I reassured myself; it was just Japen looking out for my safety.
I didn’t see those drunken men from the corner when I first walked around Japen’s place. As it was almost sunset, the sunlight wasn’t harsh on my skin. There were several birds flying in the sky too. I paused for a moment and looked up at the sky. It made me smile.
I’m not exactly what people would call a nature lover; in fact, I hate planting anything in the backyard because I know I’d just see dry leaves if I did the planting. But seeing those birds chirping happily as they flew away made me stand there in awe. There was something about nature that some people couldn’t fully appreciate.
A few minutes later, the sun was almost gone from the horizon. It was dusk, so we decided to head back home. I felt like the food I’d eaten had settled, so I should be able to sleep well. But first, I had to finish my assignments. After completing them, I climbed into bed and started counting sheep. Yet, my mind was still alert.
I’d been lying there for nearly half an hour when I heard some noises outside the door, like chopping wood.
I blinked. Chopping wood?
That’s when I realized the soft noise I’d been hearing for the last thirty minutes wasn’t coming from outside the door but from outside the window.
I turned to look at the wide-open window. It wasn’t very large, with some bamboo serving as a barrier. Only a curtain covered the inside of the room from outside.
It wasn’t alarming though; it was completely dark in the room when the lights were off, so people outside wouldn’t see me in bed when the curtain would be blown up by the wind.
But because I wasn’t sleepy, I decided to get up and see where the sound was coming from. It was just a soft noise, and judging by the volume, it wasn’t far from the house.
I peeked out the window. The moon was shining brightly in the night sky. It was full, illuminating the whole area. So it wasn’t hard for me to spot Japen as he chopped wood. I couldn’t see his expression clearly, but I could see his muscles flexing every time he swung the axe.
Unconsciously, I found myself staring at him. I hadn’t planned to stare at Japen, but I enjoyed watching how dedicated he was to his work. I didn’t know how many minutes I’d been watching him, and it seemed he wasn’t planning to finish his work soon. I noticed there were still many large logs piled up at the side, and I was sure he’d chop them all.
I never knew he was so hardworking. I should’ve known where he got those muscles. I was sure he didn’t go to the gym because he couldn’t afford it, so watching him work under the moonlight amazed me even more. He was quite a tough guy.
The wind blew into the window. I felt the cold on my skin, so I stepped back and hugged myself. Intrigued, I went to the suitcase lying on the floor and took out a jacket. I put it on and went out of the room.
I went out of the house and went to the back of the house to find Japen. He seemed focused because he didn’t notice me as I approached him.
“Hey,” I called out to him.
He paused briefly from chopping and turned to me with a furrowed brow. I could see his forehead crease. “What are you doing here, Azora?”
“I just want to watch you work.”
He took the towel hanging from his shoulder and wiped his sweaty face before facing me directly. “You have classes tomorrow. Go back inside and rest.”
I shrugged and didn’t follow him. Instead, I sat on the pile of large logs and crossed my arms. “Just keep working. I won’t disturb you.”
He frowned, and I could tell he was annoyed by what I said. “Stubborn.”
I huffed at his comment. “Put me down,” I ordered.
He walked away while carrying me. When he was far from the pile of logs, he put me down. “You’re so stubborn.”
I shrugged. “I just want to watch you work here. What’s wrong with that?”
He seemed irritated by my words. “It’s dangerous here. Go inside.”
“No.”
“You’re really stubborn.”
I crossed my arms. “Just do your thing.”
His eyes narrowed as he stared into mine. Suddenly, he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to the pile of logs. I was surprised because I thought he didn’t want me —
“You’re stubborn,” he muttered, shaking his head. Then he lifted me up in his arms. “Headstrong.”
I huffed, “Put me down,” and I ordered.
He walked with me in his arms. When he was away from the pile of logs, he put me down. “Don’t be stubborn, Azora. Go back inside the house.”
“I just want to watch you here. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
He seemed annoyed by what I said. “It’s dangerous here. Go inside.”
“No.”
“You’re really stubborn.”
I crossed my arms. “Just do what you’re supposed to do.”
His eyes narrowed as he stared into mine. I was surprised when he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to the pile of logs. I was surprised when he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to the pile of logs. I was surprised when he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to the pile of logs. Huh. I thought he didn’t want me —
“There’s a snake on that log, and if I hadn’t carried you away, you’d probably be in the hospital by now.”
I furrowed my brows as I looked at what he was pointing to. At first, I couldn’t see it, but when I looked closely at where Japen was indicating, my mouth fell open in surprise. There really was a snake lying there!
“You should kill that!” I exclaimed, stepping back a few paces in hysteria.
Japen chuckled as he saw my expression. “Come on! That snake is dangerous!”
“Just stay away from the snake,” he said, holding my hand again.
I quickly withdrew my hand and hugged myself. Frowning, I walked back to where he had put me down earlier.
But even so, secretly, I was grateful that Japen didn’t let the snake bite me. As hours passed, the logs on the side gradually diminished. I even asked if the snake felt threatened. He said it didn’t.
And when he was about to take the last log, I knew he couldn’t escape the snake. Because the snake was on that last log.
“Japen,” I warned him.
But I was surprised when he casually dropped the snake into the grass and chopped the log. I watched the snake closely. It wasn’t moving, so I furrowed my brow.
“Is that snake dead?”
Just as Japen finished chopping all the logs, he took a deep breath and turned to me. “It was dead when I picked up the log from the pile.”
My eyes widened. Does that mean the snake was already dead before I even sat on the log?