The clouds, the vast expanse of blue, the gentle breeze, and the golden horizon… they were truly mesmerizing to behold. I had been sitting on that part of the beach for hours. The fishing boat had long disappeared after a day of casting nets, yet there I remained, sitting in the sand, gazing into the distance.
I cherished being alone on that beach, using the time to sort through my thoughts. It had been months, maybe even years, since I last had such solitude to think and reflect. And it was worth it. I didn’t feel hungry, even though noon had passed. I simply felt… at peace. A peace I guarded carefully, knowing that a single disturbance could shatter it. That peace was like mist-it vanished in an instant.
During that period, the sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden ray that touched my face. I moved away from the sunlight; I didn’t enjoy staring directly at the sun with its light shining on me.
As time passed, the sun sank below the horizon. The surroundings grew darker, signaling it was time for me to leave and return.
Slowly, I stood up, grimacing at the numbness in my legs. Geez, I must have sat there for too long. I made my way back to the resort, taking slow steps.
The cool breeze gently brushed against my face. The soothing sound of the waves and the distant glow from the resort’s lights guided me through the darkness. The path ahead was dark, but thankfully, there were no obstacles on the sand, easing my fear as I walked cautiously.
But then, I noticed a silhouette of a man in the distance. The figure was approaching me. I halted, squinting my eyes. Who would be walking in the dark?
I hugged myself as a cold breeze swept through, chilling my skin. I took a hesitant step forward, slower than before. I wondered why the breeze suddenly turned cold.
The man continued walking toward me. From his calm and composed gait, I couldn’t see his face due to the light behind him from the resort, contrasting with the darkness where I had meditated earlier.
Nevertheless, I kept moving forward, he toward me. I didn’t think he was really coming my way until he stopped right in front of me. Startled, I instinctively stepped back.
I looked up at him, but his face remained obscured. Yet, there was something familiar in his demeanor. I cleared my throat. “Mister…?”
“Do you want to go home?” he asked.
I recognized Japen’s voice instantly, and my heart raced. He reached for my wrist, but I stepped further away from him. “What do you want?” I asked cautiously.
There was a long silence between us before he answered. “I’ll take you back to the resort.”
Just then, I looked past him and saw the small resort glowing in the darkness. I took a deep breath. “You go first.”
“Are you angry?” Japen asked.
I furrowed my brow. Angry? Me? I scoffed. “Why would I be?” Shaking my head, I added, “Just don’t come closer to me,” then walked past him.
He didn’t say anything, nor did he try to stop me. I headed in the direction of the resort. I wasn’t sure if Japen was walking closely behind me or not at all, but I didn’t stop to check. It didn’t feel right. Though my embarrassment had lessened somewhat, it still lingered. I’d feel more at ease if he didn’t bring up what happened in the days to come, as if he had forgotten it altogether.
I reached the same reception area where I had been earlier. The same woman greeted me again. I noticed she kept looking past me, and then I realized Japen must have followed me all the way here.
“I… uh.” I pulled out my wallet from my pocket and took out some bills. “I’ll pay.”
The woman shook her head. “No need, Ma’am. Your stay here is free.”
I blinked at her words, puzzled. I furrowed my brow. It didn’t make sense. Since when I first arrived at the reception, the woman hadn’t insisted on payment after Japen had mentioned I was with him.
I turned to look at Japen. He was staring off to the side. I cleared my throat to get his attention. My forehead still creased, though I felt my knees weaken under his gaze.
“Did you pay the bill?” I asked.
It took him a moment before he nodded. “You can visit this place anytime.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I have the money.”
Japen smirked at me then. His grin lingered, but he didn’t say anything. He simply took hold of my wrist and guided me out of the reception area.
I blinked, looking down at his hand holding my wrist. His touch emitted warmth that made my breath catch. I hadn’t realized he could afford to pay for the resort. I mean, he could have asked me to pay for him, given that I had enjoyed the scenery of that resort.
“Hey,” I called to him. “How much did you pay? I’ll reimburse you,” I offered.
Knowing Japen didn’t have the luxury to pay for such a visitation fee. I mean, he barely had enough food on his table, so I knew that what he needed most was the money he paid for that visit.