Work Text:
"Hi, is this seat 26?"
Oh.
Oh.
"Hi, yes."
Yes, I do, father. Joke. Hahahaha. This woman sitting beside me looks ethereal, I think I've found the one.
Joke. Again. Hahahaha.
I need to make a conversation. How do I do this ba?
My god, Aiah. You can travel alone anywhere and yet this woman is your weakness?!?!?
I looked at the window and saw that the weather seems nice... a nice topic to talk about.
"The weather looks good 'no?"
I looked at her pero ang busy niya fixing her things, her clothes, her hair or whatever she can put her hands on.
And those hands would look good on my—I'm being weird.
She looked at me with confusion after a few seconds.
“Ano ba 'to, nakikipag-small talk pa. Ayaw ko sa stranger please.”
I think she thinks I can’t understand her speaking in Filipino. Lol. Hahaha.
"Oh. You're talking to me? Uh.. yeah. I think the weather's fine."
"I'm Aiah, by the way. Para hindi na ako purely stranger 'cause you seem to be allergic to talking to one."
"Ay. Pinoy ka pala. Hehe. Sorry, narinig mo pa yun. Ayoko sana sa small talk pero sige, exception ka for today's bidyow. I'm Jhoanna."
She offers her hand for a hand shake, which of course, hindi ko papalagpasin.
And her eyes caught me. I don't know what has gotten over me, but her eyes look mesmerizing. It seems so... bright?
Not the color kind of bright na nakakasilaw, it's bright in a way that it looks like it has a lot of joy in it, like she's someone who sees the world in her own kind of happy.
"Uh... medyo matagal yung handshake ano?" She said with a forced laugh.
"Ay! Sorry. I must've... zoned out."
"First time mo mag-plane?" I asked.
"Pwede bang pahingi muna ng id mo bago tayo mag-usap? Alam mo na, nag-iingat lang."
I laughed. No one ever asked for my ID during a small talk.
"Here. Passport's okay naman 'no?"
She compared me to my passport. Na para bang airline staff or immigration officer siya. This girl is really something else. Well, at least someone I haven't ever met.
"You look like your passport photo naman so okay na. Pasado na."
I was about to get my passport from her pero…
"Wait. Grabe, ang ganda mo rito sa passport mo."
She said while looking at my passport, and I said thanks even if I wanted to say:
Wag mo nga akong bolahin kasi magpapabola talaga ako! Tsaka mas maganda ka to the point that I might just spend my entire trip with you to figure you out and end up figuring out our life together.
Then, she looked at my face. Ano ba 'to, nakaka-conscious.
"May... dumi ba sa mukha ko?"
"Ah, wala. Na-realize ko lang kamukha mo si Mama Mary."
"You're not the first one to say that."
Kinuha ko na ang passport ko, and urged her to answer my question since may picture naman na siya ng passport ko.
Pero kung ako lang, iisipin kong dumadamoves lang siya sa pag-picture eh.
"Not really, pero first time ko mag-travel alone. I always travel with my family or kaya with my friends, so I'm a little bit wary."
"Wary? You don't seem wary, Jhoanna."
I whispered, "You don't just tell anyone you're travelling alone!"
She whispered back, "Eh first time ngani mag-travel alone! I didn't know!"
"Okay. Well, buti na lang this is me you're talking to. Legit yung you shouldn't tell anyone that, for your safety."
"Bakit? Mapapahamak ba ako sa'yo?"
This girl is like headache in human form. But sige, papatulan kita. Sorry (not sorry) na lang if it comes off as flirty.
"Bakit? Will you let me take care of you ba?"
Aiah - 1
Jhoanna - 0
"Oh. Speechless ka ngayon. Hahahaha."
"Ewan ko sayo, Aiah. Dinadaan mo ko sa ganda mo."
My charms seem to work on her. She's blushing. Hahahaha. Cute.
"Not my fault na nadadaan ka sa ganda ko."
I don't want the convo to end. Paano ba pahabain pa 'to?
"Uh... since first time mo, do you want to exchange seats? Para here ka sa may window."
"Really? You'll let me?"
I don't know how she came to decide to travel alone when here she is, looking at me with her doe eyes and a little pout.
Good Lord, parang bata.
And I want more of this, more of her.
“Hindi, joke lang. You're uto-uto."
"Heh! Nakakaasar, wag mo akong kausapin!"
She really is cute when she's acting like a kid. I'll take note to piss her off every now and then.
"Joke lang! I'm serious. Exchange na tayo. Tayo ka muna sa aisle para mas mabilis mag-switch."
We exchanged seats. And sa ilang minuto naming pag-uusap, I think this is the fourth time that I'm looking at her with admiration.
"Grabe, ang ganda talaga sa window seat. Thank you, Aiah!"
She's so smiley like I just gave her the entire world. God, Jhoanna. I would if it means I would see you like this. You're crazy. I'm crazy. What the hell is this?
—
We talked about our dogs.
Oh wow. It sounded like we're fur parenting together.
I saw Bambi's photo, her dog, at the back of her phone and as someone who likes dogs (and her), I made it a topic to talk about.
Then from our dogs, she asked about my travels since I told her this is my 6th time already travelling alone.
For two people who don't know each other, we sure talked about a lot of things that you shouldn't tell to a person you just met.
But whatever, stranger danger, what?
The flight was 3 hours since hindi naman masyado malayo ang SoKor. But I wished it was, I need 3 hours more, 3 days even!
"Ang bilis lang pala ng flight 'no?" She said.
"Uh-huh. Tsaka you talked to someone pretty and interesting kasi, so time flew fast for you."
"Ah ganon? So for me lang? Aren't you the one who kept on glancing at me 'cause you thought I'm not looking?"
Fuck. She knew?!?!
Aiah - 1
Jhoanna - 1
"Panis ka ngayon," she said and burst out laughing.
I ended up laughing too. And forgot na we're supposed to be getting our bags na.
But Lord, ayaw ko pa matapos 'to huhu please. Help me!
We already got off the plane, and now walking towards the immigration.
I'm thinking of ways on how to ask her to spend more time with me without looking creepy.
Jho, will you spend your trip with me?
Ano yan! Para namang aayain magpakasal.
Jho, do you have free time? Maybe I can tour you around, I've been here once naman na.
Ang daming sinabi, Aiah. Tas mukha pang tour guide.
Jhoanna, explore SoKor with me.
TOO STRAIGHTFORWARD.
"Huy. Nag-zozone out ka na naman. Baka mapaalis ka pa sa SoKor niyan ah."
"Ah. Baliw. Hahahaha. I was just thinking where to go to first."
"Maybe you can take me somewhere nice muna."
What?
WHAT?
"I mean, before we go our separate ways ba. Especially, first time ko rin."
"Hehe."
Okay, Jhoanna. Let's do this.
"Okay. Tama ka nga. Since first time mo, do you maybe want to spend your... first day with me?"
Omg. I said it. Please say yes.
"No pressure tho! Okay lang naman. I was just suggesting para I can give you places to go to and para mas masulit mo sana. Pero pwede ka naman—"
"Aiah, you're blabbering," she laughed.
"Hindi pa nga ako nakakasagot, dami mo nang sinabi."
"And sige. I'll experience my first day on SoKor with you."
Thank you, Lord. Hehe. Sana buong life niya na rin ang i-spend niya with me. Hahaha.
"Don't make me regret this ah. Aiah, sinasabi ko sa'yo."
"Oh Jhoanna, I'll make sure it's one of your best days, if not the bestest."
"You better make sure. Para makapag-send ka pa ng extend to 8080."
What?
I swear, this girl makes me an illiterate.
"Grabe, you haven't spent a day with me and yet, you want to extend na?"
Akala mo talaga ang tapang eh.
"Why not? You're not so bad yourself. May depth, may humor. Mukha ka rin namang mabait."
"And you're very pretty."
Wala na. Jhoanna won.
"Ewan ko sa'yo. Bolera."
But whatever, I'll just make sure I'm the last girl na sasabihan mo niyan, Robles.
She laughed and said, "Paano ba yan? Checkmate, Aiah. Looks like I got you already."
"Hindi pa 'no! We'll get there, soon. Nagmamadali ka eh."
"I'll be the one to get you, baby."
Oops. False alarm ang nanalo. Sa akin ang huling halakhak, Jhoanna. Hahaha.
"H-huy! Nakakaano ka naman! Nakakaasar! Diyan ka na nga!"
She looks so red right now. 'Baby' lang pala magpapatiklop sa'yo eh.
Hay, Jho. I’ll make sure we'll get there.
I'll make you want to spend not just your first day with me, but your entire life. If I have to wait, I'll wait.
If I have to chase... then I'll spend my time running after you.