Drastic Waves in Bondi

Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"You should be resting—that's what you said," aniya. Diretsyo lamang ang tingin nito sa akin na para bang ang ako na ang pinakasinungaling na tao sa buong mundo.

Napangisi na lang ako sa kanya. "Well, true that I lied, but there's nothing else I can do back home."

"So, you went here," pagpapatuloy niya. "You've been here for a week. You could've gone elsewhere. I'll tell you some places where you can relax." And then he just told me where I could go.

"Okay, I might take your advice. I'm sure I've been to some places you've said, but there I'll take note of the others. But I was already somewhere else before I went here."

"Who you were out with?"

"Oh, my brother and his fiancée and then my fiancée... well, I've kind of left them at the golf club and they don't have any idea where I went. But let's not talk about it and I've got nothing else to do. I just don't wanna stay in the house and then feel all the body aches later on... but let's talk about you."

"What about me?" Pagtaas pa nito ng kilay. "We've got nothing else to talk about."

Napansinghal ako. "Kaasar naman 'to." Pagsasalubong pa ng kilay ko.

He chuckled. "So, tell why you're here and not with your family?"

"I'm going to ask you the same question," I countered. "What are you doing here? You're not on duty and you could've gone elsewhere as well. You could also be resting and doing something else. You've been on the beach for most of your life. Aren't you getting sick of the beach?"

He smirked, shaking his head. "Why I would get sick of this beauty?" He motioned his hand to the sea and where we could all see the dancing waves and the people having fun around. "And this is my life. I cannot hate it. And this is where I usually go when I don't have to work."

"And so it's like you'll still be working because you're around."

He shrugged off. "If there's anything I can do or in any way, I can contribute while I'm around, then I'll help."

"At some situations, when you see someone else, have you had the instinct to do it for yourself when you can?"

He titled his head, put his hand on his finger, squinted his eyes, and look at me like examining me. "I know what you're doing. Are you tricking me to answer your questions? You know, I'm not forgetting the time you've asked me to be interviewed. And I'm already having doubts about your intention of joining the training. Are you doing this purposely?"

His questions are so direct, natulala na lamang ako sa kanya. Kung hindi niya pa muling kinuha ang atensyon ko, I wouldn't be able to focus.

Agad akong umilig sa kanya. "No! That's not my intention," pagdepensa ko pa. "I'm really here for the training."

"But you've got no training on weekend," he reiterated. "You should be at home."

"Okay, fine. I've seen you earlier near the golf club and you got on your motorbike and drove away."

"So, you followed me here?" he questioned. It's like his tone has some kind of judgment and I'm not surprised.

"I'm not following you," depensa ko pa muli. "'Wag ka ngang assuming."

Napangisi naman ito. "You kept whispering," pagpuna nito. "It's like you thought I couldn't understand you, but surprise, I do."

Nanlaki ang mata ko sa sinabi niya. "So, you're for real? You're half-Filipino?"

He nodded. "One-fourth to be exact," he corrected. "My grandfather who was Filipino. He married my Australian grandmother. Had a daughter—that's my mom who married an Australian as well and that makes me one-fourth Filipino blood. I do understand the language since I was close with him when I was young until I moved out to college."