Codename: Wonder

8: One Step Closer

"Oh, there you are." James approached Wish with a dazzling smile. The girl didn't mind him. She's busy picking some mangoes using her stick. "Kailangan mo ng tulong?"

Hindi siya sumagot. Wish didn't want to talk and she thought the doctor already understood that when she snapped. But no. The doctor is way too stupid to get her point.

Nang mahulog ang manggang sinusungkit niya ay naglakad siya palayo.

"Hey, where are you going? I found water. Don't you want some?"

Oh, of course she does. But she's too proud to tell him that. Nanunuyo na ang lalamunan niya pero mas gusto niyang humanap ng sarili niyang ilog kaysa lunukin ang pride at sumama sa doktor.

She continued to walk. James followed her. In his mind, he's smiling at the cute thought of her ignoring him because he's too talkative for her liking. He doesn't want to irritate her, but he can't let her spend their island days in seclusion. And nope, he's got no plans of stopping.

He heard it straight from her voice. There's pain in her heart. He knows the broken when he sees one.

The fixing won't start from nothing. It should come little by little. At para mangyari iyon, kailangang buksan ng bata ang tenga niya para makinig sa kadaldalan ni James.

Nahihirapan si Wish bitbitin ang mga prutas. Marami iyon. But her ego can't afford to ask for help from the man behind her. Nor would she accept if he offers to help her. She can feel his eyes from behind and they send her shivers. But she can't look back. No. Her ego mattered more.

Sinubukan niyang bilisan ang lakad. But the doctor also walked faster. Okay! She had enough.

"Can't you just quit it, freak? Hahanap ako ng sarili kong ilog, humanap ka ng sarili mong pagkain," naiirita niyang sabi, her eyes fixed on his smiling face. He didn't frown at her words. "Or if you want, you can have these, just leave me alone."

The doctor chuckled. "I can volunteer to carry those for you. Nahihirapan ka na kasi. But I'll keep on following you. May pilay ka."

Hindi niya iyon nakalimutan. Her ankle is swelling and tired. She can barely use her right foot to step and the forest is too rough for her convenience. Ang totoo, pride na lang niya ang dahilan kung bakit determinado siyang makalakad.

Kaya hindi. Hindi niya hahayaang mawala pa iyon. Kahit pa sabihing ang mga minamahal niyang prutas ang maging kapalit noon.

"Just leave me a-"

"Don't move," James warned. He looked above her head with widening eyes. His mind automatically went to pray. Parang isang reflex action na hindi na niya kailangang pag-isipan. "Wonder, stay still."

The look on James' face made Wish sure of one thing. She obeyed him and stood still, trying to keep calm. She didn't have the audacity to look heavenwards. Ang bawat galaw niya ang magdidikta ng kaniyang kapalaran.

Hanging above her head is a coral snake, one of the most venomous snakes known by science. Syempre, hindi alam ni James iyon. Ang alam niya lang, pwedeng mamatay si Wish kung matuklaw siya ng ahas na iyon.

He looked around. Wish just followed him with her eyes. In her mind, she's thinking of a lot of things. Ice cream, pizza, carousels, and that Monday she slept on the rooftop. She chuckled inwardly. Nice thoughts.

Hindi siya natatakot. O baka natatakot siya. Pero kaunti lang. O pwede ring sobra. Hindi niya alam. But her soul feels nothing, her consciousness is occupied by the busy doctor in front of her. Is he trying to save her?

After minutes of searching, he found a long piece of dry bamboo pole. It wasn't heavy, he could swing it effectively. He was thinking of good ways to get rid of the reptile, but all he could think of is using the stick to hit it away from the girl.