Nang matapos kaming mag ayos ng mga gamit agad kaming pumunta ni Irene sa labas. Gusto niyang maglakad-lakad sa labas.
"I'll tour you around and introduce you to some of the staffs Czari" bigla nitong sabi
Bumalik kami sa main building kung nasaan ang receiving area at office nila.
"This is Miss Emma, she's responsible for all the guest houses in the farm. She is also the one who manage every rooms in this building" sabi ni Irene
Ngumiti sakin si miss Emma kaya naman binati ko na rin ito.
"Good afternoon po" sabi ko
"You're Czarina Lopez right? Sabi ni Sir George dadating daw kayo ngayon. He told me to take care both of you during your stay here"
"Si Dad talaga, anyway miss Emma she's my new assistant and hoping she'll be my last" Irene said
Binigyan niya ako ng makahulugang tingin. Napakagat ako ng labi at umiwas na lang ng tingin sa kanya. I don't know bakit parang double meaning yung huli niyang sinabi.
"Your dad told me that you've been having a hard time choosing a good assistant before. Now that I see Czarina here, I guess you already found the right one hija" sabi ni miss Emma
Irene flashed a proud smile before patting my shoulder.
"I really did find the right one..."
Napakamot ako ng batok. Pagiging assistant ko ba talaga pinag-uusapan nila or ibang bagay na?
"Mang Tony asked me pala kung anong gusto ninyong hapunan, okay lang bang yung paborito mong luto na lang ang ihanda namin?" tanong ni miss Emma
"Yes miss Emma, I want to eat soft shell crabs din" sagot ni Irene
"O siya maiwan ko na muna kayo dyan, may iba pa kasi tayong bisita kaya medyo busy ngayon ang mga tao dito"
"Thank you for accommodating us miss Emma, I'll just show Czarina around the farm"
"Sige, ingat kayo kung pupunta sa ponds" sabi nito
Iniwan na kami ni miss Emma. Lumabas kami sa main building at naglakad ulit. Bigla kaming tumigil sa harap ng isang malaking area.
"That's the storage room Czari, when we harvest crabs and bangus they often bring it there. It's also a place to stock trash fish and gel meals for the crabs"
"Irene...you mentioned before soft shell crabs, ganun lang ba ang kino-culture ninyo dito?" tanong ko
"Yup, soft shell crabs are in demand kasi. You're familiar with Scylla serrata? The most ideal type of mud crab to culture" sagot nito
We started walking again. Irene opened a gate, and my mouth opened seeing a wide open area. I smiled seeing the earthen ponds. How I miss seeing this kind of place.
"Czari, you forgot I gave you a question" paalala ni Irene
"Sorry, well yeah I am familiar with it. Natackle namin siya sa Ichthyology at Aquaculture. I remember they're a bit pricey to culture pero worth it naman once mag molt sila"
Irene suddenly chuckle which made me look at her.
"I love it when you talk about what you've learned. It shows how much you love what you study and excited you are to learn more about it" sabi niya
"Do you remember when you asked me about why I chose my course? I told you hindi available yung Agriculture kaya nag Fisheries ako. It's true pero may iba pa akong rason"
She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"You didn't answer me fully pala back then ha, I thought it's all about being passive or reckless only"
"Were you disappointed because of my answer back then?" kabado kong tanong
"To tell you the truth, yes I am a bit disappointed back then. I just thought you're not the kind of person who will recklessly choose a course. You're wise in decision making kaya"
She suddenly smirked and pinched my nose.
"Turns out you left another detail, now let me ask you again Czari. Why did you chose Fisheries?" tanong niya
"You know how I love the sea, ocean and any body of water. I adore the fish, turtles, crabs and whales. I love spending my time in the water, playing with the waves and laying down on the sand. That's one of the most important memories during my childhood with Papa"
I felt a slight pain on my chest after saying the last sentence in my statement. It's true, I have a strong connection with the ocean because of Papa. He love it so much, I was with him when he spend his free time in the beaches of Pangasinan and Sorsogon.
"Czari..."
"It's the connection Irene, I do not want to lose it. I love both of it. The memories with Papa and the ocean itself. When I did the training in Pangasinan I was at my happiest. For five months I spent my whole time studying and enjoying the place" I said
I made a weak smile as I look around. The sun is almost setting, I felt the cold wind hitting my cheeks.
"It's his dream, to start a business. To culture fish or other aquatic organism. To live by the beach. Spend his life enjoying the things he loves to do. Cancer took it away from him. It took him away from us too" I added
Then there goes the tears wanting to fall down. I just let it be as I try to remember my Papa's genuine happy smile when he's still alive.
I felt Irene's hand on my back. She started patting it and hugged me from the back.
"So that's the other reason why I chose that course. Because of my papa, because I want to remember him and still be with him. I am happy because he's still there, I don't want to forget him Irene"
Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
I broke down and started sobbing. It's supposed to be a light story telling, but guess I cannot avoid to crumble. It's my first time opening up about Papa. He's my weakness and strength along with Mama.
"I'm just here Czari, always" she whispers
I turned around to face her and hugged her tightly.
"I miss him so much"
"I know Czari..."
She started kissing my forehead and wiping my tears using her thumb. I looked into her blue eyes and let out a deep sigh.
"It's my first time tellling this to someone. Kahit si mama hindi alam yung reason bakit ko pinili yung Fisheries"
"Well, thank you for trusting me. Thank you for telling me all of this hon" sabi niya
"Stop crying na, Tito Czar will be sad if he sees you crying this much because of him. He will also scold me because I was the one who asked you about all of this. Wrong move to impress him right?" dagdag niya
I chuckle as I nod at her.
"Silly, but thank you Irene. I feel much better right now. May isang taong nakakaalam ng nararamdaman ko. And it makes me feel safer because it's you"
Her smile suddenly disappeared. She caress my cheek and leaned forward to me. I automatically closed my eyes and welcomed her soft lips into mine.
We kissed slowly until we both ran out of breathe. She stepped back and kiss my nose before holding my hand.
"I may not be there for you back then but I promise to be with you starting from now on until the very last day of our lives Czari" Irene said
"You sound like proposing to me right now" nahihiya kong sabi
She giggles as we started walking.
"Don't worry, we'll get into that hon"
"Hay naku, let's go na. It's almost six na pala" pag iiba ko ng usapan
I know it's too early for us to plan anything for the future but gosh, I want to enjoy this time with her. Seven years has passed, that's how long I missed her.
