The Bucket List

the one with the selfies

RJ / July 21, 2016

Yesterday was our second to the last day at Maui Island and we stayed at the beach the whole day. Parang pahinga sa limang araw na adventure naming dalawa.

Sa pag-iikot ikot namin sa Maui, hindi lang isang beses kaming napagkamalang mag-asawa ni Maine. May isang lalaki pa nga sa coffee shop na nagtanong kung nasaan yung anak namin. Tumawa ng malakas si Maine bago sumagot ng, "It's still in my belly, sir. I'll give birth 10 years from now." Siraulo talaga.

Kaya naman ngayong last day namin dito sa Hawaii, nagpunta ulit kami sa beach para sa huling hirit ng langoy since mamaya, sa Alaska naman daw kami. Malamig nga pala doon.

"Huy, RJ. We can check off our first on the bucket list." Maine said while we're lounging in the beach front.

"Oo nga no? We actually toured Hawaii."

"Hindi yung buo but at least we did it."

I smiled at her. "Oo. Ang hirap din kaya libutin nito. Sa isang island nga ang dami nang pwedeng puntahan eh."

"Kulang yata pera natin dito eh. Mahal pala ng mga bilihin."

"Oo nga eh. Teka, saan mo ba kinuha yung pera para sa plane tickets natin?"

She smiled sheepishly. Parang alam ko na to ah. "What do you think?"

"You used my AmEx?!"

"Hehehehe."

"Hay nako, Nicomaine Dei Capili Mendoza."

"Ito naman! Plane tickets lang! Yung mga hotel kembular ako na sumagot."

"Buti naman. Yari ka sakin kung pati mga hotel ako na sumagot."

"Ang kuripot mo, RJ. Mayaman ka na naman ah?"

"Nag-iipon ako para sa future."

"Asus. Madami ka na kayang ipon."

"Hindi naman dapat natitigil ang pag-iipon."

"Oo na, Father Richard."

"Very good, anak."

"Ewwww!!!! Kadiri ka!!! Di mo ko anak yuck ewwww!!!"

"Maka-yuck, wagas? Ayos ka din no?"

"Kadiri ka. Pero tara na, mag-selfie na tayo!"

She took out her polaroid camera and pulled me closer for a selfie. Naging habit na naming dalawa to whenever we take trips in the Philippines, even abroad. But this was special. Extra special.

"Ready for Alaska, Menggay?"

"Oo naman! Tara na!"

_______

After our 6-hour flight from Maui, we arrived at Fairbanks International Airport at around 7pm, where they say was the best place to watch the Northern Lights.

"We'll be staying here for 2 days lang. Northern Lights lang talaga pakay natin dito but if you want to extend naman, okay lang din." Maine told me as she handed me my passport.

"Saan tayo next?"

"Bukas mo na malalaman pagbalik natin dito sa airport."

She went on the window side. "Uy tara dito bilis! Ang ganda dito!"

Pinuntahan ko siya agad to see what she's telling me. And there, I saw the sky turn pinkish purple, almost the same with what we saw in Hawaii.

"It's beautiful." Maine said while taking a picture.

"It is." I whispered while looking at her.

Kinuha niya yung polaroid camera niya. "Hey, selfie ulit."

I went beside her and put my left arm around her shoulder.

"Ako na hahawak ng camera." I told her as I positioned the polaroid in front of us.

"1, 2, 3...."

"Kambing!"

Sabay na lang kaming natawa pagkasabi namin ng kambing. Actually, it was a habit of Maine to say kambing whenever she's being photographed. Bata pa siya nung sinimulan niya yun. Akala ko nga hindi na niya ginagawa yun, until today.

"Hey, we can check off number two already!"

"Oo nga no? We actually have a selfie at the northern and southern parts of the US."

She smiled, "I'll post these two on Instagram later. Two on the list, checked!"

"2 down, 8 to go."

"Yup! Oh, akin na muna yang backpack mo. Kunin mo na yung maleta natin."

"Yes, madam. Ito na ho."

"Baliw."

Pagkakuha ko sa mga maleta namin, we went off to look for a nearby inn and we saw La Quinta Inn and Suites. We checked in for the night and have dinner delivered to our room asap since gutom na naman yung kasama kong may anaconda sa tiyan.

Pagdating ng dinner namin, kumain agad si Maine habang tinatapos ko pa yung pag-update sa studio ko sa Pilipinas. May nag-inquire kasi for a wedding and I make it a point to answer their emails personally.

"Uy, ano yan?" Tumabi sakin si Maine habang hawak yung plato niya.

"May nag-inquire lang for a wedding package for September. Nagreply lang ako."

"Ohh. Sino?"

"Remember Czarina?"

"Wait, the crazy sophomore from highschool Czarina?"

"Yep, the one and only."

"What the actual... really?!"

"Yup. Nagtanong siya if available daw ba ako for that certain date. Apparently, I was recommended to her by her fiancé's sister."

"How did she react kaya no?"

"O ito email, try mo tanungin."

Binato niya ko ng unan. "Abnormal ka talaga!"

"Mga tanong mo din kasi eh."

"But will you do the shoot?"

I munched on my steak before answering. "Sept. 29 naman yun so nakauwi na tayo nun diba?"

"I think so."

"Sige kapag nagreply ulit, kunin ko na. Gusto mo ba sumama?"

Her forehead creased a little. "Sa shoot? Ano namang gagawin ko dun?"

"Malamang ikaw sa photos, ako sa video. Aning ka din e, no?"

"Pwede na ko rumaket sayo?"

"Susmaryosep, Nicomaine. Kakasabi ko lang aba."

"Talaga ba talaga ba?"

"Ang kulit, oo nga."

"Sabi mo yan ah!!! Yehey thank you Pokerson!!! Alam mo naman G na G ako!"

"Anong G na G?"

"Gipit na gipit!"

Then she kissed me. That bestfriend closed lip kiss she does with her girl friends. I was momentarily shocked because what the hell, she still kissed me. I'm used to her pinches, punches and other brutal bestfriend things we do but not this. This is the first time she's ever kissed me, kahit closed lip yon. Kiss pa din yon.

If I was momentarily shocked because of that kiss, siya naman tuloy lang sa pagkain niya. I was staring at her for about a minute already when she snapped, "Huy, ayos ka lang?"

Para akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig. "Ayos lang ako. Kumain ka na nga lang."