Mary Grace

Five

Five

"Good morning!" Magiliw na bati sa akin ni AJ, dressed in his blue beach shorts, pink regatta shirt and a cocky smile pasted on his lips.

"Hi, AJ." I greeted back, smiling at him. He walked me to the cafe.

"I never know I could have so much fun here!" He exclaimed. Pangatlong araw na niya sa Parola and the guy rejected the idea of leaving at all. "Napuntahan namin ni Jason ang altar rock formation kahapon. It was so much fun, trekking and all!"

"Mabuti naman nagustuhan mo." Grand Ida insisted that I should take a rest because of my injury but I insisted to work. A quack doctor from Pundaguitan checked my bruise and applied some ointments to it. Pero iika-ika pa rin ako sa paglalakad. When Grand Ida is around, I try my best to walk normally para hindi na siya gaanong mag-alala.

"Hey, I really want to go inside the lighthouse." Wika ni AJ as he opened the door to the cafe for me. He gave me a pleading look. "Sabi kasi ni Jason ay bawal nang umakyat doon dahil delikado. But I really wanted to go upstairs. I bet the aerial view of Pacific Ocean from the top is terrific!"

I sighed and slip inside the counter, looking for my black apron. Nang makita ko iyon ay itinali ko sa beywang. Saka ko tinapunan ng tingin ang orasan. Mag-aalas sais na nang umaga.

"Fine." I muttered. "Pero sandali lang tayo, okay? Hindi tayo pwedeng mahuli. Tsaka may trabaho pa ako."

His face lit up like a Christmas tree. He pumped his fist into the air. "Yes!" Then he trailed after me.

Three lighthouses erected right above the cliff of the cape. The middle one is the tallest but the oldest of them all. These lighthouses were built by the Japanese during WWII at dahil sa katandaan ay isinarado na ito noong nakaraang taon sa publiko. Masyado na kasing madulas sa loob at hindi na sila palagay sa kondisyon ng konkretong bumubuo sa lighthouse.

The only person who is allowed to enter the lighthouse is the researcher Dr. Reyes. He is observing the behavior of migrant birds from Japan for over a year. He is a middle-aged man with pot belly and a permanent scarf wrapped around his neck. Noong una ko siyang makita ay inakala kong turista lang siya dito, as he sets up his small tent. But Grand Ida informed me that he is a man of intelligence. May sarili siyang research center sa Davao at palagi siyang dumadayo rito para ipagpatuloy ang kanyang study.

At first glance, I thought this old lighthouse is a silo. AJ helped me remove the piles of woods they served as a barrier and we quietly slip inside. The floor is damp, probably because of the rain last night. The stairs looks suspiously slippery as well. Dahan-dahan kaming umakyat papunta sa taas habang nakakapit sa dingding ng lumang lighthouse. Walang railings o kung ano pa mang sumusuporta habang paakyat ka.

When we finally reached the top, AJ gaped at the view of the Davao Gulf waves crashing against the Pacific Ocean. The last islet stood beautifully in the morning. Malamig din ang simoy ng hangin.

"This is great!" AJ beamed as he took pictures from his mirrorless Sony camera. He preview the images from the small screen and frowned. "The camera did not do justice at all. Sobrang ganda sa personal." Then he glanced at me and immediately pointed the camera towards my direction. Before I could even react, he quickly snapped a photo of me in my working uniform at the top of the lighthouse.

I scowled. AJ grinned and wore the straps of the camera over his neck. Hinayaan niya itong nakabitay. Then he casually leaned over the railings, the cold wind whipping both our hairs back and forth.

"So Katherine, why don't you tell me about your life?" He queried.

"Me?" I pointed at myself.

"Yes, you." Wika niya. "And don't look at me as if I just asked you to jump over the cliff naked." He chuckled at his own joke. "Magtatatlong araw na ako dito pero hindi pa rin kita nakakausap nang matino. You're always busy at the cafe or locked away inside your room. Si Jason lang ang palaging kumakausap sa akin." May himig pagtatampo pa niyang sabi.