30 Days with Fina by JellOfAllTrades

Chapter 5

I opened the screen door of the house and was about to leave when Mamita's voice rang out from the dining area.

"Jell?! San ka pupunta?"

"Sa playground lang po!" I shouted back.

Mamita, a fragile-looking eighty-year-old lady whose back is slightly hunched appeared from the dining area.

"Playground? Eh ang tanda tanda mo na para maglaro doon!" She said, using her wooden cane to point at me.

"Hindi po ako maglalaro doon, Mamita. Makikipagkita po ako sa kaibigan ko."

"Kaibigan?" Her pencil-drawn eyebrow rose in intrigue.

"Si Fina po, nakilala ko po noong isang gabi."

"Sa Karaoke bar?"

I shook my head. "Hindi po, sa tabing dagat po."

"Sirena?"

I chuckled. "Mamita naman, sirena po talaga?"

Mamita smiled, showing me her pearly white dentures. "Joke lang, sige na. Umalis ka na't baka hinihintay ka na ng sirena mo."

Chuckling, I closed the screen door behind my back and left.

As I walk the short distance to the playground, I replayed my talk with Mamita earlier and almost slapped myself when I finally understood what she meant about the 'sirena' joke. She was asking if Fina is also gay like me!

"Genius, Jellane. You're such a genius." I sarcastically muttered to myself when I arrived at the playground.

Just like yesterday, I've arrived earlier than Fina. I just looked around, watching the children play and when I got bored, I took a seat on the edge of the seawall.

My cellphone beeped so I took it out.

Jaime calling...

"Brah!" He shouted when I accepted the call.

"Bro! 'Sup?"

"Nothing much, tambay lang muna sa bar."

"Ngayon?" I glanced at my wristwatch. It read 3:28 pm. "Ang aga pa para uminom! Mamaya pagdating ng mga chicks lasing ka na!"

Jaime laughed on the other line. "Ano ka ba, hindi pa ako umiinom."

"Oh eh anong ginagawa mo jan?"

"Pinopormahan ko yung bagong manager. Brah, ang sexy!" He squealed excitedly.

"Dude, you sound gay."

"Gayer than you?"

"Gayer than Dina." I laughed.

Dina is our gay friend. He goes by the name Dylan in the morning and Dina when the sun sets. We hang out with him sometimes because he knows a lot of girls.

"Eww, dude!"

I laughed again. "Maka-'eww' ka jan! Anong name nung chick?"

"Lorraine. Pati name ang sexy noh?"

I imagined what Lorraine would look like. Beautiful face, big boobs, spankable ass, and long legs. That's Jaime's type.

"Send ka nga ng picture?"

"Sige mamaya. Nga pala, ano nang nangyari dun sa pinakilala sayo ng pinsan mo? Maganda ba talaga?"

I frowned upon remembering the Ashley incident. "Dude, ang clingy! Sobra! Naiilang nga ako kasi nilalandi ako sa tapat mismo ng mga kapatid ko!"

"So, what did you do?"

"Syempre iniwasan ko. Pero grabe eh, the girl can't take a hint. Sinundan pa nga ako sa CR tapos muntikan na akong halikan!"

"WOAH!" Jaime hooted. "Lakas ng kamandag ah! Ano, masarap ba?"

I rolled my eyes, oblivious that Jaime can't see me. "Di ka naman nakikinig eh! Sabi ko 'muntikan na akong halikan'! Meaning, hindi natuloy kasi nga, biglang pumasok si Mary."

"HALA KA!" He shouted on the other line.

"Good thing she didn't see what almost happened because I pushed Ashley away."

"Nanunulak ka na ngayon ah!" Jaime jeered. "Umuwi ka lang ng Quezon nagbago ka na."

"Baliw, instinct yun bro. Nagalit nga si Ashley eh, sinigawan ako."

"Hindi ko magets kung tumatalab ka pa ba jan sa Calauag. Parang nakakascore ka na parang hindi eh."

"Psh."

"Eh di anong ginawa mo? Sinigawan ka eh."

"Alam mo naman ako, maiksi pasensya ko. Eh di ayun, sinigawan ko din. Tapos nagwalk out ako."

Jaime laughed and I know why. I'm not really the walkout type of person. When I'm confronted, I stay and face it, not walk away from it.

"Bro, ikaw kaya dito sa posisyon ko, for sure magwawalk out ka din." I justified. "Nagbuild up yung galit ko eh."

"Galit kasi stuck ka jan for a month?"

"Yeah,"

"Well, I get you." Jaime whistled as if thinking. "So ano na, wala kang kaibigan jan, hindi ka--"

"Actually, may nakilala ako." I cut him up.

"Oh talaga?! SPILL!"

"Her name's Fina. Nakilala ko sya nung pumunta ako sa seawall pagkawalk out ko."

"Ooh, I smell something fishy."

I rolled my eyes again even if Jaime can't see me. "Bawal nga diba?"

I heard him sigh. "Oo nga pala. So ano, what's this Fina like?"

"Typical probinsyana. Pero masaya naman sya kasama." I shrugged. "Actually dapat magkikita kami ngayon pero wala pa sya eh."

"Hintayin mo nalang, darating din yan. Ikaw pa? Habulin ka eh."

"Ikaw din kaya!" I laughed.

"Sige na brah, I gotta go. Andito na si Lorraine."

"Goodluck!"

I dropped the call and looked around. Fina is still nowhere in sight. Sighing, I returned my look to the calm sea. It's low tide today and there are no waves crashing under my feet, instead, it showed the bottom of the seawall where barnacles have stuck and small sea creatures are crawling.

I watched as a small cockroach-like creature crawled on the wall, almost to my shoes. I pulled my legs up and looked around the playground again, hoping to see Fina now.

4:03 pm my wristwatch said. I'm starting to feel annoyed but I pushed the feeling away. I have to keep my calm if I don't want to scare Fina away. But damn, why is she late?

I remembered our conversation yesterday. She said she wanted to be a teacher and asked me what my dream is.

I grew up in a family where we have anything, everything we want. We only need to ask and we will get it. So now the big question is...

"What do I want?" I whispered to myself.

If I know what I want, then I'll know what to do. But despite the fact that I'm taking up a double degree in economics, I still have no idea what I want to do with my life after I graduate.

Should I work for a large company, work abroad, work for my parents, or start my own business?

"Bilisan mo magplano, mabilis lang ang panahon, the next thing you know paakyat ka na pala ng stage."

Fina's voice echoed in my head from yesterday and she does have a point. I should start planning.

I scratched my head, starting to get annoyed at myself. But I still don't know what I want.

Sighing, I checked my wristwatch again. 4:24 pm. I looked around but saw no sign of Fina.

"Maybe she's not going to show up," I muttered but shook my head. "Hindi, hihintayin ko sya. Kalahating oras. Kapag wala pa sya ng 4:54 uuwi na ako."

So I stayed there, sitting on the edge of the seawall, waiting for a girl that I somehow want to hook up with but unfortunately for me (and fortunate for her), cannot.

I waited for thirty minutes. Then another thirty minutes. And then another and another until my phone beeped in my pocket. The sun has set and the sky is already dark. The children playing earlier, gone back to their homes. I'm all alone now in the darkened seaside playground so my ringtone sounded louder than usual.

Kier calling...

"Hello?"

"Ate Jell, asan ka na daw? Dito ka ba sa bahay magdidinner?"

"Ha? Ahh ehh, oo, pauwi na nga ako eh."

"Sige, bilisan mo."

The call ended and I stood up from where I sat for hours. Dusting my shorts, I looked around the area for one last time, still hoping that Fina would come.

"Pero wala sya," I slipped my phone back to my pocket and started my way back to the house.

I've only known Fina for a couple of days, and yet I've never felt so disappointed about not seeing her today.

Later that night when I'm about to get to bed. I received a picture of Lorraine from Jaime. She is hot, just as I imagined but then I accidentally pressed a button and the picture I took yesterday of Fina and me popped up.

I stared at her angelic face, studying every line, every curve, and then pressed another button to show that stolen picture I took of hers. She looks so innocent and oddly beautiful, looking out into the sea.

"Hay Fina,"

I'm still disappointed at her for not showing up. Just yesterday she was all enthusiastic and everything. She was even the one who asked if we'll meet up today, but where was she? I waited for hours for her to turn up, but she never came.

I feel like I've been left hanging, and honestly, I don't like that feeling at all.