forget me not series 2 – The Romance of Ayin & Will
CHAPTER ONE
Ayin and Will’s first official date after she said “Yes, I’ll take you, I’m yours,” was, what else, another driving session.
Their first challenge as a couple was to survive a steep uphill climb inside a small subcompact car without falling out.
It was 10pm on a Wednesday night and they were on their way to Cebu City’s Tops Lookout, better known simply as Tops by Bisdaks (Cebuanos).
They were arguing at a corner store along the long winding road to Busay, and staring at the first high slope she was supposed to climb.
It was dark, slippery from the 9pm rain and way steeper than any road she’s ever driven, which just made him cheerful.
For him, it always was, “the more challenging, the better.” For her, it was a nightmare.
Her, “Why am I the one driving?”
Him, “Every newbie driver needs to overcome their first uphill climb.”
Her, “You’re not my teacher anymore.”
Him, “In driving, you’ll always be my student.”
Her, “You said not to let a father or boyfriend teach you driving.”
Him, “I’m exempted. I’m a professional.”
Her, “The road’s wet. It needs your expertise. Or else, we will roll down.”
Him, “No, we won’t.”
Her, “It’s a 1.0 – engine car.”
Him, “I know.”
Her, “So? We will roll down.” Glaring at him, she added, “You’re too heavy.”
Him, unfazed, “No, we won’t. I trust the car.”
She waited for him to add that he also trusted her, the driver.
He didn’t.
She scowled even more.
Her, “I hate you. You’re so confident.”
She was close to tears from the nervousness.
Him, “That’s okay. I like you.”
She didn’t know whether to cry from his stubbornness or fly away with the butterflies in her stomach. There was no budging this overconfident, sweet guy from letting her do this.
Her, “I shouldn’t have suggested we go to Tops.”
She had thought it would be romantic to cuddle under the moon and night stars, while appreciating the amazing view of the city.
That was before she knew he would insist on letting her drive going there.
Him, shrugging, “We both like Tops.”
Her, “You know what, it just rained. It might be foggy there tonight. Let’s just go back to the city.”
Him, “Tsk, tsk. You’re my girl. How can you not do this? Where’s your confidence?”
That irked her.
So, if I can’t do this, I’m not your girl? I’m not fit to be with a professional driver like you? She fumed silently.
That sudden boost of anger, and embarrassment, too, if she was honest, actually gave her the push to actually do it. Swallowing her fear, she focused instead on showing him.
Just you wait, in a few years, I’ll be an even better driver than you, she swore silently as she started to signal and put the car on drive.
“Here we go!” he announced cheerfully.
She would have smacked him if her hands weren’t too busy gripping the wheel. He was not assisting her at all.
He just sat there, looking relaxed like he was lounging on a La-Z-Boy recliner in the middle of his living room about to watch the latest Netflix action movie.
His only instruction was, “Shift to low gear.”
Then to her irritation, he added, “This is an automatic car, so it should be easy.”
Yeah, yeah, easy for an expert like him.
She was quietly mad going up the hill at a speed of 10kph. He just patiently grinned, clearly enjoying the show.
It was a poorly lit road, with one lamp flickering against outstretched branches and vines along a high stone wall. To her, it looked eerily like a scene out of A Nightmare on Elm Street.
What if? Her overactive imagination kept taunting her with other scary scenes from Ang Babae sa Balete Drive, Night of the Living Dead, Final Destination and Scream.
Just then, she let out her own piercing scream, followed by a heavy string of curses.
Did someone or something just cross?
“Steady,” he said smoothly. “It’s nothing. Don’t release the accelerator. There, just keep going.”
Why wasn’t he panicking? How could he still be so calm?
She asked nervously, “What was that?”
“Just the wind and the shadow of a tree branch.”
He chuckled softly at first, and then when it wasn’t enough, guffawed.
Bugoy, she thought crossly.
“I didn’t know you could curse so well,” he teased.
“Shut up.”
Deciding to ignore him, she channeled all her thoughts on the small car, urging it to climb and climb some more.
So sorry for their weight, baby, she soothed the car. But as Miley Cyrus would sing in moments like this: “Just gotta keep going / Gotta be strong / Just keep pushing on…”
And then, to give herself a boost as they approached the steepest stretch, she crashed Miley’s concert in her mind, went up on stage and sang along with her:
“Ain’t about how fast I get there
Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side
It’s the climb,
Yeah, yeah
Keep on moving, keep climbing
Keep the faith, baby
It’s all about the climb…”
When the road started to level a bit, she released the breath she was holding. The worst part was over, she thought in relief.
She knew there was still some uphill climbing to do. That’s the thing about mountains — just when you’ve reached a certain peak, you’ll discover there’s another one to climb on. But she’d been to Tops enough times to know that they just passed the most difficult one. Anything else should be better from here.
“Woohooo! That’s my girl!” Will let out a shout.
Her heart ballooned at his loud declaration and praise. But still, not quite ready to forgive him yet, she said nothing.
They continued going up and down the mountain and her confidence grew. She finally believed him — even on what seemed like a more than 45-degree incline, he was right to trust the small, but terrible car. Friction is amazing, she thought.
She began to enjoy the challenging drive. The closer they got to Tops, the more she thawed towards him.
Alright, she should credit the guy for pushing her limits, she acknowledged. She stole a glance at him.
Her super cool, annoying, stubborn bugoy. If it wasn’t for him, she wouldn’t have known the exhilarating feeling of driving to the top. Ayin felt her heart swell.
When she finally stopped the car at Tops’ parking lot, she breathed a big sigh of relief and smiled at him proudly. She had just unlocked another driving achievement.
He met her eyes and grinned, “So, have you forgiven me yet?”
Throwing her arms around his neck, she hugged him. “Yes! I did it, I did it! Thank you so much for making me do it. You’re the best!”
He laughed, “Wow, you change moods so fast.”
Loosening her hug, she turned to face him and said smugly. “I was a natural, don’t you think?”
He laughed again. “Of course, you’re my girl.” He winked.
They got out of the car and climbed on foot, hand in hand, the remaining steps to the stone wall entrance of Tops.
Funny how in the span of 30 minutes, their relationship reached new heights, literally.
By overcoming this mountain challenge, not only did they survive their first argument as a couple, Will also discovered which buttons to push to move her forward with him, while Ayin learned that his words could be trusted. This made them closer than when they were at the foot of the city.
As they paid the standard 100 peso per person fee and entered the circular viewing deck, they were surprised to find a number of people already there even on a weeknight.
Tops, perched at more than 2,000 feet above sea level on a mountain peak in Busay, is a natural magnet for tourists and residents alike for its cool air and panoramic views of Cebu City and its surrounding islands Mactan, Olango and even Bohol.
By day, it’s fun to identify churches, high rise buildings, new hotels and other structures that define the city’s past, present, and a hint of its currently constructing future.
By night though, it is simply magical. When you drive through Cebu Transcentral Highway, you can see its lighted ring shining like a beacon to lovers or restless friends at night looking for a cozy, romantic escape.
As Ayin and Will wandered inside, they were teased by the unrepentant cool mountain air.
Ayin muttered, “Some hot coffee would be nice right now.”
Will agreed, “Let’s check out the snack bar.”
Regretfully, they only served refreshments ranging from noodles and chips to beer and liquor. Of all things, coffee was not on the menu.
At her crestfallen face however, Mr. Dreadlocks manning the stall, kindly offered, “Gourmet coffee is out, but if you don’t mind, I have some personal 3-in-ones in the bag. I can heat water and serve it to you in paper cups.”
Wow, talk about local service at its best. Bisdaks really are the simplest and most warmhearted people.
Ayin beamed in appreciation, “We don’t mind. Thank you so much.”
They happily waited at the tube-like ‘Tunnel’ near the entrance, which was subdivided into cozy dining areas by a series of fascinating stone walls with circular punctures in the middle, common in ancient Chinese architecture.
From there, they watched in amusement as Mr. Dreadlocks swayed to reggae tunes playing softly in the background as he prepared their impromptu coffee.
A few minutes later, with steaming cups on hand, they walked across the expansive lawn with conspicuous hexagon-shaped blocks bordered by Bermuda grass, onto the dozen or so concrete benches running along the edge.
For a moment, they stood quietly by the ledge near the face of the mountain, appreciating the view while sipping their hot coffee.
The city lights below twinkled like fallen stars.
She looked up and saw that the clouds have cleared from the earlier rain. The moon was out, dancing with the stars above, and shimmering on the sea below the Mactan bridge.
It was all so beautiful.
She breathed in the cold air and shivered. After a while of companionable silence, she finally turned to look at him and said shyly. “Sir Will…”
Him, “Hm?”
Her, “It’s cold. Are you going to offer me your jacket?”
He looked at her and then, with a serious face, answered, “No.”
She was taken aback. Did she hear him right?
“Did you say no?”
“I’m cold, too,” he told her.
Her jaw almost dropped to the main street of Cebu City.
She knew he was no gentleman, but this…
She could only watch him, speechless, as he turned and went to sit on an empty bench.
Then, his face broke into a teasing grin as he said, “Come here.”
She frowned at him, but followed him to the bench.
Once seated, he slid his right arm around her and, without taking it off, put her inside his big jacket.
Him, “Isn’t this better?”
Aw, way better, she thought as she melted.
But aloud, she only said to him, “Bugoy.”
Against the cold, his body felt so warm. She snuggled deeper and breathed in the familiar, comforting scent of him.
Then he asked her, “When are you going to stop calling me Sir Will?”
She looked at him with a start. She didn’t realize until that moment how odd it was to still be calling him that.
She thought it over for a second and then shrugged, “I don’t know. It feels weird calling you simply by your name. Sounds too serious or proper like I’m your commander or something.”
He teased her, “Why don’t you call me ‘sweetheart’?”
The moment the endearment left his lips, both of them grimaced and said simultaneously, “Ewww.”
Him, “Scrap that.”
They burst out laughing at their reaction.
Her, “That is so not us. I guess that also rules out ‘Honey’ and ‘Babe’. ‘Darling’ is definitely a no-no. I already have one.”
At his narrowed look, she giggled. “A close female cousin of mine I grew up with. We call each other ‘darling’ and promised to be exclusive with the word. So, we’re not allowed to call others that, even boyfriends.”
Him, “I’d like to meet this cousin.”
Her, “Someday. She’s in the U.S. now with her husband. They’re nurses.”
Him, “What do they call each other?”
Her, “My love or my labs.”
Momentary silence as they processed the word. Love – such a big one to chew. While they were deeply infatuated and falling for each other, they both knew they were not quite there yet.
Him, “It will come. We’ll find our word soon.”
Her, “Speaking of words — you know, I like the Bisdak word ‘uyab’. It’s short and straightforward. It simply means “My Girl” or “My Man”.
He nodded.
Her, “With the usual endearments, you can hear it being used by parents to their children, among close friends or even conyos to their favored waiter. But the word ‘uyab’ is just that — ‘uyab’. You can’t use it on someone else who isn’t.
“Hm. Uyab,” he drawled the word, testing the weight of it on his tongue.
Her, “I like that it’s not just an endearment, it’s a claim. It’s so Bisdak like we are, and simply tells what we are to each other. No fuss.”
He played with the word. “My Girl. My Uyab. Yab… My Yabs or Yabers.”
Bingo.
Uyab with a twist of Will. Just Ayin’s kind of drink.
She beamed at him in approval and patted his chest, “Yep. My man, my Yabs.”
They grinned at each other. They just found a word that suited their simple hearts. A word that already sounds like ‘Labs’ and could easily stretch to ‘Love’ in due time.
Just then, he tilted her face up and gently kissed her. He tasted like warm coffee. She drew closer and deepened the kiss.
There’s nothing quite like the euphoric high one feels in the early stages of a romantic relationship. And at Tops, it just keeps getting higher and higher.
When their lips parted, she leaned on him and sighed deeply.
Him, “What’s that for?”
She looked up to the sky, “I feel like I’m floating on Cloud 9 and about to pass by the moon.”
He chuckled. “And you look worried because…?”
Her, “You know what they say, the higher you climb, the further you fall.”
Him, “You afraid of falling?”
Her, “Who isn’t?”
He thought for a moment. “Kids.”
She smiled. He’s right.
Funny how when people were younger, defying gravity seemed like nothing. It was always “push me higher on the swing” or countless repeats on slides, the higher the better.
You could even see babies reaching and jumping high, so they could purposely fall on the bed.
Then years later, people grow up and learn to become cautious.
Her, “Well, I’m a grown-up who’s been broken many times. Can you blame me for thinking that falling is kind of scary?”
He tightened his arm around her, “Don’t worry. Got you anchored. I’ll catch you.”
Then, he looked into her eyes, and asked, “Do you trust me?”
Ayin didn’t reply for a moment. She didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
So rather than answer his question, she joked instead, “After driving lessons, can you just teach me how to fly next?”
Him, joking back, “No need. There’s an easier way — just zip line back to me. It’s more fun. You notice the one right across Tops?”
She chuckled. Then, as her eyes surveyed the area, a thought occurred to her. “Hey, do you realize we’re at 2,000 feet high right now? Can you imagine if there were no concrete roads and we have to go home by foot? I once interviewed a hike guide for an article on mountaineering and he told me that many people think that reaching the top of the mountain is the challenge, but actually coming back down is the hardest part.”
Him, “Not when you’re driving a car.”
Her, “I said what if no concrete roads.”
Him, “There are many other ways to go down a mountain than just by foot – zip line, parachute, cable cars, or rappelling, paragliding …”
Her, “Not a fan of hiking, huh?”
Him, “Nope. But I like going to the top again and again to zip line or rappel. It’s quite addicting.”
She nodded slowly, “You’re right. There are many ways and proper gear to keep us from plummeting to our death when going down a mountain. And how could I have forgotten that, with a harness, falling can be fun?”
When she was younger, Ayin’s life was about the pursuit of adventures. She suddenly recalled her first extreme adventure sports experience with friends at Makahambus Park in Cagayan de Oro City.
There they walked through a netted sky bridge 150 feet above the ground, zip lined from one mountain to another, fell on deep rivers as they white water rafted through 16 orgasmic rapids, and rappelled on a mountainside.
She remembered then that with the proper harness, helmet, vest, and a sturdy rope, the sensation of falling could actually be quite glorious.
It’s just ironic though – having to keep yourself properly tied, so you could let go and freely fall.
The first time she tried zip lining, Ayin discovered that it wasn’t that scary after all when she followed the tips of the mountain guide. One was to not look down when you’re on top. And two was to brace yourself for the catch.
She realized that the best fall only happens when there’s something like a safety net below or someone to catch you on the other end.
And for that perfect catch, she was taught to let go of the rope she was holding on to, stretch her arms and just reach for it.
And that she did. She let herself be caught. For there really was no other choice if you want to go home safe.
Will’s question “Do you trust me?” echoed in her head.
Perhaps, it wouldn’t be so bad to do so. Earlier in the car, he told her that they wouldn’t fall on their way up and he was right. At his persistence, he let her conquer her first mountain drive. Didn’t that make him trustworthy? It wouldn’t hurt to have a man like that catch her.
In one iconic scene in the classic Disney movie, Aladdin asked Princess Jasmine the very same question: Do you trust me?
She barely knew him but something in his eyes told her to. And the moment she placed her hand in his and stepped on that magic carpet, Aladdin showed her a whole new world that’s shining, shimmering and splendid.
She experienced a dazzling place she never knew. Soaring, tumbling and freewheeling, she saw a new fantastic point of view. And to think she would have missed all that if she hadn’t dared to trust him.
Feeling inspired, Ayin felt it was high time to go all out on this new adventure with Will. After Tops, how hard could it be to conquer another one?
And as for floating on Cloud 9, she might as well savor the moment. For when it’s time to go down, Will’s hooked arm around her shoulders told her that, with a little faith, she could let go and just enjoy the fall for a safety net is not too far away to catch her.
CLICK ON IMAGE TO GO TO MAIN PAGE
Ayin Quijano 
Leave a comment