The next morning I woke up next to Zef, sleeping like a baby. Her head was resting upon my chest, ears pressed against where the heart was as if she were listening to its beating. I tried not to move an inch in fear of waking her up. She was probably tired from the trip and the fact that we spent all night talking.
I loved talking to Zef. I could understand why the parallel universe me spent all his saved-up courage just to speak to her. Our conversation was much more than words. Each dialogue was treasured like they were golden, especially the ones we've been holding onto for years. We exchanged anecdotes and shared secrets from our earliest memories, like it was our responsibility to fill each other in about our lives before we met.
It made me wonder if the Zef from my universe was the same. Has she always been like this before being betrayed? Was it possible to hurt someone so much they become a shell of what they used to be?
I stopped thinking before my head began to hurt. As guilty as I was for taking someone else's place, even if that someone is me, I found it hard to let go of the life I always wished I had. I wanted to be alone, but I didn't want to be lonely. Zef made me understand that.
Knowing I could lose what was in front of me in a second, I took my sweet time watching Zef in her sleep. I savored the softness of her skin while our limbs were entangled in an embrace. I breathed in every breath she took against my chest. At that moment, I knew that I might just begin to truly and deeply love her. And that scared me.
Zef woke up a few moments later, returning from the land of dreams. My eyes greeted hers as they slowly opened. There was a pleased look in her eyes, as if she had awakened from something wonderful.
"Good morning, Zef", I greeted cheerily.
She just stared at me, unblinking, probably still organizing her thoughts.
"What time is it?"
The cabin didn't have a wall clock so I had no idea what the time was. My hand fumbled behind the pillow my head rested on then to my back, looking for my phone. When my hand found it, I carefully put the phone in front of me to avoid shaking Zef's head off my chest.
"It's 9:33."
"I'd like to have breakfast", she requested.
"What're you having?" I asked, as I was starving myself. Breakfast, to me, was the most important meal of the day because, sometimes, it is my only meal of the day. Eating in the morning also had a comforting effect on me that gets my day off to a good start.
"You."
In the split second that word parted from Zef's lips, I felt every nerve in my body get electrified as if I was struck by lightning in the same place twice. I leaned in to give her a peck, but her hands found my face and didn't let go. Before I knew it, our tongues were entwined in a kiss that was so passionate and intense that it was almost intoxicating. My hand then moved like it had a life of its own, slithering down to her thighs to caress her silky smooth skin
Burning with an unholy mix of sin and passion, I move my head down to her nether regions. Just as I was about to pull down her open gusset panties, we heard three consecutive knocks at the door
"Sir…"
Knock. Knock. Knock. We ignored him in the hopes he'll stop.
"Ma'am..."
Knock. Knock. Knock. We ignored him again, but this time, in the hopes he'll take a hint.
"Good morning."
I could hear Kuya Pedro call out with urgency but hesitation was clearly noticeable from his voice. Maybe he didn't want to bother us at the moment but had no choice.
Trying to calm myself down, I stood up from the bed and walked to the door. I was greeted by Kuya Pedro who had trouble looking me in the eye.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, sir, but I forgot to tell you that you can go island-hopping if you wish. The boats are here, but they're leaving for the next island soon because that's where the customers are."
Thinking we had nothing to do the whole day, maybe except to frolic on the beach, I asked Zef if she wanted to go. She sat on the bed, gently wrapped in blankets, trying hard to hide her exasperation.
"How much?" asked Zef.
"For 500 pesos only, you can visit three islands and even go snorkeling. It will be much cheaper if you can get to join with another group from the next island."
"We'll take it", she responded decisively.
"Unfortunately, ma'am, you'll have to hurry as the boat will leave in half an hour. Seeing you haven't had breakfast yet, I will go prepare something simple so you don't leave with an empty stomach. It's on the house, as an apology for disturbing your sleep. I will bring it to your table shortly."
As generous as Kuya Pedro was, breakfast was not enough to pay back what he took from us. Zef and I were about to be consumed by passionate love and lust, and he just had to ruin it. The only silver lining is we didn't give into temptation so we got to keep our purity. I mean, who has sex before marriage? We weren't sinners after all.
The two of us then moved to the kitchenette, taking our seats beside each other. Kuya Pedro came in a few minutes later with a pile of scrambled eggs on a leaf-shaped plate and a bag of pandesal. Two cups of warm coffee were served later. I inhaled the sweet steam that rose from the brown cup it rested on. While I do have a serious case of blue balls, it's hard to say no to coffee in any form.
I watched Zef pick up a piece of pandesal and happily spread it to fill with a spoonful of scrambled eggs as if she were filling a stocking with sweet treats on Christmas Day. As I was about to get my own, she put the stuffed bread near my mouth to feed me. Who was I to say no? I was her boyfriend after all, so I took a bite and patted her at the back of the head for being so damn sweet. She then ate what was left of the bread and went to make another one.
I've always loved having breakfast with my partner. Morning seemed to be where everyone's at their most natural and unguarded state, so I thought it was the best time to get to know each other. While getting to know someone over drinks seems like a good way to know their "real" personality, it pales in comparison to seeing someone's true self without alcohol-induced bravado.
"Go ahead and eat. I'll change into my swimwear."
Zef stood from where she sat and headed back to the room. I could hear the lock click as she closed the door. I didn't know she bought a swimsuit when we went shopping. Did I take that long choosing my clothes? Why didn't she show me beforehand? Did she want to surprise me?
Five minutes later, the door opened to Zef donning an orange lace-up halter swimsuit that revealed her voluptuous figure and modestly plump breasts. Beneath it was a pair of white floral shorts littered with red roses and blue petals.
"Aren't you going to change?" she asked as she grabbed another piece of pandesal and dipped it into the coffee.
You see, what I like about being a man is the convenience that comes with it. Both sexes have double standards, sure, but men have it better at most times. Like in this situation, women are expected to be in their cute or sexy swimsuits whereas men can just jump into the ocean wearing nothing or whatever they want and call it swimwear. Plus, I don't get why it's okay for women to swim in a bikini but not in lingerie, which basically cover the same parts.
"I'll go like this", I said.
We didn't get to finish the breakfast that was served to us because the boatmen were becoming impatient, as told by Kuya Pedro. The boat was at least a kilometer away from the cabin, so we had to get moving. Zef and I walked hand in hand to get there, with Kuya leading the way.
The wooden boat looked like someone plucked it right out of a HEKASI book. It was painted in stripes of blue and red, yet the signs of repeated travel in seas of both tranquility and storm have caused the colors to fade away. There were outriggers on each side and a 7.5-horsepower engine at the stern.
One of the three boatmen, who looked like in his early 20s, laid down a long piece of wood with evenly spaced slopes to serve as a ladder. He then extended his arm to Zef, hoisting her to the boat. When I got on the ladder, a slightly bigger wave suddenly hit the boat, causing me to almost lose my balance. Good thing the younger boatman grabbed on to my wrist and held me with a strength you can only gain from hard physical labor. We were then instructed to wear the orange life jackets on the floor in the event something unfortunate happens to us.
Our boat began riding the waves that came in as deep aquamarine then turned white when they hit the hull. I could taste the ocean water as the waves splashed towards my face, creating a multisensory experience that I could do without. The ocean can be quite intimidating once you realize you're sitting in the middle of it.
Even in the middle of the endless blue sea, however, Zef was all I saw.
She was more beautiful than any ocean. My eyes got glued to her as she intently looked ahead of our destination, anticipating the beautiful sceneries that nature had to offer. She would sometimes look back at me, wondering if I was afraid or feeling a little seasick, affirming that she wasn't the only one who was having fun.
Twenty minutes was all it took to get to the next island. The place was full of tents lined up like colorful flags put up during fiestas, adding life to the monochromatic ocean shore. One of the boatmen got off the boat and pulled it by the pulpit. He then set the makeshift anchor on the shore.
Two couples, who seemed to be in their late twenties to early thirties, got on the boat and sat behind us. There was some bickering but nothing loud enough that would want me to drown all of them. Judging by their seating arrangement and body language, the two behind us seem to be dating each other for quite some time, while the other two are still in the getting-to-know stage. The former must've set them up, playing matchmaker, I thought. When everybody was seated and ready, our boat resumed its cruise.
Forty five minutes into the ride, we caught sight of a red buoy freely floating about. As we got nearer to it, the color of the ocean gradually changed from dark navy blue to clear white. The boat started to slow down, stopping probably a kilometer from the marker.
"We're here at the first destination. This is Starfish Island."
Zef got off the boat first, hoping to see starfishes in their natural habitat. The water was just a few inches below her knee, so it didn't take her long to wander off. I was just on the way down when I heard Zef's voice calling me out from afar.
"BABE! Look what I got!" she cheered, eyes alight, waving a starfish in her hand.
I walked towards where Zef was. She handed over the starfish to me, giggling in excitement. I smiled at her, not for making me hold this star-shaped echinoderm, because seeing her happy was good enough for me.
"I didn't think a starfish would look like this in person", I said, amused beyond words.
"Why? Did you think they always wore boxer shorts and hung out with their sponge friend?"
"Ha-ha. Very funny."
I took a closer look at the starfish, examining it as if I were a marine biologist. This one actually looked appetizing as it resembled a chocolate chip despite its orange color. I put it back in the water before my mind started having funny ideas.
"BABE! Come here!"
Zef was holding two of the same starfish near her chest, pretending they were her bra. She looked cute and ridiculous at the same time that I wanted to take a photo of her to immortalize the moment.
"Let's take a picture together!" she suggested.
Taking my phone from the pocket of the life jacket, I immediately unlocked it and navigated to the camera. I pitched the phone up with my right hand at the same level as my eyes. Zef did a peace sign pose, smiling with her eyes, while I did the signature poker-face look that only technologically-challenged senior citizens could pull off. I was used to not looking at my best in photographs.
"Let me see", asked Zef, pulling my hand down to view the photo. She laughed at the sight of my expressionless mien.
"What?"
"Could you be any more excited? Let's take another one!"
I held the camera up again, extending the right arm out, trying to get the two of us and the sea fit the screen. Zef wrapped my other arm around her neck, tilted her head down a little, and flashed a casual smile that somehow managed to make me feel a million things at once. It was then I knew I had to tap the screen. And the picture was taken.
We left Starfish Island not long after, proceeding to the spot for snorkeling. Zef wanted to give it a try but didn't have the proper equipment. I looked at the other couples on the boat and discovered they had brought their own. The first couple, the ones who seem to be getting to know each other, were the first to jump off the boat.
"Are you two not going?" a voice asked from behind.
I turned around and was greeted by a woman with hair darker than the night. It gave contrast to her rather pale face and brilliant white smile.
"As much as we'd love to, we didn't bring any snorkeling gear."
"D'aww. That's not good. I'll tell you what. You can use one of ours. We literally just got it out of the box before we got on the boat, so you don't have to worry about catching anything." she said, handing over a blue string bag containing pristine goggles and a snorkel.
"Thank you so much!" cheered Zef. She then stood up, giving the young woman a hug.
"Sorry. We only have one spare so you will have to share."
"Thank you. I love you. You're my best friend now."
"Girls have to look out for each other!"
The two women kissed cheeks and went on their way. Seeing how excited Zef was to go underwater, I let her wear the equipment first. She didn't want me to stay on the boat alone, and had asked if I could jump with her. We took off our vests together after I nodded in agreement.
So, on the count of three, we belly flopped into the ocean.
Diving is such a surreal experience. One moment you feel like a bird, flying free. Next, you fall to the chilly waters, feeling an unfamiliar shiver into your skin, and begin to realize how small and insignificant you are. It's nothing like the city where everything was built for your life to revolve in.
Feet and legs together, I propelled myself, moving them like a whip. I kicked and kicked and kicked, swimming like a clownfish who went out to find his son. My body began to feel the temperature drop little by little. When I could no longer breathe, I swam up to the surface to catch my breath. Zef emerged a few inches from me seconds later, water moving around her limbs in swirls.
"It's beautiful down there!" she exclaimed.
Zef handed off the snorkel and goggles to me, grinning from ear to ear. She must've thought I didn't know what to do with them, seeing the puzzled look on my face, so she put the goggles over my eyes and carefully placed the snorkel in my mouth.
"Go on. Put your head down in the water!"
I took a dive beneath the surface at her command, burying my face between the crevice of her legs. Zef squealed, her cheeks turning champagne pink, but easily recovered from the shock. She then put her hand over my head, pushing me down with all her strength, to either keep me from going up for air or push my face deeper into her carnal treasure.
"Stop messing around! Take a look at what's down there!"
So I did.
If there was one place in the world where God put all the work in, I think it has to be the seabed. Beneath the deep brine our bodies were submerged in was a whole new world that corals and underwater creatures of different shapes and hues could call home. Schools of fish danced in front of me like I was one of them, and I couldn't help but be captivated. I swam back to the surface before running out of air.
"Well? How was it?" she asked, smiling like a child would when showing something amazing to a playmate.
"It wasn't bad."
Zef pouted at my response, looking unsatisfied. She looked like she wouldn't tolerate any reaction that's less than what she expected. I was kidding, of course, so I laughed at her face and jumped back to the water. Not wanting me to hog all the view to myself, Zef plunged into the water herself and playfully tried to take the equipment off. I grabbed her hand and dragged her to the surface for air.
"I was kidding. Here you go." I said, taking off the goggles and putting them into her head.
"No. Not yet. I think you haven't seen the blue one. Go down now!"
Something about Zef saying go made me take action so I dipped my head down without a second thought. Realizing I forgot something, I put the goggles on immediately while submerged in the chilly waters of the ocean. I looked everywhere for the blue fish she was talking about but couldn't find it, so I immediately went back up to tell her.
"Hey. It's not there!"
And so was Zef.