I finished my meal, and it was time for them to head to the hotel while I made my way back to Tandang Sora. My father handed me 20,000 pesos, and my small eyes widened at the sight of it. My hands trembled as I held the money; I had never imagined I would welcome such a large amount. My father said it was for a date with my girlfriend, but I chuckled because I didn't actually have a girlfriend.
They dropped me off at the corner of Tandang Sora before heading to the hotel. From there, I walked back home. As I walked, I spotted James talking to someone, Gie, but why? I was about to approach them, but before I could take a step, they left. I decided to follow them and was taken aback by what I witnessed. They were kissing and undressing each other at the back of Rhoda's house. It seemed they chose that spot because not many people passed by there, but didn't they consider the risk of being caught? I couldn't bear to watch further; I couldn't make sense of my emotions.
Nevertheless, I stayed in the area, keeping watch in case someone came by. I wanted to catch them off guard and confront them. While on the lookout, my thoughts drifted.
"Tsk! He's done it," I sighed, trying to understand him and the circumstances that might lead him to such actions.
Yet, I haven't even left yet, and this is already happening. What if I suddenly disappeared from his life? Could he go astray without me? I felt overwhelmed by confusion and exhaustion.
I pondered what to do, but I couldn't think of any way to stop him from repeating this mistake. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't realize I had been standing there for quite some time. It seemed they were finishing up because I could hear clothes being put back on. I decided to leave the place and wait for him to pass by Aleng Tale's store.
As I saw him from the store, it seemed he also saw me, and a smile formed on his face. And I reciprocated with a smile as well.
James said, "Espren, I told you I'd miss you right away."
"I missed you too, espren," I replied, feigning ignorance about his actions. "How much did you earn? Did you go to Aleng Rosing's place?"
James clicked his tongue. "Tsk! When I got there, she told me she had already sold it. She said there were too many items, so she thought it was better to sell them. That's why I only earned 50 pesos. I panicked earlier, not knowing what to do. I can't go home without money because my mom wasn't able to do laundry today."
"Oh! What did you do?" I asked, and he acted like he was whispering to me.
"I had a quickie with Gie," he revealed, without any hesitation, as if he didn't care if I would get angry. He told me directly without even trying to hide it. His words hit me like a bucket of cold water. I felt angry, however, I tried to understand him. A mixture of sadness filled me, but I didn't want to show it to him.
"Let's go. It's only you I've been waiting for here," I said.
"Ah, your affection always lightens my mood, espren. Just wait a moment; I'll buy food first," he replied while making the purchase.
As he was buying, I felt sorry for him. While I was about to move on to a better life, he didn't know how long he would endure this. I really needed to do something for him, and I hoped everything would work out according to my plans. We went home to his place.
James' POV
I was thrilled to see Raffy; I thought his father had finally fetched him. Mom had told me everything about his father's return. I had prepared myself for this moment, knowing we would be apart. I had to get used to the idea of not having him by my side. So I agreed to go scavenging alone, something I never did before. I used to urge him whenever he felt lazy.
I felt happy for him because their hardships with Mom Esther would finally end. One of my wishes had come true—to have their family complete again. But it's true, it's difficult to feel this way, being far from the person you've always relied on, someone to lean on when life gets tough, and that's Raffy for me. Sturdy support, just like I am to him. But I need to learn to stand on my own without asking for anyone's help because Raffy became an example for me, showing that all good things always come to an end. From now on, I need to stand on my own two feet.
We arrived home, and the first thing I looked for was water and a place to sit. I was exhausted from the long hours of walking and, of course, from the mischief I did with Gie. It was the first time we had done that, and although I initially resisted, I found it enjoyable, so I ended up liking it. Now that Raffy will be far away, I'm sure my income will decline, and I'll have to think of a better source.
Between the two of us, Raffy was the one who did the bargaining, and I was just there as his companion. I'll probably struggle with scavenging now that he's gone, so I need to come up with a better plan. Mom took the things I bought and started cooking. Raffy sat beside me, and we talked while Mom was cooking.
"Oh Raffy, why are you still here? I thought your father had already picked you up," Mom questioned, a mix of concern and surprise in her voice.
Raffy replied, "Yes, Mom, he did pick us up. We had a bit of drama at home. But Mom decided to go with him, and I stayed behind for a while because I was afraid this grumpy guy would get mad if I didn't ask for permission," he said, looking at James with a playful smile.
James chuckled, "Why would I get mad? I already knew it would happen since yesterday. I was surprised you're still here."
"S-seriously? You didn't even tell me you already knew. And it seemed like you didn't want to see me!" Raffy exclaimed, his eyes widening with a hint of pain.
"Haha, not like that. I just thought, after all the time you haven't seen your dad, you'd be excited about going with him, so I assumed you had left. Besides, I mentioned this morning that I already knew about it," James explained, trying to ease Raffy's feelings. "So how did it go?"
Raffy took a deep breath, trying to compose himself, "It was alright, but it got emotional. When I saw him, I felt intense anger, then it just vanished. Oh, by the way, Mom, can James accompany me for a night before they come back tomorrow to get me?"
Mom smiled warmly, "Of course, it's fine. James, go with him so he won't be sleeping alone."
James teased, "Tsk! Are you still scared of sleeping alone?"
"I'm not scared. I just want to spend more time with you while I'm here. I might not see you for a long time when I leave again. I'm sure my dad will make up for the lost time. You know how it is," Raffy playfully retorted.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm sure you'll miss me terribly, espren," I said with a bittersweet smile.
"Of course, why wouldn't I miss you?" he replied, trying to hide the sadness in his voice.
"I'll miss you too, but when changes come into our lives, we have to get used to them. I'm really happy for you," he said, trying to sound encouraging.
Mom said, wiping her tears away."Oh, stop it, I can't even figure out where I should be crying, whether it's from the smoke of the charcoal or from the two of you,"
Dad, trying to lighten the mood. "Let them be, they've been together for such a long time, so it's natural. They've spent more time together than with their own families, right?"
"You're right, I almost forgot. Alright then, I'm almost done here. Irene, get the plates ready," Mom instructed.
Irene: "Yes, Mom!"
After Mom finished cooking, we had our meal. Then we said goodbye to Mom and Dad before heading to Raffy's house. Before going there, we stopped by Aleng Tale's place to buy some liquor. I was surprised when Raffy showed me a wad of cash. Raffy explained that his father gave it to him. I never imagined that Raffy's father was that wealthy. After getting four bottles of alcohol and some snacks, we finally went home. We started drinking, sitting on the wooden and plywood platform outside Mom Esther's small sleeping quarters. We were just silently sipping our drinks, taking turns passing the bottles around. No one spoke; we were trying to gauge who would break the silence first—several minutes passed like that until Raffy shattered the stillness.
Raffy: "James, I'll be leaving soon," he said quietly, his voice tinged with melancholy.