Episode 10

Top of the World

Hindi pa sila nakakaalis pero tatlong hikab na ang napakawalan ni Winter sa upuan niya. 

“You sure you don't want me to drive talaga?” concerned na tanong ni Rina sa katabi niya.

Umiling lang naman si Winter at hinarap ang mga pasahero niya sa likod. “Okay na ba mga gamit niyo? Wala na ba kayong nakalimutan?” 

“Yup, we're good to go,” sambit ni Gigi bago tuluyang pumwesto nang mas kumportable sa backseat. 

Pareho sila ni Ning na may neck pillow nang nakasabit sa leeg. Ang sarap talaga ng buhay ng mga pasahero lang at wala nang iba pang aalalahanin. 

“Seatbelt mo, Rina.” 

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Agad namang hinatak ni Rina ang seatbelt sa gilid niya. At tulad ng mga nakaraang aberyang may kinalaman dito, hindi nakaligtas si Rina sa hamong dala nito. 

“Ganda-ganda ng sasakyan mo, Winter, sirain naman seatbelt!” reklamo ni Ning sa likod. Bilang laging laman ng passenger seat ni Winter, alam na alam na niya ang pakiramdam ng maging biktima nito.

“Wait. Ako na, Rina.” Tinanggal muna ni Winter ang seatbelt niya para matulungan si Rina sa pag-aayos ng kanya. 

Winter leans in closer to Rina's seat. Their proximity makes it impossible for Winter not to catch the all too familiar scent of Rina's perfume, and the way Rina's shallow breaths softly hits the side of her face. 

“May tamang angle kasi 'to eh. Makulit minsan.” Winter grins at Rina briefly before focusing on the matter at hand, trying her best to remove the seatbelt from its locked state as quickly as she can. 

When it finally loosens, Winter moves away from Rina's personal space. 

“There. Okay na.” Winter fastens it completely for her. She throws a proud smile at Rina's way before fixing her own. 

“Thanks.” Rina muttered, cheeks starting to warm up from what just happened. 

Nagsimula nang magmaneho si Winter. Target nilang makarating sa Rizal ng alas-singko ng umaga. Pwede naman sanang hindi ganito kaaga, pero dahil gusto nilang maabutan ang pagsikat ng araw sa tuktok ng bundok, kailangan nilang magsakripisyo ng konting tulog. 

“Do you prefer to talk while driving or do you want to listen to music lang?” Rina asked, breaking the comfortable silence they've been sharing since Winter started driving.

Bukod sa mahinang music mula sa stereo, kanina pa rin sila tahimik. Hindi naman kasi napansin ni Winter. Saglit niya ring sinilip 'yung dalawa mula sa rearview mirror at hindi na rin naman siya nagulat nang makitang mahimbing na ang tulog nila. 

“I know you're itching to talk,” biro ni Winter sa katabi. 

“I'm not,” Inirapan siya ni Rina. “I can be quiet if I want to.”

“Okay.” Winter chuckled softly. “Do whatever is comfortable for you, Rina.” 

“I’m just asking kasi you’re driving. I just don't want you to be sleepy.”

“Hindi naman ako inaantok.” Winter stated firmly. Because it's the truth. 

Kanina, habang nasa last-minute checks sila ng kanilang mga gamit, aminado naman si Winter na nakaramdam siya ng antok. 

But when she started driving, her senses automatically shifted on full alert. 

Rina looks at her and starts examining her face. Winter immediately felt conscious under her gaze. 

“Stop staring.”

“I'm not staring.” Rina then turns her attention back outside. “I was just checking lang naman if you're sleepy.”

“Hindi nga.” Winter reiterated. 

Nang hindi na muling nagsalita si Rina, saglit siyang nilingon ni Winter. 

“We can…talk,” mahinang sabi ni Winter. 

“Just say that you want to talk to me, Winter.” Hinarap siya ni Rina nang may mayabang na ngiti sa labi. 

“Hindi naman kasi—” 

“I guess we won't talk then.” Rina cuts Winter off.

Malalim na hininga ang pinakawalan ni Winter bago muling magsalita. “I want to talk to you, Rina. Okay na?”

“Okay.” Rina shifts in her seat to angle herself better to face Winter. “What do you want to talk about?” 

“I don't know… kahit ano naman,” kibit-balikat na sagot ni Winter sa kanya. “Ikaw kaya magaling dito. You're the podcast host.”

“Right.” Rina laughs lightly. “I’ll pretend you’re our special guest na lang.”

“Swerte naman ng BEKA.” Natatawa na rin si Winter sa pakulo ng kasama niya. Kung ganito ang trip ni Rina, sige, sasakyan niya.

“It’s an honor to have you here,” Rina said sarcastically. “Anyway, I’ll just ask whatever comes to my mind first ha.”

Winter hums in agreement. She doesn’t have a topic in mind, anyway.

“Why do you like hiking?” Rina asked.

Napaisip sandali si Winter. Bakit nga ba? May rason ba? 

“Hindi ko alam,” sagot ni Winter matapos ang ilang sandaling pag-iisip. “It’s just…it feels natural for me to like it siguro. I grew up doing it a lot kasama si Papa.”

“Hmm, your dad likes hiking din?”

Winter nods, smiling as a memory of her father crosses her mind. “Sobra. He loves it so much that eventually, it became our thing. Oh, and you wanna know something interesting?”

“Make sure it is,” hamon sa kanya ni Rina.

“I actually hated hiking before,” natatawang pag-amin ni Winter.

“What?” Rina looked at her in disbelief. “I did not expect that. It's just so…not you.”

“Talaga. Nakakapagod kaya!” reklamo ni Winter. “Pero diba, lagi nga naming ginagawa ni Papa. Kaya kahit parang malalagutan na ko ng hininga sa hingal at pagod, okay lang. If that’s what it takes for me to have more time with him, then I think every climb that I did with him was worth it.”

“Do you still get to go on hikes with him?”

“Not anymore.” Winter smiles sadly. 

“Why? Are you too busy na with work? Or he lives far from you na and you can’t see each other like before?” Nalilitong mga tanong ni Rina sa kanya.

“Because I don’t have someone to conquer the mountains with anymore.” 

Then it hit Rina. She looks at Winter and her heart tightens at the sight of Winter’s face with longing written all over it.

“I’m sorry, Winter. I didn’t mean to—”

Winter gives her a warm smile. “Bakit ka nag-sosorry? Hindi mo naman kasalanan ‘yun. Okay lang. Actually, I prefer talking about it nga. I like to talk about him with other people. It feels like he’s still here. Parang walang nagbago.”

“I’m—I’m sorry, still. Winter, I—I just don’t know what to say…” Rina says softly.

“You don’t have to say anything. Okay lang nga.” Winter tries her best to make Rina feel that it’s okay. 

Because it is.

It has been years since his passing, but everything that reminds Winter of her father is still engraved in her memory. And even though there is pain in remembering, she’d rather endure all of it than forget. 

“Salamat, Rina,” Winter spoke again after a few minutes of silence. She steals a glance at Rina who looks like she’s somewhere deep in her thoughts.

“For?” 

A smile finds its way across Winter’s face. “For remembering him with me.”

Rina’s heart swells at the sheer sincerity of Winter’s words. She faces Winter and she swears that she means it with all of her being when she says, “You have me.”

Sa kalagitnaan ng byahe nila, nagising at nagsabi si Ning na naiihi raw siya. Syempre, hindi siya nakaligtas sa pagsusungit ni Winter.

“Sabi ko kasi mag-CR ka na bago umalis,” mataray na sabi ni Winter sa hindi na mapakaling pasahero niya sa likod.

“Hindi nga ako naiihi kanina! Ngayon ako naiihi! Hindi ko naman kontrolado ‘tong pantog ko!” sunud-sunod ang naging pag-protesta ni Ning na dahilan naman ng pagtawa nila Gigi at Rina.

“Just stop at the next gas station na lang, Winter.” Rina tried convincing the fuming driver beside her.

“Tama! Speak your truth, Rina!” gatong ni Ning sa sinabi ni Rina.

“Oo na.” Winter sighed defeatedly. “Pero bilisan mo. Kapag nagtagal ka iiwanan talaga kita.”

“Oo na nga, basta bilisan mo na! Sisirit na ‘to!” 

Pati si Winter, hindi na ring napigilang tumawa. Grabe lang 'yung mukha ni Ning ngayon. Kung hindi lang siguro nagmamaneho si Winter, nakuhanan niya na 'to ng litrato.

Pang-blackmail.

“Wag nga kayong tumawa, mas naiihi ako!”

Halos sampung minuto ring pinigil ni Ning ang ihi niya bago nakahanap si Winter ng pwedeng hintuang gasolinahan. Dali-dali siyang lumabas at tumakbo papunta sa CR. Sinundan naman siya ni Gigi at nagpaalam na iihi rin. 

“I'll go sa restroom na rin to be sure,” paalam ni Rina sa kanya. “Baka ako na next na sungitan mo.”

“Talaga.” Winter jokingly narrowed her eyes at Rina. 

Tama 'yan, Rina. Ma-threaten ka. 

Irap lang naman ang naging sukli ni Rina sa kanya. “I'll stop by sa convenience store din. May papabili ka?” 

“Wala naman,” sagot ni Winter bago ibalik ang atensyon sa pag-check ng kanilang remaining route sa kanyang phone. 

“Okay. I'll be back before you miss me.” Pabiro siyang kinindatan ni Rina bago tuluyang bumaba ng sasakyan. 

Kainis. 

Nang makalayo na sa sasakyan niya si Rina, ibinaling ni Winter ang tingin sa bakanteng upuan sa tabi niya. 

This is Rina's second time being in the passenger seat of her car. And for both instances, one thing has undeniably caught Winter's attention. 

Ning is her usual driving companion. Because of this, the shotgun seat is adjusted to her l