I sat on a beanbag, armed my fingers with a cheap pen I bought yesterday from a street vendor, and turned the ruled pages I got from attending a seminar on biotechnology. Yes, science ignites my consciousness, the way soap operas excite mothers in the suburbs. I started with the date and the destination. I want to introduce you to my routine of jotting down the things I need to bring prior to any scheduled travel.
The list starts with what I should be wearing on the first day. My go-to combos are my quick-dry shirts and shorts. I never considered necessary putting on new pants and shirt. My list includes the details, such as wet tissues and coin purse. After finishing the list, I then proceeded to gathering the items and start packing and arranging them inside my backpack. When I travel, I make sure that I only have one carry-on baggage. Just one. No check-in baggage at the airport. Nothing to worry about.
It only took an hour to fly from Manila to Siargao. The flight was convenient. The interlocking pattern of blues with green and white was a glorious spectacle. Even the rough waves appeared calm and charming. The patches of brown in between the lush greens looked magical. When the plane landed, my heartbeats raced and urged me to go out of the arrival hall. I immediately looked for the motorbikes, or locally known as habal-habal.
The wind brushing through my face gave me goosebumps. I even managed to wave my hands at a group of kids playing at the roadside ricefield. I love the smile carved on their innocent faces.. oh, the pleasure of having good time with friends. They waved back. When was the last time I had a similar experience? My portfolio’s blank, I had not one for a very long time. The Goo Goo Dolls made everything dreamlike. I forgot my desolation, being cast out of your world.
When the Siargao waves showed for the first time, everything exploded in my mind. The water is the same as those that you can see in other areas but there was enchantment seeing the clear water of the island. I cannot explain what I felt. The reason was definitely not the coconuts. Not the motorcycles with surfboards. Not the sunkissed skins. Not the blonde hairs. Not the blue and green eyes. Unexplainable or inexplicable, the feeling you get is probably what makes the island a priceless tourist destination.
When I reached the place where I was booked, a foreigner in his 50’s welcomed me. He ushered me to the reception area, where he checked my online booking. Before I left the counter, he handed me a box from Manila.
I went to my room and anchored my backpack on the floor. I opened the box with your name written in the From tab. Everything was there. The ring. The other booked ticket. The stuffed toy I gave you on your last birthday. Items that made you free of me at that very moment. The pin that made me the lucky one and alive had been reversed over and over. It’s a long way home and I had no prayer in my pocket. So I just sat there at the edge of the bed, listened to the souls in the machine and flooded myself with the Boxes.
DEXTERIFICATION 