Fac ut Vivas

November 3, 2006 - Friday

We woke up at 7 or 8. Gina went to the market to buy scallops (and other ingredients). She will prepare miso soup for us. Yeah, I forgot to mention that she made some for me on the day we arrived. I told them (Marko, Mariel, Marge), it was great, and they’d have to try it.

You don’t get to enjoy this kind of breakfast any day and needless to say, kinilaw was almost as common as rice in this part of the world.

After breakfast, our friends made last minute preparations for their departure. All of them would be back at Manila by 7pm. By 10am we were back in town, to see them off.

We went to the vendor who had obtained a crate of lanzones for me ~ 25 kilos. I was wondering how I’d ever manage because my baggage consisted of 2 other large bags. But Gina’s brother in law (Her sister’s husband) had agreed to take me as far as balingoan. That would certainly help.

By lunch, we were back at her house. I went about my stuff, trying to pack everything well enough. Anything in excess of 20 kilos would have to paid for and right now, I’m well over that amount and still have other baggage to consider.

Once I’ve separated it into two groups, one that I could hand carry, and those that would enter the baggage compartment, I slept. Apart from that sleep at Inig-mata, it was the only time (during my entire stay) that I had slept during the day, while Gina spent most of the afternoon going about the house, cleaning the front and back yard, doing the laundry, etc. (I’m as useless as ever).

When I woke up at 5pm, I was texting everybody (in my Phone Book) if they had any idea what the excess baggage was going to cost me. Fortunately, of all the people that I have texted, it was my younger brother who had managed to check the rates. Thanks bro.

I was also texting my young sister who had offered to fetch me from the airport when I arrive. I told her I’d be back by 5pm.

6pm we went to town for our last dinner together. This time we had chicken - the beginning of the end for seafood. Already, her friends were asking her to join them. I did not have any other plans for the night because I needed to wake up early (5/6 am) and could definitely use the evening to rest.

On the way back, she decided to join them tomorrow, after I’m gone. Poor girl. I wonder if I had been unfair. My guts tells me that I had been.

For the first time in a week, we were unusually silent that night. Maybe it was because of that rotten feeling you’d get when you start missing everything and everyone. Or the feeling that it had been too good to end too soon. I know I’m going to miss Camiguin and her (although, we’d see each other again back at manila in a few days time). Perhaps it’s the latter feeling. In three years, I’ve only enjoyed two of my vacations: one in bohol, and this one. That boracay thing (last year) didn’t really cut it. I stopped short of wishing that there was more time for other things. If I did, it would only make you feel all the more rotten. Besides, there was no chance of any extension to our break. All of us were due to report back to the university by Monday.

At any rate, we where running through the different TV channels, trying to get back to the urbanized reality that we were accustomed to. Strange, we had some silly arguments along the way. By 11pm we were sleeping. I was awake until 2am just trying to sort out everything in my head.

November 4, 2006 - Saturday

Woke up at 5am. Was out of the house by 6am. After a quick goodbye, the long journey back home started. My way was different from hers. She would take a ferry ride to Cebu. She’d be back at Manila by Wednesday.

By 8:30 we were already at balingoan. My companion, Gina’s brother in law asked about the last trip back to benoni. As it turned out, the last trip was scheduled for 4pm, so he decided to accompany me to Cagayan. What luck!

By 11:30 am, I was at Cagayan de Oro airport. When they weighed in my stuff, I had in excess 22 kilos for PhP 867.00. Ouch.

But then troubles started. My 3pm flight would be delayed. PAL says they had to change planes but upon close observation of the planes that arrived and departed, you’d immediately guess that all in all, they had used only one plane. Liars. Taking account of the delays before and after departure on either destinations (Cagayan/Manila), you’d be looking at minutes (if not hours) worth of delays every time the plane touches the ground.

What worried me most was that my phone’s running out of juice. More delay increased the chance that I won’t have enough battery life to inform my sister of my arrival.

There was no way I could have left the airport. I still have hand-carried items. It was awkward to lug them around. So I made the most of it by reading some magazines I bought back at NAIA on the flight to Davao.

6pm, the plane arrived. I had been waiting for nearly 7 hours.

After 30 mins, the plane left the ground.

It was over.

Flying on a huge Philippine flag: waffles and coffee, purple skies and a distant sunset over the horizon.

Alone with my memories again 31 thousand feet above the deep, dark blue, and infinite sea.