It was a gloomy afternoon at the shores. By the coastline, a
bed of rocks extends into the sea. The waves gently breaks
into this natural jetty, spraying water into the air in a
gentle rhythm as old as time itself. Lena sat there on the
rocks, her feet lightly skimming the surface, serenely
watching the sea froth reach the ends of her toes. She was happy.

Enzo somehow manages to wind up in the same place as she.
His feet and heart seemed to have dragged him to where she
was, as always, like it’s the most natural thing in the
world --- wherever she was, there was he.

Enzo stood there for the longest time, a smile on his face.

He was oddly contented just watching her.

ENZO (V.O.)
The sight of her by the waves was
so breathtaking. Geraldo smiles at
how her gentleness seems to
contrast the sharpness of the dark
rocks. Contrast...
contradiction...that was her. Light
against dark, softness over rigid
structure. And she seemed to belong
there, by the cold, unforgiving
rocks. Like the gentle foam, she
was in fact very ethereal and
elusive. Like any moment, she
could be gone. Gone from his life
forever. But Geraldo can only look,
and remain content, for her
presence is almost next to
divinity,and no mortal is deemed
worthy to even get close to her, or
touch her. Not even him.

Lena knew that somebody was watching her. Without a doubt
she knew it was Enzo, for his presence always make her heart
skip a bit. Somehow she knew that he was there, always
behind her, watching her every move.

Enzo could not bear not speaking...

ENZO
Lena...

LENA
(without even turning
her back on him)
Wait, sandali lang. Don’t speak...

ENZO
Wait...How did you even know it was me?

LENA
Shhh....

ENZO
Siya nga pala...Sorry...for last night...

LENA
Shhhhhhh...I’m in my happy place...

ENZO
Okay...

Enzo stood beside her. He earnestly watched Lena take in
every last bit of that beautiful sight. She was as if commiting them to her memory. Enzo just let her be.

When Lena felt she has captured that image into her mind, then she looked back at him.

LENA
Now, speak...anong kailangan mo?

ENZO
Watching you from here, it does
makes you look...calm...mabait.

LENA
So, ibig mong sabihin hindi pala ako mukhang
mabait dati?

ENZO
! Sorry, I didn’t mean it to
sound like that. Sometimes, iba ang
iniisip ko tapos iba ang lumalabas
sa bibig ko...

LENA
Ay, naku problema yan.

ENZO
Bakit naman...

LENA
Sorry na lang pala si Lolo, malaki
pa naman ang pangarap niya sa iyo
na maging makata. Pero mukhang
hindi ka pwedeng makata, kasi hindi
ka marunong gumamit ng mga tamang
salita.

ENZO
Ha ha ha. Yeah, that doesn’t seem
to sound like my strong point!
Siguro nga hindi ako pwedeng
manunulat, kaya nga nag-duktor na
lang ako...
(pause)
But, I’m only like this when...

LENA
When?

ENZO
When I’m with you...I seem to be
stumbling with my words all the
time...when I’m with you...

LENA
Sinisi pa ako!
(long pause)
Don’t you ever shut up?

ENZO
That’s not my strong point either,
shutting up...

LENA
Kesa naman magsalita ka lang nang
magsalita ng walang katuturan,
tumahimik ka na lang, try it...you
might even hear a lot more things
kung tahimik ka.

ENZO
Is that what you’re doing earlier?
I mean, just being quiet,
introspective...

LENA
Before you ruined it...oo.

ENZO
Sorry ulit...I didn't mean to bother you.
I just came here to apologize.
(pause)
Can I sit beside you?

LENA
Hindi ko po pag-aari ang mga batong
yan...

Enzo sits beside her.

ENZO
So, now you’re back to your
sarcastic self. Kanina, mukhang ang
bait-bait mo...

LENA
There’s more to people than what
they look on the outside you know...hindi ba iyan
ang palagi nilang sinasabi? You’re
a fool not to believe it...

ENZO
Then, call me a fool...

She looks at him, she can’t help but smile.

LENA
Bakit ba palagi mo akong pinapaiyak?

ENZO
Do I? Hindi naman palagi...

LENA
Hindi palagi?!

ENZO
Uhhmmm...gusto kasi kitang
inisin kung minsan.

LENA
At bakit naman?

ENZO
Kasi...hindi mo ba alam na
nakakatuwa ka pag naiinis?

LENA
Bakit?

ENZO
Kasi...a part your nose, right
there...
(pointing to spot by her nose bridge)
...this crinkles up completely when when
you get angry...there it is...right
there...ayan na o...

Lena touches up her nose consciously.

LENA
Hindi kaya!

ENZO
No, don’t touch it...it’s cute.

That turned Lena's frown into a smile.

ENZO
Don’t ever change that, don't let
anybody change that, it’s you’re
trademark. It’s really cute...

LENA
Ang galing ng comeback
mo ah! Maiinis na talaga sana ako
...akalain mo, pintas na,
nagawa mo pang isang compliment.

ENZO
So, did I redeem myself from being
just a bumbling, incoherent idiot?

LENA
Now, naniniwala na ako na apo ka
nga ni Jose Alvarez...

ENZO
You know him?

LENA
Oo, pinabasa ni Lola sa akin ang
libro niya. Yung Nuestra Perdido
Eden...

ENZO
Ah ganon ba? I love that book.
It’s a classic...

After that, they just sat there for a few minutes, watching
the waves that are coming in. From the distance, the rain
clouds are threathening.

ENZO
Wow, this is an amazing sight!

LENA
Shhhhh....Di ba sabi ko sa iyo, pag tahimik
ka lang mas marami kang maririnig.

ENZO
I’ll shut up then...

Lena glanced back at him wistfully. Enzo closed his eyes
and breathed in the warm musty air, listening to the breeze,
the gentle rustle of the waves and more importantly, to his wildly beating
heart...

LENA
Di ba mas madami kang maririnig,
kung peaceful ang paligid?

ENZO
Yeah...everything seems to be
more...clear...

He opened his eyes and looked at her. She was so beautiful
that Enzo had to hold his breath...

LENA
Ano?

ENZO
(still staring at her)
Wala...

Lena cupped some sea water in her hands and splashed some
water into his face - perhaps to break off his much prolonged appraisal of her.

ENZO
Ah ganon pala, ha?

Enzo got some water and began splashing her too. Lena
retaliated with more of her own. Then, they went on it with
juvenile reckless abandon. They felt...free.

As luck would have it, Lena slipped on one of the rocks and grabbed on Enzo for support.
However, they both fell into the water. They surfaced together laughing. A few charged seconds later, their laughing subsided. They just stood there by the chest deep water,
looking at each other tenderly.

ENZO
Bati na ba tayo?

LENA
Uhhmmm, sige quits na tayo. Nakaganti ka
na, di ba? Pero, bati na ba? Pagiisipan
ko pa.

ENZO
Come on! Hindi pa rin tayo bati? Wala man lang ba akong
na-earn na extra pogi points para mapatawad mo na ako?

LENA
Basta, pag-iisipan ko pa...

Enzo was so caught up by the moment that ensued. He had his finger over her lip to hush her. Then, his right hand found
its way gently caressing her hair, removing loose strands
off her face. He held her chin. He moved in closer... to kiss her.

LENA
(turning away)
Hindi...hindi pwede to...

ENZO
Lena, alam ko nararamdaman mo rin
ang nararamdaman ko.

LENA
But, it doesn’t make it right.

ENZO
It feels right...

LENA
Paano na lang si Janna?

ENZO
How can I be here, Lena, with
you...and not think about her? It
only means one thing...

LENA
Sandali, don’t say it...hindi
pwede...hindi pwede...

ENZO
Why not?

LENA
Because, I’m not a thief...

With that, Lena waded out of the water, leaving Enzo
dumbfounded.

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To the two people who take time read my story regularly (Jonna and sosci), I'm sorry. I was out of town and was not able to update. Hope this makes up for it.

Surprise! Binggirl you are right on the money about Enzo. So, more is revealed here about that. (To others, if you don't get it still, see comments page) Geraldo is the name of the new character. I'll leave it to your imagination as to what the new heroine's name going to be... clue, starts with a K.

Thanks for reading! Thanks for the comments too.

Regina